Wholistic Design Practice: Design Tools To Support Complex Systems Change

Leading design processes amidst a world in transition requires all practitioners to continuously invest in their own development. One dimension worthy of investing in is an ability to integrate holistic thinking into our design leadership practice. This includes re-evaluating our own biases and how that bias is reflected in the tools we choose to work with when understanding and designing for/within complex systems. It also invites us to build capability with tools that facilitate an upshift in our clients receptive capacity to hold multiplicity, see interdependency and master the art of synthesis.

We’ve invited Strategic Designer and founder of Transition Leadership LAB, Susanna Carman, to introduce us to Ken Wilber’s 4 Quadrant framework (via its more recent iteration by Dr. Sean Esbjorn Hargens) as a design tool that introduces an holistic approach to design research, strategic decision-making and the way we measure impact. Susanna will explain the fundamental principles underpinning…