This design perspetive on project know-how does development and problem-solving by a soft systems approach, centering users and communities. It emphasizes the importance of understanding social and cultural contexts, recognizing that technical solutions alone may not be sufficient. It combines elements of the traditional individual craft/”talent” of design with collaborative systems thinking and current technologies. It prioritizes user-friendliness, early stakeholder involvement, and transparent processes. It often involves creating visual representations of the complex relationships and perspectives within a system and surrounding it. Key early practitioners were architects (Alexander, Koberg and Bagnall), industrial designers (Jones, Norman) and visual facilitators (Sibbet) working in the 1960’s and 1970’s. However, for this community, the development of the Macintosh computer in the early 1980’s was a seminal event. That development may have been led more by Steve Jobs than by the principles of the community; however, the Mac and related technologies certainly have enabled this community to expand enormously, in scale and impact. 

These days, “co-design” practitioners in Australia and New Zealand are among key thought leaders inspired by and extending this perspective on project know-how.