Systems Visualization

This is the first in a series of posts for a project I'm doing for a class I'm taking at MIT this semester, Systems Visualization (CMS.631). The world around us is much more complex than we can see at first glance. Systems visualization is an important tool for coping with this complexity by giving us the ability to see and appreciate complex interconnections between systems we study.

 What is a System?

A system is a general term used to describe something composed of different parts, which usually interact with each other. Common examples of systems include the human body (which is composed of tissues and organs which interact to keep us alive) and the internet (which is composed of a vast network of interconnected computers and routers). However, systems do not have to be composed of physically connected parts, and usually do not have well-defined boundaries. The parts and boundaries we choose usually reflect what we are interested in studying. For example, the food service industry could be broken down in multiple ways; if we were interested in human-human interaction, we could look at a system composed of customers, servers, chefs, and managers, and if we were interested in food safety, we could look at a system composed of consumers, chefs, cooking equipment, raw food, and cooked food.

What is Systems Visualization?

Systems visualization is a way of representing a system using images and text. These graphics can be very powerful, conveying information and complexity with a few simple visual metaphors. They can come in the form of pictures, infographics, charts, or even a couple of words arrayed spatially.

"The Friend Zone" - breaking down the feels

Systems visualization differs from data visualization by focusing on abstract concepts and the connections between them. While histograms or pie charts can convey quantitative information well, they cannot show relational information or semantic (contextual) information well. Systems visualization crosses the boundary between technical visualization and artistic interpretation to give viewers an intuitive sense and understanding of something that normally is very difficult to appreciate or understand all at once.

Interactions between systems of systems

My goal with this project is to create a visual that will communicate a complex system with clarity and agency - to make you care and understand how deep and vast the interconnections are in the world around us.