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October 9 (the second Thursday of the month) is the 136th meeting for Systems Thinking Ontario. This meeting is a special crossover with RSDx, which is an open and online session (with a suggested 'pay what you can' model) available here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/rsd14-arcs-of-impact-tickets-1233979699499
Tracing sLab’s journey, and reinvigoration for the systemic design community
Tracing sLab’s journey, and reinvigoration for the systemic design community
This session offers a reflection on the history of the Strategic Innovation Lab’s (sLab) at OCADU. We'll discuss the potential for its renewal in the context of a vibrant systems thinking and design community, both locally and nationally.
sLab, at OCADU, was host to an active community of students, alumni, faculty, and stakeholders from 2002 to 2020. In this time, it produced notable projects such as Digital Governance, Economic Futures of Ontario 2032, Design Jams, amongst others. These projects and workshops used many strategic foresight methods, which have since become more well-known.
In this discussion, Greg Van Alystyne (co-founder of sLab) and Peter Scott (former graduate research assistant at sLab, OCAD U faculty in entrepreneurship & social innovation) reflect on the history and achievements of sLab, while exploring the relevance and opportunities of the lab in today’s systems thinking and design community context.
The session will be hosted by Zaid Khan, graduate of Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCADU (2020) and co-organizer of Systems Thinking Ontario.
Discussants
Discussants
Greg Van Alystyne, Associate Professor, Faculty of Design; and co-founding Director of Strategic Innovation Lab (sLab).
GVA is a futurist, educator, and researcher with more than twenty-five years of experience in communication and service design, creative direction and strategy. Greg has developed graphic, environmental, interaction and foresight projects for brands, firms, public and NFP organizations in North America, Europe, and Asia. He’s a frequent lecturer at national and international events.
Greg’s research interests include 'designing with emergence' (how design and emergence interact in complex socio-technical systems), media futures, and the future of reading, writing, and publishing.
Peter Scott uses his creative business practices to explore the needs of artists in both social and traditional economic systems. Art and creativity (e.g., dance, music, design) are novel ways of exploring possibilities such as Afrofuturism. His work seeks to define alternative ways of teaching both inside and outside education settings, for example, conducting a business skills and training program in a jazz club.
Peter holds a master’s degree in design, Strategic Foresight Innovation from OCAD University, a BFA degree in contemporary dance from York University, and over 15 years of education training, employment experience, including from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
His research focuses on social finance/microfinance education in the social economy, with design thinking methods. Peter is currently a lecturer at OCAD University.
Zaid Khan is a strategist who works with clients across a number of domains in transit, finance, higher-education, government, amongst others. He both instructs systems thinking and also advances the research and methods into new territories.
Timing, Venue, and Registration
Timing, Venue, and Registration
Thursday, October 9, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm (Combined with RSDx, stay tuned for paper talks by David Ing, Zaid Khan and Samah Kamalmaz from 7:30 to 8:30pm)
Online via Zoom
Please register at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/rsd14-arcs-of-impact-tickets-1233979699499
Suggested pre-readings / audio / video
Suggested pre-readings / audio / video
sLab website, available at https://slab.ocadu.ca/
Van Alstyne, Greg (2021). sLab recognized as ground-breaking social lab. Blog entry available at https://slab.ocadu.ca/story/slab-recognized-as-ground-breaking-social-lab
“What is sLab at OCADU?” Vimeo video, available at https://vimeo.com/168807182
Agenda
Agenda
Post-meeting artifacts
Post-meeting artifacts
Bloggers are encouraged to write about their learning and experiences at the meeting. Links will be added to this page.
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