Think About Things as Systems: Complex Socio-Technical Systems

Discover why it's crucial to think about things as systems in this engaging video with Don Norman. He explains the importance of understanding complex socio-technical systems and how societal and technical aspects are deeply interconnected. Using climate change as a prime example, Norman highlights the challenges we face in grasping the climate change problem and why we don't care about climate change as much as we should.

He explains the psychological reasons behind our difficulty in understanding these issues, emphasizing how our minds are wired for immediate feedback loops rather than the long-term consequences of our actions. This video explores socio-technical systems examples and answers questions like, "What are socio-technical systems?" and "Why don't we care about climate change?" Don Norman also discusses the excessive consumption problem and excessive production problem, illustrating how these contribute to environmental degradation. By examining feedback loops and their impact, he provides insights into why complex systems like climate change, hunger, and clean water are hard to understand and manage.

Join Don Norman in this insightful session on design for the 21st century with Don Norman, brought to you by the Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF). Gain a deeper understanding of socio-technical systems and learn how to approach today's most pressing issues with a systems-thinking mindset.

🔗 Want to learn more about Sustainable Design before taking our full course? Then learn more for free on our always-updated UX / UI design glossary at
https://ixdf.io/sustainable-design-yt-vd

🔗 Sign up for the course "Design for the 21st Century with Don Norman" today:
https://ixdf.io/design-for-the-21st-c...

🔗 Want to learn more? Become a member of the Interaction Design Foundation:
https://ixdf.io/join-yt-vd

Find us on social media:
🤳 Instagram: https://ixdf.io/instagram-yt-vd
👥 Facebook: https://ixdf.io/facebook-yt-vd
🐦 Twitter: https://ixdf.io/twitter-x-yt-vd
💼 LinkedIn: https://ixdf.io/linkedin-yt-vd
📝 IxDF Blog: https://ixdf.io/blog-yt-vd
🚅 IxDF Masterclasses: https://ixdf.io/master-classes-yt-vd
✈️ IxDF Courses: https://ixdf.io/courses-yt-vd
🛠️ If you have any questions about IxDF - contact: [email protected]

Key Moments:
00:00 Introduction to Complex Socio-Technical Systems
00:49 Simple Causality
01:59 The Disconnect Between Actions and Results in Climate Change
02:53 The Time Lag in Environmental Impact
03:16 The Complexity of Feedback Loops