Integral thinking and design? Is there a bridge?
The Integral theories of Ken Wilber simply blows my mind every time I get into contact with them. Or more precisely they invigorate a deep sense of hope, potential, energy and synchronicity. Because when such ideas can be put together, then what more is possible?
I have just (again) spent an evening on YouTube watching whatever I could find on Ken Wilber and “integral politics” – try it, very interesting. Previously I have read his books “A Brief Theory of Everything” and “A brief History of Everything”. You can borrow my copies if you want.
To those who have not yet bumped into Ken Wilber yet, I can tell you that he is one of the most popular philosophers in US today. His books have been translated in a multitude of languages and he has written a fair number of books already.
Integral thinking and integral theory is a way to describe how there are differences between people and what these differences are. To see these spectrums unfolded is very interesting, and Ken Wilber is then also excelent at explaining how the theories can be applied to understanding politics, sex, science, spiritualty etc. If you want to get yourself a blast and connect it with your interest in the upcoming American election, then I can reccomend:
The question for me then becomes: since I am so in-tune with Wilbers’s thoughts, and since I have this big interest in design and innovation, then what is the overlap between the two? Is there a way to think about design in terms of integral thinking? Has it been done already, and I am just unaware of it?
I can see integral thinkings application primarily in terms of the processes of design: When involving users and stake holders from different levels and gravitational points of development. This would mean to integrate integral thinking into areas such as participatory design, innovation facilitation, service design facilitation, process design and other consultant-esque design fields.
But it might actually also work in the “internal” design process – that part of the design process where the designers are creating something for the market. Would it hold any value to think about how a product or a service should be designed according to the level of development of the audience that you are designing for? Maybe it can be conected to the work on Design for Making Meaning…
I have no clue whether I am on to something here. The only hint is that I resonate with these theories, and there must be a reason for this.
Wael Al Saad said,
November 4, 2008 @ 10:27 pmIn terms of design I think the next step in integral world/movement is tom move from “TOE” to “SET” (Strategy of Every Thing)
My discussions about GBA (Global Brain Application) are based on it.
junior thinker :)