Systems Thinking

If a factory is torn down but the rationality
which produced it is left standing, then that

rationality will simply produce another factory.
If a revolution destroys a government, but the
systematic patterns of thought that produced
that government are left intact, then those
patterns will repeat themselves. . . . Theres so
much talk about the system. And so little
understanding.
Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
COURSE OVERVI EW:
D 17 0 SYS T E M S D E S I G N
D 170 Systems Design
Ms. Mona Alcudia
Department of Arts and Design
University of the Philippines Cebu
COURSE OUTLINE
This class is oriented towards the learning and
application of the systems approach towards a
design problem. Theme based projects are
undertaken which can cover a wide range of
problems areas. The emphasis is on the
understanding of interrelationships that make a
coherent whole.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
To define systems, systems thinking and systems

oriented design
To study various components of a system and its

sub systems which in relation to each other and as
a whole generate a system
To integrate systems thinking into the design

discipline and to apply system theories in the
problem-based approach
COURSE
METHODOLOGY
Class discussions on what constitutes a system and

what are different types of systems and how
system approach is practiced by designers
Paperwork: study and analysis of existing systems
Research: synthesis of collected information and

development of a systems model
Prototyping and Documentation
E VA LUAT I O N
CRITERIA
Quality of Analysis and problem statement
Concepts Alternative and use of systems

approach
The quality of design solution
Prototype and documentation
AN IN TRO DU CTION TO
SYS T E M S T H I N KI N G
D 170 Systems Design
Ms. Mona Alcudia
Department of Arts and Design
University of the Philippines Cebu
What is a system?
A system is a set of elements or parts that is

coherently organized and interconnected in a
pattern or structure that produces a
characteristic set of behaviors, often classified
as its function or purpose.
A system must consist of three kinds of things:
1. E L E M E N T S
2. INTERCONNECTIONS
3. FUNCTION/PURPOSE
Elements: teeth, enzymes,

stomach, intestines
Interconnections:
physical flow of food,
regulating chemical
signals
Purpose: to break down
food into its basic
nutrients and to transfer
those nutrients into the
bloodstream (another
system), while discarding
unusable wastes
Elements: roots, trunk,

branches, leaves
Interconnections: the
physical flows and
chemical reactions that
govern the trees
metabolic processes
Purpose: to bear seeds to
create more trees
System? Yes.
System? Yes.
System? Yes.
System? Nope.
Why study systems?
hone our abilities to understand parts

see interconnections
ask what-if questions about possible future

behaviors
be creative and courageous about system

redesign
interconnections
The relationships that hold the elements together
Many of the interconnections in systems operate

through the flow of information. Information
holds systems together and plays a great role in
how they operate.
Function/purpose
Function is used for a nonhuman system, and

purpose for a human one. Many systems have
both human and non-human elements
Purposes are deduced from behavior, not
from rhetoric or stated goals
Systems within systems

Student
Purpose: To get good grades
University
Purpose: To discover & preserve knowledge
Professor
Purpose: To get tenure
Administrator
Purpose: To balance the budget
IMPACT ON SYSTEM WHEN CHANGES

ARE MADE
The elements are the parts of the system we are
most likely to notice. They are least important in
defining the unique characteristics of the system.
Changing elements has the least effect n the
system
If interconnections change, the system may be
greatly altered.
Function/purpose is the least obvious part of
the system. It is the most crucial determinant
of the systems behavior.
Changes in function or purpose can be
drastic / profound
Element
Interconnections
Function/Purpose
Stocks & Flows

Stock: An accumulation of material or information
that has built up in a system over time.
Flow: Material or information that enters or leaves a
stock over a period of time.
The role of stocks in systems
A Stock takes time to change, because flows take time to

flow (delay)
Changes in stocks set the pace of the dynamics of systems.
Most individual and institutional decisions are designed to
regulate levels of stock
System thinkers see the world as a collection of stocks
along with the mechanisms for regulating levels in the
stocks by manipulating flows.
Stocks & Flows

Bathtub
adding water
draining water
Stocks & Flows

Stock
Inflow
Outflow
1.
Stocks are shown as boxes
2.
The flows are arrow-headed pipes, leading into or out of the stocks.
3.
The small T on each flow signifies a faucet.
4.
The clouds stand for wherever the flows come from and go to (i.e. the sources and the
sinks).
Behavior over time graphs

Water level in tub when the plug is pulled
1: Bathtub
1:
30
1
1:
15
1
1:
0
0.00
7.50
15.00
Minutes
22.50
30.00
11:46 AM Fri, Feb 20, 2009
Water in bathtub
System thinkers use graphs of system behavior to understand trends over time, rather
than focusing attention on individual events
Behavior-over-time graph is used to learn whether the system is approaching a goal
or limit, and if so, how quickly.
Understanding Behavior Over

Time
1: Bathtub
1:
26
1:
25
1:
24
0.00
7.50
15.00
Minutes
22.50
30.00
11:34 AM Fri, Feb 20, 2009
Water in bathtub
Principles
If the sum of all outflows equals the sum of all inflows, the stock level will not change; it will be
held in dynamic equilibrium
As long as the sum of inflows exceeds the sum of all outflows, the level of stock will rise
As long as the sum of all outflows exceeds the sum of all inflows, the level of stock will fall
Other Stocks & Flows

Bank Account
C02 In
Atmosphere
making deposits
adding c02
Self Esteem
building
Feedback Loops
Bank account
earning interest
interest rate
A feedback loop occurs when a stock affects its

flows
Stabilizing Loops - Balancing

Feedback
Energy Level of a Coffee Drinker
The feedback loop can correct
an oversupply or an
undersupply
Homing behavior of the balancing feedback

loop
Whatever the initial value of the system stock

(coffee temperature in this case), whether it
is above or below the goal (room
temperature), the feedback loop brings it
toward the goal. The change is faster at first,
and then slower, as the discrepancy between
the stock and the goal decreases.
Runaway Loops - Reinforcing

Feedback
earning interest
Bank account
Population
births
interest rate
Reinforcing loops are found wherever a system element has the ability to
reproduce itself or to grow as a constant fraction of itself. Those elements
include populations and economies.
birth rate
One-Stock Systems
A Stock with Two Competing Balancing Loops
One-Stock Systems
A Stock with One Reinforcing Loop and One
Balancing LoopPopulation and Industrial Economy
SHIFTING DOMINANCE OF FEEDBACK LOOPS: When one loop dominates

another, it has a stronger impact on behavior. Because systems often have several
competing feedback loops operating simultaneously, those loops that dominate the
system will determine the behavior.
One-Stock Systems
A Stock with One Reinforcing Loop and One
Balancing LoopPopulation and Industrial Economy
Systems with similar feedback structures produce similar dynamic behaviors, even
if the outward appearance of these systems is completely dissimilar.
One-Stock Systems
A System with DelaysBusiness Inventory
Delays are pervasive in systems, and they are strong determinants of behavior.
Changing the length of a delay may (or may not, depending on the type of delay
and the relative lengths of other delays) make a large change in the behavior of a
system.
TWO-Stock Systems
A Renewable Stock Constrained by a Nonrenewable
Stock an Oil Economy
Nonrenewable resources are
stock-limited. The entire stock is
available at once, and can be
extracted at any rate (limited
mainly by extraction capital). But
since the stock is not renewed the faster the extraction rate, the
shorter the lifetime of the
resource.
TWO-Stock Systems
Renewable Stock Constrained by a Renewable Stock
a Fishing Economy
Renewable resources are

flow-limited. They can support
extraction or harvest indefinitely,
but only at a finite flow rate equal
to their regeneration rate. If they
are extracted faster than they
regenerate, they may eventually
be driven below a critical
threshold and become, for all
practical purposes,
nonrenewable.
So what does toast have

to do with it?
First Assignment:
Mapping Me
Create a system that represents yourself
What are the elements in your life?
What are the parallels that run across these

elements? How are they connected?
What is the purpose of this system in your life?

What is your purpose?

Systems Thinking

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Systems Thinking

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Systems Thinking

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

If a factory is torn down but the rationality

which produced it is left standing, then that

COURSE OVERVI EW:

To define systems, systems thinking and systems

To study various components of a system and its

To integrate systems thinking into the design

Class discussions on what constitutes a system and

Paperwork: study and analysis of existing systems

Research: synthesis of collected information and

Prototyping and Documentation

Quality of Analysis and problem statement

Concepts Alternative and use of systems

The quality of design solution

Prototype and documentation

A system is a set of elements or parts that is

A system must consist of three kinds of things:

Elements: teeth, enzymes,

Elements: roots, trunk,

Why study systems?

hone our abilities to understand parts

ask what-if questions about possible future

be creative and courageous about system

The relationships that hold the elements together

Many of the interconnections in systems operate

Function is used for a nonhuman system, and

Systems within systems

IMPACT ON SYSTEM WHEN CHANGES

Stocks & Flows

The role of stocks in systems

A Stock takes time to change, because flows take time to

Stocks & Flows

Stocks & Flows

Stocks are shown as boxes

The small T on each flow signifies a faucet.

Behavior over time graphs

Understanding Behavior Over

Other Stocks & Flows

A feedback loop occurs when a stock affects its

Stabilizing Loops - Balancing

Homing behavior of the balancing feedback

Whatever the initial value of the system stock

Runaway Loops - Reinforcing

SHIFTING DOMINANCE OF FEEDBACK LOOPS: When one loop dominates

Renewable resources are

So what does toast have

Create a system that represents yourself

What are the elements in your life?

What are the parallels that run across these

What is the purpose of this system in your life?

You might also like