📣 Workshop: Systemic Design: A New Lens from Urban Transformation

🗓️ Date: 4 Febraury 2026

⏰ Time: 20:00 – 21:30 KSA Time Zone

📍 Location: Bawtaqah Studio – Diriyah

🎤 Presented by:

Designer. Samah Kamalmaz

Designer. Zaid Khan

📄 Introduction:

This session bridges the gap between traditional approaches to architecture/urbanism and the emerging field of Systemic Design. We will explore how designers can move beyond designing isolated "artifacts"

(buildings) to designing for "systems" (communities, policies, and economies).

🔍 Workshop Focus Areas:

● The "Wicked" Problem of Urbanism: Why traditional planning methods struggle with modern complexity

● The Systemic Design Ecosystem: A look at how global institutions are integrating systems thinking into design.

● Tools for Building with Complexity: How systemic visualizations (Gigamaps, Synthesis Maps) help align diverse stakeholders—government, developers, and community—on complex projects.

● Designing for Identity: How systems thinking acts as a guardian for local, cultural values amidst rapid modernization.

📰 Trainers’ Biographies:

-        Samah Kamalamz is a strategic designer and researcher working at the intersection of people, place, and systems. With 15 years in design and a Master of Design (MDes) in Strategic Foresight and Innovation, she consults on and teaches systemic design.

-        Zaid Khan is a strategy consultant with 15 years experience helping leaders navigate complexity in transit, finance, and energy. He advances systems thinking through new research, speaking engagements, and community meetups. He holds a Master of Design (MDes) from OCAD University in Strategic Foresight and Innovation.