Designing in an ecosystem
Designers are increasingly engaged in projects that go beyond crafting individual graphics or products and toward the design of services, organizations, systems, platforms, and experiences. As designers take
on these roles, they are engaged in the active creation and curation of complex sociotechnical networks, constituencies, and alliances that come together around problems, issues, and controversies that have distinct politics, values, and ethics. (Forlano). Design inherently should be seen
as an activity done either within an ecosystem or for an ecosystem or both.
Within an ecosystem could mean within an institution or an organization, a culture, any geographic region or within a group of individuals. For an ecosystem could mean similar things. The relationship of design
with ecosystem presents a set of constraints and challenges which has to be embraced within the practice or else design could lead to completely isolated or failed outcomes. For a designer, it is vital to understand and evaluate relationships between different pieces of design activities and different
stakeholders.
References:
Forlano, Laura. “Decentering the Human in the Design of Collaborative Cities.” DesignIssues Volume 32.3 (2016).
To Be Continued…
