How can systems thinking guide smarter solutions?
Join us for an interactive workshop where you’ll learn how to tackle sustainability challenges with a fresh perspective. Through real-world examples—such as managing urban waste and improving transportation networks—you’ll discover how to create well-rounded solutions that go beyond quick fixes. Whether you’re a design student, active citizen, policymaker, or NGO professional, this session will give you practical tools and a new way of thinking to drive sustainable innovation.
Indian cities are growing rapidly, but this growth brings challenges like traffic jams caused by weak public transport and overflowing landfills due to rising waste. Beyond cities, agricultural practices like stubble burning are shaped by policies, economics, and history. Addressing these issues requires more than isolated fixes—it demands a systems approach that considers the deep interconnections between social, economic, environmental, and behavioral factors.
Objective
This workshop introduces systems thinking, a way of looking at the big picture to tackle complex problems through design. Instead of focusing on individual parts of a problem, systems thinking helps us see how everything is connected, identify key players, and understand the root causes. This approach helps us move away from quick fixes and toward long-term, collaborative solutions.
Format
Participants will learn the basics of systems thinking through hands-on activities. Using the example of waste, the workshop will show how designers can bring people together, map connections, and create innovative solutions that make a real difference.
Facilitation
Sobia Rafiq of Sensing Local.
Partners
This break out session is part of the Super Pollutants programme as part of the collaboration with Global Methane Hub.