Using Systems thinking to make sense of any subject matter

Information Architecture

Using Systems thinking to make sense of any subject matter

By Jason Brown

Every time I’m commissioned for a new project there’s typically a new subject matter to learn. I often get questions about how this can be possibly done under pressure while also applying a hierarchy and structuring it around how people want to use it. We use the human-centred design process to explore, create and validate solutions. But how do you start absorbing how the stock market works, or understanding a large body of established work?

Systems theory is where we begin, everything that we use today is based around systems theory, a solution has a defining able scope, and beyond that scope it is not part of the solution. It can also be applied to information. A good analogy is a forest, with all its complexity. Once you get to the forest edge, however, you are in unknown territory, where all you can do is look back and reduce the forest’s complexity down to its subsequent parts.

A subject matter has a defined perimeter. The more you know, the more your perimeter grows, but so does your ability to measure how relevant that piece of information is to your endeavour.

Information taxonomy at a conceptual level can be connected, classified, and has the potential to be amped up or down. It can also be pulled apart and divided down once the known associations are created. System modelling of information is immensely powerful as it can help to create the context of an environment or explore and break down a seemingly large problem.

An example of this method is the ERAF Systems Diagram (Entities, relationships, attributes and flows).

This synthesizes a system from all its components and simultaneously analyses a system to uncover any existing or emerging problems, gaps, or disparities. Entities are the main components – the trunk of the tree, the branches and the leaves. The relationships are how these entities are fundamentally connected, whether that be physically, verbally or transactionally.

Attributes are the properties of the entities, including abstract concepts, such as perceptions, emotions, names, age, quantity, size and dimensions.

Flows are the directions of the action or dynamics between the entities that benefit each other. What’s powerful about this method is that it acts as a map and can be applied at any scale. It can be fractal and modular in how it’s applied, because of the nature of systems theory.

Diagnostic Tools

Another example of a diagnostic tool is the fishbone diagram. It’s called this because it forms the shape of a fish skeleton and enables you to pin down the major parts of the area you’re unpacking until you have a solid map of the problem space. This method is more collaborative and sometimes requires the group to have a working definition of the terminology used to form a consensus, but it can be used as a personal approach to learning something complex to unpack complicated areas.

Some subjects we face and grapple with have shifting variables. This moves on to areas where system thinking can no longer help us to understand. A wicked problem has innumerable causes and morphs constantly, as there are no correct answers. Traditional linear processes – such as identifying the issue, gathering data, studying all the options, choosing one strategy – don’t work with wicked problems.

You can then typically group the problem into themes, but the problem spaces become so vast it becomes very difficult to untangle and resolve without access to a massive amount of data. However, everything can be mapped, linked and measured.

A series of strategies can be used to create, measure, learn and iterate, and in doing so, lead to continuous improvement. This is when mapping to explore and mapping to diagnose become a part of the overall iterative process.A combination of system mapping and an agile approach to strategy helps.

It is also possible to map the problem over time, to see the flows of information and how they influence other problems.

The benefits of understanding systems of information allow us to create a conceptual thought experiment. You can turn something abstract and complicated into a fixed thing that can be classified, measured, tracked and impacted.

Entrepreneurs can use these techniques to go further by pinning down a traditional model of business. They can analyse elements that were previously seen as being set in stone, and with the disruptors’ mindset, challenge conventions and tinker with operational elements.

This could be at the execution level – ‘the how’ something is created – or at the business operation level – the process of how something runs – or the conceptual level, where there is a shift of values priorities.

Model risk to communicate strategy

We can even challenge risk itself with the force field analysis by mapping and measuring the challenges/barriers we face and then balance them out with existing actions that need to be done. These, in turn, can be applied at any scale depending on the subject matter.

One incredible technique I’ve used to digest vast amounts of information is to take what needs to be consumed and turn it into a plain text format, and then drop it into a mind map. This enables you to explore or pin down information, and make connections and visualise the hierarchy of information. This process of reading, combined with reformatting and analysing the parts – the trunk, the branches, the leaves and the connections between the themes – has allowed me to develop my knowledge further by making a brand concept map.

Every time I discovered what expanded the conceptual system, I would update the map appropriately. This enabled me to discover the commonalities of information, unravel the complex nature of numerous themes and topics, and apply a hierarchy to narrow down what further research material I needed to seek.

In summary, whatever subject matter you’re trying to overcome can be mapped and articulated by using an approach that compares information to the analogy of a tree.
Applying a hierarchy and understanding the key components will help your mind formulate a mental modal of how the pieces work together to communicate their subject matter.

This act of curating and architecting a fixed subject matter helps in the process of learning, giving you a unique perspective of its interrelated parts that you can learn, compare, diagnose or capitalise on.

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Using Systems thinking to make sense of any subject matter

Information Architecture