The Science of Possibility and Serendipity

Ksenia Fiaduta, Vlad Glăveanu, Ryan Murphy, and Wendy Ross

Ksenia Fiaduta, a doctoral researcher in literature, considers the interplay of methodologies between serendipity, possibility science, and systemic design in this dialogic session with Possibility Studies Network organisers Wendy Ross and Vlad Glăveanu and Systemic Design Association board member Ryan Murphy. The session bridges creativity and the emerging science of possibility and systemic design.

The interdisciplinary field of possibility studies bridges topics of creativity, imagination, innovation, anticipation, utopias and dystopias, play, improvisation, wonder, and serendipity. Research in this area intersects multiple disciplines, spanning psychology and philosophy and the arts, design, and education. Systemic design, focusing on complex systems, has also emerged as an interdisciplinary field, combining systems thinking and design methods. It is characterised by an emphasis on sustainability, regeneration, reflexivity, futuring, and foresight, employing mapping and visualisations as fundamentals.

Does systemic design have a natural connection with possibility science? Is there an alignment that supports transdisciplinary work? 

In their editorial accompanying the Possibility Studies & Society special issue, “The New Science of Possibility,” Vlad and Wendy point out that the burgeoning field of possibility studies faces significant challenges as it seeks to establish itself. They note that “transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary work is hard and uncomfortable,” requiring “scholars to engage with ideas that overlap yet are often shaped by distinct disciplinary frameworks” (Vlad & Ross, 2023).

Wendy’s research focuses on material serendipity in higher cognitive processes, such as insight, problem-solving and creativity. She posits that “creative cognition involves an extended and dynamic system of nonlinear possibility generation” (Ross, 2023). When accidents are embraced as opportunities for creative thought, they generate new possibilities that were previously inconceivable. Although serendipity may be perceived as a loss of control, it can be deliberately sought out by creatives via formal and informal collaborative work, co-design projects, and co-creation. Glăveanu, a professor of psychology at Dublin City University and author of articles and books on creativity, imagination, wonder, and human possibility, conceptualises creativity as a paradigm rooted in social and communal contexts. He argues that creativity should be viewed not merely as an individual capability but as a dialogue of diverse perspectives shaped by belonging to different communities (StoryTank, 2023, 11:44).

In contrast, Ryan’s research in systemic design focuses on leverage, scale, and complexity. He utilises design science to develop theory, apply it in the creation of artefacts, and guide the research and analysis process. In his RSD12 article “What Would a Science of Systemic Design Look Like?” (Murphy, 2023), he proposed a subfield within systemic design—systemic design science—that would provide philosophical foundations and processes for the scientific evaluation of systemic design concepts and artefacts. He seeks the integration of design science principles, particularly from information systems, into systemic design theory and practice.

In summary, this session explores a ‘what if’ scenario.

What if the study of human possibility enhances our theoretical and practical understanding of how individuals and groups become aware of and explore new possibilities across various realms and systemic design provides an epistemological framework that elevates the nature of possibility and generates methods for transforming serendipity into a catalyst for change?

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