Splitting Hairs or Shaping Practice? Debating Systemic and Systems Design

Michalina Fidos, Hillary Carey, and Mari Suoheimo

The terms systemic design and systems design are often used interchangeably, yet their meanings vary depending on disciplinary context, academic tradition, and practical application. This research emerged from a genuine curiosity about the distinction between these terms. Initially focused on a different topic, the authors soon realised that their backgrounds in service design, systems oriented design, and transition design led to varying interpretations of these concepts, making clarification necessary before proceeding. 

The aim of this research is to examine the notion of systemic design and systems design to determine whether they represent distinct concepts or merely semantic variations. Given this ambiguity, this research runs a semi-structured interview with the aim of exploring how academics and practitioners define these terms, how they translate them into practice, and what distinctions or overlaps exist between these perspectives. The preliminary findings suggest that while many researchers and practitioners use these terms fluidly, depending on their context and focus, others apply strong emphasis on differentiating them. We wish to share our emerging research findings and then invite participants to weigh in.

Therefore, the workshop aims to assess the interview findings via engaging RSD researchers and practitioners in a healthy debate about whether there is or is not an important distinction between these terms and how we are applying them. We wish to create space for participants to reflect on their own understanding and develop collective and pluralistic definitions of the terms. We believe that clarifying them could help designers and others collaborate more effectively by understanding their shared foundations and differences. If these distinctions remain unclear to us, they are likely ambiguous to many other researchers and practitioners as well.

KEYWORDS: systemic design, systems design, transition design, systems thinking

RSD TOPIC(S): Methods & Methodology