Comprehensive Report: Evolution of System Thinking Concepts

This report provides a detailed overview of the history and evolution of system thinking, tracing its origins from Buckminster Fuller's early conceptualization to its modern applications. It highlights key milestones, including the contributions of Victor Papanek, IDEO, and Stanford School of Design. The report presents a timeline of significant events and individuals, such as Herbert A. Simon, Nigel Cross, and Donald Schön, who shaped the field. It explores how design thinking has expanded from scientific and engineering domains to social sciences, business, and education. The report also emphasizes the evolution of design thinking as a mainstream methodology and its integration into academic curricula. Finally, the report includes a bibliography of relevant sources to provide a comprehensive understanding of design thinking's historical journey and its impact across various disciplines.

Running head: SYSTEM THINKING
History of System Thinking
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Introduction:
Design thinking is a way of thinking to develop a new design through rational
interpretation and logical reasoning while executing 5 stapes: Emphasize, Define, Ideate,
Prototype and Test (Bjögvinsson, Ehn and Hillgren, 2012). Design thinking is also helpful to
track unknown problem or to design architectural model or to develop application based
theories. Recently design thinking has a various utilisations in even business, social work.
However, this development of the design thinking is a result of collective evolving through
dynamic and robust utilisation (Liedtka 2015). Design thinking is even evolving now for
further improved utility. To examine the potential evolution process and further achievement
of this concept analysing the history of design thinking is essential. From the early
conceptualisation of design thinking to modern utilisation Design thinking has evolved in
many ways, which can also contribute to formulate further scope or potential field of
implementation.
The journey human intellect to design thinking is rooted beneath the rationalisation
and designing based though process. However, the first structure oriented traditional
approach for design thinking has been introduced in 1956 by Buckminister Fuller
(Bjögvinsson, Ehn and Hillgren 2012). In this very early stage Design thinking was presented
as a comprehensive anticipatory in Design Science. From 1956 to 1970 design thinking has
been used only for scientific designing, and application based modelling. In 1971 Victor
Papanek introduced the design thinking as a tool of social science, ecology and anthropology.
In next 10 years the concept of design thinking broke its barrier to expand in diverse and
dynamic fields of study. Another milestone was made in 1982, when Nigel Cross utilised
Design thinking for examining the Human-machine iteration in artificial intelligence
(interaction-design.org 2014). In 1991, with the collaborative initiation of IDEO an
international design and consulting firm Design thinking took its place first as a main stream

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design methodology. In 2005, by Stanford School of Design thinking has gained its place in
conventional education system (Johansson‐Sköldberg, Woodilla and Çetinkaya 2013).
The above mentioned phases are the brief outline of the historical journey and
evaluation process of design thinking. The more detailed history of design thinking and its
evolutionary phases will be presented in the tabular format in following section, followed by
a graphical interpretation of this timeline.
Timeline Personnel Evolution
1956 Buckminister Fuller Founded Comprehensive
Anticipatory Design Science
1969 Herbert A. Simon Introduced the Concept of
rapid prototyping and testing
through observation
1971 Victor Papanek Introduced Design socially
and ecologically,
Anthropology
1972 Horst Rittel
Melvin M. Webber
Introduce Wicked Problems
Discovered “Scientise”
Design
Phenomenology in design
Science
1973 Robert H. McKim's Evaluated Visual thinking in
mechanical engineering
1982 Nigel Cross Explored Human-computer
interaction , designers
problem-solving
1983 Donald Schön Argues against the technical-
rationality of design, Self-
reflection to a successful

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design process
1987 Peter Rowe Architectural designer
approaches,
1991 IDEO Brought Design Thinking to
the mainstream, design
methodology to process
1991 Kelley Brothers David and
Tom
Introduced creativity in
design thinking
1991 Tim Brown Interpreted design thinking
for non designers
1991 Jane Fulton Suri Empathic observation,
human-cantered design tools
1992 Richard Buchanan Extending the use of Design
thinking into new areas like
Human Concerns
1993 Bill Moggridge Information Design,
Interaction design, Designing
Interactions
2002 Alistair Fuad-Luke Implemented Sustainable
Design, Slow Design,
Testing
2003 Ezio Manzini Emerging design practices,
Collaboration and co-design
2005 Stanford School of Design Started to teaching Design
thinking
2008 Deborah Szebeko Using Social Design
Thinking to improve health
and public services

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Bibliography:
Bjögvinsson, E., Ehn, P. and Hillgren, P.A., 2012. Design things and design thinking:
Contemporary participatory design challenges. Design Issues, 28(3), pp.101-116.
interaction-design.org 2014. Design Thinking: Get a Quick Overview of the History. [online]
The Interaction Design Foundation. Available at:
https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-thinking-get-a-quick-overview-
of-the-history [Accessed 1 Dec. 2018].
Johansson‐Sköldberg, U., Woodilla, J. and Çetinkaya, M., 2013. Design thinking: past,
present and possible futures. Creativity and innovation management, 22(2), pp.121-146.
Liedtka, J., 2015. Perspective: Linking design thinking with innovation outcomes through
cognitive bias reduction. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(6), pp.925-938.