Systems Thinking, Rich Mapping and Conceptual Models

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Systems Thinking, Rich Mapping and Conceptual
Models
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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

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What are systems?

• Economies
• Ecosystems
• Organizations
• Markets
• Projects
• Social Networks

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Leverage Points

• Small changes ? big effects
• Leverage Points
• Access to information
• Incentives
• Delays

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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 GMs workforce
• Outstanding quality record

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Relevance to Experience Design

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

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Introducing Systems Thinking

• CATWOE
• Root Definitions
• Rich Mapping/Conceptual Models
• Case study

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Systems Thinking
Conceptual Model
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A Short History of Systems Thinking

• Evolved from Hard systems theory in the early
  1970s
• Notable uses of Systems Thinking
• National Health Service - UK - 1970s
• Shell Group - 1980s
• Cooum River Rehabilitation - India -1990s

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Elements of Systems Thinking

1. See the system as a process of inquiry
2. Understand system elements with the CATWOE
   framework
3. Find the root definitions of the problem
4. Create models of purposeful activity with Rich
   Mapping

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The system is a process of enquiry
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CATWOE

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

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Customers

• The beneficiaries of t

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Actors

• Those who would do t

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Transformation Process

• t - the conversion of input to output

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Worldview

• The perspective that makes t meaningful in
  context

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Owners

• Those who could stop t

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Environmental Constraints

• Elements which define the limits of the system

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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

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Rich Mapping
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Painting the house
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CATWOE

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

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Root Definition

• 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.

A homeowner paints a house by hand to improve
its appearance.
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Rich Mapping
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Why We Like Systems Thinking

• 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

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Putting Systems Thinking to Use

• 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

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Exploring Systems Thinking

• The Client
• Large financial services institution
• Multiple PL Silos
• Complex stakeholder ecosystem
• Distributed accountable-ism
• Biggest perceived client challenge IA

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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

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How did we use Systems Thinking tools?

• 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

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Looking at the Layers of the System

• 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

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CATWOE Changes

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

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Project Level System View
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Root Definition

• 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.

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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

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Feature Level System View
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Lessons Weve Learned

• 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

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Leveraging CATWOE

• 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

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In conclusion

• Systems
• Experiences happen within systems
• Systems thinking and conceptual models