In discussing the list of designer competencies, there was one that my group had a lot of trouble defining; "understanding of how systems behave and aspects that contribute to sustainable products, strategies and practices."
We picked apart this sentence for a good 10 minutes, and we found that it means a designer must have the knowledge of a variety of networks in terms of society and how things are. A designer needs to be able to determine what is economical, environmentally sustainable and efficient in practice. This is quite a mouthful, but it makes perfect sense. Basically, we need to be aware of the world we live in and be sympathetic to social issues and the environment in our designs.
This is a competency of logistics and sociology. The smartest designer takes in to consideration what works AND what's eco and socially friendly. As a designer, it's important that I do my research in order to make sure that this step is always implemented in my work. My strategies need to be efficient to be successful. I need to think project all the way through to be a successful designer.
We also discussed the system in terms of a network of designers. We related the system to bees: just as a bee can not be successful in helping it's colony alone, a designer can not change the world alone. We need to come together and share our ideas to make societies better, and the planet for that matter.