Cybersystemic Media Design to Counter Cognitive Warfare: Toward a Peace Plan

Peter JonesCivil media, Cybernetics, Media Ecology

Presented at ISSS Washington D.C., Jun 12, 2024 Presentation PDF As a knowledge weaver between the SDA and the systems societies, I often attend both the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) and the American Society for Cybernetics (ASC) conferences. This year both were held in Washington, with an IFSR Conversation Day even held between these two meetings. I presented two parts to a series of talks that draw on media ecology and cybersystemics to develop arguments and strategies for long-term “peace plan” to counter the deleterious societal effects of the militarized information arena, in the domain of what has been called “cognitive warfare.” A cybersystemic framework to counter pervasive, multi-platform information control is proposed. NATO and other militaries have championed so-called information operations, the multiplexed multiple-channel insertions of semantic propositions disseminated as media campaigns. These mobilizations take shape at scales from short-form social media insertions to mainstream televised …

System Mapping – Practice & Research Cases from #RSD12

Peter JonesModeling, Systemic Design

Spring 2024 has felt like an extraordinary warp in time and space. For me, setting up a second home in Mexico City’s Coyoacán colonia has been a major life change, as I fully dive into the new appointment as a Distinguished Professor at Tec de Monterrey. I have continued to lead the student final research at OCAD University’s Design for Health MDes, which is primarily via online advising. (Graduate presentations will be live at the Health Design Studio May 10). Summaries of the 2024 projects will be shared on Circulate Health soon. One of the emerging stars starting on the horizon this year has been the RSD Symposium’s post-conference series Mapping Mondays. Organized by Cheryl May with hosts including SDA board emmebrs Evan Barba, Ryan Murphy, Tom Maiorana, with facilitation by colleagues such as Inclusive Design grad Aakash Bhadra, the series has covered audacious territory, with 7 mapping seminars and …

RSD12 Four Seasons of Systemic Design Evolution

Peter JonesRSD, Strategic Innovation, Systemic Design

RSD12 was the twelfth iteration of the Relating Systems Thinking and Design Symposium, and held 12 RSD12 HUBS in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Local onsite symposia hosted by systemic design groups in China, Canada, Colombia, India, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and the USA. The online RSD program was layered over the local experiences with a sequence of relevant presentations, providing complementary discussions. The first Hub was at UNAL Bogota, co-hosted with the 4th International Design Research congress. Both Tony Fry and Don Norman spoke remotely with bilingual accommodation for the Colombian audience. As there was too much to say at just one talk, I planned four talks for the four hub locations, and presented them in association with the natural cycle of seasons as they move from the “promising emergence” of systemic design in Latin America in Bogota, to the summer heat of practice in Mexico, …

Systemic Design @ Service Design

Peter JonesSystem Leadership, Systemic Design

The Service Design College is hosting this year’s conference as the SDD Leadership Summit, September 15 & 16 in Barcelona. Co-author Kristel Van Ael and I are leading the track on systems leadership and systems thinking in the intensive leadership training. SDD organizer Inge Keizer writes about the event: Leadership is a dynamic and complex process that requires those who lead to navigate ever-changing landscapes and design for the future. To be effective, you must be resilient, adaptable, and capable of embracing uncertainty. Anticipating change, staying ahead of the curve, and working collaboratively with diverse teams are essential qualities for leaders to possess in today’s fast-paced world. To achieve these goals, you must take risks and engage in partnerships for change that can help drive innovation and create positive impact. This requires a deep understanding of the ecosystem in which the organisation operates and a willingness to challenge assumptions, embrace …