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

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.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.35199/EPDE.2024.102
Divisions: College of Engineering & Physical Sciences > School of Engineering and Technology > Mechanical, Biomedical & Design
College of Engineering & Physical Sciences
College of Engineering & Physical Sciences > School of Engineering and Technology
Aston University (General)
Additional Information: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).
Event Title: International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education
Event Type: Other
Event Location: Aston University
Event Dates: 2024-09-05 - 2024-09-06
ISBN: 9781912254200
Last Modified: 19 Mar 2025 08:15
Date Deposited: 02 Dec 2024 12:02
Full Text Link:
Related URLs: https://www.des ... TY+AS+A+SERVICE (Publisher URL)
PURE Output Type: Conference contribution
Published Date: 2024-09-05
Published Online Date: 2024-09-05
Accepted Date: 2024-08-05
Authors: Kim, Jisun (ORCID Profile 0000-0003-0119-4313)
Buck, Lyndon (ORCID Profile 0000-0001-7046-5805)
Pickering, James
McKay, Joy
Preston, John

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