The Ways of Representing Things

From Shelley Evenson's Conceptual Models class:

• Spider Diagram. Organized by placing something in the center and radiating sub-ideas outwards.
• Process Flow: Linear. Shows how concepts and activities unfold, usually over time. They can be produced at a variety of levels of resolution and are good for helping teams identify possible points of intervention.
• Process Flow: Circular. Shows how concepts or activities repeat. They can sometimes loop within steps.
• Venn Diagrams. A favorite of consulting firms everywhere, venn diagrams are a way to represent sets and relationships to show what elements of an experience are shared and what is unique. They can be used to show just about anything.
• 2 x 2 Matrix. useful tool for initial sorting of data. Good for categorizing things that can be reduced to two simple variables. Enables a rapid clustering (or separating) of information into four categories.
• System Diagram.Shows a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole.
• Maps. Usually deal with depicting some aspect of physical space and a person's interaction with it. Gives a sense of overview.

Originally posted on Wednesday, January 19, 2005