Method Overview

Where This Fits

Part 1 of this book laid the foundation: what sustainability means, how systems work, and why conventional approaches fall short. Now we get practical. The SiD method is a five-step cycle for finding pathways toward sustainable systems. It can operate within the larger SiD Process, or stand alone as a working method for any project.

This chapter gives you the bird's-eye view. Chapters 2.1 through 2.5 then walk through each step in detail.

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The Method as a Journey

The easiest way to understand the SiD method is to imagine planning a trip to an ideal destination, with limited time and resources.

1. Goals and Indicators. Where do we really want to go? We define our destination, not as a specific place on a map, but as a set of qualities we want to arrive at.
2. System Mapping. What does the territory look like? We survey our surroundings and draw maps so we can plot a route.
3. System Understanding. Where are we right now? We study the maps, get our bearings, and develop an intuitive feel for the landscape.
4. Solutioning and Roadmapping. How do we get there? We plot routes, choosing which landmarks to pass and which obstacles to avoid.
5. Evaluate and Iterate. Are we heading in the right direction? We check our progress against our goals and adjust course.

Like any real journey, this process repeats. You cycle through the five steps several times, starting rough and refining with each pass.

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Better Together

A single person can run the method. It works best, however, with a diverse team of scientists, designers, and managers. Multidisciplinary collaboration is what gives the process its depth. Ideally, all experts are present from the start to set and agree on goals jointly, including stakeholders. Not everyone needs to work on every step at the same time (saving time and expense), but bring the full team back together for evaluation.

The SiD Process chapter covers team formation in more detail.

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Round and Round We Go

The method is iterative and cyclical. For any given question, you cycle through all five steps several times, moving from rough analysis to refined solutions. The method also has no fixed starting point. You do not have to begin at Step 1, though all five steps must eventually be covered.

Here is something that surprises people: you can apply the method to its own steps. In a SiD process, you might run the entire five-step cycle just to define the right goals for a project. You set a "goal" of finding good goals, map the possible goals, try to understand them, develop solutions for choosing the best one, and then evaluate your choices.

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Make It Your Own

Feel free to adapt the method to your own vocabulary and approach. Steps are often repeated as understanding grows and the project's focus shifts. Certain steps may iterate by themselves. Use it the way it works best for you. Experiment. But always include each step along the way, and keep iterating.

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The Five Steps at a Glance

Step 1: Goals and Indicators

Where do we go?

The goal-setting stage dives into the challenge to uncover the true motivation of a project, viewed from multiple angles: stakeholders, society, environment. Setting proper goals is one of the most critical steps, and harder than it looks. The real goal of a project is often not the obvious one.

This phase typically includes:

• Setting the project goal on a system level (using the SNO hierarchy: System, Network, Object)
• Setting sub-goals on network and object levels
• Developing a shared vision
• Defining the project and system boundaries
• Setting indicators (KPIs) for the evaluation stage

Goals in SiD are performative: they describe a system's intended performance, not a physical property or predetermined solution. A performative goal keeps us focused on what truly matters, and keeps the solution space wide open.

Step 2: System Mapping

Where are we now?

If you are planning a trip, you need a map. For a vacation, you buy one or look online. For complex systems, there is usually no map at all. We do not know where we are because we have no insight into the system when we start. So in this phase, we create maps using various forms of systems analysis.

Mapping is the process of collecting information and representing it so we can learn from it. We first make maps to explore. Later, in Step 4, we make "desired state" maps, comparable to "before" and "after" pictures. Throughout the mapping process, the SNO hierarchy (System, Network, Object) helps ensure we collect information in an integrated way and relate it to different levels as we go.

Step 3: System Understanding

Where exactly are we?

Once we have the map, we need to figure out our current position and what possible directions the "ideal place" lies in relative to where we stand. With complex systems, we usually have no clue. We need to decipher the maps, get a grip on what they tell us, and understand what "moving" to a different state means given the situation.

We do this by studying the system, discussing it from multiple perspectives, investigating its obstacles and dynamics, and letting it all sink in. Our brains have evolved surrounded by complex systems. Given time and mental space, patterns emerge from complexity. Solutions may arise naturally from this understanding.

Step 4: Solutioning and Roadmapping

How do we get there?

Once we know where we are, what surrounds us, and where we want to go, we plot a route. We identify obstacles, find pathways most likely to reach our goal in the available time frame, and assemble them into a roadmap.

Just as with trip planning, the time available determines not only the routes we can take, but the mode of transportation and whether we can afford to explore scenic detours. With systems, we plot routes in time rather than on a geographical map, but the essence is the same: alternative routes, scenic diversions, a clear destination, and points of interest along the way. Sometimes a route is a single solution. Sometimes it is a sequence of solutions executed over time.

Step 5: Evaluate and Iterate

Are we going the right way?

In this stage, we reflect on the goals we set at the beginning and check whether the routes we plotted align with them. We determine if the routes are good enough, or if we need another cycle to refine our maps, understanding, and solutions. If everything checks out, we can pack our bags and get moving.

Typically, we need a few refinements. At each evaluation, we determine what worked, what to keep, what needs improvement, and what the next development cycle should focus on.

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Cycling the Method

The method works best when repeated several times. The first cycles serve as a quick survey of the entire challenge. Subsequent cycles refine the analysis, understanding, solutioning, and evaluation. There is no fixed number of cycles and no rules for how long each one takes.

We recommend at least three cycles. Most of Except's basic projects use three as a minimum. Some have used dozens. For larger challenges, we suggest up to about eight cycles, for example across a year-long project.

Start fast. In our experience, the first cycle should be done as quickly as possible, even in a few hours, with the entire team. In this reconnaissance cycle, the team gets acquainted with the method, the steps, and the major outlines of the project. Each subsequent cycle goes deeper, with more time, more refined research, adjusted goals, sharpened evaluation tools, and better solutions. You can bounce between steps within a cycle as well. It is common to iterate between goal setting and analysis a few times at the start. A final cycle rounds everything up.

The Fibonacci Pattern

A useful rule of thumb for planning cycle lengths comes from a pattern found everywhere in nature: the Fibonacci sequence, where each number is the sum of the two before it (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21...).

For a seven-cycle approach, if the first cycle takes one day, the pattern looks like this:

Cycle	Duration
1	1 day
2	1 day
3	2 days
4	3 days
5	5 days
6	8 days
7	13 days
8	21 days

This is not a rule. We have found it a useful planning pattern that scales naturally. The spiral it produces appears in flower petals, cloud formations, water vortices, and many dimensions of the human body. It works well for proportioning the rhythm of iterative work.

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Takeaway

The SiD method is five steps, cycled multiple times, from rough to refined. Set your destination. Map the territory. Understand your position. Plot a route. Check your bearings. Repeat until you are confident, then move.

Next: Chapter 2.1 takes you into the first step, Goals and Indicators, where the direction of the entire project is set.