This project was my first commercial failure. Likely because the topic sounds very dry, not many people were attracted to it - and I decided not to publish it. However, studying cybernetics has been one of the most insightful projects I have undertaken.
Cybernetics is the science of feedback loops. When a system organises itself from within, it uses a specific mechanism of action, sensation and comparison. As it moves closer to its goal, it receives feedback - and this feedback tells it where to go (positive feedback), or where not to go (negative feedback).
This basic concept is present EVERYWHERE. It’s a big part of what makes meaning: the pursuit of a goal. There are whole branches of psychology based on this idea, from the self-help “Psychocybernetics” to cutting edge contemporary science like Adam Saffron’s “Radically Embodied Cybernetic Bayesian Brain”.
Many years later, I am finding more use for this material.
Games design and conversation design, in particular.
Because a game is essentially a series of goals, we can use cybernetic principles to simplify games design. This has been an one of my most popular lessons in later projects, as it is both very fun to do and highly practical for the creation process.
Designing conversation has been an insightful process to help find more meaningful goals and effective methods for clients. Based on the work of Paul Pangaro, I have learnt to emphasise conversations around language, goals, methodology and design to create more transparent, effective and ethical learning experiences. See more below from Paul Pangaro.
To me, the essence of applied cybernetics is the statement from Jordan Peterson (another cybernetics researcher): “No goals, no meaning”. This statement fails to capture some of the more playful aspects of perception, but does zero in on the linchpin of human experience: goals create meaning.
