You might have heard or read about concepts like Systems Thinking and Design Thinking (both with and without capital letters) and asked yourself: what do they mean? We see both of these are frameworks for thinking about problems. It’s somewhat confusing, but both systems thinking and design thinking are more than just ways of thinking, […]
Thinking Frameworks Read More »
A systems map is a useful means of visualizing connections between ideas, actors, institutions, and activities. Systems maps can be designed using many different conventions and methods, but the basics are the same. The point of mapping systems is to get a lot of information on a single page. System maps can help generate insight
Systems Mapping Cautions Read More »
Systems thinking done broadly allows us to take into consideration the various factors — structures, activities, relationships, interconnections — that can influence our organization, market, and domain of inquiry. One of the fundamental qualities of systems is that they have boundaries. For example, when we consider an organization as a system we need to place
Simple Systems Scoping Read More »
Sensemaking is a social process that helps us make sense of data, information, and knowledge in a time of complexity. It’s used often in innovation contexts when we are fitting data to a unique situation. The RSA (the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) a UK-based charity and think-tank has recently
Sensemaking in Crisis Read More »
Sketch diagrams are powerful tools for visualizing complex programs and systems. This simple technique literally gets people on the same page. Mapping out a service or product ecosystem can be a complicated endeavour. There is the entire field of systemic design that focuses on tools and strategies to engage users for starters. There are approaches
Systems Diagrams Made Simple Read More »
