Seeing systemic design through policy eyes
A framework to navigate complexities of policy contexts
Elke Michel Wennekers ( Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
Geert Brinkman ( Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
Jotte Ilbine Jozine Charlotte de Koning (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
Arwin van Buuren ( Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
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Abstract
This paper examines why design practitioners experience tensions when applying systemic design approaches within policy contexts. Drawing on Bekkers’ four analytical perspectives (rational, political, cultural, and institutional), we reinterpret the systemic design activities to reveal how each perspective places distinct, and at times conflicting, demands on design processes. By comparing the lenses across the dimensions of principles, framing, validity, appropriateness, and embedding, we develop a theoretical framework to shed light on how these tensions emerge. The framework also shows that each perspective puts different demands on a design process in the policy context. The framework helps both designers and policy professionals understand their own normative positioning, recognize competing logics, and identify pathways to navigate complexity when collaborating on transformative societal challenges.
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