Design Web
Posted on do 25 mei 2023 in tools
Looby Macnamara's Design Web is a design process. You can read about it in her book People & Permaculture. I resonate with using its anchor points and allowing jumping between points as questions come up and get answered.
The tool gives 12 different anchor points to use as a starting point for reflection and idea conception. Take an anchor point that resonates and start recording what comes up in relation to that anchor point. As things come up, it may trigger things that are more appropriate under another anchor point. When that happens, put the item under that anchor point and either continue on your current anchor point or jump to the anchor point that came up.
I have used this process to help design a healer's practice. See that page for a more detailed look at how I used this tool in practice.
Wheel of the Design Web
Anchor points
The first three are about where we want to go and what possibilities and limitations we envision getting there.
- Vision
- Helps
- Limits
The next set is about generic solutions and principles that we can find that may apply to our particular situation. These include patterns we can see in nature, principles from exact sciences, permaculture and other areas.
- Patterns
- Ideas
- Principles
The following three are about putting the previous information into action and how to maintain momentum when things get difficult.
- Integration
- Action
- Momentum
The final three are about learning from the experience, setting appropriate times to appreciate the process and taking enough time to rest in order to not burn out.
- Appreciation
- Reflection
- Pause
Useful tools per anchorpoint
- Vision
- tool: dreaming circle
- to share: why create a vision, process for creating a vision, generative question
- result: a first version of a vision
- Helps
- tool: brainstorm
- examples: own support network, subsidies, coaching, schooling
- result: list of people, institutions that may be of help
- Limits
- tool: brainstorm
- examples: time, energy, access to people, lack of skills, money
- results: list of current limits, what blocks, limits growth or speed
- Patterns
- tool: brainstorm
- examples for business: patterns for bookkeeping, record keeping, business expenses, tax requirements, archival requirements, sales process, estimation on break even cashflow, burn rate, opening hours, possible services and prices
- examples in nature: see Thinking in Patterns
- Ideas
- tool: brainstorm and captured in the moment
- result: list of ideas and inspirations
- Principles
- tool: Permaculture principles
- result: filter other results thought this lens
- Integration
- tool: multiple needs x multiple strategies (functions and elements)
- examples: list of NVC needs, strategies from vision or action, talked about how multiple connections create resilience
- result: how to bring it all together
- Action
- tool: mental inventory + filtering
- result: list of actions to get things done
- Momentum
- tool: brainstorm
- examples: time blocks, pomodoro, visualize progress, spend max 20-30h per week working on your company, reading the design document, seeing happy faces
- result: list of strategies to keep going
- Appreciation
- tool: brainstorm
- examples: keep gratitude journal
- result: list of things to be grateful for
- Reflection
- tool: brainstorm
- examples: year compass, bullet journal, 4 questions: what went well vs what to do differently next time, periodic reviews
- result: how to evaluate progress with a list of activities and advise
- Pause
- tool: brainstorm
- examples: Artist's dates, plenty of sleep, connect with nature, spend time in solitude
- result: list of (non)activities and advise