In today's complex business environment, it's important to understand the different systems' typology in play: obvious, complicated, complex, and chaotic (as Dave Snowden puts it in the Cynefin decision-making framework. When it comes to design, understanding the expected design requirements it is equally important to ask are we designing a Robust (Fail-Safe), an Agile (Constant Change, Safe-To-Fail), or a Resilient (Bounce-Back) solution? Or indeed do we need to apply all three? This analysis applies to both automated and people-centric systems.

Cynefin Systems Typology helps us see systems from different perspectives from ordered to disordered. There is no universal answer, but the thinking can be invaluable to understanding architecture and New Ways of Working.