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Co-evolution and Contradiction: A Diamond Model of

Designer-User Interaction

Article  in  Informing Science · January 2007

DOI: 10.28945/465

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 Use and Redesign in IS: Double Helix Relationships?
A monograph of the Informing Science Journal, Volume 10, 2007

Co-evolution and Contradiction:

A Diamond Model of
Designer-User Interaction
Anja-Karina Pahl and Linda B. Newnes
IMRC, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Bath, Claverton Down, UK

[email protected] [email protected]

Abstract
This paper explores how the Engineering Design process might balance
conflicting constraints of technical product design and the social de-
mands of users. Building on a generic 2D map for innovation in design
from the author’s previous work, a prototype 3D Diamond Model is
presented to help structure conversations between Designers and Users
– or indeed any other group with apparently opposing aims. In theory,
the model draws on the structure of Buddhism (in particular the Man-
dala of the Five Buddha Families) and managerial cybernetics (in par-
ticular Beer’s Viable System Model and his Team Syntegrity protocol),
to establish how one’s worldview might evolve and how a common
worldview for two teams can be determined. In practise, a Facilitator or
Researcher helps Designers and Users achieve their respective aims,
and develop a common one. When a common worldview is achieved,
conversations and activities can become mutually informing, co-
evolving and emotionally satisfactory at both the individual and team
levels.

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Editors: Nissen, Bednar, and Welch

Co-evolution and Contradiction

Keywords: Innovation, co-evolution, Buddhism, phenomenology, cy-

bernetics, VSM, Team Syntegrity

Background and Aims of this Paper

Our Starting Position
This paper presents part of a programme of work, which has been on-
going in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University
of Bath since 2001, and prior to that, also in Australia. This research
aims to investigate existing methods and synthesize new methods,
which can systematically enhance creativity and innovation in individu-
als and teams in early phases of engineering design and product devel-
opment. In particular, it is concerned with (i) the streamlining of un-
structured information or knowledge, (ii) the rapid integration and sub-
sequent transformation of multi-disciplinary information with existing
patterns of thinking, (iii) the liberation of engineering designers from a
worldview of ‘problem-solving’, to one of ‘solution-finding’ (these
terms are in general use by engineers) – especially one where the solu-
tion has been inherent in the system resources all along.
Following investigation of tens of thousands of examples of the proc-
esses of ‘creating’ and ‘innovating’ in the literature and practise of many
disciplines (the difference between the two terms will be clarified in the
sections on ‘Contradiction’, and ‘The Generic Process of Creating’), we
abstracted and synthesized their common steps. This allowed us to de-
velop a 2D map and a generic model for innovation in design (A-K.
Pahl, Newnes, & McMahon, in press), to be briefly discussed below,
which is arguably the most comprehensive model for innovation cur-
rently available. In its current form, it is bearing fruit in a test in Aero-
space design.
We need now to admit however, that while the efficacy of the model is
dependent on using the language of Western scientific reporting (in
particular from the domains of study we loosely call ‘Engineering De-
sign’ and the ‘Psychology of Creativity’), the strength of the model is
based on its foundation in Eastern scientific reporting (in particular
from the view of ‘Mahayana’ and ‘Vajrayana’ Buddhism).
We did not originally intend to make this foundation explicate in a
peer-reviewed paper, but early comments by reviewers of Informing
Science Journal rightly forced our hand, and eased our reservations. We

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cannot, of course, introduce this material in a way that befits a serious

researcher in Buddhist Studies. Nevertheless we hope that explaining
some core elements of Buddhist Meditation will help make the applica-
tion of our Diamond Model easier for designers who wish to consider
their own point of view as part of a larger, informing system.

On the Difficulties Entailed in Reporting

At the outset, we would like to point out that both our language and
‘representation’ (this term will be further discussed below) of the con-
ceptual domains, which are considered in this paper are incomplete.
This is not just because we cannot simultaneously be experts in all of
the domains we draw upon, and must rely on our language and under-
standing of the accepted axioms and propositions of the three domains
of Engineering Design, Psychology and Buddhism to co-evolve. It is
also because our evolution of thought is currently largely independent
of the input of other researchers. We expect this will evolve as others
join our discussion. To that extent, the problems we face in multidisci-
plinary reporting are obvious.
However there are additional factors to consider. Needless to say, prior
to our study and field tests of our proposed generic model for innova-
tion, a coincidence of the domains of Engineering Design, the Psychol-
ogy of Creativity and Buddhist Meditation (as defined above) has not
previously been considered useful. Not only that, the possibility that it
might be useful is emotionally loaded. There are many who would pre-
fer that creativity and innovation remain intuitive or mysterious, lest a
systematic approach take the fun or birthright or spontaneous experi-
ence from the act of creation. And there are many who would prefer to
keep religion and science separate, lest the presumed belief of one im-
pinge on the supposed non-belief of the other. We asked ourselves
many times: do we have a right to trespass that space? Do we have a
right to systemically unpack creativity or scientifically examine the tools
of what many perceive to be a religion? In the past, these hindrances
have kept us from exploring the useful connections as much as we
might.
We here propose, however, that Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism
are actually more science than religion, in the sense that they proceed in
the same manner as Western science. To be exact, both Western sci-
ence and Buddhism: (1) aim at a goal for the benefit of humanity, (2)
define their starting axioms, (3) encourage practitioners to make hy-

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potheses about reality, and (4) give repeatable methods for testing
whether the hypotheses and experience of reality match. What is more,
when the latter do not match, Buddhists change their assumptions
about reality just as Western scientists do, rather than dogmatically in-
sist that things must be a certain way. The historical Buddha Shakya-
muni himself encouraged his followers and colleagues to do this many
times during the course of his life, pointing out that, ‘Just as a learned
one tests gold by burning it and rubbing … so should my statements be
accepted after examination and not (merely) out of respect for the guru’
(Dighanikaya, ii ; Tattvasamgraha, 3588; Visuddhimagga Vii).
We also point out that the methods for testing ‘how things really are’
(here we use this concept loosely – it is defined more rigorously in
‘Backgrounds to Meditation’) differ in all domains in any case. Thus
Buddhism cannot be excluded from being a science, by having methods
that differ from physics, for instance. In fact, it is not the existence but
the nature of the starting axioms and nature of the goal of the Eastern
and Western sciences that differ. Buddhism has as its starting axiom an
assumption that the nature of both space and mind are quintessentially
creative, integrative and non-dualistic. Western science on the other
hand, is mostly based on Aristotle’s premise that the universe is com-
posed of separate, non-integrable parts and cannot be experienced as
‘mind’ (please note also that how psychologists speak of mind is not
how Buddhists think of mind). The only other slight difference be-
tween the Eastern and Western approach to investigation of reality is
that the goal of Buddhism is also linked to its starting axiom. Thus, on
reaching the goal one no longer assumes, but actually completely knows
or experiences the starting axiom to be true. Such conviction is not
possible in Western science, due in part to a disparity between the start-
ing point and an unknown finish.
In any case, it is in the context of Buddhism as science – not Buddhism
as an adjunct to, or foreign discipline to science, that we have been
given permission from Buddhist Lineage holders to deal with this topic
here. In that respect, we say nothing about the core experience of living
Buddhism, which must be transmitted first by the oral teaching of a
qualified Lama, and second realised by one’s own meditation. In that
respect also, we limit ourselves to merely exploring the structure of the
formal meditations, which are widely available without undertaking ini-
tiations, and which can be regarded impartially as ‘Creativity tools’ and

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‘Innovation tools’ (this distinction comes from A-K. Pahl, 2006b) for
both individuals and teams.
In addition, we need to consider a word limit for this paper as well as
the predisposition of a modern Western public to receiving information
in rather smaller intellectual chunks than might have been the case 100
years ago. Thus we did not wish to reproduce any written Buddhist ex-
planations in the complexity in which they were originally given, or
translated from the Indian or Tibetan into English. Rather than deal
with the patterns of Buddhist meaning layered in such texts, we instead
prefer to deal directly with the geometric pattern of the formal medita-
tion practises. After all, the latter were designed to cut through the psy-
chological baggage that accompanies the use of over-familiar terms.
They were designed to liberate one from any kind of ‘fixation’ (this
term is from Eckert & Stacey, 2001, 2003) on concepts and enable a
continuously fresh view and experience of one’s ‘world’ (this term from
Gero & Kannengiesser, 2004, inclusive of both a physical space and
Boden’s, 1992, 1994a, 1994b, ‘conceptual space’). And this is exactly
why we believe that examining the mechanics of meditation is of bene-
fit for the social and psychological space of design. Of course, we can-
not avoid language in reporting, nor in placing ancient knowledge in a
new context. Thus we must partially invent a language, which integrates
the three domains we wish to connect and whereby we can talk about
things, which should not be named at all, if they are to be understood
as originally intended. We are likely the first to attempt this and trust
that the reader will bear the inadequacy of our language in mind, as he
proceeds.
Having said we will focus on the geometry of the formal meditation
practise, rather than on the concepts accompanying them, one issue
does, however, stand out as needing special introduction for our model
in general and this paper in particular. That is the issue of ‘representa-
tion’, which we alluded to, in the beginning of this section. It has been
pointed out that often this term is understood as implying the existence
of a ‘pre-given’, objective, observer independent, physical reality, which
can be consensually talked about (see e.g. Maturana & Varela, 1992, pp.
129-134). Of course many modern philosophers and scientists are
aware that a physical ‘reality’ is not necessarily as it seems, but instead
much influenced by our perceptions and communicative abilities and
the construction of Boden’s (1992, 1994a, 1994b) conceptual spaces,
and we do not wish to imply otherwise. However, for the sake of sim-

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plicity and pedagogy in this paper, we will assume that this insight is not
yet a complete understanding shared by all who call themselves scien-
tists, researchers or designers. Thus we take the approach of explana-
tion in our paper, which is also taken in Buddhist teachings, whereby
even advanced students always successfully start from the simplest pos-
sible starting point.
Incidentally, we will use the term ‘pre-given’ to refer to the kind of
world most non-meditators would consider themselves familiar with,
for the same reason. In Buddhist terms, this is a basic starting point.
The thorough examination of a pre-given world may or may not lead to
acquiring true knowledge (of reality). Acquiring knowledge, as
Maturana and Varela (1992) also pointed out, is not an action ‘of ac-
quiring features of a pre-given world’. However it is self-evident that
any act of human experiencing, which leads to knowledge of what is
truly real does still take place in a social world. In such a world, all indi-
viduals are influenced by the building blocks and methods of others
(we return to this concept in ‘Preparing for Meditation’, below). These
building blocks include knowledge both presumed (received second-
hand from others) and experienced for oneself, which is accrued in
both physical and conceptual spaces of all scales and perspectives. For
differing reasons, building blocks become accepted as facts and passed
on as common knowledge to peers or those coming afterward. But at
each stage of passing knowledge on, we feel we must, as researchers,
assume that any pre-given world (and any linguistic term used to de-
scribe it) acts as a reference frame and is therefore quasi-concrete. In
other words, the issue of acknowledging one or more (albeit incom-
pletely specifiable) kinds of pre-given world cannot be avoided in the
issue of any representation of a world.
To be exact however, in this paper, we employ the term ‘representation’
not only for the pre-given world of Westerners and non-meditators but
also for the world of the Buddhas. In short, it is employed in the same
way as in the practise of meditation. In that sense, the reality (the ‘exis-
tence’ or ‘non-existence’) of the object or event represented as a con-
cept is not questioned – nor indeed relevant to the representation. Hav-
ing this attitude toward using maps of invisible conceptual spaces is
useful, because it allows for at least two extreme scenarios of experienc-
ing reality. These are, albeit, not mutually exclusive. These are that the
object or event represented is: (i) an internally experienced and non-
shareable reality i.e. not a pre-given reality, and (ii) an externally inde-

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pendent and/or consensually experienced (thus pre-given) one. The

practical advantage of having the attitude that a map may represent ei-
ther or both of these realities (and one does not really mind which is
true), is that in early stages of use, the map is not confused with the
reality. In other words, if no questions are asked about the truth or va-
lidity of the conceptual object or event behind the map, one is released
from doubt as to the truth or validity of the map, which is intended to
lead to finding and seeing the reality it represents. In Buddhist medita-
tion that means one simply goes ahead and acts as if an independently
existing ‘divine’ (this term is from Beyer, 1973) reality were pre-given
by the map. At the same time, one does not lose touch of the pre-given
reality, which also has its own implicit map.
That said, the point of meditation practise is not, of course, to intro-
duce multiple new worlds and see them as separate from each other,
but to superpose the map and experience of the divine world with the
map and experience of the pre-given one, so that a transformation of
both occurs. This will be discussed further in ‘Mandalas for Engineer-
ing Design’.
On top of this, we are very much aware, as Vajrayana practitioners gen-
erally are, that the creation of maps and the naming of worlds to desig-
nate fields of perception or concepts is entirely fabricated. Such worlds
do not exist in or of themselves. In other words, we are improperly
naming things, which do not exist to be independently named in any
case! However, it is crucial to our argument and hopefully evident to
readers that researchers need a reference framework or measuring stick.
There is no other means with which to discuss and test what elements
in a given world are real, consensual or pre-given, as opposed to merely
theoretical.
Now, it is not our intention to delve more deeply than this, into what
can sound like very weighty intellectual philosophy. Our intention is
rather to delve as deeply as we can into the simple geometry upon
which such weighty statements are arguably based. For it is precisely
because Western science lacks any kind of map for the conceptual
space of design and innovation, and a reference model for the experi-
ence of it, that we feel we cannot do other than borrow the Buddhist
representations of such spaces, and see whether they help us too.

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

Aims of this Paper

As mentioned in ‘Our starting position’, we did not make any back-
ground reasons for establishing a generic process of creating, explicate
at the time of first publishing that model, because it was beyond the
scope of that particular paper. Nor did we explain why we proposed a
2D Diamond Model of innovation. However, for those interested in,
and familiar with, multidisciplinary research and the above fields, as is
likely the case in this special issue, we here aim to extend our model for
co-evolution and contradiction in the context of discriminating three
main behaviours.
We consider these behaviours in the form of archetypal people we call
the ‘Designer’, the ‘User’ and the ‘Researcher’ (capitalized for the re-
mainder of this paper). By these terms we hope to include not just en-
gineering designers, but designers in all other fields also. Along the way,
we introduce reference to other authors and concepts loosely grouped
under the headings of Buddhism, phenomenology and cybernetics –
fields in which we are not expert and can only hope to scratch the sur-
face to provoke discussion.
First we provide a background of meditation and Engineering Design,
including a summary of our previous work on the process of creating
and innovating in Engineering Design. In this paper, we focus primarily
on extending a small part of the 7-step process we identified there and
previously in A-K. Pahl (2005a, 2005b). In particular, we deal with the
fifth step, in which a complete system is described. Detailed knowledge
of the whole map is not necessary to understand this.
To facilitate conversations between the Designer and User, who each
partially understand the system, and can only together build a complete
system description, we propose using the structure of a Buddhist ‘Man-
dala’ (defined in the section ‘The Mandala of the Five Buddha Families’
below). We link our exploration of this structure with Stafford Beer’s
(1984, 1985) Viable System as well as drawing on the protocol of Beer’s
(1994) icosahedral ‘Team Syntegrity’ model. We suggest why a three-
dimensional version of a two-dimensional map might be useful for dis-
cussion of complex topics in teams who apparently oppose each other.
This is what we call the ‘Diamond Model’ of Designer-User interaction.
Last, we consider how to establish a combined purpose for stake-
holders using our model.

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 Pahl & Newnes

Backgrounds of Meditation
Preliminary Thoughts

Preparing for meditation – Establishing the view

Engineering Design has traditionally focused on immediate action and
product generation, with little regard for longer-term reflection or
feedback on the consequences of that action. However psychologists
since Osborn (1953) proposed that ‘reflection’, in the sense of ‘con-
templation’ or ‘rumination’, is intrinsic to the process of creating. Ru-
mination of course also requires time for mental incubation of prob-
lems (though the scale of this can range significantly). To be more pe-
dantic, the process of rumination and feedback on any theme must also
have an aim, if it is ever to have an outcome. To that end, we can add
the biologists Maturana and Varela’s (1992, p. 24) definition that ‘reflec-
tion is the process of knowing how we know’.
There exist very few methods, which can facilitate the process of
achieving perfect, early stage feedback in Engineering Design. The soft
science of ‘Action Research’ (Heron & Reason, 1995; McTaggert, 1996;
Reason, 2002; Schön, 1983, 1987; Wadsworth, 1998) is perhaps the
only validated method currently available to Western researchers, to
facilitate cycles of action and reflection in teams. Since its relatively re-
cent inception, however, said method has not been widely accepted in
the hard science, and it has not evolved much detail. In respect to engi-
neering needs, it is certainly too general and unsystematic. It has no
structure to help identify or incorporate common and necessary ele-
ments of conversations of teams of Designers and Users when there
are conflicting viewpoints. The formal structure of Buddhist medita-
tion, on the other hand, can fill this gap. The 2500 year old methods are
designed to make reflection on complex sets of actions with one or
multiple stakeholders systematic.
We must now digress for a moment to point out we use the term
‘meditation’ in this paper in two senses. One is the sense that there is a
formal structure, which provides a ‘mirror’ (this term is from Vajrayana
Buddhism) and therefore also reflection on one’s action and purpose.
The other is that it is a complete ritual and a complete experience,
which encompasses both the action of being and its reflection as well as
the awareness (which we will later in this paper call ‘knowledge’) of the
co-existence of the two. The insider Buddhist definition of meditation

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

as an ‘effortless resting in the way things are’ (Seegers, 2007) refers to

the experience of aware co-existence of the two worlds (but see also
Prebish & Keown, 2004). However, since the latter is considered an
advanced realisation, it is the first sense of the term that is most gener-
ally used. In order to distinguish the two senses, we capitalize the for-
mal Meditation practise, which is structured as a map or method, for
the remainder of this paper.
Intrinsic to reflecting on one’s actions, is knowing one’s reason, pur-
pose or motivation for even wanting said reflection. This is especially
important, when one is using a ritual, map or method for reflection. It
is less beneficial to follow someone else’s footsteps blindly. The prepa-
ration for Meditation therefore, requires one first to contemplate the
situation where one actually is right now, and why one might want to
be somewhere else. Buddha’s first teachings, known as The Four Noble
Truths, generally provide an impetus for refining one’s wish to move
towards another more ideal state of existence. The wish to move in-
cludes a wish to employ methods that lead to an understanding and
experience of a world where action and reflection are unified in a con-
tinuous feedback.
The Four Noble Truths are ordered in a way, which Westerners and
Theravada practitioners would generally recognize as coming from a
problem-space or problem-oriented view. In short, they acknowledge
(i) we experience problems in our existing world, because we do not
understand the natural order of things (ii) there is a cause for our prob-
lems in that we want things to be a certain way, which is not in their
nature (iii) there is a solution to our problems, in allowing things to be
as they naturally are (iv) there are methods to reach the solution and we
should use them.
We can also consider a similar set of pithy truths starting from the
viewpoint of the solution-space. This is the Vajrayana practitioner’s
view. In this case, we establish our motivation via the basic thoughts
that (i) we have a great opportunity facing us in our existing world (ii)
problems do not last, just as joy in material things does not last (iii) we
are responsible for changing our view and handling of problems to see-
ing only solutions (iv) knowing that we do not yet see only solutions in
our existing world, we want to learn from those who can do so.
The basic thoughts of The Four Noble Truths and other Buddhist
Meditation are incidentally identical with considerations reported by

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engineers and young people (A-K. Pahl, 2006b) in early stages of de-
termining their problem-space and goal of innovation. They also make
up the first four steps of the complete ‘Diamond Map of Design’ (as
we have called it), a brief summary of which is included in the sections
on ‘Contradiction’ and ‘The Basic Generic Model of Creating’ (a thor-
ough elucidation is beyond the focus of this paper).
These simple thoughts cover the lengthy Buddhist teachings on im-
permanence, karma, interdependent origination and emptiness. A thor-
ough exploration of those topics is traditionally carried out in monastic
teaching situations lasting twenty or more years, and can be interesting
for those disposed to analysis. A deep understanding of those topics is
said to lead to liberation from the perception and sensation of being
trapped in a problem-oriented view of the world. However, to enable
Designers to streamline their thought processes without lengthy study
on these topics, we summarized the mechanics of these teachings in a
map for innovation in design (A-K. Pahl, 2005b), just as we now sum-
marize the mechanism of using that map, and in particular, of discuss-
ing its fifth step with two teams.

The need for maps and methods

As mentioned in the section ‘On the difficulties entailed in reporting’
and in ‘Preparing for Meditation’ above, the authors of this paper be-
lieve that modern design cannot progress without some generic refer-
ence frame. This must first describe its existing world and thenceforth
help make decisions on new input and directions for innovation. In
other words, we propose that a Designer needs a map and method(s) to
express his inner experiences and external material considerations in
conversations with others involved in product innovation.
To some extent, this is already done. There are of course, accepted se-
quences in which engineering design is taught and talked about. G. Pahl
and Beitz’ (1984) system is perhaps the most widely taught and ac-
cepted standard in the UK. Furthermore, designers have always made
ad hoc individual maps, trying to capture their thinking, intuition and
design decisions.
So why do we suddenly propose to make more maps, when the existing
ones seem to have worked perfectly well to date? To answer this ques-
tion, we need to consider that there is not just one direction or level of
action between an individual and his world. Yet to date, engineers have
maps going in only one direction if in any at all (see ‘Contradiction’,

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

below). The problem with such a map is not that it is too simple (for
we also consider our map and model to be simple), but that it is inade-
quate. The existing maps and any discussion, which refers to these con-
ceptual spaces, make no systematic link between the different worlds
that co-exist and co-evolve (for example between a Designer, and a
User). Suffice to say that this view of a system is incomplete and thus
ultimately confusing.
When a situation is confusing, it helps to have a map. This should not,
of course, materialize from thin air. It should be relevant both to the
individual and to the collective pre-given world. And for this kind of
coincidence to happen between the individual and the collective, there
must be a coincidence of external elements of the world, which are
shareable and can be agreed upon, with the internal elements of the
intellectual world, which is arguably non-shareable. There must, in
other words, be a relationship between the inner and outer organization
of the space one perceives
This is, in any case, what Buddhism considers to happen. Buddhism
equates the organization of the thinker’s awareness and the organiza-
tion of his senses and his perceived and pre-given world.
This is not dissimilar to the realisation of the Chilean biologist Hum-
berto Maturana, as popularised in ‘The Tree of Knowledge’ (Maturana
and Varela, 1992, pp. 24-27). There, the authors discuss the shortcom-
ing of Western culture not to acknowledge the fundamental circularity
of living, acting and knowing. This, as they state (p. 27), entails both the
individual and the social level.
A classic way in which the issues of individual perception and social
organization are related in Buddhism is given in Table 1, summarized
from two approaches of the Indian philosophers Vasubandhu and
Sthiramati (Beyer, 1973, p. 97-98). ‘Reality itself’ is about the kind of
awareness that perceives directly, without labels or interpretation of any
kind. It is the equivalent of the ‘divine’ (explained below). In a pre-
given world, this is given two labels, depending on the extent to which
one is aware of oneself and one’s surroundings, and makes a distinction
between the two. The ‘underlying awareness’ of reality includes aware-
ness of the physical ground one stands on and all physical objects in it.
It includes an ability to make mental connections and inferences of re-
lationships between objects, based on reason and experience. An
‘evolved awareness’ includes awareness of one’s own thoughts and their

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effect on one’s perception of other objects and beings. In other words,

it includes awareness of the interrelationship between one’s inner
senses and their projections on the pre-given world. A hierarchy of
awareness could be construed (obvious from top to bottom in the
right-most column), moving from physical concerns to concerns of
(self-) esteem and self-actualization. Though Buddhism does not iden-
tify or condone this hierarchy, the divisions implied are not dissimilar
to the well-known ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ identified by Abraham Maslow
(1943), and similar observations made by many other modern thinkers.
Certainly in Buddhism it is not enough to make philosophical corre-
spondences (or hierarchical diagrams) between one’s perception and
the organization of the inner senses or outer realities one perceives.
Buddhism also requires that a coincidence of one’s perception and real-
ity be known from experience.
Buddhist maps, methods and rituals were created in order to provide a
starting point for this experiment in one’s life.
To be completely clear, Buddhist maps are not provided as a kind of
theory of alternate worlds. They are provided in part due to the obser-
vation that human beings are predisposed toward understanding their
world by grasping external objects. Indeed even the evolved awareness
makes objects of intellectual concepts if none are physically available
(this is a different angle on the researcher’s need for a reference frame
we previously discussed above).
On top of that, however, a paradox exists. The maps provided in Medi-
tation are supposed to be structuring for the mind, but at the same time
also liberating from fixation on objects.
How is this possible – to provide a structure and yet be simultaneously
be free of structure?
This is the very question Designers face for, ideally, innovation will
produce a result which is close enough to a standard set of rules to be
recognisable, and yet far enough away from them, to be exciting or
profitable.

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140
Organizational Predominant function of Sub-systems of an ideal whole
System
describing Sub-system Sub-system Sub-system Sub-system Sub-system
perception and 3
1 2 4 5
experience
Mandala of The East - South - West - North - Centre -
Five Buddha
Families Identification Equality in Discrimination Overall
Diversity
accomplishment Ultimate reality
Co-evolution and Contradiction

The Five Skandhas Form, structure, Perceptual Cognition, Mental habits, Conscious
of Buddhist body, sense stimulus, feeling, recognition thoughts, ideas, awareness of self,
philosophy objects sensation mental relationships, others and cosmos
processing of associations,
sensory stimuli volitions
Viable System Implementation, Coordination or Internal Integrated & Intention, Policy,
Model of Stafford initial direction information control externalized overall command
Beer intelligence
focus of awareness and organization of a pre-given reality.
Table 1: Summary of classic Buddhist teaching connecting the
 Pahl & Newnes

To achieve this end of freedom inclusive of structure, formal Medita-

tions, and Mandalas in particular (defined in ‘the Mandala of the Five
Buddha Families’ below) focus the mind on a world, which is stripped
of any but the most fundamental pre-given conceptions or rules. This
world is liberated from the confusion that results from not having any
kind of template at all, to establish the way things naturally are. But it is
precisely because any given Mandala is only a template that it allows
room for change. It provides no predictable events that need to meet
one’s expectations.
Formal Meditation thus offers something similar to what Schutz would
have called ‘the life world’ –a world, which is pre-structured for the
individual, who is actually trying to construct his own world, but cannot
do so in isolation from the building blocks and methods offered to him
by others (Schutz, 1972, as cited in Wagner, 1974). Schutz’s concept
was, of course based on observation of human society, whereas Medita-
tion is based on the observation of Buddha nature (defined in ‘Geo-
metric Structure’ and particularly in ‘The Mandala of the Five Buddha
Families’ below). However the concept of offering a pre-given world to
help those who come after us is the same in both cases.
Some particularly well-constructed Meditations have additional func-
tions, other than offering a map and view of a particular world, in
which confusion does not exist. They also present (i) a microcosm of
the entire ritual structure of Buddhist initiation (ii) a microcosm of the
physical, social and conceptual world, which human beings generally
accept as real. We used such a Meditation (Nydahl, 2000a) in evaluating
the other processes of creating for our 2D Diamond Map of Design
and the model of the Generic Process of Creating (A-K. Pahl et al., in
press). The reader will need to refer to our original paper, since the ta-
ble in which this is summarized is too large to reprint here. However,
we summarize the process of using Meditation, to change one’s present
situation of perceiving problems, into a situation of perceiving solu-
tions, drawing on Beyer’s explanations (1973, see p. 67 and 103).
In Figure 1, we show the two directions of action, which are both re-
quired and automatic in Meditation. These are: (i) action in the pre-
given e.g. external, physical or problem-space world, and (ii) reflection
on, or from, the ideal world which appears as a ‘solution-space’ (ideal
‘divine’ world). Starting from a pre-given reality, it is considered that
one realizes one’s limitations and constructs (or is given) a formal map
or model of a liberated reality, to help oneself transcend them. The

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other direction of action starts from the ideal world, which reflects only
the best qualities of the former. In this sequence, it is important to note
that reflection is nevertheless not a passive consequence of mental ac-
tion. Indeed, reflection must also be actively sought out. In other
words, it is also action of the mind. This double-ended action pre-
empts the concept of ‘co-evolution’, which will be discussed in ‘Back-
grounds of Engineering Design’ below.

Figure 1. The ritual and experience of meditation.

There are two directions of action, which constitute the ritual
and experience of meditation. One is from the pre-given world
and the other is from an ideal ‘divine’ world.
When Buddhist Meditation is applied as magic or religion instead of
science, the reflective action of the practitioner is said to be instead car-
ried out by a being called from the divine world. This being changes
from something absolute and indescribable (discussed further below)
into something, which can be identified as knowledge as he comes
closer to the practitioner (Beyer, 1973). The act of reflection upon a
divine object or being (as itself, as being within oneself, as a projection
of one’s own mind, or seen in others), is considered empowering. Re-
flection on the divine thus works in the same way that receiving an-
swers to questions asked of one’s peers and friends are empowering. It
enables one to gain positive feedback in the world of one’s experience,
and improve one’s understanding of the way things really are.

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Geometric Structure

The Three Jewels

Buddhism identifies three irreducible elements, which define the first
most important structure of mind, on the human side of an ‘indescrib-
able absolute’ (we invent this term to capture the reported experience
of achieving the goal in Buddhism, which approximates experiencing
Beyer’s 1973 absolute ‘divine’ world, and the godhead as described in
all world religions). Grouped together under the term The Three Jew-
els, they are called Buddha (interpreted as ‘awakened one’, and often
standing for the historical Buddha Shakyamuni), Dharma (interpreted
by Nydahl, 1996, in the Vajrayana sense as ‘how things are’ but gener-
ally standing for the ‘law’ or teachings of the historical Buddha) and
Sangha (interpreted as ‘community of practitioners’). Vajrayana Bud-
dhism adds a fourth element – the Lama (interpreted as ‘highest princi-
ple’ and standing for one’s own teacher), who unites The Three Jewels,
and thereby presents the indescribable absolute nature of mind.
From our broad research during these last five years, we have seen that
these irreducible elements recognized in Buddhism are also elements,
which are common to every society and organization (ancient and
modern) on earth. We did not formally document evidence to back up
this proposal, however trust it will ring true with the reader if we ex-
plain our observations for this paper now.
We can, for instance, recognize the elements of Buddha in the founder
of a village or inventor of a product. He may no longer be alive, but he
was the one who started it all off. He’s the one of whom people make
posters, venerate and strive to imitate, like a movie star. He gave the
rules or Dharma, to help people work or advised on the operating in-
structions for an object’s proper functioning. These may be written or
unwritten, verbal or implicit. Either way, they are always common pat-
terns and shareable knowledge. Rules can be further co-created by his
community, as the latter get used to the way things flow. The third ele-
ment – the Sangha, villagers or Users of inventions are also indispensa-
ble. In small societies and large production companies, individuals
would achieve little without colleagues to share the load and help over-
come difficulties on the way. They iron out the quirks in each other’s
understanding and practise of the operating instructions for their prod-
uct or life, and strengthen each other’s resolve to continue using the
rules to achieve their agreed ultimate goal. A community will continue

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to exist as long as all members strive for the same ideal or goal. Simi-
larly, those who strive for the variations of the same goal, quite natu-
rally create communities to rely upon, while working for the same guy.
The fourth element, the Lama, is obvious in the fact that founders die
or reach retirement, yet a need for leadership remains. Consequently, a
new Mayor or CEO is elected. He’s the one who knows the newest
trade routes and market conditions, and who has experience in all as-
pects of the business. Usually, he has worked his way to the top of the
ladder from the bottom. He knows what it takes to play by the rules or
break them, while he also consistently builds towards the original foun-
der’s vision for the villagers or stakeholders in the business.
In Buddhism, these three elements, which can be seen as people and
objects in the pre-given Western world, also stand for inner qualities or
functions which one (i.e. one’s mind) can develop. All three are inher-
ent and coincident in the absolute ideal state of being and in the ‘nature
of mind’ (this term is distinguished from mere ‘mind’ in Buddhism and
can be defined only by experience, not by words). For this paper, we
suggest these elements are ‘meta-qualities’ of mind (to be discussed fur-
ther in ‘Mandalas for Engineering Design’, below).
We note however that, while talking or writing about qualities and
functions sounds quite abstract, The Three Jewels start to make real
sense imagined as people and objects in actual Meditation. They are
then placed in a very specific geometry. In the case of a modern Vajra-
yana Meditation on The Three Jewels, for instance: (i) the Buddha is
called to mind as the historical Shakyamuni, sitting in front and a little
to the left of oneself (ii) the Dharma is visualized as books or a library
directly in front but a little away from oneself, (iii) the Sangha is visual-
ized as a compassionate being, in front and a little to the right. In addi-
tion, (iv) the Lama is added as a teacher in golden, kingly robes, as close
as comfortable and directly in front of oneself (Nydahl, 2000b). If all
these elements are visualized as sitting in the plane of the practitioner’s
point of view, the Lama might obscure the library behind him. Figure 2
illustrates the Geometry of a Mahayana Meditation on The Three Jew-
els of Buddhism, seen from the point, and in the plane of view, of the
practitioner. The central element is a Vajra-yana addition. The formal
Meditation follows after the correct preparation (outlined above), by
acknowledging these figures from left to right in turn, and confirming
their prime relevance to one’s life. In Vajrayana practise, one starts with
the Lama and completes the cycle with the Sangha. In Mahayana prac-

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tise, one starts with the Buddha and does not include the Lama. Either
way, one does as many repetitions as one likes.

Figure 2. The Geometry of a Mahayana meditation on

The Three Jewels of Buddhism, seen from the point,
and in the plane of view, of the practitioner.
What this geometry of movement of attention actually does is create a
crude Mandala with four objects in it. The Three Jewels occupy the
entire visual field of the practitioner. Figure 2 shows the geometry of a
Mahayana meditation on ‘the three jewels’ of Buddhism, seen from the
point, and in the plane of view of the practitioner. The central element
is a Vajrayana addition. The straight black arrows and lines signify the
limits of the practitioner’s field of vision, looking at the elements as if
they were physical objects situated at an imagined horizon at each side,
and towards a vanishing point, in the distant foreground. In the Maha-
yana version, a square is created by joining The Three Jewels with the
practitioner as if they really were sitting together in physical space. The
blue circular arrows represent the cycle of attention around all the ele-
ments in the field of view.
The same square and circular geometry are also created in the case of
Vajrayana practise, which extends The Three Jewels by introducing the

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Lama. We have included him as the fourth, unnamed, element in the

centre of Figure 2. The only difference between the two versions of the
practice lies in whether the practitioner or the Lama unifies the activity
and function of the other three meta-qualities of mind in themselves. If
the Lama unifies the other elements, the geometry of the practice is
preserved by completing the square with him, and seating the practitio-
ner invisibly outside the square. We will discuss this geometry further in
Figure 4 below.
Suffice to say here that, like all other Meditations in the Buddhist tool-
kit, the Meditation on The Three Jewels forms a basic and implicit non-
verbal or symbolic language. This language can be understood by all
who practise seeing the same conceptual space. It can even be under-
stood by those who do not practise Meditation but intuit that such an
idealised pattern (of the pre-given world) makes common sense.
We ask readers to note that this method in particular (and Buddhism in
general) is designed so as to promote links between the manifestation
of the three different meta-qualities in external society as well as inside
one’s own mind. In other words, Buddhist practise is intrinsically inclu-
sive of a group, both in the internal structure of the formal Meditations,
whereby one imagines a community to exist, and in an external physical
team which accretes around their common goal or teacher. Each team
member vows to support others to develop to their highest potential, as
if they were interchangeable with oneself, and this naturally leads indi-
viduals to heightened awareness of emergent patterns in teams.

The Three Pillars

In a previous literature review of multiple discplines, we summarized
the work and terminology of Csikzentmihalyi (1990, 1997), Koestler
(1964) and Boden (1994a, 2005) among others, to define ‘Three Con-
texts of Creating’ (A-K. Pahl et al., in press). These contexts are generic
to the complete cycle of creation from idea conception to public recog-
nition, regardless of the product type.
The Contexts of Creating are (i) ‘The Person’ who activates creation,
(ii) ‘The Field’ of stakeholders in which the creation is accepted and
widely applied and (iii) ‘The Domain’ of knowledge which holds a map
of all creations for the benefit of The Field, that they might reproduce,
use, or further develop existing results. Note that all three are coinci-
dent with each other and with the product co-evolving with them.

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It is hopefully obvious to readers that these three contexts distilled

from Western scientific research are virtually identical with The Three
Jewels of Buddhism, as described above. This coincidence is helpful
both for Engineering Design and for explaining Buddhism. In both
cases, we can say that The Three Jewels represent the perfected out-
comes of certain styles of behaviour, where by conceptual liberation
and/or innovation takes place.
Naturally, a style of behaviour is enhanced and easier for others to see,
it if takes place in an appropriate environment. The styles of behaviour
do therefore have appropriate environments, which allow The Three
Jewels to evolve to perfection. They are called The Three Pillars.
The first of the Pillars presumes that some people like to deal with
structure, methods or formal tools. The second Pillar identifies that
others like to use these tools in an informal way to make a difference in
their community (and do not necessarily desire a full understanding of
their structure). The third Pillar focuses on acquiring the kind of
knowledge, which applies to understanding both the underlying struc-
ture and its application or reflection. All three styles of behaviour sup-
port each other and Buddhism suggests that an individual is capable
(and indeed required) to carry out all of them, to achieve the ideal final
result. The more one does so, the more likely one is to reach a compre-
hensive understanding of the reality one co-evolves with others, and
the way things really are (Nydahl, 1996).
To repeat what we have already said in regard to the Meditation and
The Three Jewels, this description of The Three Pillars is also not sup-
posed to remain a mere pretty concept. It is also supposed to become a
practical ‘view’ or ‘worldview’ (these terms are loosely used, to cover
both the Buddhist meaning, and also the general English sense) and
phenomenological starting point for one’s experiments and experience
of reality. In Table 2 we contrast the Three Contexts of Creating, The
Three Pillars and The Three Jewels with the terms we earlier introduced
as Designer, User and Researcher (and which are discussed further in
‘Mandalas for Engineering Design’). Each column states the main be-
havioural style and environment in which Meditators and Engineering
Designers act.

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Table 2: Comparison of terms used to describe The Three Jewels

and The Three Pillars of Buddhism with the Three Contexts of
Creating and the Diamond Model for Design.
The Three The Diamond The Three Pillars of Buddhism The Three Jewels
Contexts of Model of
Creating Design
Previous This paper Modern interpretation Modern Classic translation
paper (Pahl Interpretation
(Pahl & Newnes, (Nydahl, 1996 )
et al., 2007 )
2007 ) (Seegers, 2007b )
Field User Holding the View Action or Sangha
(while applying the Behaviour
methods in real life)
Domain Designer Meditation (methods) Contemplation or Dharma
Meditation
Person Researcher Knowledge Hearing or Buddha
Learning

The Mandala of the five Buddha families

Buddhist Mandalas are Meditation practises, which originated over
1500 years ago in India and were brought to Tibet in the mid-7th cen-
tury. The Sanskrit term ‘Mandala’, which predates Buddhism, is best
translated as ‘circle’. This is also the best-known visual or geometric
feature (in Figure 2, called ‘the cycle of attention’). The Tibetan word
‘kyil khor’, which means ‘centre circle’, also captures the point at the
centre of the Mandala circle, from whence the divine being is said to
emanate from the absolute indescribable reality (in Figure 1, this is the
extreme right hand side of the diagram). There are many different kinds
of emanation – in Vajrayana Buddhism each kind is considered a dif-
ferent ‘Buddha Aspect’. Aspects with similar functions, activities and
qualities are considered to belong to one ‘Family’.
A Mandala is, of course, not merely the home of a Buddha Aspect. It is
also considered a map or reflection of both the practitioner’s individual
conceptual world (or indeed of the true nature of his mind) and of the
pre-given world (this will be discussed further in the section on ‘Man-
dalas for Engineering Design’). The instructions for the representation
of these Buddha Aspects, in the creation of all (the hundreds of differ-
ent) Mandala forms are therefore very specific. There is not much
room for spontaneous individual expression (see for instance, Leidy &
Thurmann, 1998; McArthur, 2002, p. 175). Indeed, the Mandala itself
was never intended to be freely created but to provide the rules
whereby the practitioner could more freely create his own life. Use of

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the Mandala is intended to transform both the individually perceived

and socially pre-given conceptual worlds in which the practitioner feels
he exists, from being an experience of confusion, problems and suffer-
ing into one of wisdom and bliss (among other things).
Of the many available teachings on Mandalas we will abstract only
those elements, which are relevant to the simple purpose of being help-
ful to Engineering Design. Thus, of the many available Mandalas, we
will concentrate for this paper only on the Mandala of the Five Buddha
Families. For more extensive information, the reader should please
look at texts such as those by R. Beer (2003, pp. 234-236) and Snell-
grove (2004, pp. 191-213).

Figure 3. The Mandala of the Five Buddha Families

stylized for this paper.
Figure 3 presents a template of this Mandala, stylized for this paper.
For the more beautiful original version, we ask the reader to please look
at traditional Buddhist thangkas (scroll paintings), in Art Galleries, Mu-
seums or a Buddhist centre in his country. Each compass direction of
the square is assigned (or considered to inherently possess) some aspect
of a ‘completely functioning mind’ (this term is from Vajrayana Bud-
dhism and used comparably with Stafford Beer’s Viable System de-
scription, to be explained below). Please note that the compass direc-
tions given in the diagram are those of traditional Buddhism, and in-
cluded for that sake only. They are not relevant to our argument for
Engineering Design. However it is important that the complete, inte-

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grated function of mind is assigned the central position.For the same

reason that The Three Jewels are represented as objects rather than
behaviours, each function of mind in the Mandala of the Five Buddha
Families also is depicted not in abstract words, but as the physical form
of a Buddha (or Buddha Aspect). But this should not be construed as
concretising the concepts! The Mandala of the Five Buddha Families is
nevertheless intended to represent how the pre-given world looks when
it is liberated from a fixation on concrete objects into displaying quali-
ties of energy and light. Notably, such a transformation from material
to energy is also the ideal final result of the evolution trends of entire
classes of engineered products (Altshuller, 1984).
In Buddhist teaching, one constructs the Mandala from the starting
point of a pre-given world based on the five senses and the five emo-
tions. That means the Buddhas are called into being ‘from space’
(which may be conceptual or physical). They are intended to help the
practitioner transform all fixed, pre-given mental conceptions of the
world into knowledge of the absolute reality. Thereby (or as a prior
step) they help transform the emotional tendencies associated with per-
ceptual or mental fixation. Traditionally, the emotions associated with
different kinds of mental fixation are: anger, pride, desire, jealousy and
ignorance.
To be specific; Akshobya (in the East) functions in a way that over-
comes the anger of separation from a divine world. He himself is said
to have reached this realisation and now bestows and represents a mir-
ror-like quality of awareness of one’s own ‘Buddha nature’ on the prac-
titioner (the term Buddha nature is traditional to Buddhism, and used
to represent a composite of the concretely recognisable Buddha as well
as the more abstract nature of mind). Moving clockwise round the cir-
cle we find Ratnasambhava, who is said to have overcome pride in his
own accomplishments. He thus bestows and represents a many-faceted,
jewel-like or equalizing awareness that all beings have Buddha nature.
Opposite Akshobya sits Amitabha, the transformer of general passion
or desire into a discriminating awareness focussed only on the highest
bliss. Then there is Amoghasiddhi (in the north), who has overcome
the jealousy accompanying unrequited passion and now represents the
awareness of all-encompassing and thus all-accomplishing bliss. And
finally, in the centre, sits Vairocana, who is considered to have over-
come the ignorance of separation from Buddha nature in self, other
beings, and in all elements of internal and external space and thus

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represents the wisdom and ‘awareness of the absolute, indescribable

reality itself’ (Scherer, 2005, 171-173 & 204-205; Vessantara, 1993).
Although, as we suggested in ‘Preparing for Meditation’, reflection can
be considered a function of mind (one’s inner conceptual space), it is
interesting to note that reflection is also inherent in the qualities of a
pre-given or ‘physical’ space.
In this respect, we point out that the geometry of the Mandala is highly
symmetric. There would be four major planes of (mirror) reflection and
lines of (8-fold) rotation, were different functions of mind not assigned
to the cardinal directions. The fact that there are, however, directional
differences, means that the only plane of geometric reflection which
truly exists, lies between an external 2D Mandala and the practitioner’s
inner world of percepts and constructs. Mathematically, the practitioner
adds a third dimension to the whole, by his very existence and contem-
plation of the object, so that it fills his entire field of view (whether he
knows it or not). Although Mandalas can be placed (or created) hori-
zontally on tables as well as hung vertically on walls, for ease of expla-
nation, we have shown the relationship of practitioner and Mandala in

Figure 4. View of the Meditation of Figure 2

as if it were a framed Artwork hung vertically on a wall.

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Figure 4, as if the former were sitting, looking at a framed painting of

the latter on a wall. To show that this is a general principle inherent in
the geometry of all Meditation and not limited to the Mandala of the
Five Buddha Families, we use the elements of the Meditation of Figure
2, to furnish the illustration. Keeping in mind this view, a Mandala can
be considered as a 3D space including the practitioner, even when it is
drawn in 2D. We suggest that all formal Meditation elements are auto-
matically projected into (or perceived as existing) in a virtual external
space, whether the practitioner is conscious of it, or not. The second
point will be discussed a little further in the section on ‘Contradiction’,
below.

Backgrounds of Engineering Design

Co-evolution
Modern engineering design and coincident innovation is notoriously
‘wicked’ or ‘under-defined’ (in the sense originally coined by Rittel &
Weber, 1984). This means there are often no rigorous specifications of
the starting point, just as there is no scientifically measurable finishing
point. Both situations depend on a complex combination of the desires
and limitations of the stakeholders, be they ethics, values, social or
technical requirements. In order to progress from concept to market-
able realisation, all of these factors and actors must ‘co-evolve’.
The term co-evolution was originally developed in respect to engineer-
ing design by Gero (1990), Qian and Gero (1993, 1996), Suwa, Gero,
and Purcell (2000), Dorst and Cross (2001) and Gero and Kannengi-
esser (2004), and is emerging as a useful concept in that community. It
describes the phenomenon whereby, as product design (a solution-
space) evolves, Designers understand their restrictions and require-
ments (problem-space) better. Work in the solution-space informs the
problem-space and vice versa. Knowing that this is the case, it becomes
possible to consciously work in both directions. That means one con-
tinually reframes or reformulates one’s perception of, and relationship
to, the problem while at the same time allowing a solution to emerge
from the space between both.
This kind of shared interaction of people with their environment and
each other has been known to philosophers interested in phenome-
nologically acquired knowledge for some time. We presume, for in-
stance, that Alfred Schutz in the 1930’s would have equated co-

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evolution with a ‘communicative common environment (which) … is

filled with objects and events apperceived … and experienced simulta-
neously (by both parties), although … the situation has two subjective
foci: Each of the persons … lives through his own experience, of
which the other is (only) a part. Yet he not only experiences himself in
(a) situation, he experiences the experiencing of the situation by the
other’ (Schutz, 1992, as cited in Wagner, 1974).
Maturana and Varela (1992) also note that in the acquisition of knowl-
edge, there must be dual, mutually informing processes taking place. In
Vajrayana Buddhism, their point would be spelt out a little more explic-
itly, such that ‘the knower, the known and the act of knowing are mu-
tually specified’ (Nydahl, 2004, 14 & 18). In the terms of interest to this
paper, this means the Designer, the designed (object), and the act of
designing are linked, at the same time as the User, the object used and
the act of using it are specified. That, at least, is what we are looking
for.
In this paper, we consider the concept of co-evolution from the point
of view of Designers and Users (or other stakeholders) who come to a
discussion with apparently opposing concepts of what should be
achieved. Our model therefore deals not only with technical require-
ments, but at the very least, with a combination of technical and social
requirements, which can often seem to form a real conflict or a contra-
diction in terms. Thus as we shall see, Users can fulfil some of the
functions which Designers must otherwise inadequately carry out
themselves, and vice versa.

Contradiction
Calling something a ‘contradiction’ is not normal engineering terminol-
ogy. It was the Russian Genrich Altshuller who renamed what others
perceived to be problems as ‘contradictions’ (see Altshuller, 1984), to
take the intellectual sting out of the situation. A similar approach is
taken in modern English-speaking countries, where it is now also po-
litically correct to talk of ‘challenges’ rather than problems. Altshuller’s
‘theory of inventive problem-solving’ (known in the West by its Russian
acronym, TRIZ), which was originally developed in the 1950’s, uses
contradiction as the basis of its primary and the best-known tool – the
‘Contradiction Matrix’. Due to the strength of this tool, TRIZ has been
used by many American Fortune 500 companies. It is touted as the
quickest methodology for generating patentable ideas both on its own

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and combined with other well-known systems such as Quality Function

Deployment (a method of ‘total quality control’ developed in Japan in
the 1960’s) and ‘6 Sigma’ (a process improvement and failure reduction
method which originated at Motorola Company in the early 1980s).
The Contradiction Matrix provides a shortcut to problem-solving, as
long as the problem is formulated in a simple way. It has to be simple
enough for Designers to see it in a ‘play-off’ between only two targets
or variables that must be attained simultaneously, and which can be
stated as two single words. This means, for instance, one would say ‘I
want to improve strength’ and ‘I don’t want to increase weight’, in
which case one has ‘a strength-weight contradiction’.
Please note that the concept of contradiction, in the way we use it (and
no one knows whether Altshuller intended it to be used this way) dif-
fers from the concept of ‘dialectic’ known to Marxists and philoso-
phers. The latter proceeds by arguing each salient point in turn, in a
zigzag fashion, while we see contradiction as arguing two points at the
same time. In that sense, we define contradiction as ‘a line between two
end-points, which represent dual targets to be reached, and whose
length does not include the resolution’ (A-K. Pahl & Bogatyreva, 2003).
The resolution of the contradiction is achieved by thinking in another
dimension. This is mapped as two arrows of thought converging on a

Figure 5. A way to present contradiction.

Contradiction can be represented as a line relating two targets,
which does not include a point resolving the contradiction.
(From A-K Pahl & Bogatyreva, 2003; A-K Pahl et al., in press)

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single point, whereupon the resulting triangle forms the solution-space,

in Figure 5. The figure describes how contradiction can be represented
as a line relating two targets, which does not include a point resolving
the contradiction. (from A-K. Pahl & Bogatyreva, 2003 and A-K. Pahl
et al., in press).
Our map of an internal conceptual space obeys the same rules as a
mapping of external physical space. This is because we suspect people
think of their conceptual resolution as if were a physical object, situated
in the distant future, or unreachable, like an object on a distant horizon.
Thus we also map it in the same way that parallel railway tracks mapped
in a pre-given world triangulate on the horizon.
However we need to point out that there are many directions in which
one can look, and many places at which one can start mapping one’s
conceptual space. Certainly, looking at a point the physical horizon first
in front and then behind oneself would produce a diamond-shaped
map. Conceptually, the same is true. Thus a Designer can stand in the
middle of a 2D ‘Diamond Map of Design’, looking both forwards to
the expected solution, and backwards to the unknown problem origin.
This situation, the ’Diamond Map of Design’, evolves by establishing a
line of contradiction, and defining points at which the resolution and
problem-source exist. This is illustrated in Figure 6 (from A-K. Pahl,
2006a).

Figure 6. The 'Diamond Map of Design'.

The 'Diamond Map of Design' evolves by establishing a line
of contradiction and defining points at which the resolution
and the problem-source exist.

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

We also wish to point out to the reader that a diamond-shaped map of

conceptual spaces is not only a construct of our making. The diamond
geometry of conceptual space more or less coincides with the research
of others. In particular, most empirical research studies in creativity
now confirm what psychologists have intuited since the time of Wallas
(1926) – any process of creating something new is defined by a se-
quence of roughly the same kinds of (between three and seven) discrete
acts, periods or steps. These steps can be summarized in even fewer
stages. The two most important are a period of ‘divergent’ thinking
(term from Guildford, 1950) or apparently uncensored idea generation
and multiplication, followed by a period of ‘convergent’ thinking (term
again from Guildford, 1950), which we also identify as editing, criticism
and evaluation. These stages have also been well-known to engineers
for some time, even though they were largely disregarded in practise
(due to the simplicity of the original literature) and rarely drawn on pa-
per. As Figure 6 intimates and Figure 7 confirms, mapping the thought
process of divergent and convergent thinking in its simplest combina-
tion on paper produces a diamond. Figure 7 gives an overview of the
‘Diamond of Creating’ and ‘Diamond of Problem-solving’ (which are
the same). Note that the arrows of thought on the left hand side of the

Figure 7. The 'Diamond of Creating' and '

Diamond of Problem-Solving'.
Note that the arrows of thought on the left hand side of the
diagram (in the problem space) move in the opposite direction
to those in the ‘Diamond Map of Design.’

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diagram (in the problem-space) move in the opposite direction to those

in the ‘Diamond Map of Design’.
The fact that a diverging and converging conceptual space is already
familiar to Designers indicates that the diamond is not only an obvious
choice, but a useful one. In spite of this, we ask the reader to please
note that depending on where one stands (perceives and starts creating
one’s object or world), the arrows of conceptual thought move in dif-
ferent directions.
In previous literature and practice (and as is illustrated in Figure 7),
people spoke of both creating and problem-solving, as if Designers
moved only in one direction, from left to right in the manner of reading
text in the West. This is presumably because creation of an object with
a known template proceeds neatly from a starting point to a finishing
point. Likewise, Designers may think they know exactly what their
problem is, and believe they move from the source of this problem to a
solution, in the same way that they would create their product, if no
problem existed.
In that case we point out (and engineers also know this from their daily
work) that the first resolution can immediately become the second
problem, and so on. In fact, there need be no end to the cycle of prob-
lem-solving, just as there is no end to the cycle of creating potential
solutions (even for potentially non-existent problems).
In short, what we call the ‘Diamond of Creating’ is identical with the
‘Diamond of Problem-solving’ and both are a problem-resolution
string.
This kind of thinking is not very innovative. It does not liberate De-
signers’ previous concepts from their old constraints; it merely replaces
them with the same ones in different guises or contexts. In Buddhist
terms, this kind of thinking typifies samsara (Sanskrit. approximately
meaning ‘cycle or process of illusion’ and ‘bondage of ordinary life’).
Innovation, on the other hand, is distinguished from pure problem-
solving and also from the simple single act of creation by the ability to
look in both directions simultaneously.
This kind of thinking allows the Designer to start constructing his
world from either the problem-space or the solution-space, or prefera-
bly, both together. This paradox is crucial to innovation, to introduce
new ideas not just for the sake of having ideas, but for the sake of being

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in the appropriate context (A-K. Pahl, 2006a, A-K. Pahl et al., in press).
It is obvious that one cannot solve a problem using the same kind of
thinking that created it in the first place. That means, by definition, new
ideas are sourced outside the original problem-space.
Comparing and matching the elements in a problem-space and those in
solution-space is easiest if the elements are temporarily highly ab-
stracted. Altshuller’s (1984) formulation of technical contradiction in
two terms is the simplest way to do this. Having formulated his contra-
diction, the Designer then stands at the centre of our Diamond Map of
Design.
Just as importantly however, in innovation (as opposed to creation or
problem-solving) the Designer need not find his own solution. As every
TRIZ practitioners and Google users know, it is possible to create
more quickly and arguably better by ‘stealing’ (this term from Vincent,
2002, meaning ‘adapting’) someone else’s existing solution, or a close
match. This match can be carried out on the level of the individual
working with intellectual knowledge databases. Or it can be carried out
by the Designer discussing possible solution scenarios with others. In
any case, the two directions of evolution co-exist, such that the worlds,
views and maps of conceptual spaces for other stakeholders can be su-
perposed and interactive with those of the Designer. We will discuss
this in more detail later.
Lastly, we propose that the process of innovative design (via resolving
contradiction) is not a single act of looping forward and backwards, but
an iterative or recursive process. This is intimated by its etymology –
the term ‘innovation’ comes from the Latin novare, meaning ‘to make
new’ and Latin inne, meaning ‘within itself’. In the same way, it is also
intimated in the ritual of Meditation (discussed with Figure 1). It is in-
timated in the process of establishing analogy between two previously
unconnected objects, events or worlds, in ever-finer precision of meas-
ured similarities and differences via a repetition of three simple mathe-
matical steps (A-K. Pahl, 2001; A-K. Pahl et al., in press). It is men-
tioned by S. Beer (1984, p. 25) in terms of his Viable System Model, as
will be further discussed below.

Action, Reflection and Research

Engineers would generally say that their practise consists almost purely
of action. Design, on the other hand, includes some cognitive reflection

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on previous actions (A-K. Pahl et al., in press). Where and when reflec-
tion occurs is the key to success. Engineering Designers, especially in
very large companies, often carry out both kinds of behaviours, from
the early stages to the end stages of product design. They not only act
but also reflect on their actions, and thirdly even also often attempt to
observe, record and interpret their activities and reflections (tradition-
ally in diagrams and more recently through computerized ‘creativity-
support tools’) both during and post design. Such behaviour is ad hoc –
implicit in community practise and not consciously acknowledged or
executed as a meta-design or research activity. This situation exists, be-
cause they rarely have a chance to interact directly with stakeholders
outside their team, who might fulfil some of the functions of reflection
and research. Thus they are subject to the ‘character of practical knowl-
edge … (for) the knowledge of the man who acts and thinks within the
world of his daily life is not homogeneous: it is (i) incoherent (ii) only
partially clear (iii) not at all free from contradictions’ (Schutz, 1972, as
cited in Wagner, 1974).
Of course, reflection on product design is best supplied by those who
are or will be the users of the product, and no longer by its creators.
The User can, and usually does, present the Designer with a different
view of requirements based on social considerations that may appear
initially to contradict current technical capabilities. Yet this contradic-
tion from the market of Users always drives engineers to find another
resolution and add more dimensions to the final system (or product or
process).
Despite the fact that human beings can and ideally should carry out
multiple functions, in this paper, we still assume an important distinc-
tion exists between the technical functions of Designers and social ac-
tivities of Users. This is because we know from real life Engineering
Design that both parties are not really in a position to speak for each
other.
A facilitator or Researcher must behave in yet a third way, that of trying
to generate ‘knowledge’. He is in a difficult position, where he cannot
speak purely for either Designers or Users, he cannot align himself
completely with one party or the other. Instead, he must try to generate
a better understanding of the important relationships between action
and reflection, on behalf of others who are fully engaged in either proc-
ess, while perhaps semi-detached from both. Of course this does not
mean that the Researcher is separate from the process and experience,

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for one can nevertheless also not be a mere ‘objective observer’ as

Western scientists would traditionally have liked. As is well known in
phenomenology (Psathas, 1973, pp. 129-156) and popularly cited from
quantum physics, one cannot be separate from the world one observes.
In the Researcher’s situation, one alternates and ultimately integrates his
judgement between the conflicting parties and avoids promulgating a
view of ‘us and them’. One negotiates between a solution-space and
problem-space, and considers internal emotional considerations to-
gether with external system requirements, for the product or issue be-
ing discussed.
We hope the reader has noticed the authors are Researchers who speak
not only for ourselves, but also hope to speak for, ‘copresent’, contem-
porary academic researchers (to use the terminology of Wagner, 1974),
whom we know. We speak for all those people, who have multi-
disciplinary backgrounds that cause them to cognitively stand between
two groups of people (such as Designers and Users) or two or more
scientific domains, trying to find coincidences and differences that will
inform both sides. To be exact, we believe a Researcher can and should
take the position both of the Designer (who creates a physical product
and an associated conceptual system of rules) and of the User (who
buys a product and intuitively enters the associated conceptual system).
By making it linguistically clear that there are distinctions in function
between them, we can better understand how each of the participants
in a system composed of opposing viewpoints can best function. Fur-
thermore, due to this unique vantage point, the responsibility of build-
ing a model or structure of the dynamic process where action and re-
flection inform each other (and are potentially unified) falls to the Re-
searcher, rather than either of the other types of individuals or func-
tions.
It must be said that there will, in an ideal, fully functioning system, be
additional roles to play – the Manager, for one. However although we
can (and will later) show that his role has a central position in the Man-
dala for Design, considering his full impact and relationship to our
three primary roles is beyond the scope of this paper.

The ‘Generic Process of Creating’

The authors of this paper recently carried out a comparative study of
the stages of creativity and innovation which are well-accepted and ar-
guably dominating in hundreds of processes in many fields, including

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psychological literature, engineering design, knitting fashion, sociologi-

cal action research, Organizational development (of commercial enter-
prises rather than biological systems), theories of colour and perspec-
tive in renaissance art and architecture, baroque and early classical mu-
sic, the classic dramatic structures of literature and modern screenwrit-
ing, commercial creativity tools and innovation tools, and the practise
of Buddhist Meditation (please see Pahl et al., in press, for a literature
list).

The ‘Generic Process of Creating’ in a Table

Laying all processes whereby various things are created side by side,
and carefully translating the keyword terms for behaviours from differ-
ent domains, a set of common, standard or underlying stages and prin-
ciples of behaviour becomes obvious, as outlined in Table 3 (and fur-
ther discussed in the section ‘Mandalas for Engineering Design’). A
single ‘generic process of creating’ is presented in the extreme left col-
umn, which includes all the steps of the processes in all domains, but at
the same time abstracts their essence and simplifies their language. The
column entitled ‘Commonalities in humanities literature’ abstracts an-
other table from A-K. Pahl et al. (in press), which summarizes the steps
of creating that were identified by psychologists since 1926. The termi-
nology we chose for the generic process is linked with the geometry we
developed for the evolution and representation of the conceptual
spaces of design. That means we attribute the complexity of the prob-
lem-source to lie nested inside a (non-dimensional) point at some ‘infi-
nite horizon’. Likewise, a complete solution (the specifics of which
have not yet been defined) is nested inside a point at the other horizon.
In between these endpoints lie two fields of expanded awareness or
conceptual space. The first field encompasses the ideas evolving around
the problem, and the second field entails the ideas, which are worked
into a solution.
The fact that such a generic pattern does exist cannot be merely a vague
coincidence, or a device of wishful thinking. While it is true that minute
difference in process and potentially major differences in the problem-
and solution-spaces of domains do exist and are fundamentally impor-
tant for including personal experience and context (and can be explored
under the auspices of a formal hermeneutics), the express aim of identi-
fying an underlying framework is that it should provide a structure
upon which all succeeding differences can exist and make sense.

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We therefore return to a question we alluded to earlier: Why, when in-

ventions are obviously invented without requiring conscious awareness
of the process by which they happen, do we need to make explicate a
structure for innovation in design?
We can answer this question with a brief diversion into the Theory of
Music. Music had no formal notation system in the Western world,
prior to the Middle Ages. It was taught and remembered and passed on
orally, aurally and through practise. There had apparently been some
knowledge of fundamental principles, which linked sounds irrespective
of the instrument used to produce them – in other words, there was an
intimation of a previous theory of music, in the time of the Roman
Empire. But this was lost at its fall. The (re-)development of symbolic
musical notation towards the very end of the Dark Ages occurred to
facilitate and preserve Gregorian chanting in English monasteries. The
point relevant to our argument about a system for innovation is that
the development of musical notation did not affect any implicit under-
standing or cultural feeling for the ideal spatial relationship of tones.
Music continued to be sung and played and passed on around the
world, as it had been for millennia. Having notation did also not change
the frequency of tones or their factual relationship to each other. Nor
did it change the fact that each composer could vary the temporal rela-
tionship of constituent tones, in order to make sonatas distinct from
symphonies for instance or to allow jazz music to develop from classi-
cal. The development of a common notation did, however, have an
enormous impact on how music was shared and taught. Understanding
– and developing a notation for- the principles, which connected the
sounds (as a Theory of Music) made it possible to pass music on to
people who had never heard a particular kind of music. Then, given the
right environment for practise and the provision of appropriate tools,
musical notation enabled practitioners to recreate the original composi-
tion, through an imagined aural transmission, rather than the oral
transmission.
It is for this reason that we propose the pattern of creating, which we
have identified and call generic, is necessary for Design. We hope that
the existence and passing on of this pattern should not be subject to
debate for emotive reasons we discussed as hindrances to this research
in the past (in ‘On the difficulties entailed in reporting’).

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The Generic Model of Creating –

A Diamond Map of Co-evolution
The generic pattern of creating is, happily, not merely a matrix or tax-
onomy, but as we have already seen can be geometrically represented as
a diamond of cognitive or conceptual divergence and convergence (in
Figures 5, 6 and 7, above).
In our previous paper (A-K. Pahl et al., in press), we gave a rather
complex explanation of how the Designer can simultaneously view his
conceptual space from different starting points and fulfil all functions
of action, reflection and understanding of his system. Thus we started
to define the mechanism of co-evolution.
We will not repeat that explanation nor reproduce that map here. For
this paper, we can explain the mechanism of co-evolution more exactly
by considering how Designers interact with Users.
Suffice to say that we assume Designers have a tacit or explicit Dia-
mond Map of Creating for their conceptual space of Engineering De-
sign and Users also have a separate Diamond Map of Creating for their
conceptual space of product use. In order to find a coincidence of their
expectations and experiences, they – or a Researcher acting on their
behalf – need to superpose their respective maps of the world.
The simplest way to do this is to assume that the divergent thinking of
the Designers is met by the convergent thinking of the Users. Figure 8
shows a simple ‘Diamond Map of Co-evolution’. The divergent think-
ing of one team is met by the divergent thinking of the other in a pre-
given space of knowledge transfer. In other words, the Users act to
provide reflection to the Designers and the latter need not do it them-
selves. This is the situation akin to that described to considering Bud-
dhism as magic (Figure 1). It is also the ideal situation of innovation
for, if one has understood the problem-space systematically, correctly
and completely, the pattern of the problem-space and the solution-
space are easier to match and knowledge can be transferred. When this
process is unconscious, it can seem as if the solution comes to meet the
seeker by divine inspiration (A-K. Pahl, 2006b). Note that the arrows
signifying thought in this diagram are different to those in Figure 6 and
Figure 7. We will explore this form further in ‘Mandalas for Engineer-
ing Design’.

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

Figure 8. A simple 'Diamond Map of Co-evolution'.

The divergent thinking of one team is met by the divergent
thinking of the other in a pre-given space of knowledge transfer.

The last important point to extract for this paper from our previous
one, is that the seven steps of the Generic Process of Creating (see Ta-
ble 3) are divided into the three stages of (i) divergent thinking, (ii) con-
vergent thinking and (iii) pattern matching, knowledge transfer and/or
transformation, as illustrated in Figure 9. This figure describes the
‘Diamond Map of Co-evolution’, with divergent thinking at one end of
the diamond, convergent thinking at the other and knowledge transfer
in the middle. Please note in this diagram the thought arrows defining
the map are given for Designers only. The fifth step of innovation,
which takes place immediately right of the plane of pattern matching
and knowledge transfer (also the plane of reflection), requires Design-
ers (and Users) to specify a complete system description. It is this step,
on which we concentrate for the remainder of this paper.

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Table 3: The ‘Generic process of creating’ on the left,

juxtaposed against other processes of creating in the
remainder of the table (from Pahl et al., in press)
GENERIC Commona Engineering CREATIVITY METHODS, MODELS, TOOLS and TECHNIQUES
PROCESS OF lities in DESIGN
CREATING humanitie PROCESS Mindmapping CYNEFIN MODEL Narrative/ Meditation
s for COMPLEX ITY Literature
Pahl (2005 a, literature Pahl & Beitz Buzan and Kurz and McKee Nydahl (2000a )
b) (1984 ) Buzan (1993 ) Snowden (2002 ) (1997 )
Problem Problem Identify Identify goal Define known Inciting Define current
as point or essential (implicit) domain - cause incident situation –which
1 situation problem, need and effect of inherently creates
definition or task situation are the motivation and
repeatable and reason for moving
predictable toward another goal
Problem Establish First burst of Establish Establish Establish
as field function associative parameters of context specifications for the
2 structures ideas around Knowable domain ideal final goal
the goal – cause and effect
Incubation Create (brainstormin may mismatch in
specifications g) time and space
for solution
Idea Idea Search for First Explore complex Define Set up conceptual
generation generation working reconstructio domain - cause conflicts template of a
3 principles n and and effect are potential solution
revision coherent only in
hindsight
Combine Incubation Search for
principles into resolution
concept
variants
Idea Idea Concept Second Establish detailed
evaluation evaluation preliminary reconstructio structure of solution
4 layouts n and Critical template in iterations
revision choices addressing material,
Test (analysis and Explore chaotic which are information and
embodiment decision – domain – cause & most likely communication
with respect to making) effect relations are to lead the systems
solution completely hero to
principles incomprehensible success
Insight, Incubation Form variants The final Return to complex Overlay (melt )
integration of assemblies stage of domain solution template on
and 5 matching (or into ) current
pattern solution with Establish second Climax situation
matching goal known situation

Solution Solution Optimize Evaluate best fit of

as field generation design solution in context
6 including of current situation
problem Definitive Reversal for activation
situation layout
Solution recapitulat Finalize Resolution Dedicate a general
as point ion production application or
(Ideal 7 documents template for all other
final systems and
result) societies

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

Figure 9. The full 'Diamond Map of Co-evolution'.

Divergent thinking is at one end of the diamond, convergent
thinking at the other, and knowledge transfer in the middle.

Insights from Managerial Cybernetics

The Viable System Model
In this section, we will introduce some parallels of our research with
that of Stafford Beer, who was acknowledged as ‘the father of manage-
rial cybernetics’ by Norbert Wiener (‘the father of cybernetics’) (1948)
himself.
Over the course of 30 years, Beer developed a rigorous model for Or-
ganizational behaviour based on an assumption that the biological
structure of the human and his social behaviour were intrinsically
linked. Starting with observations as a psychologist in the army, and
then during several decades in management of the steel industry he
dedicated his time to diagnosing Organizational behaviour and under-
standing long-term growth. To pass on his insights, he started with a
mathematical (set-theoretical) model of the brain as the template for
organizational growth, but quickly realized that peers preferred to un-
derstand his concepts with more concrete information. Thus he com-
bined the maths with what he considered everyone knew about their

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bodies, in particular, about the central nervous system and general brain
structure. In other words, he considered that the organization of the
living and the mechanisms of perception were linked (cf. issue dis-
cussed in ‘The need for Maps and Methods’). What is more, he believed
that ‘the organization of the living’ referred not only to the individual,
but also to society. He assumed that whatever patterns existed in the
nervous system of the human would determine their behaviour and
patterns of working in the physical and/or pre-given world.
The most important point for this paper is that Beer (1984, 1985) real-
ized that a well-functioning and independent or ‘viable’ social system
invariably included five distinct (necessary and sufficient) types of be-
haviours and sub-systems. In a trilogy of three books developing this
idea, he proposed their integration in a ‘Viable System Model’ or VSM.
In these books, Beer describes how functional decentralization and in-
herent cohesion of any system is possible once it is built on solid foun-
dations. His model offers a way of providing autonomy in the design of
adaptable and flexible organizations. Organizations built on his princi-
ples are apparently better able to balance both external and internal
perspectives, and long- and short-term thinking, than others who do
not use them (Leonard, 1997).
Beer never actually provided an explicit list of the five behaviours in
any of his case studies or in any theoretical chapters of ‘The Brain of
the Firm’ (1972) or ‘The Heart of Enterprise’ (1979). As he explained
many years later, in response to others trying to create such a list, his
rationale for leaving it out was that, ‘the five sub-systems work recur-
sively and cannot be isolated from each other, so attempts in the litera-
ture to identify them separately with managerial names are ill-
conceived’ (Beer, 2000).
However we propose that he was being over-cautious. The fact that a
system includes interdependently arising and recursive behaviours
should not stop us from identifying what these behaviours actually are.
Thus we now provide an interpretation of the stages, qualities and
functions, which the VSM sub-systems exhibit. This list is distilled from
many different parts of his work, and of course, as Beer (2000) also
said, does not imply a definitive order of manifestation:
(1) structural physical elements which provide the elements to be con-
trolled and the initial direction in which movement takes place
(e.g. the body or environment);

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(2) the information systems, which coordinate relationships between

elements in (1);
(3) the autonomic command centre, for operation and distribution of
the internal functions of (1) and (2);
(4) the centre for planning and foresight and integration of (1) and (2)
and (3) with the outside world;
(5) the overall command or control centre, which balances all other
functions and demands (and is the so-called ‘heart’ or brain of the
firm).
A more succinct summary of the VSM, whose stages are nevertheless
comparable to ours, has been proposed by Leonard (1997), who
worked with Beer for 25 years:
• Implementation (System1)
• Coordination (System2)
• Control (System3)
• Intelligence (System4)
• Policy (System5)
The sub-systems in the VSM are also comparable to the Mandala of the
Five Buddha Families and the grouping of the Buddhist ‘skandhas’
(meaning ‘heaps’ of aggregated sense consciousness), as shown in Table
4 (using Leonard’s, 1997, terms for the sub-systems). In other words,
these three systems make similar conclusions about the way in which
human perception and behaviour is organized. This is not completely
surprising, given that Beer used models of the physiological functions
of the brain and nervous system to underpin his VSM. We propose it
stands to reason that if humans are built the same general way, then
they must also have an inbuilt tendency to build structures and relation-
ships in a particular order – or at least to include many of the same
steps in creating, no matter what or in which field they create. Thus it is
also not an unexpected coincidence that the five sub-systems of the
VSM are evident in the first five steps of the generic process for creat-
ing, which was partly shown in Table 3 (A-K. Pahl et al., in press).

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Table 4 Comparison of Mandala of the Five Buddha Families and

Buddhist skandhas with the Viable System Model
of Stafford Beer (2000).
Organizational Predominant function of Sub-systems of an ideal whole
System
Sub-system Sub-system Sub-system Sub-system Sub-system
describing
perception and 3
1 2 4 5
experience
Mandala of The East - South - West - North - Centre -
Five Buddha
Families Identification Equality in Discriminatio Overall
Diversity n
accomplishment Ultimate reality
The Five Skandhas Form, structure, Perceptual Cognition, Mental habits, Conscious
of Buddhist body, sense stimulus, recognition thoughts, ideas, awareness of self,
philosophy objects feeling, mental relationships, others and cosmos
sensation processing of associations,
sensory volitions
stimuli
Viable System Implementation, Coordination or Internal Integrated & Intention, Policy,
Model of Stafford initial direction information control externalized overall command
Beer intelligence

Interestingly, Beer once laid out his four subsystems in a square 2D

geometry, which can be compared to a Mandala (Beer, 1972, p. 143) –
this is recreated in Figure 10. This diagram illustrates the coupling,
which he suggests takes place in human organization and Organiza-
tions, both between the elements of the individual nervous system, and
between the elements of societies or companies. In particular, a cou-
pling exists between sub-systems one and three, which represent his
‘external sensory’ and the ‘internal motor’ worlds respectively. We
paraphrase his ‘external sensory’ as the material world, which can be
perceived with the five senses – this is a subset of our pre-given one.
The ‘internal motor’ world is the set of neural and muscular connec-
tions which enable action and communication to take place. Another
coupling exists between sub-systems two and four, which represent his
‘internal sensory’ and ‘external motor’ worlds, respectively. In our
terms, the ‘internal sensory’ includes the five senses which facilitate
perception (e.g. sight) as well as the nervous connections and mecha-
nisms by which that sense is activated (e.g. the lens, pupil and iris). The
‘external motor’ world is the one in which action and communication
takes place – again as a subset of our pre-given one. Each of the sys-
tems needs to ‘switch’ their mode of behaviour in order to integrate
incoming information from their coupled system. He also points out
that system four is ‘the biggest switch’, since it brings in information
from outside the system altogether, as well as dealing with that from

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

the other three interior sub-systems. Sub-system 5, at the centre, refers

to the overall control or command centre of the central nervous sys-
tem.

Figure 10. The Sub-systems of Stafford Beer’s Viable System

model (after Beer, 1972).
We note that Beer says nothing, which is categorically about perception
itself, only about its environment. However, in both cases, Beer (1972,
p. 182) implies that the pre-given world mirrors the perceived world.
He implies that perception depends on the way in which movement
and experiences are wired into the brain, and vice versa. In effect, Beer
thus assumed as given from the outset of his work what other research-
ers have always generally questioned at the outset of their own. But of
course, this was possible because Beer was interested in behaviours of
groups in a pre-given world, and could only start his observation by
proposing a generalized hypothesis of individual function. Maturana on
the other hand, was not influenced by this consideration, and was inter-
ested purely in observing the specifics of individuals. Beer and
Maturana were, in any case, also not the only ones to make observa-
tions like these. The phenomenologist Merleau-Ponty (1964a, 1964b,
1965) was convinced the experience of the outer world and the organi-
zation of the inner world are linked – his work is continued in the cur-
rent philosophy movement focussed on ‘Interactive Mind’. While we
do not expand on the connections in this paper, we hope the reader
will bear in mind that the perception and organization of the living may
indeed be linked, as we describe ‘Mandalas for Engineering Design’ in
the next section.

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In Beer’s VSM, just as in the Buddhist Mandala, each of the sub-

systems one to four supports the function of the others in a recursive,
co-evolving relationship, and is subservient only to sub-system five and
the whole. This means that while sub-systems one to four are ‘open’ (in
the mathematical sense), the fifth sub-system of a complete system en-
ables the whole to ‘close in on itself’ (Beer, 1984).
This is mathematically relatively easy to say.
In practise however, Beer reported that Organizations find closure and
hence viability difficult to achieve. He noted that teams were often flus-
tered when asked to define the components of the crucial fifth sub-
system in their Organization, even though they had easily decided upon
the components of sub-systems one to four. In his experience, every-
one gave a different answer, when nominating what sub-system five
was or should be made of (Beer, 1984). In other words they could not
agree on what ought to have been the central question, or ‘heart’ of
their Organization.
Reflecting on why this should be difficult, Beer realized (particularly
during his work with President Allende in Chile) that people projected
their expectations regarding their own particular sub-system (and pre-
given world) onto the whole. Since the Organization grew from differ-
ent directions, there was no coincidence in the view of how growth of
the whole was expected to take place (this is, of course, the exact situa-
tion a product Designer and User face when trying to integrate their
worldviews). At that point of insight, many years after first establishing
his model, he realized that it was the duty of the fifth sub-system to set,
and affirm if necessary, some original intention as to what particular
kind of Organizational growth all sub-systems should undergo (Beer,
ibid). This point will be further discussed in ‘Mandalas for Engineering
Design’ and the discussion on ‘Purpose’, where we integrate Beer’s in-
sights with our Diamond Model.

Mandalas for Engineering Design

A Five Element System
Iterated meditation on a Mandala, as Leidy and Thurmann (1999, in
appendices) explain, should lead the practitioner to ever more refine-
ment. In particular, one is expected to transform the five gross modes
of sense-related behaviour prevalent in the pre-given world to three

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more subtle modes of perception and behaviour (which we called

‘meta-qualities’ in the section on The Three Jewels). Now we will ex-
plore the exact steps how this transformation from ‘real to ideal’ hap-
pens and why it is relevant for Engineering Design.
As a complement to the ideal world represented by the five Buddha
families, we introduce another Buddhist Mandala, which traditionally
represents the pre-given world. In this, five figures are represented as
worldly ‘Kings’ who are not completely liberated from fixation. They
do, however, still hold the key to mystical knowledge and outwardly
seem to act in a manner similar to the Buddhas (see for e.g. McArthur,
2002, p. 71). Buddhists suggest the reason for this similarity is that
someone who strives to reach the pinnacle of achievement and also
contribute to the best of all his fellows, will reduce chaos in his actions,
and streamline, refine and evolve his preferred style of behaviour to
achieve his goal. Ultimately he will exemplify a behavioural pattern
which psychologists call ‘archetypal’ and Buddhists call ‘achieving high-
est worldly dharma’. Without Meditation, this is the closest a person
can get to true dharma. The so-called Mandala of the Five Kings is said
to mirror the Mandala of the Five Buddha Families.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, the two kinds of world (that of the Kings and
that of the Buddhas) relate to each other not just by reflection, but by
being integrated in the perception of someone sitting in the middle of
both worlds. The one who sees both worlds and integrates them,
thereby overcoming all duality and discrepancies, is the historical (and
primordial) Buddha.
How can this be possible?
This is possible because, as we pointed out in ‘On the difficulties en-
tailed in reporting’; and ‘The need for Maps and Methods’, both worlds
(the pre-given world of the Kings and the ideal world of the Buddhas)
are actually based on a concept or mental construct. We can exist in a
mentally constructed world only with a mental body and not with a
physical one. Thus, as Long & Burnama (2005) point out from ancient
Mahayana texts, ‘… the mental body of the (Buddha-to-be) … pro-
ceeded to the (divine world), even as his (physical) body remained
seated on the bank of the … River’.
The practical use of this statement will become more evident in Figure
11a, where we show how a Buddha might separate his view, while
seated in the centre of the two Mandalas. This figure is based on the

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view of the practitioner we introduced in Figure 4. We, the external

observer (outside the plane of the page on which the diagram of the
event is drawn) looking at a theoretical Buddha, would see him seated
in the centre of one non-conceptual and two conceptual worlds. The
only non-conceptual world is the one in which he is seated, meditating.
Of the conceptual worlds, one is a pre-given divine world, to which he
travels to with his mental body, and whereupon he becomes its central
figure (the world of the Five Buddha Families). The other is a pre-given
human world, in which he ordinarily acts with his physical body (when
he is not sitting on the bank of a River) and where he has also reached
the highest attainment and become the central figure (the world of the
Five Kings).

Figure 11a. A theoretical Buddha

at the centre of two conceptual worlds.
Importantly however, we can show the very same situation integrated
into a single geometry. As is described in Figure 11b, the theoretical
Buddha of this paper may also make both his worlds coincident and co-
evolving. This integrates (and inverts) the geometry of the preceding
figure. This diagram is technically speaking an octagon, but we loosely
call it a diamond. It illustrates how the action and reflection of Figures
6 and 8 (and the practice and ritual of meditation described in Fig-
ure 1), would look in 3D. At this point, the theoretical Buddha of this
paper can appear to us (the external observer), to be coincidentally
King, practitioner and Buddha. The three positions of true centre and

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

the two central end points are completely equivalent although they are
expressed in different contexts. The Buddha acts in (and indeed creates
or co-evolves) all these worlds simultaneously. What is more, as the
theoretical Buddha makes all his worlds coincident, to our external eye,
this not only integrates but inverts the geometry of the preceding part
of this figure.

Figure 11b. The theoretical Buddha of this paper.

In Figure 12a and 12b, we show our first attempt to make the situation
of the Buddha in the previous diagrams useful for Engineers and im-
mediately find we cannot. The reason why we cannot do so is as fol-
lows: An ordinary person in a pre-given world based on Aristotelian
logic constructing his or her worldview in isolation from other possible
worlds. Let us say he projects or perceives the important elements of
his world around him in the geometry introduced in Figure 4, i.e. a half-
diamond. Now let us say there are two such people, each with their
own geometric projection, and we, the external observers wish to join
the two half-diamonds up in a single diamond, as shown in Figure 12a.
We cannot do it because there is a mismatch in the position of the ele-
ments of the respective worldviews. It is possible, if we do not look too
closely, that we might propose the worlds mirror each other. But they
do not. The Mandalas on either side of the central plane are simply op-
posites. Figure 12a shows how the worldview of the Designer and User
may be considered by two teams to oppose each other. Even though
both have independently evolved similar Mandalas of thought and be-
havior, they do not naturally match over the central mirror plane.

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Figure 12a. The worldviews of the Designer and User considered

as opposing.
Of course, that is precisely what occurs when we look in a mirror in the
Western world. The image that greets us on the other side does not
actually part its hair on the same side as we do. This mismatch is un-
avoidable because, as Plato pointed out in his book Timaeus (quoted
and extended in Plitcha, 1998, p. 108), two mirrors must be placed at
right angles to each other, giving four-fold quadrant symmetry (assum-
ing the mirror extends behind the intersection we see), with infinite
space in each direction, in order to get the correct image reflected back
from the central join.
Actually, as Plitcha (1998) tested it, such a four-fold mirror ‘…shows
me as if I were standing in front of myself and thus in reverse. In addi-
tion there are two normal reflections, one on the left and one on the
right’. He goes on to ask ‘… do the four people – (myself) and the
three reflections - also exist when I take away the mirror? …. (because
if that is true then this) mirror makes it possible to see a hidden phe-
nomenon, such as a mental picture, an idea.’
Plitcha thus proposes that a ‘space of concepts’ can be said to have or
require a quadruple structure because it can only be seen completely by
arranging two plane mirrors in this way. His argument links with
Giordano Bruno’s mathematics that ‘ … infinite space with (the mir-
rored planes measuring D² x D² giving a resultant) 4D geometry differs
from finite space, which is measured in 3 simple axial dimensions’ (Plit-
cha, 1998, p. 105).

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It will be obvious to the reader that Plitcha’s exercise establishes a

Mandala of five elements, which includes the perceiver of a world
within the central space of its mirrored geometry, as well as outside it.
We thus confirm from a mathematical point of view that a five-element
system is appropriate to model a complete conceptual space in the
plane of the perceiver, just as is proposed in the Buddhist point of
view. Furthermore, the existence of the perceiver both inside and out-
side that five-element system confirms the extension of that basic plane
Mandala to create at least a sixth element and half the Diamond Model,
which is the object of this paper.
We must also note in passing that having said two ordinary people can-
not fail to mismatch the meeting point of their two worlds, our theo-
retical Buddha cannot geometrically fail to match his. This is in the first
instance because the Buddha is just one being and not two separate
individuals or teams with opposing concepts, motivations and views.
Thus, when he starts moving into any world from his own central point
(which is also the central space of Beer’s fifth subsystem), he comes
and goes from each of his perceived worlds in the same way.
To that end, he focuses not so much on the diamond structure itself –
nor even on the individual elements which define that structure in a
pre-given world. Rather, he focuses on the dynamic cycling of mind
which links the elements and thus activate the diamond structure (as
already alluded to in Figure 2) or indeed produce a Mandala coincident
with the diamond in the first place.
In 2D, the cycling of mind is approximated by a wheel. In 3D however,
this same motion is actually double helical and vortexial spin along a
time axis. Thus the theoretical Buddha’s mind cycles out from a single
point in the centre where he sits between the worlds and comes back
into a point at the centre. Next of course, it is important to note that
the centre can exist in more than one place – at the very least in a Man-
dala at each end of Figure 11a and 11b. This movement produces ever
more elaborate shapes. Further elaboration of the geometry and its im-
plications for Research and Design is beyond the scope of this paper,
but will be treated in a forthcoming project.
To be fair, we could actually disregard the situation of mismatched
worlds for the sake of simplicity and force the elements of the De-
signer’s world and the elements of the User’s world to coincide like
those of a theoretical Buddha, on either side of a central mirror plane.

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We do this in Figure 12b, here we make a prototype of the Diamond

Model, which is the penultimate step before building the model that is
the focus of this paper. We force a coincidence of the worldview of the
Designer and User upon each other. If we had no other option, we
would thereby achieve a relative simplicity in the protocol of discussion
between the two opposing teams (see ‘Structuring Designer-User con-
versations with the 3D Diamond model’) and a kind of prototype
model. Thus we have loosely called this option a Mandala for Engineer-
ing Design. But it is not quite our Diamond Model yet.

Figure 12b. A prototype of the Diamond Model.

Luckily, forcing the world to fit is not necessary. There is a way to re-
solve all discrepancies and dualism as if by magic, so that everything fits
perfectly. This is possible because there is a second way for the Buddha
to create a perfectly integrated world, utilizing the structure we can
reognize as external observers. This involves the Mandala of the Five
Buddha Families morphing into (or from) The Three Pillars of Bud-
dhism, at another level of creation, as we will elaborate in the next sec-
tion.

A Five Element System has Three Meta-qualities

In Buddhist terms, formal Meditation is a first step toward moving
from a problem-space towards a solution. However, considering the
elements of a formal Meditation to exist outside oneself involves only
uni-directional movement of thought. As we have mentioned in Figure
1, and as explained by Leidy and Thurmann (1999, see the section
above), the true experience of meditation is bi-directional. Not only
does a practitioner move from his pre-given world, but the reflection of
his action or the ideal reality should come in to meet him.

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What we wish to consider now therefore, is the other side of the equa-
tion, especially in regards to innovation. In other words, how does one
move from a solution-space to meet a problem-space?
To help answer this question, we looked at the elaboration of steps a
Buddha takes to manifest in the pre-given world. Buddhist teachings
explain that the last task an aspiring Buddha must undertake to prove
his accomplishment is not merely to complete his own understanding
of the absolute indescribable world, but to return from his realization
of how things are, into the physical world, to teach others. In our
terms, he must emanate from what we can consider the solution-space
of Engineering Design.
The process of emanating a perfect form and perfect knowledge from
space is described as unfolding yet hierarchical (in early Pali sources
such as Mahavagga of the Vinaya, Mv 1, 5 and Majjhima-Nikaya 26 and
also by Mkhas-grub-rje quoted in Long & Burnama, 2005) as follows:
Having completely realized himself as existing in the absolute inde-
scribable reality, the new Buddha-to-be emanates two additional varia-
tions of himself. This corresponds exactly to the view of oneself as
three people, which is created in the four-fold mirror of Plato and Plit-
cha (explained in ‘A Five Element System’). On his right, we para-
phrase that one emanation is responsible for giving (or enabling) meth-
ods or tools to achieve perfect reflection. The other emanation, on his
left, is responsible for the power (or intensity of application) of the
methods. Altogether, the trio is said to represent The Three Jewels –
respectively, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
Early Pali sources then say that, in order to penetrate and become in-
separable from the physical world, the two emanated forms of the
Buddha-to-be each split themselves into two more forms. The emana-
tion of Dharma emanates two variations of himself – these being Ak-
shobya (the Buddha of mirror-like awareness) and Ratnasambhava (the
Buddha of equalizing awareness), whom we introduced in the section
on ‘The Mandala of the Five Buddha Families’. The emanation of
Sangha also emanates two further variations of himself – these appear-
ing as Amitabha (the Buddha of discriminating awareness) and
Amoghasiddhi (the Buddha of all-accomplishing awareness).
In other words, the three preferred modes of behaviour (and associated
meta-qualities) we discussed in ‘The Three Jewels’ always become five
modes of behaviour at a more detailed level. The converse is also true:

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the three meta-qualities and behavioural styles should arise from fully
integrating perceptions from the five senses, emotions and physical
experiences in one’s pre-given reality.
This division of conceptual space into three and five categories can be
shown as a neat hierarchy in Figure 13a, as the unfolding of space (The
Three Jewels, The Three Pillars and The Mandala of the Five Buddha
Families integrated and rephrased for this paper) from an absolute in-
describable reality (which we first indicated without details on the right
hand side of Figure 1).

Figure 13a. Unfolding of space – Three Jewels, Three Pillars and

Five Buddha Families.
The Buddhist division of conceptual space can also be rephrased for
use in Engineering Design, as shown in Figure 13b. This renders the
above explanation useful for this paper. We thus propose to consider
the primordial Buddha of the Pali explanation as existing somewhat
impersonally at the highest level, as ‘The Complete Informing System’.
At the next level down, his function can be carried out by a person who
facilitates exchange of conversation and integration of information be-
tween the two opposing teams. In a static Organization, this role could
be filled by a top-level Manager. In this paper and in the Mandala of
Engineering Design and the Diamond Model as we use it now, the role
of the Facilitator is carried out by the Researcher. As everyone knows,
the Researcher does not have absolute knowledge at the outset of a

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project. His knowledge evolves as the details and the conversations

between parties evolve. He is, however, in the position of making ques-
tions simple for the participants in a discussion.

Figure 13b. The Complete Informing System - Buddhist division

of conceptual space for use in Engineering Design.
In Buddhist teachings, the function of knowledge is present at every
level of unfolding of space, as the central element or mirror plane. Both
in Buddhism and in the Diamond Model for Engineering Designfor , if
all functions perfectly, the system informs itself and the central role
becomes invisible. Thus the holder of the knowledge both acts and
does not act in two conceptual and one non-conceptual world. His only
role in facilitation is to appear to others as if he understands both sides
of the story of Design and Use.
The function of providing structures, methods or tools is exemplified
in the spokesperson for Designers, who acts on the level of the meta-
qualities. The spokesperson for Users also acts on the level of the meta-
qualities, where he provides reflection and feedback on the use of said
structures, methods or tools in real life.
The functions of mirroring- , equalizing -, discriminating - and accom-
plishing total awareness of one’s reality are achieved by different teams
acting as different sub-systems of the Complete Informing System. In

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order to achieve the best result, it is easiest if we (and the Buddha-to-

be) do not think of the sub-systems as being four completely different
behaviours. It is possible, quite succinctly, to apply just two different
modes of thinking about action and its reflection in the pre-given
world, albeit in two different ways. In Figure 13b we describe the
Complete Informing System’ – The Buddhist division of conceptual
space as rephrased for use in Engineering Design. The two ways are: in
respect to one (the individual), and in respect to others (many interde-
pendent ‘universa’). In other words, the ideal Researcher should not
necessarily look in a plain mirror to reflect on his own actions, but left
and right at his spokespersons (or in a multi-dimensional mirror), to see
the actions and reflections of others. In these two ways, he covers all
possible problem- and solution-spaces.
This finally brings us to the Diamond Model for Designer-User interac-
tion, which is the point of this paper as, we return to a point we prom-
ised to clarify at the end of the section on ‘A Five Element System’.
There is, in fact, a magical resolution of the mismatches of the two five-
element Mandalas, which are experienced and projected by Designers
and Users respectively. The key is in the hierarchy just presented and in
Beer’s insight on the purpose of a Viable System. Assuming of course
that Designers and Users wish to see themselves as part of a single in-
forming and co-evolving system, then the answer to achieving it is to
(tautologously) propose a template for its existence first. This does not
need to be completely visible or spelt out, but it must certainly take at
least a rudimentary form.
This should be followed by assigning two spokespeople, who are inte-
gral to achieving the central purpose. The one provides the methods in
the first place; the other provides feedback on the application of the
methods. Both can be called into being simultaneously. These two
spokespeople are then responsible for a delegating their work in a fur-
ther two people in a third step.
We tried visualizing how the functions of the Designer, User and Re-
searcher relate during emanation and found the easiest option is to
place them in a straight line, with the Researcher in the centre. Then
the Designer and User form end-points of a line. From the end-points,
we then visualize the placement of the two sub-systems for each pri-
mary function back into the central plane. The spokesperson for appli-
cation of the methods is responsible for only two functions in a com-

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plete Mandala system which has five second-level functions. Likewise,

the provider of methods is responsible for delegating only two func-
tions in the complete Mandala system. Each delegation forms half of a
full, stable Mandala square around the Researcher. The important point
in unification of the opposing teams is precisely that – the Mandala of
each side is not complete on its own. They complete each other. The
ideal and expected natural order of set-up of functions in a Complete
Informing System is shown in Figure 14a, with arrows indicating direc-
tion of emanation and set-up. Together, the spokespeople and their
sub-functions (teams) form the rough outline of a diamond. This figure
shows the ideal order of set-up for achieving a Complete Informing
System. The higher level purpose and view of the Designer and User
form end-points. The two sub-functions of each end-point add to-
gether, to create an integrated and stable whole.
Lastly, we integrate and paraphrase the terminology of The Three Jew-
els, The Three Pillars, and the Mandala of the Five Buddha Families, as
already shown in Figure 13 with the VSM of S. Beer (1984, 1985), and
arrows of Figure 14a, to produce the Diamond Model for Designer-
User interaction in Figure 14b. This figure describes the final Diamond
Model for the Complete Informing System of Designer-User Interac-
tion.

Figure 14a. The ideal order of set-up for achieving a complete

Informing System.

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 Pahl & Newnes

Figure 14b. The final Diamond Model for the complete informing
system of Designer-User interaction.

Structuring Designer-User Conversations

with the 3D Diamond Model
Why?
The ideal representation of the process of discussion and resolution of
contradictory requirements in design is probably a spinning, double-
helical vortexial model. This would show that the process is fluid, flexi-
ble and integrated and might help Designers understand how the ‘flow’
of the creative process should feel (to use the terminology of
Csikzentmihalyi, 1997).
Such a model would not, however, provide any structure whereby
teams of Designers and Users could interact and consider all angles or
directions of their potentially conflicting technical and social issues.
And since we know from S. Beer’s (1984, 1985) VSM that having a
clear structure is basic and integral not only to building a world in the
first place, but also to establishing viability of an organism or Organiza-

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tion, we propose to take Beer’s lead, using a solid geometry – the dia-
mond described in the previous section, for modelling conversation.
Beer (1994) used an icosahedron to marshal and enhance the dynamics
of (Organizational, personal or product) design and thought processes
in a process he called ‘Team Syntegrity’ (from a playful combination of
‘synergy’, meaning the condition in which the properties of the whole
are greater than those of the sum of its individual parts; and ‘tensegrity’,
which was a word coined by Buckminster Fuller around 1975, to mean
‘tensile integrity’ – the structural strength provided by tension). Beer
(1994) chose this topology both by trial and error while running work-
shops on the technique, and was also influenced by theoretical consid-
erations. As we saw earlier in this paper, Beer was predisposed to seeing
five-fold geometry as being the most useful for representation of the
way in which individuals formed teams in their pre-given world.
In his model, groups of five triangular faces form twenty pentagonal
clusters. Thirty people are needed to represent the edges of the struc-
ture, as well as the innovative design solutions at the vertices or nodes.
The latter represent combinations of two or more ways of perceiving a
given problem (Itsy, 2006; Leonard, 1999; and Schwaninger, 1997). For
an extract from Schwaninger's summary of the protocol, see Appendix
A. For an interpretation of Leonard's work as applied to our Diamond
Model, please see Appendix B. Suffice here to say that, having defined
what is important via less structured processes (including a ‘Problem
Jostle’ leading to ‘Statements of Importance’), five people discuss one
topic, and thereafter thirty discuss twelve topics. Each participant is a
member of two conversations, which are different to those of all other
participants, to provide ‘compressive strength’ to the structure (Leo-
nard, 1997) and there are at least three iterations of the procedure,
which ensure that there is over 90% of information shared throughout
the whole group.
What is notable about the Team Syntegrity model, in comparison with
our Diamond Model, is that the topics to be discussed are not pre-
empted. Strangely, Beer never applied his insights from his VSM to the
protocol for discussion in Team Syntegrity, although he did suggest
that the latter could be used as a periodic activity in the former. In that
case, he expected it to balance attention between the inside and outside
of the system, and thus between the functions of sub-systems three and
four (Leonard, 1997). In short, while he saw the need for combining
the views of opposing teams, he did not attempt to ensure that any par-

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ticular types of issues would be covered. He left all decisions regarding

the kinds of issues that were to be raised around a central theme, to
emerge from the team.
By all accounts, Beer’s model works well and is not so difficult for a
Facilitator or Researcher to learn and apply in an Organization, with a
little practise (it is licensed to business consultants and widely used in
Europe today). However, it also requires companies to set thirty key
decision-makers free from their everyday duties (one for each icosahe-
dral edge or strut), for five full days – which is the time it usually takes
to come to a final conclusion using this model, and this is a significant
investment, which not everyone can make (Leonard, 1997). As a result,
Beer and some of his colleagues (Cullen & Leonard, 2000; Leonard
1996) experimented with extracting ‘short-forms’ of polyhedra from
the icosahedral model, which could achieve the same structure with
fewer people, retaining the same twelve-fold depth and complexity of
topic discussion. He felt the 12-fold nature of icosahedral vertices
needed to be retained for the process of dialogue, in order to reduce
the risk that topics and points of view would collapse onto each other
too early, before there had been enough divergence of ideas.
Although they subsequently decided against implementing any of them,
it is of note for our paper, that the first of the short forms, which al-
lows the Team Syntegrity protocol to be run with only twenty-four
people, is a distorted cube-octahedron (Truss, Cullen, & Leonard,
2000). Successive compactions of the icosahedral geometry lead yet
closer to our own favoured geometry, making use of the dual quality of
a cube-octahedron that allows it to flex in peculiar directions and fold
in on itself (called the ‘vector-flexor’ property by Buckminster-Fuller).
The ultimate compaction produces a topic space, which approximates a
flattened cube-octahedron approximating the 3D Diamond Model,
where twelve people can fulfil all the previous roles and depth of dis-
cussion, which were expected in the larger form (Truss et al., 2000).
It would seem there is merit in considering our Diamond Model as an
addition to Beer’s original geometry for the following reasons:
The first is that, over and above the need to have shortened versions of
Team Syntegrity on the basis of saving time, we can fill a gap for a
model of conversation and activity between not just one team but two
distinct teams, who must come to a common ground.

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The second is that we can definitively state that the ideal system can be
described in merely five sub-systems from a science of mind, which has
some 2500 years of experiment to its credit. Applying the structure of
the Mandala of the Five Buddha Families to team discussions enables
the different starting points of participants to be honoured and does
not force anyone to view their ‘Organizational Mandala’ from the same
direction as other participants, from the outset of discussion (or indeed
at any other time). At the same time, providing a coincident and co-
evolving structure for conversation from two end-points contributes to
the faster emergence of a common purpose.

How?
Beer’s model was worked out over many years and it is, as Allen Leo-
nard (1997) writes, ‘beyond its experimental stages in some sense but
not in others’. The existing protocol and ‘key questions to be asked’
during the process (also appended to this paper) are known to produce
results, but there are many avenues for further research.
Our model seems to fit with (and is potentially integrable with) what
has been done by Beer and associates referred to previously in this sec-
tion, although we have not yet confirmed a formal protocol for its use.
Our Diamond Model is still very much in experimental stages. How-
ever, based on what already works, we have drawn on Beer’s (1994)
Team Syntegrity protocol to help structure our questions and move-
ments in the physical space of the conference room where discussion
takes place. Our suggested protocol keeps the crucial 3-fold and 5-fold
geometry (which Beer also thought important for reasons of his own),
which has been discussed at length in the previous section.
In this respect, we have proposed the following protocol to start ex-
perimenting with using the Diamond Model of Designer-User interac-
tion:
1. The process can be carried out with as few as 10 people –
two teams of five, plus a facilitator or Researcher.
2. The process is launched by proposing a core issue for the
discussion (this can be done according to Beer’s ‘Problem
Jostle’). This proposition will naturally be incomplete – its
form can only evolve during discussion and its final itera-
tion will be agreed upon at the conclusion of the exercise.
Thus, since this statement is only a starting point, little

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 Pahl & Newnes

time should be given to agreement between participants at

this stage. The purpose should be written succinctly
enough to fit on a post-it note (or similar) and kept by the
Researcher for reference, in the central position in the
room.
3. The time limit for discussions should also be set at the be-
ginning. It can vary with each cycle of discussion – and co-
incidently with each new core issue addressed. It should
however, be kept strictly by the Researcher. Based on our
experience with facilitating similar conversations with
other creativity tools, we believe it is possible to spend as
little as five minutes on one topic. Thus the total for one
cycle of the entire discussion process can be as little as
twenty minutes and produce a meaningful result. Of
course, this depends on the complexity of the initial issue
of the meeting.
4. Then one participant from each team should volunteer to
function as spokesperson or coordinator for his team. He
will initially sit at the apex of the Diamond for his team.
The Designer (the creator of structure, tools and methods)
forms one apex of the Diamond Model, while the User
(who applied the structure, tools and methods), forms a
complementary one. These should be physically as far
apart as possible in the room.
5. The remaining participants should place themselves on the
edges of a Mandala square (just as in Beer’s protocol),
where the four outer Buddhas of the Mandala of the Five
Buddha Families sit. They may choose the position of their
natural inclination, or go against it. If the former option is
chosen, time needs to be set aside for participants to de-
termine which mode of behaviour suits them best. One
person from each team then pairs with one person from
the opposing team, so there should be four pairs (or
groups) of participants. Two notebooks should be given to
each group –one for Designers and one for the Users.
When participants move discussion, their original note-
book should be left on the table, for the next participant
(or team) to continue adding their discussion results on
that topic in the same book.

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

6. The topics of discussion for teams are determined by Fig-

ure 14a and 14b. They are as follows: generation of Struc-
ture and Methods in respect to one (implementation of ini-
tial direction); generation of Structure and Methods in re-
spect to many (function coordination and information be-
tween sub-systems); Application of Structure and Methods
internally or in respect to one (information processing,
sub-system control and feedback); Application of Structure
and Methods externally or in respect to many (applications
and external relations). These discussions should be about
all the practical issues concerning the topic. They should
cover all possible technical and social contradictions. All
stories and ideas about the issue should be recorded but
not evaluated (that happens later). We trust the roles are
simple to understand and any topic can be comprehen-
sively covered, assuming that a team can allow enough
time for discussion.
7. After the allotted time, participants are moved round to
the next discussion. Two cycles of movement need to take
place. In the first instance, the Design team should stay
put, and the Users should move clockwise round the Man-
dala, taking part in a discussion at each new edge, till they
return to their starting positions. This means there will be
four iterations of the conversations at each point. In the
second cycle of conversation, Designers should move anti-
clockwise round the Mandala, also taking part in a discus-
sion at each edge, till they return to their starting positions.
The sum total of conversations in both cycles is eight. It is
inevitable and desirable that there will be cross-fertilization
of concerns and issues to be discussed.
8. The spokespeople at the apices of the Diamond can
choose to take part in whichever discussion they like. In
each case, their function is to ‘keep the overview’ and re-
mind each discussion group of their primary vision, when
they seem to get bogged down in practical details (i.e. they
should either create methods and tools, or apply them).
9. The Researcher likewise, need not stay with either Design-
ers or Users, nor move in any order. He can move to any
discussion he likes. His role during the discussion time is

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to ask probing questions and keep time. He may not give

his opinion on any topic at this time.
10. When the agreed time is up, each team should collect all
notebooks belonging to them and convene at the apex of
their Mandala, to produce a short series of statements that
covers but summarizes all their current concerns.
11. Each team presents their summary in turn to the Re-
searcher. The Researcher should consider the information
presented from both teams, integrate it and propose a new,
improved core issue. Teams should take part in establish-
ing the common elements of the issue.
12. The new core issue is written on a new post-it note and
sets the starting point for the next cycle of the discussion
process. This begins at step 2, above, and remains identical
to the previous iteration of the process.
13. When three cycles of the discussion have been completed,
the evolution of the core issue should be quite robust, and
lead to establishing a ‘common purpose’ for both teams.
Although it is obvious that three iterations of the process will cover a
substantial amount of ground with the Diamond Model, we do not
know if that is enough, nor what is ideal. We have not yet carried out a
formal test.

What We Expect
The Role of the Researcher
There are three issues we currently face in our research in Aerospace
design. The first is, as cosmologists and mathematicians have also dis-
covered, it is not possible to solve existing problems by using the same
methodology that created them in the first place (Penrose, 1990). The
second is that the reasons for needing to change a given protocol that
appears to be working are also not obvious, till viewed retrospectively
from the new one. Lastly, there is great difficulty in capturing the out-
comes of inadequately or inappropriately structured discussions.
The presence of a central focal point, such as a Researcher, in a discus-
sion between teams of Designers and Users can help integrate new in-
formation in a more seamless way than would otherwise be possible.

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

The Researcher can help facilitate implementation of good ground rules

for individuals and for the whole system. Even better, our field tests
confirm that the role of a Researcher is vital to maintaining the ques-
tion protocol only at early stages of application. At later stages of appli-
cation, when the questions are known, teams can facilitate themselves
and the role of the Researcher can be left open with no ill effects.
Readers will surely have noticed that in making the model three dimen-
sional, we also move beyond a five-element system, to a seven-element
system. The extra levels hidden in the original Mandala are only notice-
able when the Designer and User are asked to give their own view of
the whole and the Researcher brings the two extreme views together. In
some sense, the ultimate function of the Researcher is typified in the
seventh, solution-finding step of the generic process of creating (Table
3). However, in actual practise, this is not an end-point of the process
of discussion or design. Instead, is a place of self-reference and reflec-
tion or recursion.

Relating to self – Purpose

The central point is to some extent a hidden or quasi-secret level in the
system, in that this particular model of an informing system can evolve
and even achieve closure (and viability) without itself understanding its
purpose. However, the system is much more robust, if the purpose is
known. To make this innermost level explicate requires all participants
to move beyond concerns about their sub-systems or indeed the mate-
rial structures and functions of the system as a whole, to identifying its
fundamental character.
This character may be considered ‘the mind’ of the evolving system (to
play on Beer’s concept of a ‘Heart of Enterprise’, although the term is
also related to Buddhist goals). Its ‘essential character’ (Latin. natura) or
point (Greek. kharakter or kharax for ‘engraved mark’ or ‘pointed
stake’) gives a system both a reason for moving, and a direction in
which to move.
When the seventh function is carried out, after considering all actions
and reflection, a Researcher must make a choice about whether or how
data is put together. Any act of making a choice forces awareness on
the system, since one must return from the outer reaches of one’s quest
for new information, to compare it with the original purpose. Naturally,
the centre links all points and participants in the system – not least, ac-
cording to Giodarno Bruno, because the point represents infinity, and

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thus its centre is everywhere. Beer likewise points out that ‘ … inciden-
tally, if we put (the Self) as a viable system in the centre of the (sphere)
generated by the set of recursive chains, then we have a model of self-
hood that both expands to embrace the universe and also shrinks to a
vanishing grain of sand – a model familiar in oriental philosophy’ (Beer,
1984, p. 25). Thus we consider that when the Researcher acts on behalf
of all and none, he is simultaneously ‘self-referent’ (we consider this
geometrically as standing at the centre and acting on behalf of the cen-
tral point of the system) and ‘other-referent’ (‘referring to the central
point of all other sub-systems at any stage of evolution’). As we are de-
scribing the system, there is no pure observer. In our case, he is built
into the system as a function rather than a person, as a meta-quality of
mind. If the Researcher is doing his job correctly, he exchanges a sim-
ple meaning of existence of him ‘self’ (to use the term from Beer), for a
greater meaning. In other words, the purpose of the self is inseparable
from the purpose of all co-evolving sub-systems or meta-qualities.
As we suggest in the section ‘How?’, the conscious intention of the De-
signer, User and Researcher evolves as information is gathered and
structure manifests, to resemble a ‘core intention’ which is itself per-
haps unknown at the start of proceedings. Yet a transformative and
self-referent behaviour of conceptual space is the key to success in
creativity and innovation (Boden, 1994a, 2005; Csikzentmihalyi, 1997).
When there is a functional coincidence of the world in which Designers
act, the world which provides reflection and world in which both are
joined, the separate activities become ‘ultimately creative’, as Boden
(2005) suggested should be the case. This is especially true when the
process whereby coincidence is achieved is iterative (and implicitly re-
cursive) behaviour that ‘constructs the situation within which the (situa-
tion) itself is constructed’ (Boden, 2005).
As already mentioned, Beer’s VSM model requires the fifth sub-system
to be the place where the core value and purpose for Organizational
growth is set and retained. It does so, by making choices that align the
design and use of any organization of sub-systems with the central in-
tention or purpose. We add that the meta-activity of knowledge, which
is implicit in the heart of Beer’s model and also in the heart of Bud-
dhism, is in our model a seventh function of ‘knowing the purpose of
(our) existence’. At this point, it is not possible that an entity other than
the informing system itself can be falsely attributed with the power of
divining its purpose. It is not duly affected by incoming information

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

from outside itself. Thus it is accurate to say that when information

from two worlds of Design and Use are integrated at the (seventh) cen-
tral point, then the system also knows itself.

Relating to others and the world

Self-reference and other-reference are made possible by both reflection
and recursion.
As we have mentioned earlier, reflection requires plane geometries (or
maps of static situations in which symmetries exist that look like plane
geometries) to act as mirrors. And similarly, when people use the
phrase, ‘I’ll reflect on that (mental) point’, we can imagine they mean,
‘I’ll make a mental picture to consider the relationship of aspects in that
situation as if it were geometric and symmetric’.
We have also said that the centre of the informing system is the place
of self-reference. Yet the central point cannot really be reflected upon
in a way that makes spatial, mathematical sense, since it does not exist
in the normal space of a pre-given world. Indeed, for self-reference to
be possible recursion is the only option. Recursion is a special kind of
non-linear (fluid) process of repetition, which occurs often and (or)
over longer time periods, and allows or causes elements to be repeated
at different scales. It does not refer to the repetition of elements them-
selves but to the process, which makes it happen.
In the 3D Diamond Model discussed in this paper, recursion is implicit
in the central point, which forms the reference for the entire map. Re-
cursion takes place at this point (or, more accurately, through it), as
long as the Researcher keeps asking questions. For each recursion (of
the mapping) a smaller diamond now exists within the core of the lar-
ger one. Moreover, the point can holographically reproduce the charac-
teristics of the larger one, like any small mirror can reflect a large
amount of the world, if it is held close to the eye.
The holographic nature of this particular model is characteristic of re-
solving contradiction, and the hallmark of creative processes, where the
nascent solution is periodically injected into the process of idea genera-
tion (A-K. Pahl et al., in press). In other words, if our model is struc-
tured correctly, it will be a template for innovation. Thus the system
can produce nothing but itself and yet appear, to outside observers, to
produce variations of itself. And that kind of dissemination is what we
are all aiming for.

192
 Pahl & Newnes

Conclusion
As the Dalai Lama has affirmed many times, ‘… if elements of Bud-
dhist doctrine … are compellingly refuted by new empirical (scientific)
evidence or cogent reasoning, then those Buddhist tenets must be
abandoned … (or) revised accordingly’ (Wallace, 1999, p. 158). In this
paper however, we have proposed the opposite – that some elements
of Western scientific doctrine would be well served by incorporating
scientific principles from Buddhism. The ancient methods provide im-
portant means of structuring the psychological and social elements
known to contribute to ideal human functioning. Coincidentally, the
structure provides a reference map for viewing personal behaviours,
Organizational behaviour and innovative design. In particular, the con-
ceptual structures of the Four Basic Thoughts, The Three Jewels, The
Three Pillars and the Mandala of the Five Buddha Families correlate
well with general Western Research about the above topics. But in addi-
tion, the Buddhist methods propose a way of structuring this informa-
tion, which has been lacking in the West.
Our trial integration of these Buddhist maps and methods with West-
ern ones seems particularly compatible with the elements of Beer’s
(1984, 1985) Viable System Model, and with a protocol similar to his
Team Syntegrity (1994) model. Combining these insights has allowed
an extension of our recent ‘Generic Model of Creating’ (A-K. Pahl et
al., in press), in such a way that teams of Designers and Users can com-
plement each other in discussions about innovative engineering, espe-
cially at the stage of considering the complete system description.
The most comprehensive representation of the process of innovation
approximates a diamond. In 2D, this is a ‘Diamond map’ and in 3D it is
a ‘Diamond Model of Designer-User interaction’. In practise, the Dia-
mond Model of Designer-User interaction forms a Complete Inform-
ing System with as few as 10 participants, who co-evolve their purpose
in three cycles of discussion. We believe that this kind of co-evolving
discussion which integrates both the Designer-based problem-space
and User-based solution-space leads to faster product development.
In order for maximum benefit to be gained from discussion, a common
purpose for the system is best defined at the outset of design and modi-
fied as conversations evolve. Conceptually, the common central pur-
pose can be represented in many ways. Certainly, it is situated at the
very centre of the Diamond, a space of self-reference, reflection and

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indeed recursion. In terms of conversations between Designers and

Users, it signifies the integration of all contradictory thoughts and ac-
tions between the end-members of the different teams.
It is the mechanism of recursion, which occurs during questioning of
the common purpose and answering this question that allows flux to
exist in the system. The important thing is that movement happens
even while the principles that relate the elements (participants and top-
ics) to each other stay the same.
Originally, a Researcher takes on the function of guiding the two teams
to the integration of their opposing views and realisation of their pur-
pose. He must be someone who can draw together the threads of (1)
making structures, rules, methods and tools, and (2) applying the struc-
tures and tools in different ways. Later, this role becomes somewhat
redundant and can be left open, since the system eventually informs
itself. At this time, the participants in the system would be expected to
self-liberate themselves from fixations. In other words, they would see
the solution immediately on encountering any situation, without the
necessity of ever experiencing it as a problem-space. Thus, at the in-
stant in time when the system of Designers and Users informs itself, we
can say that the system not only integrates all information and knowl-
edge. It also transforms what it knows of the problem-space into the
solution-space, in all situations and levels.

Acknowledgements
This paper was produced with internal funding from IMRC, University
of Bath.
We thank anonymous reviewers and also Professor Hans-Erik Nissen
for their thoughtful comments, which greatly improved the original
submission to its current form.
We thank the Lamas of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism
for their inspiration and encouragement in developing this model inves-
tigating Buddhism as science, in spite of our poor understanding of
their teachings. We dedicate all insights we have gained from this proc-
ess of enquiry to the liberation of all beings.

194
 Pahl & Newnes

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Co-evolution and Contradiction

Appendix A: A Comparison of the

Syntegration Process of Beer with the
Generic Model for Creating
Syntegration Process
GENERIC Fractal Syntegration process (simplified after Schwaninger, 1997)
MODEL
Subsets of action
Problem 1. Opening: Syntegration encompasses a general topic that focuses all mutual
definition efforts. The opening question is also general eg: Which form should x take in
as a field future?
Divergent 2. Generation of the agenda (Problem Jostle) : Each participant makes
thinking contributing ‘Statements of Importance’ that seem important to him. These are
discussed and successively synthesised into ‘Aggregated Statements of
Importance’. Then they are prioritised and the agenda for the actual work on
Evaluation the general topic or problem is generated (by Hexadic Reduction). This is
finally worded into exactly 12 topics or ‘Consolidated Statements of
Importance’
Convergent Problem definition as 3. Assignment to groups (Topic Auction) : Each participant decides on the
Thinking a point (2? ) topics to which he or she would prefer to contribute. Based on these
preferences, they are assigned to teams which ideally consist of 5 players and 5
critics each, with the help of an optimization algorithm (or randomly )
Solution 3 or more Re- 4. Working on the topic (Outcome Resolve): The individual teams discuss
definition iterations of: their respective topic. Teams meet several times, while players move between
groups so that the problem setting is continually, subtly reformulated and
as a field Problem as field processed in alternating compositions and the different but interconnected
Divergent thinking aspects can be more clearly seen. This leads to a highly integrated self-
organizing process
Evaluation
Convergent Thinking
Solution Solution definition as a 5. Conclusion: final coordination if necessary in Triplets (corresponding to the
definition point triangular faces of the icosahedron), and presentation of the results in plenary.
as a point

200
 Pahl & Newnes

Appendix B: Questions from the Team

Syntegration Process
Questions from the Team Syntegration Process described by Leonard
(1999) were modified so as to be now used with the Diamond Model
proposed in this paper.
Two main questions can start it all off:
• What pattern of events could we expect to see, if x were im-
plemented in our department/team?
• What pattern of events could we expect to see, if x were im-
plemented elsewhere or not at all?
For discussion during cycles through the Diamond Model, teams might
consider more specific questions, such as:
• What do you think you need right now
• What do you need it for
• How much do you know about it
• What tool/system/way of doing things would it replace
• If it would not replace anything, then how would it affect the
current system
• Who else would use it/be involved in future
• Would they need it for the same reasons/use it the same way
• What other services etc. could/would merge with the pro-
gramme
• What do you think would be the impact on the team it.

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 Co-evolution and Contradiction

Biographies
Anja-Karina Pahl is currently a Research
Officer in the IMRC of the Department of
Mechanical Engineering at the University of
Bath. Following an early career in Structural
Geology, she trained in TRIZ methods in
2000 and moved in the direction of consult-
ing in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in
Melbourne before moving to the University
of Bath. Here she collaborated on setting
up the MSc programme in Biomimetic and
Technical Creativity. Her primary interest is in pattern recognition and
streamlining processes for improved multi-disciplinary knowledge
transfer, individual creativity and team-driven innovation. In particular,
she concentrates on the development of syntheses between western
and non-western methods for insight. Her current fields of application
for methods based on these syntheses are UK schools and Aerospace
Engineering.
Dr. Linda Newnes is currently Senior Lec-
turer in the Innovative Manufacturing Re-
search Centre (IMRC ) of the Department
of Mechanical Engineering at the University
of Bath. From a background in Engineering
Design, her current research interests in-
clude: Printed Circuits, Engineering Man-
agement Information Systems, Industrial
Systems Engineering, Production Engineer-
ing, Automation, Engineering Design, Manufacturing Engineering,
Computer-Aided Engineering, Quality/Product Control, Produc-
tion/Operations Management, Expert Systems, Computer Simula-
tion/Modelling, Optimization, Technology Planning/Policy.

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