Designing in service of the whole

Purpose: Participatory design of how a commons evolves with and for its members and stakeholders

This participatory example invites a community to sense into the design of a community space and how it wants to evolve for the benefit of all stakeholders. Systems sensing invites us to lean into the unknown and listen to “what wants to emerge.” This exercise can be done as a group or asynchronously based on the community’s timeline and preferences.

Case background:

How does a shared commons want to evolve with and in service of its stakeholders? Collective Transitions kicked off this case with an invitation to its community of practice inviting them to sense into how it wants to evolve.  Its co-stewards Luea and Zam had asked members this question in different ways — as an inquiry during practice, in polls, and in one-on-one conversations. We also wanted to include information or “voices” from those that we can not readily hear, like potential beneficiaries of the practice space, the greater ecosystem, or the context in which we are held as well as the organization as if it were a being, and the essence the space itself. Systems sensing practice invites us to let go of what we think we know and to deeply listen to what wants to emerge.  Practicing as a collective widens the range and diversity of signals we receive and informs more expansive meaning-making and decisions.

• Application

  TBD

• Reflection and sense-making

  TBD

• Feedback and learning

  TBD

• Conclusion

  TBD

Guiding question

How does this [practice] space and community want to evolve for the highest benefit of all CT stakeholders and our shared purpose?

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Elements:

• Organization or community (as its essence)

• Community (of practice)

• Beneficiaries

• Stewards/founders

• Space (container, design, time, etc)

• Greater ecosystem (land /context)

• Resource

• Unknown

Tips:

• Refine or adjust the elements to fit your context and needs

• We used the element of “greater ecosystem” because our community is international and is informed by a greater context. Your community may be informed by the land it is on or some other context.

• The element “space” is what is evolving and for us refers to a practice space. You may name this how you wish.

Listen to guided journey

26 min