MAPD5210 Visualizing Complexity Emneplan

This course introduces systems thinking as an integral part of the design profession. Systems thinking is defined by UNESCO as a key competency for achieving sustainable development (2018). In "Visualising Complexity," you will study and work with several methods and approaches that combine systems theory and design. Using these approaches will enable you to understand and work within complex settings.

Complexity in this context relates to factors such as products, production, sharing, and services, as well as dimensions such as social/political, environment, economy, management, organisational change and development, planning, strategy, and technology. These are the settings in which the designer, as well as the products and services they create, will perform and exert influence.

Visualisation is a major activity in this course. All studies, readings, observations, interviews, data analyses, user journeys, development, and design will be visualised in real-time or after the activity is performed. This helps to realise, understand, and describe relationships, synthesize and categorise the data, and present it to all project participants throughout the entire project. Systemic design methods thus facilitate cooperation and co-creation.

The approach of GIGA-mapping, which builds on cooperation among students and clients, laypeople, professionals, stakeholders, and researchers from other disciplines (intra- and interdisciplinary), is central to this course. GIGA-mapping involves the visualisation of data to accumulate, communicate, and analyse information, enabling the understanding and creation of products and services within complex strategic systems and structures. GIGA-mapping is widely used as a workshop method to generate data and to understand and manage it with the project participants.

The introduced systems theory will be part of the systemic design and GIGA-mapping process, involving analysis through describing feedback loops, relationships, input and output dynamics, systems coding, buffers, delays, emergence, closed and open communications, and collective communication and information.

Admission to the Master's programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved advanced level in the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student will attain knowledge within:

• systems theory, systemic design and sustainability
• cybernetics and communication theory
• conversation theory
• systems dynamics and systems analysis
• game dynamics in systems
• methods for data gathering in complex settings (visual interviewing, design probes and play probes, co-design, among others)

Skills

The student is capable of:

• describing complex contexts through systems thinking as basis for design
• creating GIGA-maps
• usages of GIGA-maps as conversation, data gathering, research, analysis, and design tools
• utilizing systemic design methods for data gathering, workshop facilitation, cooperation, common analysis, data documentation, intervention and the analysis of the effect of the interventions
• documenting all findings in common visualizations and reducing data into graphs that communicate for example discussions, findings, tendencies, causality, dynamics, emergence i.a.
• creating services and products on the basis of the above mentioned skills

General competence

The student attains advanced competence in systemic design by:

• developing the ability to understand and handle complexity and systems thinking in design processes in groups with stakeholders
• holistic thinking and understanding of design projects in relation to sustainability, environmental and social megatrends, general societal contexts and dynamics, culture, politics, market, and technological contexts
• communication and cooperation by visualization, GIGA-mapping, and other types of mapping
• the capability to play a lead and cooperative role in design related projects in public and business contexts
• the ability to implement a chosen specialization as an additional approach or focus within this specific course context

The most important teaching and learning methods for this course are: workshops, group work, lectures, discussions (conversation theory based), studio courses and tutoring

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• one note of reflection. Maximum 1000 words.
• one workshop
• visualized articles
• workshop documentation

Individual or group portfolio examination. The portfolio consists of:

• One gigamap / systems mapping / design intervention

The examination result can be appealed.

No restrictions.

Grade scale A-F.

Two internal examiners. External examiners are used regularly.