Leveraging Systems Thinking in Social Design Practice

In the face of increasingly complex societal challenges, the field of social design is being called upon to deepen its ability to create long-term, systemic impact. This project, conducted with five experienced social designers and one workshop in our ESConference in 2025, explored how systems thinking, specifically the theory of leverage points developed by Donella Meadows, could be used and translated into a visual tool to identify and evaluate impact in social innovation. Our core research question was: “How can leverage points theory help social designers better articulate and realize the systemic impact of their work?” The research was conducted in the Netherlands and centered on a co-design trajectory involving five professional social designers, each working on impactful projects across various domains, including neighborhood safety, inclusive education, and energy transition.