A thinking system is a point of view that helps solve a problem. Part of Knowledge Work. We view problems through the view of our own specialism (mathematics). Thinking systems help with perspective.

Types of thinking systems:

  • Design
  • Engineering

Design thinking

Historically we trained people to use a product.

  • users have choices,
  • be user focused,
  • empathy and contextual enquiry for the product/system

This puts human at the center, and focus on thinking about pain points of their experience.

Remember:

  • User segments are not the same and should be handled separately.
  • It is important to understand how the user interacts with the environment/other beings
  • Ludic properties reduce design load, for example chatgpt and chat feature, or use of the iphone.

Scientific thinking:

Strong ideas but loosely held.

Examples:

  • AlphaFold and protein folding. They had lots of data and where able to derive insights from that using AI.

As problems are too complex for human minds Scientific Method now:

  • We have data,
  • Pick an algo ,
  • Compute then gives hypothesis.

System Thinking

We need to design for the whole system not just the individual.

I am stuck in traffic, versus you are the traffic.

Emergent behaviour with lime moulds, tokyo metro network.

Collective intelligence.

Designing system so that individuals impact the whole.