PLAST project

The PLAST in CAPS project

The PLAST in CAPS project (Pattern Languages for Systemic Transformation) leverages the research and practice of pattern languages in multiple domains as a means to generate and disseminate sustainable and innovative solutions to the challenges our world and societies are faced with, in a strive to enhance individual and collective awareness of societal issues and their possible remedies.

The project will introduce to communities of change agents and pattern language designers a systemic pattern language, associated methodologies and guidelines, and IT and non-digital tools for interpreting and understanding systemic phenomena, and design appropriate solutions.

Objective

This systemic pattern language is built to help bridge the gaps between differing interpretations in various domains and contexts of how systemic phenomena unfold in time as a combination of cultural, cognitive, physical and social behaviors and processes. The objective is to leverage human agency in all domains and enhance our capacity as humans to make sustainable decisions and take meaningful action. The vision is to point a maximum of ‘vectors’ of action towards ‘goodness’, however goodness may manifest in different contexts (wholeness, symbiosis, commoning, common good, thrivability, responsible stewardship, sustainable behavior etc…).

Deliverables

The project comprises the production of a pilot language for systemic interpretation enabling the design of a systemic pattern language with its connection to domain application pattern language, and the development of collective awareness tools. Collective awareness tools include an open source pattern and pattern language repository (PatternPedia) enabling pattern and solution queries and mining, pattern and pattern language design and maintenance, and the guidelines to maintain the database and methodologies in an open source configuration. It also comprises the production of non digital educational tools such as games (card games, board games) and facilitation methodologies for using and further developing the pattern languages and related tools. We also foresee further application in annotation of the web and ‘monitoring’ of blockchain algorithms.

Focus

We will work both at the most abstract theory level of complexity and network theory and systems dynamics, and at the very granular level of praxis by producing, with communities of practice involved in sustainability and social innovation, tools that will be used on the field. To this effect, we will work in close connection with communities of pattern language designers and users, change agents and systems thinking practitioners, bootstrapping the development of the Patternpedia. The project will include a research phase on patterns, languages and pattern languages leading to the production of content.

We will engage in testing, dissemination and adoption of the tools through facilitation events and field evaluation.