Complexity is a general feature that governs the design process but also the design of systems in general, both in terms of their roles of designed systems as well as that of systems that design. The investigation of the emergence and development of various forms of complex organisations is fundamental for an understanding of the design process in general, and the design of complex services and systems in particular. Therefore, the general purpose of the CSSD laboratory is to support research and academic activities linked to the investigation, understanding, analysis, modeling and design of interventions in complex systems and the design of services at all levels of organizational complexity.
Investigating the complexity of systems that are generally involved in interactions with their environment requires the theoretical foundation of an organizational, and therefore, systemic way of thinking and framework of analysis in order to better understand and describe the emergent interactive processes and the related construction of sense-making (from various simple processes of moving and taxis to multi-complex design processes) in the various goal-oriented cognitive systems (living, socio-technical, and artificial). For its part, service design involves the planning and organization of the agents involved, their interactions, and their dynamic relationships with the various physical and intangible infrastructures with the aim of optimizing the quality of the services concerned. In addition, service design is an interdisciplinary approach that combines different methods and tools from different disciplines, such as Organizational Complexity and System Thinking or Services Marketing and Branding. Thus, the use and application of the above systemic framework is considered necessary for the design of services and organizations (socio-technical and / or artificial) with the interactive capacities required on a case-by-case basis.
The CSSD lab focuses on the whole range of the more general areas of systemic & organizational complexity and related theoretical examples, in particular the problematic design areas, and more specifically, in holistic, and using systemic ‘language’ organisational approaches of analysis and design of complex and autonomous systems and services as they relate to various phenomena and problems in the following fields:
Complex Systems
- Evolution and Development of Complex (bio-cognitive) Organizations
- Embodiment, Agency, Cognition
- Affective Cognition and Aesthetic Interaction
- Self-organization and Autonomy
Complexity & Design
- Design Theory & Methodologies
- Systemic Design
- Design Aesthetics, Functional Ideation & Creativity
- Design Ethics
Service Design
- Design for All
- Design for Sustainability & Social Innovation
- Participatory, Collaborative, Open Design
- Information Design