Life-Centered Systems Thinking for Graphic Designers
Basics
Life-Centered Systems Thinking (LCST) is a fluid practice that seeks solutions but is problem-focused. It is also a mindset; a way of seeing the big picture and the details simultaneously by visualizing connections, causes and effects, and relationships between people, the planet, and their actions. In other words, LCST shows how everything is connected and that our natural systems depend on a dynamic non-equilibrium trying to achieve balance (Fehler, Sequeira, Benson).
Designers who use LCST embrace complexity, view all life as important, seek to decolonize, and look to our natural ecosystems as a guide and a source of inspiration to create (plants are our oldest teachers!) considering the Earth is as much a stakeholder in the project as the clients and users.
Life-Centered Systems Thinking is:
- a practice and a mindset
- a fluid guide
- used integrating other disciplines
- focused on problem framing/discovery
- driven by intersectional environmentalism
What is Life-Centered Design?
We find the best definition from a quote from our friend Jeroen Spoelstra from the Life-Centered Design School
“Life-Centered Design is an actionable design approach that gives designers and other creatives the mindset, opportunity and ability to include all life forms in their work and advocate for biological ecosystems and invisible communities. LCD transitions from creating value for the end user & shareholders towards adding value for nature, communities and the economy.”
There is a lot more to Life-Centered Design than this definition. In fact, we go deeper into the topic with Jeroen on the Climify Podcast.
What is Systems Thinking?
Systems Thinking is a way to understand larger and complex systems, where a “system” can be defined as “a set of things - people, cells, molecules, or whatever - interconnected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior over time.” Systems Thinking helps us understand the components of a system, the relationship between the components, and what holds them together. It can also help us identify points of intervention to change complex and problematic systems.
Process
This LCST paradigm shift in your design process will require a time investment and some more careful and thoughtful planning and discussion with your team, vendors, and stakeholders. However, the results of working this way is rewarding, and can improve the work we do and the world we live in.
To begin, we have experimented with this process dating back to 2017 and the publishing of our book “Design to Renourish”. Beginning in 2021, we teamed up with two design scholars Michelle Fehler and Charlene Sequeira to test this process in six courses with over a hundred upper-level graphic and sustainable design students. Additionally, we have brought this LCST process as workshops to other organizations and universities.
🌿 This is the LCST process distilled down into a guide
- Identify the high-level challenge space (for example healthcare affordability).
- Map the relationships, connections, stakeholders, and impacts of the system(s) within your challenge space. Do this with stakeholders (including nature as a stakeholder) using a whiteboard, a large sheet of paper, or online using a collaborative workspace. Let the mapping help you critique how you framed your challenge space. Does it need to be more specific or more broad or change altogether?
- Locate areas to intervene in that more defined space. (The best places to intervene often occur where there are more connections to one another).
- Brainstorm many possible interventions with your stakeholders.
- Co-design the interventions.
- Evaluate concepts using life-centered tools, a life cycle analysis, and circular design strategies
- Refine best ideas
- Gather feedback from stakeholders.
- Launch and reflect on the process and outcomes.
♻️ This exercise is a good way to learn the LCST process better.
Need more help?
Systems Thinking for Designers 101 Workshop
This 90-minute workshop will give you the basics to use systems thinking in your studio or classroom through an interactive process that includes virtual hands-on exercises to get you started today.
Resources
Readings
- “Design to Renourish: Sustainable Graphic Design in Practice”
- “Thinking in Systems”
- “A Shift to Life-Centered Systems Thinking: Teaching Modules to Design Regenerative Futures”
- “Hidden Connections: Holistic approaches to Design for the Common Good"
- “A Proposal to Connect all Design for the Common Good”