TIMES OF CODE RED - LEARNING SUSTAINABILITY BY SYSTEMIC DESIGN

Abstract

This paper describes master’s students’ experiences of working with systemic design techniques for sustainability and how this may produce feelings of self-efficacy. Systemic design can be described as a combination of systems theory and design practice. Systemic design was developed to offer designers the tools necessary to handle the complexity of the long-term goals, such as the UN set for in its latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calls for action 2022 [1]. The students participating in this study who work with systemic design methods, are also introduced to methods of co-creation and interdisciplinary and individual self-management. This is intended not only to enable them to perform systemic design for sustainability but also to stimulate feelings of mastery. That is, educational planning is designed to facilitate the emergence of self-confidence, even though the students operate in and design for a high degree of complexity. The underlying pedagogy is thus synthesized with the goal for students to understand the following: 1) “I will never be able to understand the entire system(s)”; however, 2) “I can relax because I will not design alone. Design for urgency and resilience must be done by many stakeholders in cooperation, and systemic design is conducted using many tools that make it possible for me as a student to handle and facilitate such interdisciplinary projects”; and this synthesis of methods suggests that 3) “I can look to new care models and tools that increase awareness of self-management and that can be used to facilitate co-processes and meetings with teams and networks.”