Talk presented at Service Design Network 2019 Global Conference. Explores challenges and methods for managing design project scope in complex systems environments

1. Designing In
Complexity
Julie Guinn

2. DESIGN
4.0
Social
Transformation
Design
DESIGN
3.0
Organization
Transformation
Design
DESIGN
2.0
Product &
Service
Design
DESIGN
1.0
Traditional
Design
Small
Messes
Product & Service
Messes
Organizational
Messes
Societal
Messes
@julieaguinn

3. Make it easier for physicians
to keep their online profiles
up to date.
Get feedback on an idea to
fill prescriptions during on-
site doctor visits.
Look for opportunities to
save time in our Urgent
Care patient flow.
Improve the design of clinical
trial patient data forms—
they’re hard to read!
@julieaguinn

4. @julieaguinn

5. @julieaguinn

6. DESIGN
4.0
Social
Transformation
Design
DESIGN
3.0
Organization
Transformation
Design
DESIGN
2.0
Product &
Service
Design
DESIGN
1.0
Traditional
Design
Small
Messes
Product & Service
Messes
Organizational
Messes
Societal
Messes
@julieaguinn

7. Complex Adaptive Systems

8. System:
An interconnected set of elements
that is coherently organized in a way
that achieves something.
@julieaguinn

9. System:
Elements
Connections
Purpose product, outcome, achievement…
relationships, flows, exchanges…
people, objects, organizations, concepts…
@julieaguinn

10. System:
Elements
Connections
Purpose
Boundary
product, outcome, achievement…
relationships, flows, exchanges…
people, objects, organizations, concepts…
spatial, temporal, functional…
@julieaguinn

11. Complex Adaptive System:
Elements
Connections
Purpose
Boundary
@julieaguinn

12. Complex Adaptive System:
Elements
Connections
Purpose
Boundary
multiple & potentially conflicting
highly interconnected & interdependent
numerous & diverse
fuzzy, permeable & deeply nested
@julieaguinn

13. Properties:
Emergence
Non-Linearity
Adaptation
Feedback Loops
@julieaguinn

14. Properties:
Emergence
Non-Linearity
Adaptation
Feedback Loops
facilitative & participatory
customized & iterative
holistic & inclusive
observant & responsive
SYSTEMS DESIGN PRINCIPLES
@julieaguinn

15. Self Organization:
A process whereby global order arises from
the local interactions of lower-level parts,
rather than being imposed by external agents.
@julieaguinn

16. Self Organization:
Distributed
Knowledge
Distributed
Control
@julieaguinn

17. Self Organization:
“systems blindness”
Distributed
Knowledge
Distributed
Control
@julieaguinn

18. @julieaguinn

19. Self Organization:
“systems blindness”
Distributed
Knowledge
Distributed
Control
@julieaguinn

20. Types of Risk in Service Implementation
@julieaguinn

21. Symptoms of Organizational Risk Being Present
“It’s good enough. Why
do we need to change it?”
“That’s nice, but we’re
not going to do that.”
“Why weren’t we informed
of this research in the first
place?”
Silence or can’t get on
stakeholder’s calendar.
@julieaguinn

22. Self Organization:
“system immune response”“systems blindness”
Distributed
Knowledge
Distributed
Control
@julieaguinn

23. The Brief The Reality
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24. The Brief The Reality
@julieaguinn

25. PROBLEM SPACE SOLUTION SPACESYSTEM SPACE
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26. PROBLEM SPACE SOLUTION SPACESYSTEM SPACE
Survey Scope
@julieaguinn

27. • Rich Picture Method
• Concept Map
• Actor Map
• Cause & Effect Diagram
• Iceberg Model
Surveying
THE SYSTEM
@julieaguinn

28. Rich Pictures + Iceberg Model
Image source: Colin Bate, CanUX 2009, https://www.flickr.com/photos/rhuvok/4101726752
@julieaguinn

29. • System Map
• Context Diagram
• Circles of Influence Map
• Stakeholder Analysis
Scoping
THE SYSTEM
@julieaguinn

30. Circle of Control
Able to take direct action
Circle of Concern
Able to monitor & respond to actions
Circle of Influence
Able to advocate or recommend actions
Circles of Influence Map
@julieaguinn

31. @julieaguinn

32. Make it easier for physicians
to keep their online profiles
up to date.
Get feedback on an idea to
fill prescriptions during on-
site doctor visits.
Look for opportunities to
save time in our Urgent
Care patient flow.
Improve the design of clinical
trial patient data forms—
they’re hard to read!
Pivoted to new idea
Made smaller-scale
improvement
Moved idea to “v2”
Made smaller-scale
improvement
@julieaguinn

33. Designing In
Complexity
Julie Guinn
Spite of