In this post-COVID environment, we are experiencing increasing complexity, rapid broad-impact change, an increase in wicked problems, a major reconfiguration of work, and surging public expectations to address long-standing social, economic, and environmental issues. Many have described our current context as volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). In this pivotal moment, we must think and act differently and change the dominant approach of over-simplifying problems and "quick-fix" solutions.

Yet, complex problems in this VUCA environment require models and tools to manage and interact with complexity. Systems theories, models, and tools offer us the ability to understand and respond to complexity, operate within our environment more sustainably, attend to critical problems through innovation, gain new perspectives, and acknowledge interdependencies and yet they still are only used at the margins of most organizations, if at all.

This major research project asked how we might address the challenges of adopting systems thinking and using systems theories and tools. To support addressing this question, we applied a human-centered design approach where existing and potential users' needs, pains, and gains were explored and addressed.

The project also explored how we might apply innovation adoption and diffusion theory and practice to facilitate the acceleration of the adoption of systems thinking theories and methodologies. This project set about to understand the current level of systems thinking awareness, literacy, and adoption, where successes and challenges lay. And proposed a prototype of a new approach to adoption that both meets the needs of potential users and aligns to the processes that support adoption success.

Finally, through testing and feedback with experts, this project proposes next steps that would enable implementation. With this project, we have devised an open ecosystem for systems thinking learning, use, and adoption that is powerful enough to create long lasting change that users will find both user-friendly and useful in their sensemaking and decision-making, thereby contributing positively to wider collective effort of accelerating the adoption and use of system thinking in our society.