Gaming the System

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

The field of Systemic Design is growing exponentially. While both systems science and design have long and independent histories. Despite some common philosophical assumptions, the two fields remained largely distinct until the last decade. The growth of any field is dependent on advances in theory and method. Generally, current methods in Systemic Design are largely dependent on an elaboration and exploration of "complexity" in a variety of settings. Most commonly, methods that borrow "system mapping" from the systems science and engineering community with a variety of "participatory and co-design" techniques aimed at maximizing stakeholder engagement. However, systems mapping is only one step in addressing systemic problems. In engineering, next steps are often development, deployment, and testing of designed systems. However, where social systems are concerned interventions of this kind are not so simple. Borrowing another technique from engineering, simulation, as a faster and more ethical method of testing interventions in social systems is a potential next step. Yet, this approach has remained largely unexplored. Games are an ideal way of introducing simulation into systemic design. Games are simulations and have a rich history and connecting to systems thinking. Game Design is also its own unique subdiscipline with co-design and prototyping methods of its own. In this course, we will explore the history and practices of systems science and engineering, as well as games and game design as we develop and deploy a methodology for creating game simulations to test interventions in social systems. This course satisfies the CCT methods requirement.