Systems Thinking in Design: Systems Innovation
Welcome to the sixth article of Systems Thinking in Design, a publication by Somia CX! In the previous articles, we unpacked the whats, whys and hows of systems thinking. In this article, we want to go further into what it means to work on a systems level to achieve Systems Innovation.
Briefly, Systems Innovation means having a new set of ideas or approaches to restructure and enable shifts within complex systems like education, health, social, just to name a few.
“Many innovations do not transform. Like new apps on an existing operating system, they in fact merely strengthen and elaborate an existing system. This does not negate their value; not all systems require changing and much benefit can be derived from social inventions […] for those who use them. But social innovation is often held up as the game changer, the processes which hold promise to create a different society in the future, one that is sustainable, just, and equitable. For that to happen, new apps are not enough. New operating systems must be developed.”
- Prof. Frances Westley, JW McConnell Chair in Social Innovation, University of Waterloo
In the green paper, Building Better Systems, it illustrates four critical roles in systems innovation:
- Entrepreneurs developing visionary and potentially systems-shifting activities on the edge of or outside existing systems.
- Insider-Outsiders working inside organisations/ institutions that are part of formal systems to open them up to the new approaches that are developing outside them.
- Convenors foundations, national intermediaries, innovation labs or industry bodies.
- Commissioners political leaders and investors, who want to bring a new system into being.
To draw the distinction between product or service innovation and systems innovation, we have a few examples of Systems Innovation below.
First up!
In this first example where IDEO was hired by The Rockeller Foundation to design waste out of a food system. They took the approach of zooming in and out at the system to see what is happening on a micro (individual’s kitchen) to the macro (communities, hotels, restaurants, etc) level. And instead of trying to solve the problem with a single approach, they engaged with a diversity of audiences and different solutions. What’s more, when they continued digging, the consequences of food wastage resulted also in food packaging reduction which keeps plastic out of the oceans.
They engaged all of the four critical roles listed above to unlock systems innovation.
My Muse: I personally like how the team was resourceful and looked at multiple and possible communities / partners (commercial and non-profit) to bring about waste reduction. They do not necessarily have to work together, and it can be separate efforts or initiatives or combined. It feels like it’s more about exploring and see who and what sparks chemistry together then off they go to start something new but with a shared vision.
Another example: Crime fighting vs. Crime Prevention
Up until the early 2000s, Glasgow had a reputation as one of the most violent cities in Europe. Instead of crime fighting which targets individual crime committers, and is a typical move that no one will disagree to, the new police chief, Karyn McCluskey, decided to change the tide by changing the perspective and narrative to crime prevention. McCluskey had a nursing background, she has previously worked with communities like health, social affairs, education, churches, to effect change. In this case, McCluskey plays the role of Insider-Outsider by working within the system; she could see its strengths and its failings; and yet has the credibility to bring in new ideas from outside. The Violence Reduction Unit treated violence as a public health crisis, this was a significant reframing of the problem which allowed for different possibilities and conversations to happen.
My Muse: This case study can be found in many systems thinking papers or articles but I love it too much to not put it here. Systems innovation can be unlocked with four key components: Purpose, Resources, Power and Relationships. Any one or all of it can be employed. For me, this has got to be McCluskey doing it with Purpose first (although I shouldn’t speak on her behalf 😅), her passion of going against the system with all its people and legacy and conventions and mindsets, that is work and time. Inspiring!
It is not always a rosy story with innovations
Hands up, those who know about the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)~ For those who do not, OLPC is a non-profit initiative established back in 2005, with the goal of transforming education for children around the world; this goal was to be achieved by creating and distributing educational devices for the developing world, and by creating software and content for those devices. An initiative with lots of heart!
However, OLPC considered the child only at that time and did not provide value to a family or entire community, hence it led to rejection and lack of support. On top of that, cost started going up and initial backers started dropping out. IT support was minimal for maintenance. Laptops were not adopted for local culture, needs and customs. OLPC targeted developing countries which had more essential needs like food and healthcare over technology. In this case, the founder who is also the Entrepreneur tried to collaborate with Commissioners (investors) but did not go beyond investigating the system thoroughly. There are many investigations into why OLPC failed. Here’s one coverage that dived deeper into what happened with OLPC.
My Muse: I first heard of OLPC many years back and was greatly moved by the initiative. For me to read about this many years later and that it failed in its earlier efforts was such a shame and it further reinforces the importance of zooming in and out of the system in order for us to investigate deeper and broader on what we are dealing with. OLPC is still around today (I was pleasantly surprised) and am heartened to see that they have taken alot of the systems mindset and have now considered the technology support, reached out to families and the communities too. ❤️
So why do systems innovation fail? There are a few reasons:
- The efforts did not go deep enough to explore the mental model and the fundamental purpose.
- Systems work is hardly a quick fix, it takes a long time (we talking about years) to unfold, hence it is often that initiatives run out of ‘steam’ or patience.
- As the word systems imply and from our earlier articles, systems work requires multiple stakeholders to collaborate for a common goal. Inability to convince and move stakeholders to collaborate together can result in stagnation or failure too.
5 key principles when you embark on unlocking systems innovation
If you are about to start your own systems design, here are some considerations:
- Who to collaborate with? It needs to collaborate on a diverse group of roles in the system. Our earlier article on mapping the system will help you clearly identify who are the stakeholders in play. Consider and find out who has the power, vantage points and resources. Ideally, map their needs and how you might be able to tap into or who have the passion to work alongside you. This will be especially useful when you go into solutioning phase because you will have an idea who may be activated. This should be reviewed constantly because systems are dynamic, change is constant and timing is critical.
- Go fast or slow, big or small? For shifts to happen and last, interventions are typically better sustained given patience and in moderate doses. Anything too big and too fast may create a knee-jerk reaction and may not stick.
I like the analogy by Donella Meadows on the size of systems intervention efforts. She states that headaches are a common problem but instead of jumping the gun and opt for a brain operation, what most will likely do is take a painkiller and have that slow release of chemicals to relief a headache. This is the difference between change and influence. - Watch out for delays Any changes take time. But delays may also cause system instability or affect the performance of a system. Be constantly conscious of any shift in timing and plan for any unforeseen occurrences or delays.
- Pace yourself and the system — As mentioned earlier, systems failures are common because initiatives run out of stamina. Design and plan your process and the humans involved for resilience and patience; recognise that systems work takes time and this is the starking difference with product or service innovations. It is common improvement programs or initiatives take time to work itself into the system. There will often be resistance or pushback from the system since change is never easy neither comfortable hence it is probably common that the performance often drops before settling at improved levels. Just like letting dust settles, well, almost.
- Measurements of success Design anchors of measurement, and they are not always measured by data or metrics. It is common these days for stakeholders to demand for data or quantifiable evidences of success, but not all things can be counted. We can use other measures of success that are softer like outcomes, behavioural changes or evolving conversations. These can also be great indicators of the performance of a system change.
“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
Systems change sounds BIG and daunting!
Too complex, too big and one can get lost in not knowing where to start or even stop! So instead of sharing yet another case study with you, I would like to end this article with an invitation to start small. Not even start a small project small, but start with a small thought, a small mindset shift, a small gesture of think differently.
All we, Somia, want to provoke in this series and our upcoming event is simply an invitation to you to explore new ways of seeing and doing, to open up opportunities to reflect, learn, play, and to build on what others have. If you are a change maker, leader, practitioner, creator, or simply someone who’s looking to do things differently, here are some thoughts for provocation:
- What lens do you usually design or make your decisions from?
- Have you tried zooming in or out and if so, how has that helped you in re-framing the problem or new ways of thinking? For e.g. when you buy a punnet of strawberries in the supermarket, of course you know what’s going to happen from that journey onwards, but have you thought about how the strawberry arrive at the supermarket? Where did the seed come from? A simple exercise or curiosity to start thinking systems.
- How are you able to become an advocate of that thinking in your team or conversations?
- What is the red line that connects the relationships or interdependencies and are there new possibilities of collaborations or conversations?
📣 Calling all design leaders, senior practitioners, and change makers! 📣
SomiaCX is hosting a Systems Thinking in Design conference live in Jakarta, Indonesia this November 8. Tickets are running low! Get yours quick here: somiaconference.com.
Chin (Me) is a director and principal consultant at Somia CX. To read more articles from me, click here. Let’s connect on Linkedin 👋
Find more Systems Thinking Articles from the Somia Team here
