An Illustrated Complex Systems Framework Collection

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Because complex isn’t the same as complicated.

Announcing a new Complex Systems Framework Collection by Diane T. Finegood, Chris Yakimov, and illustrated by Sam Bradd.

This is a free resource for navigating an increasingly complex world including 40+ models and free e-book. People have developed many excellent frameworks, analogies and models for understanding complexity. We’re bringing them together in an illustrated collection to help you:

  • work more effectively with complex problems,
  • challenge conventional wisdom,
  • and develop a robust systems thinking perspective.

We believe that no single framework can reflect everything about complex challenges. But, we can learn a lot by using multiple frameworks to look at the same problem. To help, the frameworks are organized into groups. These groups are ‘jumping off points’ for developing systems thinking perspectives.

Boundaries and Definitions: Define the boundaries of a problem. Boundaries and definitions build trust and maximize collective impact, and directly influences the types of solutions.

Complex vs Complicated: Show the difference between simple, complicated, complex, and chaotic challenges. These differences are key for systems thinking, problem solving, and understanding predictability and control.

Dynamic Complexity: Examine time and feedback loops on system behaviour and adaptation, and understand how change and volatility impacts complex systems.

Organizational and Governance Strategies: Explore how influencing a system – instead of forcing change – can be more effective to create change in a complex system. Learn right-sized and practical strategies to support individual and collective efforts.

Paradigm Shifts: Learn how to adjust mental models when asking people to tackle complex challenges. Big system changes require changing our mental models, values, and how we respond.

Places to Intervene: Explore frameworks for strategically intervening in complex systems. Intervening wisely can address more than symptoms of a problem.

Trust and Collaboration: Uncover how trust is the foundation for societies and organizations that thrive amid complexity. Strengthen your understanding of how to build different cooperative partnerships.

Free resources: illustrated complex systems collection

We want you to use and share the Complex Systems Frameworks Collection. The collection is free to use.

At this link here, you can download a full set of images, individual images, or the e-book PDF. As a gift back to the field, we’ve made a clickable PDF version of the Complex Systems Framework Collection.

Here are samples that are my current favourite – and find the full website for the Complex Systems Framework website here.

Two loop model by Margaret Wheatley and illustrated by Sam Bradd. The model includes an arching loop overtop with the words steward, hospice, transition; an mirrored loop underneath, with these name, connect, nourish, illuminate. Full description of the model at the link
Closeup of anti-fragile systems, with these stages: Fragile, resilient, anti-fragile, anticipatory and the health of the forest is depicted in ways to match ranging from clearcuts to lush ecosystems
Anti-fragile systems can be visualized as having stronger or weaker changes over time; fragile, resilient, anti-fragile, anticipatory and the health of the forest is depicted in ways to match ranging from clearcuts to lush ecosystems

All of the images are available to download and use in your own work (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED).