Method
See. Examine. Experiment. Develop.
SEED is how Human Context turns a widened frame into a next step. It’s also how you can use the six layers on your own question, not just read about someone else’s.
Why a method, not just a framework
The six layers change what you notice. They don’t, by themselves, tell you what to do next. SEED is the second half. It’s a repeatable order of operations for moving from a wider view of a question to an action worth trying and, eventually, keeping.
The four steps
See
Notice what’s actually happening, before deciding why. Separate the observation, what you can point to, from the story you’re already telling about it.
Examine
Open the question to context. Run it through the six layers. Ask which conditions, inner, relational, environmental, institutional, or larger, might be carrying more of the answer than the person alone.
Experiment
Test a change at a scale where it’s safe to learn. A small, honest experiment beats a large, untested assumption every time. The goal is information, not proof of what you already believed.
Develop
Keep what earns its place. Build the change into how things actually run, and let go of what didn’t hold up. Development isn’t the finish line. Most things you develop will get examined again later.
What SEED is for
SEED works at more than one scale. Human Context uses it to move from a research question to a finding worth publishing. You can use the same order of operations to move from a pattern you’ve noticed, in your own life, on a team, or in a family, to a change worth trying.
The protocol
A written SEED protocol, the full method with prompts for each step, is in development. It will be free to download when it’s ready.