Connecting the dots. Insights from Navigating Complexity within Consultative Advisory Design Situations

Abstract

This thesis explores the navigation of complexity, “wickedness,” or “messes” within consultative advisory contexts or design situations. Such situations may be said to mirror the nested problematiques of our society, thus entangled in in restrictions that affect movement and actions in the system we design within. The study is rooted in pluralism building on theory from management, organizational and design literature. A systems oriented design (SOD) lens is used for studying into the researcher’s own practice cases within the public sector, and the problematiques of cybercrime and national security. This thesis provides insight into how navigation of complexity and the pursuit of interventions is entangled with capacity building to create movement beyond stopping point of practice, impacting design-decisions. Further it points to how the SOD mindset was and may be leveraged within the design situation through the construct of “connecting the dots.” This thesis should be seen as the first step into a longer journey of utilizing SOD cross-boundary, into practice context that is in much need of responding to complexity in new ways.