Over three months, I worked in a team of five on a project in Systems Oriented Design in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), focusing on information integrity in the Philippines.

Using systems thinking methods, we explored the complex ecosystem surrounding misinformation, digital platforms, governance, media structures, and public trust. A key part of the project was developing a comprehensive giga map that visualized the relationships between stakeholders, power structures, technological systems, and social dynamics influencing information integrity.

Throughout the process, we conducted research, mapped systemic connections, identified leverage points, and developed strategic design interventions aimed at strengthening resilient and trustworthy information environments.

The project resulted in a detailed written report and a large-scale giga map that synthesized our findings, making complexity tangible and supporting more informed decision-making. It strengthened my ability to work with complexity, collaborate in interdisciplinary teams, and approach societal challenges from a systemic perspective.

Giga map & report

Nicolai Øien, Kim Svensson, Lovis Julia Vlieger, Willy Winnæss & Andrea Cederkvist

Teamwork reflection

This project has been an intense but rewarding experience. We all came into it with different perspectives and strengths, which made our collaboration both challenging and enriching. One of the biggest things we learned as a team was how to navigate complexity together. There were moments when we felt stuck, drowning in too much information, but working through it collectively challenging each other’s assumptions, refining our gigamaps, and iterating on our insights helped us move forward. Systems Oriented Design gave us a framework to not just analyze problems but also envision solutions that take the whole system into account. Through this, we’ve come to appreciate the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and how different perspectives can lead to more holistic understandings. Ultimately, this experience has shown us that design is not just about solving problems it’s about reshaping systems for a better future. We’ve also come to appreciate the role of resilience in working with complexity; there were times when our ideas felt like they were falling apart, but pushing through that uncertainty always led us to deeper insights.