Redesign is a systemic design studio for complex research, service system design, and policy innovation. We work with organizations and program teams to codesign and convene strategies for whole-system value. With Peter Jones’ guidance, Redesign assembles multidisciplinary studio teams to conduct systemic design projects, ranging from innovation research for information services (Design 2.0) to multi-researcher investigations in complex healthcare or economics policy studies (Design 4.0).
We have developed and published a significant body of methodology adapted by evaluation and research to these complex contexts. A primary methodology involves “sampling the system,” finding and convening inspired stakeholder teams capable of learning and exploiting real-world complexity for creating future value. We use and teach the powerful methods in the Systemic Design Toolkit, through cocreation workshops to build projects, proposals and system prototypes with leverage to achieve desired change outcomes.
Peter Jones formed Redesign Network as a partnership in Toronto after winding up the US-based boutique firm Redesign Research (located in Dayton, Ohio). The Redesign Network works with a constellation of skilled senior designers, mixed-methods researchers, and engagement facilitators for large-scale and complex design challenges. Design Domains (Design 1.0 – 4.0) presents four different contexts for design strategy, stakeholder or user engagement, and impact. We are organized to work effectively across all four contexts, and actively seek client projects where integration of systemic design, strategic foresight and interactive products are delivered together for higher stage impact.
Peter has led the design of thinking tools, decision support, and information services for clinicians, scientists, education and professional practices through mixed-methods design, engaged fieldwork and cognitive system analysis. Redesign Research was an innovator in discovering and designing long-duration platforms for information-based practices, such as clinical sensemaking, scientific information search, legal analysis and case management.
We create successful and enduring information resources for complex practices and work. Redesign advocates systemic design for practice and services, based on understanding the patterns and meaning of human activity. adapting innovative methods from interpretive and empirical traditions. The design values of Redesign engagements over twenty years continue with:
- Design/research for calibrated, high usability platforms supporting productive engagement in complex activities.
- Customized methods and team engagements to design uniquely effective and inimitable innovations that establish an offer or brand’s relevance to customers.
- Practice development within client organizations to sustain innovation through diffusion of learning value.
Dr. Jones is an active associate professor in OCAD University’s graduate programs, teaching systemic design and design for health, and balances his time between practice and teaching. He connects and interweaves learning from systemic design practice, research collaborations, and the constant innovation of grad students in the Design for Health and SFI (Strategic Foresight and Innovation) programs.
Systemic Design Practice
As a co-founder of the Systemic Design Association and its conference series, the RSD Symposia, Peter builds systemic design theory and methods (see Publications) and leads innovation research in practice. Systemic design has formed as an interdisciplinary fusion of systems theory and design, applied to complex social systems, public policy, critical human services, and decision making.
Systemic design is distinguished from service or experience design in terms of scale, social complexity and integration. We are concerned with higher-order systems that entail multiple subsystems (that might be defined services), such as a healthcare system (organized by levels of care), education (defined by programs and levels of appropriate curricula), public policy, and business models. Systemic design, as the figures indicate, involved cocreation with committed stakeholder, it is not a matter of “systems analysis” and changemaking. Design for intervention or system-level redesign entails longer-term, discovery-oriented processes involving learning and research with client teams and mixed stakeholders.
By integrating systems thinking and its methods, systemic design brings human-centred design to complex, multi-stakeholder service systems. It adapts from known design competencies – form and process reasoning, social and generative research methods, and sketching and visualization practices – to describe, map, propose and reconfigure complex social systems.
