Systems thinking in design education - the case study of mobility as a service

Jisun Kim, Lyndon Buck, James Pickering, Joy McKay, John Preston

Research output: Chapter in Book/Published conference outputConference publication

Abstract

Designers are faced with more complex, environmental and societal challenges than ever before. Those challenges require the ability to see how things are interrelated in the bigger picture and to analyse multiple causes and effects, rather than working from a siloed point of view. Systems thinking is a strong tool to enable designers and engineers to understand how an entire system works and how elements in the system are interconnected. This paper demonstrates an approach to systems thinking and an analytical tool that could be applied to teaching future designers and engineers. The approach has been used in the final year Advanced Design Management module. This paper introduces a real-world Mobility as a Service (MaaS) trial that is implemented in the UK as a case study. It involves highly complex socio-technical systems whose investigation requires systems thinking. Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA), a systems level approaches, has been applied as part of the User-Centred Ecological Interface Design (UCEID) process. Guidance will be provided to facilitate students’ learning of an analytical tool for comprehensive system analysis and modelling. The benefits of applying systems thinking in the design and development processes of products and services based on a holistic understanding of the systems in which they are incorporated will also be explained. The knowledge generated in this work is expected to inform design educators to recognise the importance of systems thinking. Ultimately, this will help them consider and apply systems thinking successfully in their teaching of relevant subjects with the enhanced knowledge of a systems level approach. This will facilitate future designers’ problem solving of complex issues.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationDS 131: Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2024)
EditorsHilary Grierson, Erik Bohemia, Lyndon Buck
PublisherThe Design Society
Number of pages6
ISBN (Electronic)9781912254200
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 5 Sept 2024
EventInternational Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Rise of the Machines: Design Education in the Generative AI Era. - Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Duration: 5 Sept 20246 Sept 2024
Conference number: 26th
https://epde.info/2024/

Publication series

NameProceedings of the International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education
PublisherThe Design Society
ISSN (Electronic)3005-4753

Conference

ConferenceInternational Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education
Abbreviated titleE&PDE 2024
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityBirmingham
Period5/09/246/09/24
Internet address

Bibliographical note

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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