Complexity Theory is the belief that there are systems that exist in the world ranging from the size of atomic particles to the size of cities, and these systems display certain characteristics that explain the phenomena that we observe in nature on a daily basis. The four main components of complexity theory are self-organization, nonlinear systems, connectivity, and adaptation. The elements of these complex adaptive systems operate in a way that has an impact on the entire system that they exist within.
Emergence creates circumstances in which creativity, and systems’ intelligence are able to thrive. By “thrive” I mean that these systems are able to be sustained by the elements that they consist of. “Creativity” does not only have to apply to design, but can also be interpreted as unique behavior or characteristics within a system. The sustainability of the system is contingent upon the organizing capabilities of its components.
Ground up design of a system allows for local ideas and knowledge to inform the larger scheme. Adaptability is the key to a system’s ability to not only survive, but evolve into something that is more than just the sum of each of its individual components. Deborah Gordon’s ant colony studies confirm the crucial role of analytical reductionism, breaking a system down into parts which are then studied and reassembled to create a holistic understanding of the system. Ants give off pheromones, which create trails for the other ants to follow so they know where to find food. Individually these actions by the ants may seem meaningless, but after stepping back and looking at the entire system it is clear that their individual actions synergized have a positive impact. “Local information can lead to global wisdom.” Local, random interactions between components of a system regulate its direction and growth. The non-linearity of the ants’ behavior means that they constantly learn new things from one another, so since the ant colony is a complex adaptive system it is able to sustain itself.
The design process is meant to work like the ant colony. Design thinking is supposed to work from the ground up. It should be characterized by informality rather than rudimentary, formal actions that have been preconceived and are retrofitted to every design problem. Balmond says that the informal is opportunistic, and seizes a local moment and makes something of it. Similarly to the movement of ants within a colony, the process of generating ideas is meant to be non-linear. There’s no centralized, autonomous power regulating every move that is made. This allows for a certain level of chaos, which Balmond points out is a mix of several states of order. So, although the word chaos implies disorganization and randomness, this random assortment of elements within the system has the potential to eventually evolve into some desirable outcome.
This relates to the issue of globalization. In a globalized economy, local contexts are often ignored and the integrity of the cultures of smaller regions of the world is threatened by large companies. The same thing is apparent in the homogenization of urban design. Cities thousands of miles apart begin to look the same in a globalized design industry. This can seem inevitable with the rapid advancement of technology, which connects everyone and everything in the world in terms of the internet and transportation, but in a system designed to learn from the ground level macro intelligence and adaptability derive from local knowledge, according to Steven Johnson.
The fact that chaos emerges from complex adaptive systems means that the outcome will be unknown, and this can be a bad thing in certain cases. The unpredictability of complex adaptive systems doesn’t always work in our favor, but without it systems would not be able to thrive and sustain themselves. There would be no emergence if it weren’t for the non-linearity that exists within these complex adaptive systems.
Gene 