Sylvie Abookire
As designers respond to the wicked problems of the 21st century and work within increasingly complex social landscapes, systems thinking has grown in appeal and popularity. As a discipline, designers know that to solve systemic challenges, we need systemic solutions. Systemic approaches recognise complex problems that occur in relations and encourage us to consider the underlying dynamics that perpetuate outcomes over time rather than reaching for quick fixes. And yet, efforts to bridge systems thinking to systems practice often fail. The approach is often imbued with complexity, from the tools themselves to the language we use to describe them to the perceived scope required. Approaches that feel inaccessible are at risk of being abandoned, leaving us to settle for more “realistic,” but less transformative strategies.
Drawing on my experience as a service designer in these fields, my study of systems methodologies, and conversations with fellow systems-minded practitioners, I have identified several key factors contributing to this gap. To address this challenge, I have developed and tested a structured, seven-step approach to systems oriented service design. The approach provides a clear framework supported by methods and examples that guide the stages of the process. Reflecting on the reasons for the disconnect between “thinking and doing” in systemic service design practice leads to a practical and accessible approach to embedding a systemic mindset in your design work.
Organiser/facilitator
Sylvie Abookire, Service Designer, Researcher, and Coach, Creative Crossroads | LinkedIn | sylvie@creativecrossroads.co
Sylvie is a Service Designer, Researcher, and Certified Life Design Coach. As a designer, she uses behavioural psychology and systems thinking to create experiences that foster habit, prevention, and connection as foundations of wellness. Most of her work is in the health and public sectors. Some examples of her work include the re-design of emergency services for residents experiencing a mental health crisis, a housing service that helps families make meaningful, long-term advancements, and a high-impact tutoring service to counteract pandemic-related learning loss and learning inequities.
Sylvie has formerly worked as a Mental Health Provider, a Healthcare Innovation Strategist, and a Design Researcher. She holds a BS in Cognitive Science from Tufts University, a Master of Public Health from Thomas Jefferson University, and is working towards an MA in Service Design at the Royal College of Art.