Summary
Our software-intensive systems have become so woven into different aspects of human life and the various infrastructures we depend on, system design is both consequential and challenging. Systems don’t exist in isolation; they exist in relationship with their contexts and play some role or perform some function(s) that makes them viable in those contexts. But these contexts are changing, in response to our system, and to changes in the larger context. System design plays a role in what the system is and becomes, in its varied contexts (of use, operation, engineering, supply chains, and more). The internal design of the system, gives rise to the capabilities and properties of the system, impacting its role in the broader ecology of systems. And these design spaces interact.
We will explore what this means for systems and (co-)evolving the design of the sociotechnical systems we impact and evolve. And we will practice various ways we "see" and reason about the systems we're evolving, and the impacts our decisions have.
For who?
We will work on the varied facets of system design, drawing on varied perspectives and experiences, making the workshop useful for designers, product managers, architects and other technical leaders.
Learning Objectives
We will explore and practice key areas of system design, experiencing the interaction of design ideas as we shape the system.
Requirements
There are no prerequisites. Interest in systems and the design and interpersonal implications of treating system design (and how software architecture is key to system design, but so are other areas, such as organisational design and product design).