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Introduction to the system

Intro

Meaningful change

This framework is my effort to compile insights into strategic design for upstream work, where traditional methods often fall short in addressing systemic challenges. Many current approaches, particularly in corporate settings, reinforce inequities and perpetuate what critics call the “cargo cult of innovation marketing,” adopting the promotional language of change without meaningful action.

—Pascal Wicht

Why

Below the surface

We are living through profound disruption marked by biodiversity loss, escalating climate disasters and widening social inequalities. These crises are not inevitable but stem from productivist and competition-driven systems that prioritize extraction over renewal and short-term growth over sustainability. Strategic design offers a way to rethink and reshape these systems addressing root causes rather than symptoms.

It is not about quick fixes but about tackling deeply interconnected crises—climate breakdown, systemic inequities and rising social violence. Strategic design provides the tools to map complexity, identify interdependencies and uncover leverage points for meaningful systemic change. By engaging with underlying structures it opens pathways for transformation.

In times of crisis misaligned ambitions and reductionist thinking can deepen harm. Strategic design surfaces blind spots, fosters shared understanding and challenges entrenched assumptions. Centering imagination and curiosity it empowers stakeholders to envision alternative futures and reimagine systems in ways that are bold, equitable and sustainable.

This framework provides a structured approach to align ambitions, address systemic complexity and design for long-term equity and sustainability. It requires courage, humility and collaboration making it a practice of transformation for the futures we dare to create.

How

A framework born from experience

This framework or system, redefines how designers and stakeholders engage with complex challenges by fostering shared understanding, strategic clarity and collaborative navigation of complexity. Inspired by Stefano Mastrogiacomo’s work on mutual clarity and shaped by years of practice, the framework addresses the frequent gap between designers’ visions of systemic change and clients’ more incremental expectations. It ensures that ethical, bold design interventions are aligned with clients’ understanding of systemic transformation.

Avoiding the innovation cargo cult

Many stakeholders misunderstand innovation, mistaking its promotional narratives for genuine practice. This framework counters the “innovation cargo cult” by moving beyond buzzwords and emphasizing substantive processes. It aligns projects with the realities of systemic and transformative innovation, avoiding superficial approaches often tied to solutionism and digital disruption.

Designing for systemic complexity

Systemic design often faces challenges like misaligned expectations, scope creep and clients unprepared for the depth of engagement required. This system addresses these by fostering shared clarity on project goals and boundaries. It protects designers from additional unbudgeted demands while preparing clients to navigate systemic design’s complexities and iterative nature.

Aligning ambitions and expectations

This framework enhances alignment between client ambitions and the realities of systemic design. It contrasts downstream execution methods, which are familiar and structured, with the open-ended, exploratory nature of upstream systemic work. By clarifying project scope, depth and ambition early, it reduces frustrations and ensures consistency throughout the process.

Building a bridge between designers and clients

The system acts as a bridge, aligning designers’ methodologies with client expectations. It introduces structured dimensions like innovation ambition and systemic depth to clarify intentions and boundaries. This prepares stakeholders for systemic challenges, offering tools to approach complexity confidently and collaboratively. It transforms systemic challenges into opportunities for meaningful, long-term change.