Abstract

The two approaches described here may clarify the role of design in sociocultural evolution by making best use of information already available. The first, holistic in nature, explores possible advantages of a convergence between the design, systems, and social evolution communities which, to date, have worked largely in isolation of one another. The benefits of juxtaposing the three disciplines are examined by reviewing three works on social evolution for their insights into design practice. The second approach is reductionist in nature, and proposes working across the evolutionary literatures of disciplines contiguous with design, again in order to quickly inform design practice. The two approaches are considered complementary rather than exclusionary.