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

A Short History of Systems Thinking

• 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

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

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…