DEC 5&6 | Proposals due SEPT 13. A participatory, embodied, and pluriversal gathering to move towards systems change in the fashion and textile industry.
Gather: Fashion and textile industry experiential event
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Announcements
Online and in-person events and opportunities such as calls for papers and contributions, and postings.
RSD15 this week: Cybernetics with ASC
The American Society for Cybernetics continues the annual conference—held early August in Ouro Preto, Brazil—online from August 24 to 27. Eight sessions in all. The link takes you directly to the ASC hub. See you online!
Viable Confluences: Celebrating Stafford Beer’s centenary
MONDAY, AUGUST 24 | ONLINE. Following on from RSD15: São Paulo, the group discusses how Stafford Beer’s vision of freedom, viability, and autonomy continues to resonate within Latin American experiences of social, ecological, and institutional transformation.
Celebrating 100 years of Stafford Beer
SEPTEMBER 17–19, 2026 | Alliance Manchester Business School. Organised in collaboration with the World Organisation for Systems and Cybernetics, the Centre for Systems Studies (University of Hull), and the International Federation for Systems Research, with parallel events at partner organisations including the American Society of Cybernetics and the International Society of Systems Sciences.
Relating Systems Thinking and Design Symposium launches
We are a bit RSD15 obsessed with the launch of programming starting this Wednesday. There are several event hubs—you can register for all of them at once or the ones you are interested in via Eventbrite (linked). Get rush seats for online sessions by joining hubs directly RSDX.online/join. As always PWYC/no fee community-led sessions.
Wednesday Workshop: Symbiotic Design Framework
THIS WED | AUG 19 | ONLINE. The RSD15 workshops series launches with the Symbiotic Design Framework, facilitated by Gonzalo Raineri. Explore the framework as a way to support a shift from extractive practices toward mutualistic configurations. REGISTER NOW (no fee to attend).
RSD15 THIS WEEK: Contexts of Brazil and Latin America
JOIN NOW. The programme for the RSD15–ESPM hub (on campus and livestream) is finalised. Sessions are an opportunity for conversations about interconnected conditions and work grounded in the particular contexts of Brazil and Latin America. [RSD15.INFO]
RSD15 NEXT WEEK: Conversational Confluences
AUG 24–27. ONLINE. This programme brings the ASC 2026 conference, with its overarching theme of Conversational Confluences, into the context of RSD15’s Designing within a Plural World. The two meet on shared ground as both view diversity as a source of collective learning and creativity. [RSD15.INFO]
RSD15: São Paulo: Contexts of Brazil and Latin America
SEPT 20, 2026. The first RSD15 event brings the international systemic design conversation into dialogue with design research, education and practice in Brazil. On-campus at ESPM with livestream sessions via the RSDX platform.
Communities & Technologies 2027: Communities of Hope
CfP deadline: NOV 9, 2026. The biennial International Conference on Communities & Technologies 2027 theme is Communities of Hope. Hold the date: April 12–17, 2027.
Coordinated Management of Meaning: Fellowships
Application deadline: AUG 28, 2026. CMMi Fellowships are centred around a project or paper that apply CMM concepts (making social worlds together in communication).
Back from haitus
Cheryl May: The weekly collection of interesting systemic design and related stuff has been on hiatus as I hunkered down and wrote my PhD thesis. I’m back and it’s been lovely to catch up on everyone’s work. In memoriams for Edgar Morin and Peter Checkland bring reflection.
Peter Checkland (1930–2026)
Ray Ison: The systems community has lost a founding voice. What we carry forward is the practice of inquiry he spent a lifetime refining.
The Thinker the Century Couldn’t Hear
Richard David Hames in memoriam for Edgar Morin, French sociologist, philosopher, public intellectual, and theorist of complex thought. Photo Oliver Dion.
SysPrac26 – Call for Contributions
Call for contributions for SysPrac26. Taking place September 21–22, 2026, Cranfield University, UK. If you have a story to share, a question to explore, an innovation to demonstrate or a practical challenge you’ve been working through, contact@sysprac.org
Realised Worth Newsletter
Newsletter for people who are researching or otherwise engaging in volunteering. RW Institute studies what makes a volunteer experience produce lasting change in how people see themselves, what they believe, and how they act.
Earth Day Issue: Our Power, Our Planet
This issue acknowledges Earth Day 2026 regenerative focus and a reminder that the RSD15 intent to submit is due APRIL 24 for papers and workshops. Geographies and ecologies is one of four topics of interest. SUBMISSION DEADLINE MAY 22.
Retreat: Systemic Design for Regenerative Practice
JUST IN | OCT 18–21. RSD15-Ostana focuses on systemic design for regenerative practice and makes time for deep embodied practice in a real-world design context
In Memoriam: Marie Davidová’s trailblazing work in systemic design
This issue is dedicated to SDA founder and chair, Marie Davidová, who passed away on April 10. Please contribute to an article about Marie’s influence on systemic design by adding your remembrance in the comments section.
Design Anthropology: Designing for Radical Alternative Futures
CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS | ABSTRACT APRIL 15 | Design and Culture: The Journal of the Design Studies Forum. Submit an abstract by email. Final manuscript deadline June 30.
The IFSR Quarterly: Ray Ison is passing the baton
Ray Ison on one complete rhythm of becoming, plus cybersystemic conferences for you calendar and other news.
Politecnico di Torino hosts this year’s Relating Systems Thinking and Design symposium
Silvia Barbero, is associate professor at Politecnico di Torino (Italy), founding Chair, the Systemic Design Association, and is this year’s RSD15 Chair.
Everyday Emergence: Practising pluralism in uncertain times with Haley Fitzpatrick
MARCH 27 | ONLINE | Forging Fridays workshop. Exploring the practice of creating a simple experimental prototype, we will spark imagination around strengthening trust in emergence through presence in relationships and trust in your own capacity within “unknown unknowns.”
Conversations on Four Cybernetic Approaches to Embracing Uncertainty
Claudia Westermann’s editorial opens the new issue of Constructivist Foundations 20(2).
Symposium Series: Unspoken Continuities, The Split
MARCH 25 | ONLINE [precedes Sir John Kay] Explore, from the origins to the present day, how we’ve arrived at the unpredictable and fast-moving theoretical, technical, and business advances that will inevitably impact the future of our society.
Sir John Kay: Is management a profession?
MARCH 25 | ONLINE [follows The Split]. Around 1970 managerial professionalism went into reverse, leading to the decline of many successful twentieth century corporations, a loss of legitimacy by large business, and contributed to an erosion of professional standards in business adjacent professions, especially banking, accountancy and law.
Seanna Davidson: Systems Leadership AMA
JAN 21 2026 Americas | JAN 22 2026 Australasia | ONLINE. Say hi to Seanna! the systems leadership program is a place for … folks who are trying to be good humans, committed to contributing to the health of the whole while taking care of, and sustaining self.
Cybersystemic Community news
IFSR Quarterly newsletter. Ray Ison, #sysprac25 by Benjamin P. Taylor, article by Sebastian Wolf Siebzehnruebl, events, and calls.
Co-Creating Social Worlds Symposium
FEB 27–28 | New York City, NY, USA. Making change through dialogue, collaboration, and relational practices in times of division. Waitlist.
What if…? Robyn Penman’s substack is live
Robyn Penman is a scholar and long-time observer and critic of our social world asking “what if…?.” to open a path to a new world of being with others.
Systemic Design Postdocs @ Tec de Monterrey
Two postdoctoral researcher positions open in The School of Architecture, Art and Design (EAAD) in Mexico City, with preference for locating in the city to collaborate in Dr Jones’ lab.
We are all ready for you to join and bookmark your #RSD14 -RSDX sessions
OCT 3 2025 OPENS *ONLINE* *OPEN ACCESS* RSD14-RSDX is a dynamic community-led festival of systemic design, inviting us to explore with colleagues how systems interconnect and how design can contribute to more just and sustainable futures.
Snowmelt is hosting the Pacific Edition of #RSD14
OCT 2025 | ONLINE. Over the past few years, Snowmelt has deepened involvement in RSD, recognising it as a vital platform for developing and refining systemic design approaches. For RSD14, they are hosting a series scheduled in time zones friendly to areas from the west side of the Pacific to east America.
Image: Snowmelt Co-Founder and Principal, Dr Tim Thompson.
The RSD14 online hub is ready for you
OCT 3–21. The RSD14 online hub is your gateway to understanding relationality in complexity. The first event is posted: RSD14-RSDX will run from October 3 to 6. Get ready with bookmarks and calendar integration. Online access is pay-what-you-can.
Your Solution is Showing: Undesigning, understanding, and unknown-ing for systemic insight
RSD14-RSDX book talk | The 55 Minutes | OCT 6. Author James Stauch highlights how designers can still benefit from hanging up their solutions and journeying deeper into understanding the dimensions of the problems they are seeking to address.
Kate Canales and Gray Garmon launch TWOXTWO
TWOxTWO is one part design consultancy, and one part design school, working directly with leaders and teams inside organizations that want to get innovative design work done while also learning to do the work better. Congratulations, Kate and Gray!
RSD14: Ecologies of Knowing, American Society for Cybernetics/#NewMacy
OCT 12 2025 | ONLINE. A full day of cybernetics at RSD14. The programme includes a range of cybernetic enactments considering how effects unfold in ever-expanding time and scale through a dynamic interplay of components with wholeness emerging from relationships.
Introducing DreamUp—The game that turns creativity into collaboration
Katie Krummeck’s exciting kickstarter for DreamUP development. Katie is a social impact designer and thought leader in leveraging the power of design to drive change in social systems.
Coordinated Management of Meaning Institute (CMMi) at RSD14-ONLINE
OCT 11 2025 | ONLINE. Relational Connectedness. CMMi at RSD14-ONLINE is day for designers to explore the question of how we would go about designing better social worlds through our communication, relationships, and the larger systems in which we are a part. Check out the CMMi articles featured below.
Combining Subjectivity and Objectivity in Systems Thinking: The SOS sandwich
James Stauch and Daniela Papi-Thornton on seeking to understand, map, and then act to intervene in a system. James is presenting an online book talk on The 55 Minutes, Oct 6 at RSD14-RSDX.
Food waste matters: Staging design to foster societal transitions
Congratulations Hannah Goss! This PhD dissertation advances transition design by exploring how designers can strategically intervene in the Dutch food system.
The DesignS: World Design Cities Shanghai Manifesto 2024
This document redefines the role of design in addressing contemporary polycrises by advocating for a human-nature engagement paradigm. Introduction by John Thackara.
Skills Society Annual Report
The 2025 annual report is a case study in transformative work in support services to children and adults with developmental disabilities, surviviors aof brain injuries, and their families.
How cities successfully innovate
JULY 8 2025 | ONLINE. Flourishing Enterprise Institute and Centre for Public Impact webinar on North American cities.
The Futures of Creativity & Compassion
AUGUST 15–17 2025 | Toronto, Canada. The Association of Professional Futurists and OCADU bring together practitioners working at the intersection of futures, design, and system change to explore transformational futures.
EURO working groups: Communities of researchers interested in a specific Operational Research topic
The European OR research community has a tradition of working groups that goes back to 1975. The website has information on joining or starting a group.
Tackling Marginalization and the Accessibility of Systemic Design
OCT 3–21 2025 | ONLINE. Announcing two RSD14 keynotes by Gerald Midgley. #1 RSD14-RSDX (online) Beyond Systemic Design Methodologies: Systems thinking as an everyday practice. #2 RSD14-TORONTO (also livestreamed) Tackling Marginalisation in Systemic Design.
June 10 is the last day for in-person tickets the the ISSS conference
JULY 11–15 2025. But don’t worry, online tickets are available right up to July 11. The programme aims to push the boundaries of what we know about systems thinking and systemic leadership.
Conference of Possibility Studies
JUNE 30–JULY 4 2025 | Maynooth, Ireland. The 5th International Conference of Possibility Studies, held in person at the National University of Ireland. Theme: Communities of Possibility.
RSD14: Leadership Retreat
OCTOBER 19 2025 | Toronto, Canada. A day on Toronto Islands for people who design, fund, lead, and participate in systemic leadership capability-building programmes.
ISSS 2025 Conference features systemic leadership
JULY 11–15 2025 | Birmingham, UK. The Birmingham Leadership Institute hosts the ISSS 2025 conference. In-person and online sessions. Of note: systemic leadership paper track and keynotes Juanita Bernal (photo) and Rachel Lilley (RSD13 keynote).
ARC25: Inquiry into case reporting in systems and systemic design
Call for case reports. In the lead-up to RSD14, there was a collective sense that now is the time to formally recognise and track case reports. Do you agree? RSD14–RSDX is planning an exploratory inquiry into case reporting, held online on October 21.
Announcing Sightlines: Annual anthology of reflexive practitioners
Call for RSD alum. An anthology of RSD chairs, speakers, and other influential voices on the annual theme of the RSD symposium. RSD14: Arcs of Impact is relationality in complexity.
Peak Nature: Let’s go on a journey
Soulprint is a monthly guided integration. The idea? Step into our highest-selves, help us to remember. Second Saturday of the month. Online with Simon Divecha.
Social-Ecological Systems Research and Practice
SocSES is a network of people doing research and working at the interface of science, policy, and practice. Organised around thematic streams, hubs, task forces, and SES early career.
SiCO: The professional body for systems thinking practitioners
Check the Systems and Complexity in Organisation calendar for events held by SCiO groups. Sketchnote: Annika Varjonen / Visual Impact. Event: Learning Finland? Systemic Challenges and Opportunities.
About the Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium
TIPC is a multi-country initiative dedicated to achieving socio-technical system change and a sustainable future. The resource lab offers tools, actions and learnings for implementing TIP methods.
SysPrac25: Systems Problems Demand Systems Approaches
SEPT 3 & 4 2025 | Milton Keynes UK. Open call for contributions. SysPrac25 Conference organised by SCiO (Systems and Complexity in Organisation) in partnership with the Open University’s Systems Thinking in Practice (STiP) group, and the International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR).
Flourishing Business Model Design is a Systems Thinking Process
Flourishing business model design enables us to ask bigger questions, tell better stories, and build ideas that are aligned with our values and vision. Join a monthly webinar to find out more.
Possible Noise
HUMAN ITINERARY TOUR. More information, more noise. More noise, more freedom to choose. And then what? It’s the hope of the curators that this exhibition mirrors that process of sense-making: moving the visitor from overwhelm to detail, then allowing a greater view of the whole.