Systems, systems, systems!

This blog series based on as a series of journal entries will showcase the learning path of a MSc Digital Innovation student. The purpose of the series is to showcase the evolution of knowledge, skills and practices that have been obtained throughout the duration of the module on Design, Development and Creativity. In this week's entry, We will explore the initial thoughts of the areas of systems, showcase my development and the change in my knowledge of the area.

So firstly our first exercise of the academic year was to provide the class with what we thought was a system. My response was as a follows, ‘My definition of a system is a network of institutions and processes that are governed by laws that in turn provide a benefit’.

So after been asked to define a system, my first idea based on my working experience was to think of a crucial area of society such as the banking sector as a system.The banking sector which provides numerous services to society, have the following inputs; customers, European Central Bank, purchasing power, need fulfilment and information all of which are required to result in an output.

So after exploring our thoughts we were asked to show a diagram of what we as a group collectively thought what a system looked like. So after deliberation and agreement we decided to showcase the Property system, as it is one in which most of us in our lifetime will experience.

So our diagram included stakeholders, assets, regulations and benefits all highlighted. Our example also included a feedback arrow, to highlight the cyclical process of our system.

So once we had showcased and defined our system, we looked at the components of our systems collectively. So what we thought seemed like a system that was governed only by laws and controlled by regulations and institutions had changed fully. My opinion was largely based on the financial system, but when thought about in a more micro scale, we quickly discovered that a lot of our everyday processes are in fact a component of a system. So for example everyday activities such as buying coffee, riding a bus and ordering a burger are all in fact part of a wider respective system.

Furthermore we looked at the components and factors of a system that are also crucial to a healthy and functioning system

So factors such as regulations and rules are controls that are passed by governments at a national and international level, with prime examples in the European landscape been the European Commission. Information and limits are also two important factors that can be linked to regulations and rules however can be seen to be independent in certain areas of business.

Actors and behaviours are two further controls that can have an impact on the functioning of a system, actors such as government and consumers are crucial to certain aspects of our economy and can be seen to dictate how certain aspects of our economic system can function.

Goals/Targets and Value are all outputs that are a measure of a system, so a bank may have a target of selling a property at the end of the property system, or a consumer may have the value of enjoying a cup of coffee at the end of the coffee production system. Goals and targets are connected to wants and needs that are an underlying aspect of human life. So the role of Goals and Values are quite visible.

So as can be seen from above, when looked at from a bird's eye view a system can in fact be quite simple. Although only briefly looked at, a system is in fact a chain of stakeholders both groups and individuals, that are regulated/governed by laws and Institutions and behaviours that must fulfil a purpose or goal. The system is in fact exposed to quite complex criteria such as culture, which can dictate how a system performs, for example if a country has a historical trend of preferring to rent property over purchasing property, then the property system may not be as effective as it may have been in a country where property ownership is a crucial aspect of culture.

Please find below a link to a video of a clip of a system in operation, the system has been time lapsed to allow ourselves to see the system in a slower manner and to understand the operation of the system in a more manageable way.

https://vimeo.com/234284994

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