Designing systems for human wellbeing

Abstract

Every year, world leaders meet at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to network and discuss global issues. While the forum has been severely criticized for its omnipotent attitude and disregard to real issues that impact on humanity, a recent meeting highlighted two significant issues: the dysfunctional global economic governance and the systemic nature of worldwide economic problems. On first sight, one could assume that these have very little to do with the challenges that designers, architects, town planners or managers are facing in their everyday. Systemic global problems and governance seem far away and not approachable from the operational grass-roots level.

But is this really so?  Are the issues distant? They do appear to impact on out day-to-day, and somehow we read about them in the press on a constant basis. In their impotence, authorities raise their hands and capitulate. The dysfunctional global financial institutions based on greed make life expensive for the common man, and societies fail to provide even the most basic affordable services in health and education to their members.