Embracing complexity: a framework for healthcare design

Received an interesting article from a friend on Embracing Complexity: A Framework for healthcare design. - by Scott Stropkay and David Sidzik. (2012- The Design Management Institute).

A brief on this article:

It recognizes that healthcare has an interesting design problem which is an overwhelming desire for more complexity competing with an equally conspicuous desire for less complexity. This means that while people build on complexity to deliver the highest quality medical and health care, yet wants similar complexity to be simplified for understanding.

The articles talks about differentiating the good and bad complexity to enrich, balance and focus the creative process of the healthcare designing work. It is critical to learn and appreciate the dynamics of the different layers of complexity and explore opportunities that result from these dynamics.

The articles also shared on the keys to leveraging good complexity, namely:
1. complexity that builds understanding
2. complexity that facilitates generative thinking
3. complexity that helps focus
4. Complexity that help deliver meaningful simplicity

In conclusion, when the team appreciates good complexity of the healthcare system, it provides elegance, deep understanding, new perspectives and sharp focus to build a design solution for a complex healthcare system.