Whole-Brain Thinking in Systems Architecting

This position paper(dagger) explores the role of whole-brain thinking in the context of systems architecting. Brain research indicates that the brain is dual and that each of its hemispheres interprets the world differently; the concept is commonly referred to as right-brain and left-brain thinking, or sometimes R-mode and L-mode for short. L-mode denotes step-by-step linear thinking. R-mode is integrative and holistic. It pays to extend this to systems architecting. For example, there may be two ways to look at complexity, analytically and holistically. Step-by-step analysis is well suited for low-dimensional complexity. As complexity increases methodical analytical skills become overwhelmed and we are bogged down, maybe even forced into complacent partial representation-tunnel vision. Learning to see the complex may benefit from a shift from the analytical to the holistic, from L-mode to R-mode thinking, or a better blending of the two. We begin with a cursory review of brain theory and applications thereof in drawing, management and creativity theory, and then follow up with observations of blended L/R-mode thinking in the context of systems architecting. Our hope is to distill from these sources whole-brain mental strategies that may be relevant to systems architects. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 12: 265-273, 2009