Ways of observing

The Nine Ways of Observing come from The Earth Path, a book by Starhawk.

I have used this tool in all my designs. I find that good, thoughtful, long observation is key to making good, thoughtful and effective designs.

• I wonder...
  • Looking at the system with childlike amazement
• Observing energy
  • Energy is the thing that makes any system come alive
• Observing flow
  • Flow shows how matter and information move around a system
• Observing communities
  • Communities reveal the different elements of the system
• Observing patterns
  • Patterns show us the ways a system solves problems
• Observing edges
  • Edges show potential interfaces to different systems
• Observing limits
  • Limits show where the system can not go, which area's are unreachable
• Observing from stillness
  • Looking at the system's impact on the observer
• Observing past & future
  • Past and future asks us to look at the evolution of the system as a whole

Thinking in terms of systems, these different aspects cover things all systems have in common.

This list of different ways of observing invite me to take a detailed look at the different aspects of the system I'm studying. It helps me avoid blind spots because the tool reminds me to cover all these aspects. Every aspect is important in its own way. Without understanding, we're flying blind.