SystemicDesign forSustainable Food Production

Addressing food sustainability challenges is complicated, involving numerous stakeholders with different goals and incentives. An action taken by one actor may affect other actors in unexpected ways. Designers play a key role in planning and implementing sustainable interventions, so being able to think systemically and consider overall system needs is crucial to avoid unintended consequences.

This workshop will teach designers how to apply a framework called “System Dynamics”, which was developed at MIT to help designers better understand system complexity and design more effective interventions. System dynamics has been applied in diverse settings ranging from business operations to designing climate policy leading up to the Paris Climate Accords.

After learning about system dynamics, you’ll have an opportunity to apply the framework to solve a local sustainability challenge: scaling the production and access of local food products. To accomplish this, you will collaborate with a team to map local food system dynamics and ideate interventions with systems-level impacts. Later, IDEO will discuss career development opportunities for professionals seeking more opportunities to hone and apply their systemic design methods in their own work.

This workshop presents an opportunity to learn and apply a new skill. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to network with local subject matter experts from the local food production space and design professionals from IDEO.

This workshop is made possible through the generosity of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH), Harvard University Graduate School of Design, IDEO Cambridge and our Community Partner, Lost and Found Bread.

This workshop is in-person only!

Loop Loop is a community of impact-driven systemic design practitioners and facilitators from different backgrounds that met in the hallways of Harvard and MIT, and brought together by a shared passion for Social Innovation. We provide tools for connection and capacity building to help civil society and agencies effectuate positive change.

Food Sustainability @ HSPH is a group for those who are interested in talking about Food (food system, food tech, agriculture), Health (health tech, nutrition, food is medicine, dietary practices), and Sustainability (planetary science, resource sustainability, circular economy, food waste reduction).

Also check out other Arts events in Cambridge, Workshops in Cambridge, Health & Wellness events in Cambridge.