Advent(ure) in System Seeing — Day 2 and 3
Day 2: Zoom Out to See the World Around a Bicycle
Draw a Concept Map or Bubble Diagram to explore the world (context) around bicycles. Zoom out, so that “bicycle” is just one bubble in the center of the diagram; what’s around it?
For example, bicycles are sold and repaired. They are ridden in different contexts, like commuting and recreation. Seek out different contexts across the lifecycle, not only across use situations and environments.
Step back and reflect on what you learned. Why is it useful to see a system in context, and in these various contexts that are relevant, in different ways at different points?
The history of bicyles conditions the marketplace of what riders expect, and within the limits of safety regulations, manufacturers try to meet the needs and innovate for different kinds of riders so that they can sell new bikes for competitions, recreational riding and daily use like commuting.
The recent rise in functionality and popularity of e-bikes has driven a higher price point and new demand for bikes, as it enables extended commuting over longer distances for more people.
Day 3: Explore Impact of Change
We’ll stay with bicycles for one more journaling session. So far, we’ve “zoomed in” on the parts and relationships that consititute a bicycle, and we’ve “zoomed out” to the various ecologies of systems around bicycles. Now we’ll look at what’s changing and impacting (one or more of) these ecosystems.
A Futures Wheel is a useful in exploring the impact of a change or trend. The change or trend is put in a circle at the center. In a ring of circles around that center, we identify direct effects or consequences of that change (see image above). Indirect consequences are identified and positioned in the outer (third) ring of circles.
Use a Futures Wheel to explore a change that is impacting cycling or the bicycle industry, in terms of direct and indirect effects. One example would be the trend toward ebikes.
Step back and reflect on what you learned.
I already anticipated this question in principle at the end of my Day 2 answer. Here’s my futures wheel for eBikes.
eBikes are a significant carbon offsetting trend, replacing car journeys for more people, over more difficult terrain and longer distances.
