What You’ll Learn
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
*Apply second-order cybernetics to reframe design problems as dynamic systems of observers and participants.
*Map feedback loops (positive and negative) to anticipate unintended
consequences and drive desired behaviors.
*Design for adaptation creating interfaces, services, and products that evolve with user needs over time.
*Use circular causality to break out of linear, A-to-B thinking and embrace relational, systemic logic.
*Prototype reflexive systems using low-code tools, behavioral models, and participatory methods.
*Critique and redesign existing products through a cybernetic lens (e.g., smart devices, social platforms, urban interfaces).
Key Topics:
*What is cybernetics? From Wiener to Pask to Bateson
*Feedback as form: How information loops shape behavior
*The observer effect: Designing with (not for) users
*Requisite variety: Matching system complexity to environmental complexity
*Conversation theory: Human-machine communication as ongoing negotiation
*Black boxes, gray boxes, and transparency in design
*Ethical cybernetics: Avoiding control traps and unintended lock-in
Course Format:
*30% theory / 40% hands-on studio exercises / 30% case study analysis
*Weekly readings from Ashby, Meadows, and Glanville (with plain-language guides)
*Real-world design critiques (e.g., Nest Thermostat, adaptive dashboards, AI assistants)
*Final project: Redesign an existing system physical, digital, or social using cybernetic principles
*Optional no-code simulation tools (e.g., Insight Maker, Miro for causal loop diagrams)
Prerequisites:
None. Familiarity with basic design methods (user journeys, prototyping) is helpful but not required.