We live within social systems that have a lot going for them, and a few glaring flaws.
Much of our society is planned and engineered, like the buildings we live in, and the cars we drive. The rest is unfinished or have grown beyond the original scope.
As time passes and things change, new solutions must be implemented to resolve issues that arise.
Those issues impact people in the system. They are bored, hungry, or worse.
An individual may look for self serving ways around these issues, which could degrade the experience of others in the system.
Conflicts often arise in how best to handle situations. Part of the design process is having the discipline to understand different stakeholders and still come to the optimal solution.
Designers need to check their own bias of what they want in the system, especially if they are a part of it. A diverse team will help provide a more relevant perspective on what other users will want.
System owners and other stakeholders have more influence on the system design, as they control the available resources and the system is constructed around their requirements.
Users ultimately decide if a system is successful. If a retail store has a good location and has what people want, they will go there and buy stuff. If the payment terminal in the store is bug free, the business owner will keep paying the service fee.
The goal of system design is creating something functional that people want to use.
Design Thinking
Understanding how things are so that you can make them how they should be.