By Ashini K Ekanayake
Systems thinking has been around for as long as design thinking has, with the former acting as a slightly more comprehensive means of achieving the same goal and have similar touchpoint as the latter. Whilst design thinking has five primary phases: empathize, define, Ideate, Prototype and Testing; the latter has a total of eight phases which this article will go into below. First however, we must discuss; what exactly are systems?
The technical definition of a system is that it is a group of interrelated parts which work together in order to perform numerous basic or complex functions. The connection and interaction of the parts makes the system work, and therefore results in the creation of a single entity. Our society lives and breathes systems. The simple concept of smaller modules interacting with each other and coexisting can be applied to our ways of thinking and how we approach daily challenges. This concept has been developed into what we know now as system thinking, and as explained by product designer and illustrator, Carlos Yllobre it can be put in a simple format of the alphabet for easier memorization.
A is for Audit.
This section has two sub-sections. The first portion involves understanding and defining the system, whilst the subsequent portion involves identifying the resultant problems.
Define the system
Firstly, is the need to define the system. By beginning with defining the system, the team will be able to unify the structure and naming conventions, allowing the definition to act as a reference point when the need to modify and update the system arises. This phase involves the designers identifying the current information at their disposal and asking questions such as, “How much information do we have, and how much do we need? ”, “How will our planned system work”, and such. Afterwards, questions such as “How will the planned system work?”, “what patterns will the system follow?”, and “what is the intended result?” Will be deliberated, and will guide the design process.
2. Identify the issues
Afterwards, there is a need to identify the issues which may be affecting the current idea or product to be improved. By doing so, the team is able to better discover areas of improvement. As a result, it is much easier to develop a log of tasks which can be classified based on the level of effort involved to the level of complexity of the task at hand.
B is for Building
3. Planning
Before producing, the team should indelibly begin planning first and foremost. This building phase is meant to begin the process of building the system or product. By planning, there will be able to have a unified building process which can be shared across the team. The planning process includes things such as the necessary steps which goes towards production, the intended outcome of the design process, as well as the intended quality metrics.
4. Production
Going into production does not equate to the release of the product or the implementation of the system. This phase represents the location where the core work is completed, and measurable results are available. These measurable results will have to be reviewed using the quality metrics implemented earlier in the planning phase, and can be translated into multiple iteration cycles from planning to production.
C is for Communication
In this phase, the team determines exactly when and where to communicate, what type of communication is carried out, as well as what sort of information will be shared and received among relevant parties. When working on a system, focusing on internal and external communication works best.
5. Internal Communication
Internal communication refers to the communication occurring within the team responsible for the core work regarding designing and developing the product. This phase occurs parallel to the whole process during segments A and B, rather than occurring at a specific point afterwards.
6. External Communication
External communication is communication which occurs outside the core team responsible for developing the product or designing the system. These parties include core stakeholders as well as the potential end users of the product or the system. It is crucial to ensure that there is a clear communication channel built with them to ensure that relevant parties are kept updated.
D is for Deployment
This phase is where the core work under the earlier phase “Building” is completed.
7. Quality Assurance
This phase ensures that the resulting product or system fits the intended use or product, with this phase being the last filter before the product is released to the client.
8. Release and Documentation
The final phase of Systems thinking is the release and documentation of the product. It is best for every release to be accompanied with a summary of the whole process, a description of the release, as well as other relevant information to the end client.
All in all, systems thinking does not differ from Design thinking as much as we think it does. All these problem solving methodologies can occur in multiple iterative cycles with similar steps, allowing them to recycle themselves accordingly with the project. The main difference which lies in the ethos of systems thinking is the understanding of each of the phases as a whole and translating the entire process where ever step is linked to the one before and after, summing up an efficient framework.