In the realm of development and engineering, achieving superior outcomes necessitates a profound understanding of both "System" and "Design" and their associated thinking processes. Separating these into two groups—nouns (System and Design) and verbs (Systems Thinking and Design Thinking)—provides clarity and structure for successful implementation.
Systems and Design: The Nouns
System
- Definition: A system is an entity that is greater than the sum of its parts. It has a purpose that is not manifest in any individual component but is delivered as a cohesive whole.
- Purpose and outcome: A system’s purpose cannot typically be found in any one part, yet the system delivers a specific outcome and promise, making it greater than the sum of its parts.
- Example: An airplane consists of numerous parts, each of which, on its own, would simply fall to the ground. However, as a system, these parts work together to achieve the remarkable outcome of sustained flight, making the airplane far more than just the sum of its individual components.
- Example: Systems are not limited to engineered products; they are found everywhere in nature and society.
- The human body is a complex system comprising various specialized subsystems, such as the circulatory, respiratory, and nervous systems. Together, these subsystems create the living miracle that is human life.
- An organization is a system of people, each with specific roles and responsibilities. The collective effort of these individuals working together towards common goals defines the organization's success.
Design
- Definition: Design is the blueprint of how something works. It includes understanding the limits of the design, what problems it handles, and what problems it does not address.
- Understanding Design: Reading a design should provide clarity on how the system works and why it may fail under certain conditions.
- Prerequisite for Systems Thinking: A well-defined design is necessary to apply Systems Thinking for breaking down a system effectively. This is explained in more details below.
- Example: Aerodynamic Design of an aeroplane: explaining how wing shape (air foil selection) and placement is decided to optimize lift-to-drag ratio including the design of flaps and slats for take-off and landing performance.
Systems Thinking and Design Thinking: The Verbs
Systems Thinking
- Representation of parts: The application of ‘Systems Thinking’ is being able to look at the ‘breakdown into constructible parts’ without losing sight of the end outcome – and this is, typically, done ‘recursively’.
- Sub-systems: Some parts of an end-system are themselves systems (greater than the sum of their parts) and are referred to as sub-systems.
- Simple part: A part that does not exhibit the qualities of a system or sub-system, even if it consists of multiple elements, is simply a part.
- Systematic approach: The word "system" is closely related to "systematic," emphasizing the disciplined approach required in Systems Thinking. Systems Thinking is about understanding the completeness and correctness of a system, ensuring that all parts work together as intended.
- Objective preservation: Systems Thinking ensures that the objective of the end outcome remains intact despite breaking the system into smaller parts. This often requires stepping back and reevaluating to maintain the integrity of the outcome.
- Over time, as systems are maintained or modified, this integrity can degrade, leading to a decline in the system's effectiveness. Maintaining this "cohesive bonding" / "conceptual integrity" is key to preserving the system's ability to function as intended.
- Design breakdown: Systems Thinking helps in breaking down both the design and the method to build once the design is established.
Design Thinking
- Innovative approaches: Design Thinking, often referred to as "thinking outside the box," is employed when the traditional way of doing things does not yield the desired outcomes or when the method of operation is not fully known.
- Hypotheses and proof: This approach is anchored on hypotheses and proof. In the material world, this is often referred to as prototyping, and in software, it is known as a proof of concept (PoC).
- Problem-solving: Design Thinking seeks new methods to achieve desired outcomes, whether at the system level or for a specific part or sub-system.
- Necessity: Not all designs require Design Thinking. It is applied when there is uncertainty or when traditional methods fail to meet objectives.
- Continuous recursion: Implementing Design Thinking involves continuous recursion of design breakdown, system breakdown, and iterations of hypotheses and proofs, leading to adjustments and refinements.
- Building blocks: One effective approach within Design Thinking is the "building block model." This method involves identifying patterns in problem statements or requirements, which then yield reusable conceptual building blocks. These building blocks contribute to the overall design, helping manage the complexity of large subjects and ensuring a consistent, coherent, and high-quality outcome.
Iterative Process – Design to Constructability
The relationship and sequence between "Design" and "Systems Thinking" when working with complex systems. Here is a breakdown of the concepts:
- Design as a prerequisite for systems thinking:
- Before you can apply Systems Thinking to decompose a system into its components, you need a well-defined design.
- The design provides a clear understanding of how the system is intended to work, its goals, limitations, and how the different parts interact with each other.
- This design serves as the foundation upon which you can apply Systems Thinking to break down the system effectively.
- Systems thinking for large systems:
- In the context of large and complex systems, Systems Thinking is necessary to manage and decompose the design into smaller, manageable parts.
- Systems Thinking involves viewing the system as a whole, understanding its parts, and their interactions, and then breaking it down into sub-systems without losing sight of the overall purpose and functionality.
- This approach helps ensure that even as the system is divided into smaller components, the integrity and intended outcomes of the overall system are maintained.
In essence, a robust design is the foundation that allows Systems Thinking to be effectively applied to decompose and manage large, complex systems.
This iterative approach ensures that even as the system is decomposed into smaller constructible parts, the overall goals and functionality remain intact.
Conclusion
Systems and Design, along with their associated thinking processes, form the backbone of successful development and engineering projects. Systems Thinking enables the effective breakdown and understanding of complex systems, ensuring that the end outcome remains greater than the sum of its parts. Design Thinking fosters innovation and problem-solving, providing new ways to achieve desired outcomes when traditional methods fall short. By integrating these approaches, teams can achieve extraordinary results, setting new benchmarks for quality and functionality.
