Laura Nino, Liliya Terzieva, Anna de Jonge, and Wina Smeenk
Insights from the Expertise Systemic Co-Design Network in the Netherlands
This paper explores the contributions of Dutch design practice through the lens of the Expertise Systemic Co-Design Network (ESC) (www.systemischcodesign.nl/en), a collaboration among four universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. Rather than proposing a new co-design method, it highlights how boundary objects, co-developed by design practitioners, academics, and organisations during the recurring ESCall initiative, materialise systemic design principles and relational complexity in practice. We examine two case studies using a dual theoretical lens on boundary object theory and systems thinking from Systems-Oriented Design. These boundary objects materialise complexity and mediate epistemic boundaries, enabling collaboration across disciplines and knowledge systems. Our analysis, supported by a spider diagram, shows how the artefacts support situated sense-making, surface power relations, and foster long-term systemic engagement. The study traces the evolution of boundary objects from static coordination tools to relational instruments that catalyse transformation. We identify limitations in prescriptive, cognitively-driven design tooling and introduce material strategies that embrace ambiguity, embodiment, and multi-stakeholder relationality. By reframing these as “systemic boundary objects,” we highlight how these artefacts activate systemic awareness and change across social, organisational, and technological systems. These artefacts also signal the designer’s shifting role, from process facilitator to catalyst of systemic meaning-making. This repositioning redefines how designers engage with boundary objects and transformation processes. Our findings contribute to ESC’s research agenda and provide insights for educators, researchers, and practitioners working towards systemic transformation. In alignment with RSD14’s theme, the paper demonstrates the unique potential of anchoring systemic design in practice.
Keywords: systemic co-design, boundary objects, Dutch design practice, complexity, and systemic thinking