Recipes for Systemic Change - Helsinki Design Lab

98The HDL Studio Model*Examples from the ChallengeBriefings:—Evolution of the WelfareSystem > P304—Today's EducationSystem > P152—Government Initiatives andReforms in Care for theElderly > P300—Cultural Drivers in Sustainability> P249—Energy: Policy, Consumption,Supply > P235The Studio also has to understand the current realityin the local context, especially the things which potentiallyre-enforce the status quo or prevent its transformation, whichis the content of the background section. In addition to providingan executive summary of the key dimensions whichcome in the following section, the background illuminatesthe urgency of action on the Studio theme. In other words,it must answer the questions ‘why this theme’ and ‘why is itimportant right now?’During the course of researching the Studio topic, a poolof themes is likely to show up again and again. We call thesethe key dimensions of a problem and the challenge briefingincludes overviews of 5-7 of the most important dimensions.Likely dimensions include such things as the historical evolutionof the system in question; a survey of current actors,organizations, or systems; examples of other transformationattempts; cultural factors; or a focused look at one facet of theissue*. Selecting dimensions will require the writer to makea best guess about what might be relevant to the Studio asthey develop an architecture of solutions. Rest assured thatregardless of what dimensions are selected, the Studio teamwill always seek further inputs.StyleA good briefing is more akin to investigative journalismthan a peer-reviewed journal contribution. It should be succinct,accessible and written in an open-ended manner thatinvites the reader to question the text. In order to maintaina big picture perspective on the theme, it can be helpful forthe writer to not be an expert on the topic (they will be by thetime they finish!) or if the document is written collaborativelyby a team. As a working document, it’s more important tohave a well-structured challenge briefing than a narrative thatflows smoothly from beginning to end.Format and DeliveryA briefing can only function as the common platform ofunderstanding amongst the Studio team if everyone has readit before the Studio begins. This implicates both the formattingand the timeline for its delivery. Ideally the Studio teammembers do not just read the document but interrogate it,rip it apart (often physically) and reformulate it. Think aboutthe ways in which page margins, paper stock and the bindingencourage or inhibit interactions such as marking up thechallenge briefing with notes in the margins.