The Sciences of Evolutionary Design-Systems
Keywords
Systems Sciences & Applications; Complex Systems in Design Research & Visualization; Systemic Intervention; Meta-Systems, Evolutionary Quanta/Stages, Collective Intelligence
A successful design-system needs to holistically understand the systems it is dealing with, and identify key participatory strategies which- when applied via collectively selected points of intervention- can result in a successful integration/overlay onto the systems that are being addressed. An integral component of the design process is the aspect of visualization which is of importance in two aspects:
1. (Understanding systems via) Simulation - methods of analysis which can help in understanding (changing patterns in) complex systems in existence (currently used in areas as varied as predictive weather modeling, financial market simulations, epidemiology, cognitive neuroscience and so on) by way of re-creating/simulating the same. Current approaches also see the simulation as deeply 'embedded' within the systems under observation (real-time & indistinguishable), such as in some Reality Mining and Senseable Lab projects (both at MIT). This alternate to the representational or agent-based is arguably a more comprehensive & integrative one, leading to better results when trying to understand real-life complex living/dynamic systems.
2. Generation & Intervention - be it creating the seemingly intangible (virtual collaborative spaces, information systems) or dealing with methods of morphogenesis for realms more physical/tangible (built environments, interactive products/devices), both of which help in the process of creating/designing experiential systems, seen as inter-connected/systemic wholes. This would include describing collective/ participatory methods of analysis + synthesis, defining intervention points, and evolutionary pathways (& quanta) that constitute an evolutionary design-system.
See Personal Explorations (PDF, 3.3MB) around this theme.