The following video has been informed by our research and writing about new information environments. The class themes of embodiment, networking technology, and systems theory informed the idea for our proposed “History Happens Here” event. Our event will pull visitors out of the...

Design is situated in an ever-changing world. Design also has the power to facilitate large scale change by connecting people and resources and by utilizing new understandings of success and rewards to encourage participation. New information environments can be framed by research in...

“Living systems are integrated wholes whose properties cannot be reduced to those of smaller parts” (Capra, 1996, p. 36). “Wholes” or systems are made up of elements, interconnected in a way that accomplishes a function for a purpose (Meadows, 2008, p. 11). The...

The following video has been informed by our research and writing about new information environments. The class themes of embodiment, networking technology, and systems theory informed the idea for our proposed “History Happens Here” event. Our event will pull visitors out of the museum...

IN CLASS APPLY Synthesizing on the children’s toothbrush prompt was fast paced and productive. We were able to quickly agreed upon a storytelling experience taking place while the child brushes his/her teeth. The story will take place through different mediums such as story books that...

Framing Interactions in New Information Environments: A Synthesis of Readings in Systems Theory, Networked Technology and Embodiment Design is situated in an ever-changing world. Design also has the power to facilitate large-scale change by connecting people and resources, and by ...

I love to read but not everyone does, and those that do don’t always have access. Yoza tackles both of these issues with a relatively simple but genius use of networked technology. Yoza delivers serial stories about social issues to African youth (a population that is book-poor but...

Even more evidence of the connection between the mind and the body, and the power of expectations. I found an article in the Charlotte Observer about new research that shows that pessimism can outweigh even powerful pain treatments. “You’ve heard of the placebo effect, the healing...

For my ven diagram I focused mainly on building out network technology and embodiment because I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on systems theory. As, I worked through the text, I found that I saw overlaps with systems theory everywhere. This is still really rough but it has helped me...

(above) This Venn diagram is comprised of keywords from the four readings covered by our group. Systems Theory keywords come from Rachael’s book The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems. Embodiment ideas originate in both Alexandria’s book Materializing...

I found this wonderful basic resource about all things internet that might help with understanding network technology or the current (and future) context for which we must design. It is a user-friendly  guide developed by Google and illustrated by Christoph Niemann. Here are the 20 Chapter...

Designing For Living Systems “Living systems are integrated wholes whose properties cannot be reduced to those of smaller parts” (Capra Web 36). These “wholes” or systems are made up of elements, interconnected in a way that accomplishes a function or purpose (Meadows...

While working on my paper, I began reading Donella Meadows’s Thinking in Systems. Her approach to systems theory was so accessible, it made me rethink parts of my paper. I feel good about everything I am including and the way it is arranged but my thesis and the overall structure of the...

I bought this awesome book, Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows, after Meredith suggested it. It is a really easy read; written for a general audience and focused on making systems thinking a problem-solving tool in everyday life. If only my paper could be this good! If you are...

Here is a link to a project by Jamie Gray, a former NC State student and now a professor at Kansas City Art Institute, that deals with embodiment and network technology. I am not focusing on either of those topics for my share essay, so I only have a cursory understanding of the topics, but I...

Fritjof Capra uses trees as an example of a network in The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems. I did some digging and found this short article that gives a brief overview of research about communication between trees. According to the article trees warn their...

Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems Systems theory focuses on a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Big Idea #1: Systems theory necessarily deals with context, as the properties of parts can only be understood within the context of the...

Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems This map is updated with further reading and annotations about the application of theories to design. Because Fritjof Capra pulls from a variety of sources, often the originators of important theories, it was...