Journal of Systems Thinking · Volume 3, Issue 1 · 2023-10-30
Systems Scribing
An Emerging Visual Practice
Kelvy Bird, Jessica Riehl
https://doi.org/10.54120/jost.0000034
Abstract
Systems scribing is a visual practice that combines scribing—visually representing ideas while people talk—with systems thinking. This is a new, tangible approach to representing dynamics, occurring in the moment and over time, between the scribe and a social body. Learning experiments have been conducted in educational settings, workshops, and client programs. These experiments have demonstrated to the authors that this is a challenging practice because it is difficult to combine two unique specialties without a thorough knowledge of each. Yet the complexity of our times calls for individuals to, literally, see themselves in a common picture. Sitting at a juncture between art and science, systems scribing is uniquely poised to meet this need. The practice is in its infancy, though, and will need to gain traction in use to test its true potential.
© 2023 Journal of Systems Thinking (JoST) · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
