Systems Thinking, Rich Mapping and Conceptual Models

What is a system?
Collection of “stuff”
Dynamic, complex, interdependent relationships
Can't be decomposed into linear processes
Can't be separated from the environment or context in which they occur
Feedback

What are systems?
Economies
Ecosystems
Organizations
Markets
Projects
Social Networks

Leverage Points
Small changes  big effects
Leverage Points
Access to information
Incentives
Delays

Do Systems Matter?
GM closes plant in Fremont, California (1982)
Worst quality record
Worst labour relations
Highest employee absenteeism and drug use
Toyota opens Fremont plant in 1984
Hires 80% of GM’s workforce
Outstanding quality record

Relevance to Experience Design
Web is an ecosystem
Systems within the web
eBay
Blogosphere
Digg, Flickr, MySpace
Creating, influencing systems that enable experiences

Introducing Systems Thinking
CATWOE
Root Definitions
Rich Mapping/Conceptual Models
Case study

Systems Thinking Conceptual Model

Evolved from “Hard” systems theory in the early 1970’s
Notable uses of Systems Thinking:
National Health Service - UK - 1970’s
Shell Group - 1980’s
Cooum River Rehabilitation - India -1990’s
A Short History of Systems Thinking

Elements of Systems Thinking
See the system as a process of inquiry
Understand system elements with the “CATWOE” framework
Find the “root definitions” of the problem
Create models of purposeful activity with Rich Mapping

The system is a process of enquiry ?

CATWOE
C - Customers
A - Actors
T - Transformative Process
W - Worldview
O - Owners
E - Environmental Constraints

Customers
The beneficiaries of “t”

Actors
Those who would do “t”

Transformation Process
“ t” - the conversion of input to output

Worldview
The perspective that makes “t” meaningful in context

Owners
Those who could stop “t”

Environmental Constraints
Elements which define the limits of the system

Finding root definitions
A description of a “human activity system” which describes how a transformative process will be undertaken and what is expected as a result.
Do X by Y to accomplish Z

Rich Mapping

Painting the house

CATWOE
C - Homeowner
A - Homeowner
T - Unpainted house to painted house
W - Painting house will enhance appearance
O - Homeowner
E - Hand painting

A self-owned and manned system to paint a house, by conventional hand painting , in keeping with the overall decoration scheme of the property in order to enhance the visual appearance of the property .
Root Definition A homeowner paints a house by hand to improve its appearance .

Rich Mapping

Illuminates the structures behind the structure
Helps to engage us in thinking about problem solving beyond just “requirements”
Helps us understand the context(s) in which we are delivering the appropriate IA to the client
Why We Like Systems Thinking

Keep Systems Thinking simple by choosing basic tools for the initial inquiry
Iteratively evaluate CATWOE elements as the understanding of them evolves
Focus on where specific actions exist with respect to system layers
Putting Systems Thinking to Use

The Client
Large financial services institution
Multiple P&L Silos
Complex stakeholder ecosystem
Distributed accountable-ism
Biggest perceived client challenge: “IA”
Exploring Systems Thinking

The Agency
New office with little organizational history
Large, young IA team
Limited experience with large clients
Biggest perceived challenge: “Anticipating Changes in Client Needs”
Exploring Systems Thinking

Used CATWOE framework to help define and model the system elements
Used Rich Mapping to model parts of the system relative to specific activities and to identify true stakeholder relationships and motivations
How did we use Systems Thinking tools?

Modeling was not just focusing on actions but on layers
We defined four layers in the relevant system:
Engagement Level
Project Level
Site Level
Feature Level
Focused on identifying the relationships within the layers and between the layers
Looking at the Layers of the System

CATWOE elements change between layers
CATWOE elements change within layers
CATWOE elements often do not reflect the formalized project structure.
CATWOE Changes

Project Level System View The Activity System Monitoring Effectiveness Monitoring Efficiency

A business goal driven system to redesign and launch a web application through multi-team distributed collaboration , which fits within existing information technology and legal constraints and results in organic growth that meets specific business metrics .
Root Definition

Project Level CATWOE
C - E-Business Team
A - Internal Creative Team, IT, Business Owners, Product Owners, Agency
T - Build and launch new website
W - New website will better support business goals
O - CFO, IT
E - Geographic displacement, restrictions to onsite collaboration, competing business goals

Feature Level System View The System Monitoring Effectiveness Monitoring Efficiency Agency Action

Systems Thinking helps provide a valuable perspective to help frame IA work
The inquiry based nature of Systems Thinking helps keep design based initiatives on top of perceived changes to the system
Used on its own, Systems Thinking is not executional enough to effect system change
The core tools of Systems Thinking provide value to IAs even with limited use
Lessons We’ve Learned

Using CATWOE to frame personas
users as actors, business as customers
Model different perspectives of a system
How do different groups perceive W?
How do they perceive T?
Effect short-hand way of starting the conceptual modelling process
Leveraging CATWOE

Systems
Experiences happen within systems
Systems thinking and conceptual models
In conclusion…

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Systems Thinking, Rich Mapping and Conceptual Models

by gsmith on Apr 05, 2007

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Systems Thinking, Rich Mapping and Conceptual Models — Presentation Transcript