Serena Treppiedi and Alessandra Savina
In today’s global landscape, systemic disciplines are critical for navigating multidimensional ecological and socio-political complexities. However, their rapid proliferation has resulted in significant methodological fragmentation, creating substantial pedagogical barriers for learners. Current literature reflects an over-specialised, nested context in which evolutionary insights remain geographically and institutionally siloed within autonomous academic centres and regional educational institutions, hindering cross-institutional dialogue. This paper addresses this research gap through an integrated literature review across Systems Thinking, System Dynamics, Systemic Design, and Sustainability. This research first consolidates scattered historical data into a structured database, filtered through rigorous selection criteria. Postulating that interactive spatial mapping transcends the cognitive limitations of text-based resources, this study translates the repository into an interactive, multi-layered time visualisation that unifies all significant contributions and entities within a single platform. To operationalise this, the study developed SyChro: Collective Systemic Chronography, a web-based, interactive timeline platform.
While the current iteration successfully bridges the gap between abstract history and practice, the project’s true potential lies in future scalability. Upcoming developments will incorporate multimedia entries, advanced cross-reference filtering, and verified accounts to unlock crowdsourced knowledge curation. Tested by an international panel of experts, SyChro serves as a foundational catalyst, empowering the global community to transcend methodological boundaries, embrace collective responsibility, and collaboratively design a viable, regenerative future.
Keywords: multilayer systemic timeline, data-driven mapping, design tool for educational & research, open & collective systemic platform, systems thinking & systemic design