This is a short essay on the research and process behind my project Fly Over My City which I wrote for the University of the Arts London’s graduate showcase. At the beginning of a project I tend to start scoping far and wide before later moving inwards to the more personal and local. I jot down a broad set of ideas of subjects or themes that interest me and then ask: What links these? What personal reasons do I have… Read More »How I made Fly Over My City

A brief, broad foray into the enigmatic field of systems thinking can help move beyond the management speak towards more open mindsets and more effective strategies for shaping our complex universe. If your job or volunteering involves addressing society’s predicaments at global, national or local level, you are probably comfortable with pervasive convolution, interconnection and uncertainty. For example, you might be trying to transform a country’s energy system in a way that hits a number of diverse, national and international… Read More »Dealing with the world like a systems thinker: How to begin

We are in the midst of accelerating change: global warming; jobs automation; an invisible infotech revolution. People and phenomena are increasingly inter-connected in complex, intangible ways. There is too much information, too little time. For decision-makers tackling contemporary problems, navigating past dogma and divining technology’s next breakthrough are everyday acts. The moment we learn something new, we are already out of date. To make useful decisions in the 2020s, we need to constantly question our instincts and look for hidden… Read More »New decade, new look: A spotlight on observation for effective problem-solving in the 2020