The Narrative Kernel
A framework to transition from design theory to practice
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-narrat...
#DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #DesignFutures #SpeculativeFiction #SYNTOPIA
A framework to transition from design theory to practice
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-narrat...
#DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #DesignFutures #SpeculativeFiction #SYNTOPIA
July 27, 2026 at 6:42 AM
The Narrative Kernel
A framework to transition from design theory to practice
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-narrat...
#DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #DesignFutures #SpeculativeFiction #SYNTOPIA
A framework to transition from design theory to practice
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-narrat...
#DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #DesignFutures #SpeculativeFiction #SYNTOPIA
The Matsutake Strategy
Designing on Capitalist Ruins at the End of the World
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-matsut...
What can a mushroom teach us about resilient design and the concept of 'scaling'?
#DesignEducation #BiocentricDesign #SystemicDesign #Syntopia #FutureDesign
Designing on Capitalist Ruins at the End of the World
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-matsut...
What can a mushroom teach us about resilient design and the concept of 'scaling'?
#DesignEducation #BiocentricDesign #SystemicDesign #Syntopia #FutureDesign
The Matsutake Strategy
Designing on Capitalist Ruins at the End of the World
gregorymoulinet.substack.com
July 13, 2026 at 1:36 AM
The Matsutake Strategy
Designing on Capitalist Ruins at the End of the World
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-matsut...
What can a mushroom teach us about resilient design and the concept of 'scaling'?
#DesignEducation #BiocentricDesign #SystemicDesign #Syntopia #FutureDesign
Designing on Capitalist Ruins at the End of the World
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-matsut...
What can a mushroom teach us about resilient design and the concept of 'scaling'?
#DesignEducation #BiocentricDesign #SystemicDesign #Syntopia #FutureDesign
A new substack article:
Design as Leadership
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/design-as-...
If institutional authority is becoming both more rigid and less capable, where should we look for leadership?
#DesignLeadership #DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #BiocentricDesign #SYNTOPIA
Design as Leadership
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/design-as-...
If institutional authority is becoming both more rigid and less capable, where should we look for leadership?
#DesignLeadership #DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #BiocentricDesign #SYNTOPIA
July 6, 2026 at 1:48 AM
A new substack article:
Design as Leadership
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/design-as-...
If institutional authority is becoming both more rigid and less capable, where should we look for leadership?
#DesignLeadership #DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #BiocentricDesign #SYNTOPIA
Design as Leadership
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/design-as-...
If institutional authority is becoming both more rigid and less capable, where should we look for leadership?
#DesignLeadership #DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #BiocentricDesign #SYNTOPIA
The Fairy Tale of Design Education
Beyond employability for a world that may not hold together
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-fairy-...
An 18-minute audio version is also available.
#DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #DesignFutures #BiocentricDesign #DesignForLife #DesignEthics
Beyond employability for a world that may not hold together
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-fairy-...
An 18-minute audio version is also available.
#DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #DesignFutures #BiocentricDesign #DesignForLife #DesignEthics
The Fairy Tale of Design Education
Beyond employability for a world that may not hold together
gregorymoulinet.substack.com
June 22, 2026 at 1:06 PM
The Fairy Tale of Design Education
Beyond employability for a world that may not hold together
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-fairy-...
An 18-minute audio version is also available.
#DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #DesignFutures #BiocentricDesign #DesignForLife #DesignEthics
Beyond employability for a world that may not hold together
gregorymoulinet.substack.com/p/the-fairy-...
An 18-minute audio version is also available.
#DesignEducation #SystemicDesign #DesignFutures #BiocentricDesign #DesignForLife #DesignEthics
This month's post on #systemicdesign dives into data representation, and terms like state and context. A return to the more technical posts I used to write earlier in this blog's (short) lifetime!
A State-Rich Simulation
The object-rich world is crucial for making systemic games. Similarly, the state-space of your game can be used to describe the entirety of your design and to facilitate more holistic game development. But it's about time that we talked about data, since it keeps coming up. How to describe the smallest pieces of your simulation and the effects of this choice on your game.
playtank.io
March 12, 2025 at 9:07 AM
This month's post on #systemicdesign dives into data representation, and terms like state and context. A return to the more technical posts I used to write earlier in this blog's (short) lifetime!
A final entry in the combat philosophy series, that will wrap the more theoretical meanderings and leave me more room to focus on #systemicdesign!
Building Systemic Drama
This post is the last post in a series on combat design. There has been many attempts to classify storytelling. Georges Polti suggested The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations in 1895. Vladimir Propp used a selection of 31 functions to illustrate similar things in the 1920s. There's also the widely misused monomyth of Joseph Campbell, originally published in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces…
playtank.io
February 12, 2025 at 8:02 AM
A final entry in the combat philosophy series, that will wrap the more theoretical meanderings and leave me more room to focus on #systemicdesign!
This month's blog post on #gamedesign and #systemicdesign! It was a tough one to research and write, since I've tried to distill what makes a 'sport' tick in the interest of informing your combat design, and sport is not my area.
playtank.io/2025/01/12/b...
playtank.io/2025/01/12/b...
Building Systemic Sport
This post is a continuation on a previous combat design post. Sport can be used as a layer on top of your gunplay or melee. Perhaps as added fairness (a sense of “good balancing”) or as…
playtank.io
January 12, 2025 at 9:10 AM
This month's blog post on #gamedesign and #systemicdesign! It was a tough one to research and write, since I've tried to distill what makes a 'sport' tick in the interest of informing your combat design, and sport is not my area.
playtank.io/2025/01/12/b...
playtank.io/2025/01/12/b...
Maybe the hardest truth isn’t that poverty exists—but that it’s functioning exactly as designed. dualisticunity.com/poverty-isnt... #SystemicDesign #HumanExperience
dualisticunity.com/poverty-isnt...
dualisticunity.com/poverty-isnt...
Poverty Isn’t an Accident — It’s a Feature - Dualistic Unity
Poverty is not a personal failure—it’s a feature of modern systems. This essay explores how poverty is designed, who benefits from it, and why clarity matters.
dualisticunity.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:51 AM
Maybe the hardest truth isn’t that poverty exists—but that it’s functioning exactly as designed. dualisticunity.com/poverty-isnt... #SystemicDesign #HumanExperience
dualisticunity.com/poverty-isnt...
dualisticunity.com/poverty-isnt...
Merci à mes homologues Designers de m'avoir si bien accueilli lors de la conférence d'UX Republique à Lyon.
C'était un jeu d'équilibriste entre le discours déprimant d'un futur incertain et le besoin de se mettre en action pour retrouver du sens dans notre discipline.
#systemicdesign #designlyon
C'était un jeu d'équilibriste entre le discours déprimant d'un futur incertain et le besoin de se mettre en action pour retrouver du sens dans notre discipline.
#systemicdesign #designlyon
February 3, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Merci à mes homologues Designers de m'avoir si bien accueilli lors de la conférence d'UX Republique à Lyon.
C'était un jeu d'équilibriste entre le discours déprimant d'un futur incertain et le besoin de se mettre en action pour retrouver du sens dans notre discipline.
#systemicdesign #designlyon
C'était un jeu d'équilibriste entre le discours déprimant d'un futur incertain et le besoin de se mettre en action pour retrouver du sens dans notre discipline.
#systemicdesign #designlyon
Here’s a postdoc position in TU Delft on systemic design. If you’d like to work with great people on a topical subject apply. Deadline is 22 January. careers.tudelft.nl/job/Delft-Po... #systemicdesign #academicjobs
Postdoctoral Position in Systemic Design
Postdoctoral Position in Systemic Design
careers.tudelft.nl
December 27, 2024 at 5:25 AM
Here’s a postdoc position in TU Delft on systemic design. If you’d like to work with great people on a topical subject apply. Deadline is 22 January. careers.tudelft.nl/job/Delft-Po... #systemicdesign #academicjobs
Evidently someone's a fan of Those Who Remain, but as I'm currently partway through a #SystemicDesign for #Complexity course, I enjoyed the everyday example of a rebalancing causal loop diagram.
#systemthinking #design
#systemthinking #design
November 2, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Evidently someone's a fan of Those Who Remain, but as I'm currently partway through a #SystemicDesign for #Complexity course, I enjoyed the everyday example of a rebalancing causal loop diagram.
#systemthinking #design
#systemthinking #design
Join us for Ecologies of Knowing: Design Cybernetics Day
October 12, 2025, online |
Hosted by #NewMacy and @asc-cybernetics.bsky.social at Systemic Design Symposium (RSD14)
rsdsymposium.org/ecologies-of...
#cybernetics #systemicdesign #conference
October 12, 2025, online |
Hosted by #NewMacy and @asc-cybernetics.bsky.social at Systemic Design Symposium (RSD14)
rsdsymposium.org/ecologies-of...
#cybernetics #systemicdesign #conference
ECOLOGIES OF KNOWING
RSD is a systemic design resource that is continuously updated with the proceedings of the annual symposium and other Systemic Design Association (SDA) events. It serves as a searchable repository of ...
rsdsymposium.org
August 20, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Join us for Ecologies of Knowing: Design Cybernetics Day
October 12, 2025, online |
Hosted by #NewMacy and @asc-cybernetics.bsky.social at Systemic Design Symposium (RSD14)
rsdsymposium.org/ecologies-of...
#cybernetics #systemicdesign #conference
October 12, 2025, online |
Hosted by #NewMacy and @asc-cybernetics.bsky.social at Systemic Design Symposium (RSD14)
rsdsymposium.org/ecologies-of...
#cybernetics #systemicdesign #conference
I am happy to announce that the open access proceedings volume with selected contributions to the 2024 Architecture Across Boundaries conference has been published.
Links to each chapter are provided on the book's Contents page: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
#systemicdesign #architecture
Links to each chapter are provided on the book's Contents page: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
#systemicdesign #architecture
May 15, 2025 at 1:25 PM
I am happy to announce that the open access proceedings volume with selected contributions to the 2024 Architecture Across Boundaries conference has been published.
Links to each chapter are provided on the book's Contents page: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
#systemicdesign #architecture
Links to each chapter are provided on the book's Contents page: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
#systemicdesign #architecture
Last day to log your Intent-to-submit. Final submissions due by April 30. Need help? Reach out to rsdeditors@rsdsymposium.org. Take 5 minutes now to do this. bit.ly/RSD14-CfP. #systemicdesign #RSD14 | sketchnote Patsy Kambitsch, Playthink
March 14, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Last day to log your Intent-to-submit. Final submissions due by April 30. Need help? Reach out to rsdeditors@rsdsymposium.org. Take 5 minutes now to do this. bit.ly/RSD14-CfP. #systemicdesign #RSD14 | sketchnote Patsy Kambitsch, Playthink
Join us for Synthetic Sentience in Perth, Australia, 16-18 July 2025 – the 5th Politics of the Machines conference. The abstracts for all seven tracks are due on March 15.
www.pomconference.org/pom-perth-20...
#artscience #art #systemicdesign #indigenouslogics #quantumphysics #cybernetics
www.pomconference.org/pom-perth-20...
#artscience #art #systemicdesign #indigenouslogics #quantumphysics #cybernetics
February 22, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Join us for Synthetic Sentience in Perth, Australia, 16-18 July 2025 – the 5th Politics of the Machines conference. The abstracts for all seven tracks are due on March 15.
www.pomconference.org/pom-perth-20...
#artscience #art #systemicdesign #indigenouslogics #quantumphysics #cybernetics
www.pomconference.org/pom-perth-20...
#artscience #art #systemicdesign #indigenouslogics #quantumphysics #cybernetics
Really looking forward to this - not only because I will be a keynote speaker. It will be a brilliant event. www.virtual-lsa.uk/ahra2025/abo... Get your ideas for sessions in by February 17 --- #systemicdesign #cybernetics #architecture #regenerativefutures #indigenousfutures
About – AHRA 2025
www.virtual-lsa.uk
December 20, 2024 at 7:08 PM
Really looking forward to this - not only because I will be a keynote speaker. It will be a brilliant event. www.virtual-lsa.uk/ahra2025/abo... Get your ideas for sessions in by February 17 --- #systemicdesign #cybernetics #architecture #regenerativefutures #indigenousfutures
We will present reflections on Symphony of the Everyday – Sunset Sonata, our most recent public artwork, in an experiential session of RSDX on October 13 and in a paper session on October 16: https://rsdsymposium.org/symphony-of-the-everyday/
#art #publicart #systemicdesign
Photo by Lei Feng.
#art #publicart #systemicdesign
Photo by Lei Feng.
September 22, 2024 at 12:45 PM
We will present reflections on Symphony of the Everyday – Sunset Sonata, our most recent public artwork, in an experiential session of RSDX on October 13 and in a paper session on October 16: https://rsdsymposium.org/symphony-of-the-everyday/
#art #publicart #systemicdesign
Photo by Lei Feng.
#art #publicart #systemicdesign
Photo by Lei Feng.
The Grid of Resilience.
Visualizing the Survival Protocol Architecture (SPA).
In the cracks of a fractured world, we are not just witnessing decay—we are mapping the next layer of systemic recovery.
#SurvivalProtocol #SystemicDesign #FutureGovernance
Visualizing the Survival Protocol Architecture (SPA).
In the cracks of a fractured world, we are not just witnessing decay—we are mapping the next layer of systemic recovery.
#SurvivalProtocol #SystemicDesign #FutureGovernance
February 21, 2026 at 3:14 PM
The Grid of Resilience.
Visualizing the Survival Protocol Architecture (SPA).
In the cracks of a fractured world, we are not just witnessing decay—we are mapping the next layer of systemic recovery.
#SurvivalProtocol #SystemicDesign #FutureGovernance
Visualizing the Survival Protocol Architecture (SPA).
In the cracks of a fractured world, we are not just witnessing decay—we are mapping the next layer of systemic recovery.
#SurvivalProtocol #SystemicDesign #FutureGovernance
First beta audit completed – for a small Studio.
A 2D strategy game with tactical foundation (Total War-style combat), but a campaign layer that needed more clarity.
One more beta slot open. Free audit for an honest testimonial.
#GameDev #IndieDev #NarrativeDesign #SystemicDesign #GameAudit
A 2D strategy game with tactical foundation (Total War-style combat), but a campaign layer that needed more clarity.
One more beta slot open. Free audit for an honest testimonial.
#GameDev #IndieDev #NarrativeDesign #SystemicDesign #GameAudit
March 31, 2026 at 8:38 PM
First beta audit completed – for a small Studio.
A 2D strategy game with tactical foundation (Total War-style combat), but a campaign layer that needed more clarity.
One more beta slot open. Free audit for an honest testimonial.
#GameDev #IndieDev #NarrativeDesign #SystemicDesign #GameAudit
A 2D strategy game with tactical foundation (Total War-style combat), but a campaign layer that needed more clarity.
One more beta slot open. Free audit for an honest testimonial.
#GameDev #IndieDev #NarrativeDesign #SystemicDesign #GameAudit
Article 4, "NPCs are system nodes, not individual components," is available to read for free. It explains what happens when system NPCs trigger each other and how you can use this to your advantage.
It's a bit dry, but uses usable C# code.
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign
It's a bit dry, but uses usable C# code.
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign
How 1 NPC generates 3 quests for you (4/5): NPCs are system nodes, not individual components
Systemic NPC design for living worlds – Part 4
open.substack.com
March 24, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Article 4, "NPCs are system nodes, not individual components," is available to read for free. It explains what happens when system NPCs trigger each other and how you can use this to your advantage.
It's a bit dry, but uses usable C# code.
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign
It's a bit dry, but uses usable C# code.
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign
Someone asked if the mini‑audit is really free.
Yes – completely. Your project stays confidential.
I only ask for an honest testimonial afterwards.
You'll get a checklist + full 5‑page analysis via email.
Interested? DM or email.
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign #FreeAudit
Yes – completely. Your project stays confidential.
I only ask for an honest testimonial afterwards.
You'll get a checklist + full 5‑page analysis via email.
Interested? DM or email.
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign #FreeAudit
March 5, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Someone asked if the mini‑audit is really free.
Yes – completely. Your project stays confidential.
I only ask for an honest testimonial afterwards.
You'll get a checklist + full 5‑page analysis via email.
Interested? DM or email.
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign #FreeAudit
Yes – completely. Your project stays confidential.
I only ask for an honest testimonial afterwards.
You'll get a checklist + full 5‑page analysis via email.
Interested? DM or email.
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign #FreeAudit
Beta Audit: I'll analyze your game – free, for a testimonial.
5-page systemic analysis (NPCs, worldbuilding, narrative logic) + 3 quick-fixes. 14-day turnaround.
2 slots. First come, first served.
DM or email: alice.rpg.dev@gmail.com
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign
5-page systemic analysis (NPCs, worldbuilding, narrative logic) + 3 quick-fixes. 14-day turnaround.
2 slots. First come, first served.
DM or email: alice.rpg.dev@gmail.com
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign
March 4, 2026 at 10:08 AM
Beta Audit: I'll analyze your game – free, for a testimonial.
5-page systemic analysis (NPCs, worldbuilding, narrative logic) + 3 quick-fixes. 14-day turnaround.
2 slots. First come, first served.
DM or email: alice.rpg.dev@gmail.com
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign
5-page systemic analysis (NPCs, worldbuilding, narrative logic) + 3 quick-fixes. 14-day turnaround.
2 slots. First come, first served.
DM or email: alice.rpg.dev@gmail.com
#GameDev #NarrativeDesign #IndieDev #SystemicDesign
Some interesting "living in the leftovers of broken systems" examples from @askamanager.bsky.social #rsd13 #systemicdesign www.askamanager.org/2024/10/the-...
the bread bag files, the dead language, and other broken but sacred systems
Last week, we talked about broken systems that for some reason become sacred and cannot be changed. Here are some of my favorite stories you shared. 1.
www.askamanager.org
October 24, 2024 at 9:44 AM
Some interesting "living in the leftovers of broken systems" examples from @askamanager.bsky.social #rsd13 #systemicdesign www.askamanager.org/2024/10/the-...
OCAD University: Workshop at #RSDSymposium on Where Do Systemic Designers Go To [BLANK]? led by #GregVanAlstyne, #PeterScott, #ZaidKhan, #DavidIng. Wide range of international participants on #SystemicDesign home regions. Related directions for #sLab, now under reinvigoration. (Toronto, Ontario)
October 18, 2025 at 4:12 PM
OCAD University: Workshop at #RSDSymposium on Where Do Systemic Designers Go To [BLANK]? led by #GregVanAlstyne, #PeterScott, #ZaidKhan, #DavidIng. Wide range of international participants on #SystemicDesign home regions. Related directions for #sLab, now under reinvigoration. (Toronto, Ontario)
