Pillars of Integrative Design

Introduction to
Pillars of Integrative Design

Synthesized from decades of successful RMI projects with companies and governments worldwide, the pillars of integrative design are a set of core principles to guide integrative design practice. The pillars are not a checklist of steps to be performed and checked off. Integrative design is an iterative process: a continuous cycle of design, assessment, and refinement, all linked in an intricate web. An integrative design team applies the pillars as part of a larger cycle, improving with each round of work.

Use the links below to learn about each pillar. Each page describes the pillar, explains why it’s important, poses key questions to ask as a design team, and provides examples of the pillar in practice. We recommend working through the pages in order.

Pillars of Integrative Design

Pillar 1: Cultivate beginner’s mind
Pillar 2: Transcend disciplines
Pillar 3: Focus first on the purpose
Pillar 4: Work backwards from the end use
Pillar 5: Expand system boundaries
Pillar 6: Optimize whole systems
Pillar 7: Relentlessly simplify
Pillar 8: Use measured data
Pillar 9: Strive for perfection
Pillar 10: Learn from great design

Pillars One-Page Summary

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