A Month in System Seeing: Journal Starter Kit (2025 edition)
This pulls the #AdventOfSystemSeeing prompts together in one place, and adds several more to make it a month.
PDF: www.ruthmalan.com/systems/2025...
This pulls the #AdventOfSystemSeeing prompts together in one place, and adds several more to make it a month.
PDF: www.ruthmalan.com/systems/2025...
January 5, 2025 at 11:35 PM
A Month in System Seeing: Journal Starter Kit (2025 edition)
This pulls the #AdventOfSystemSeeing prompts together in one place, and adds several more to make it a month.
PDF: www.ruthmalan.com/systems/2025...
This pulls the #AdventOfSystemSeeing prompts together in one place, and adds several more to make it a month.
PDF: www.ruthmalan.com/systems/2025...
December 1, and Advent(ure) season!
Anyone here want to participate in #AdventOfSystemSeeing 2024 edition?
There are daily prompts on the AdventOfSystemSeeing hashtag (making it easier to follow or mute).
The idea is to do daily (15-20 minute) exercises in a System Journal (notebook).
Anyone here want to participate in #AdventOfSystemSeeing 2024 edition?
There are daily prompts on the AdventOfSystemSeeing hashtag (making it easier to follow or mute).
The idea is to do daily (15-20 minute) exercises in a System Journal (notebook).
December 1, 2024 at 2:29 PM
December 1, and Advent(ure) season!
Anyone here want to participate in #AdventOfSystemSeeing 2024 edition?
There are daily prompts on the AdventOfSystemSeeing hashtag (making it easier to follow or mute).
The idea is to do daily (15-20 minute) exercises in a System Journal (notebook).
Anyone here want to participate in #AdventOfSystemSeeing 2024 edition?
There are daily prompts on the AdventOfSystemSeeing hashtag (making it easier to follow or mute).
The idea is to do daily (15-20 minute) exercises in a System Journal (notebook).
#AdventOfSystemSeeing so far:
1: Draw a Bicycle
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
2. Draw Your Org
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
3. Explore System Concepts
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
4. Ackoff of Systems
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
5. Attending (more) Closely
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
1: Draw a Bicycle
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
2. Draw Your Org
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
3. Explore System Concepts
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
4. Ackoff of Systems
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
5. Attending (more) Closely
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
Day 5 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Attending (more) closely
This page is from @nsousanis book Unflattening. (It’s amazing; gift yourself!)
Study this page and write notes — on the page if you have access to a printer. Take the full 15-20 minutes, so you push yourself to notice more and then more.
Attending (more) closely
This page is from @nsousanis book Unflattening. (It’s amazing; gift yourself!)
Study this page and write notes — on the page if you have access to a printer. Take the full 15-20 minutes, so you push yourself to notice more and then more.
December 14, 2024 at 6:49 PM
#AdventOfSystemSeeing so far:
1: Draw a Bicycle
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
2. Draw Your Org
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
3. Explore System Concepts
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
4. Ackoff of Systems
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
5. Attending (more) Closely
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
1: Draw a Bicycle
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
2. Draw Your Org
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
3. Explore System Concepts
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
4. Ackoff of Systems
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
5. Attending (more) Closely
bsky.app/profile/ruth...
Day 2 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Draw your Org
1. Draw your org* at least 3 different ways.
* pick one of interest—where you work, community organization, family
2. Jot down reflections (what you learned about your org). What do these different views illuminate? What do you learn looking across them?
Draw your Org
1. Draw your org* at least 3 different ways.
* pick one of interest—where you work, community organization, family
2. Jot down reflections (what you learned about your org). What do these different views illuminate? What do you learn looking across them?
December 2, 2024 at 8:54 PM
Day 2 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Draw your Org
1. Draw your org* at least 3 different ways.
* pick one of interest—where you work, community organization, family
2. Jot down reflections (what you learned about your org). What do these different views illuminate? What do you learn looking across them?
Draw your Org
1. Draw your org* at least 3 different ways.
* pick one of interest—where you work, community organization, family
2. Jot down reflections (what you learned about your org). What do these different views illuminate? What do you learn looking across them?
'Drawing [isn’t] just for “artists” [..]. Think of it as a way of observing the world and learning' — Anne Quito
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 1: Draw a Bicycle (and sketch a key mechanism) www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 1: Draw a Bicycle (and sketch a key mechanism) www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
Advent(ure) in System Seeing
If you've done the "draw a bicycle" exercise before: skip step 1, and go to step 2, so that you can get to step 3 (it's new) and 4.
www.ruthmalan.com
December 1, 2025 at 6:24 AM
'Drawing [isn’t] just for “artists” [..]. Think of it as a way of observing the world and learning' — Anne Quito
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 1: Draw a Bicycle (and sketch a key mechanism) www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 1: Draw a Bicycle (and sketch a key mechanism) www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
Day 1 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Draw a Bicycle
1. Draw a Bubble Diagram of a Bicycle. Use bubbles to express the key concepts of a bicycle; use placement and size to convey relationships
2. Now draw a bicycle
3. What do we notice (more)? Jot down some observations about drawing to see, to think, ..
Draw a Bicycle
1. Draw a Bubble Diagram of a Bicycle. Use bubbles to express the key concepts of a bicycle; use placement and size to convey relationships
2. Now draw a bicycle
3. What do we notice (more)? Jot down some observations about drawing to see, to think, ..
December 1, 2024 at 2:40 PM
Day 1 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Draw a Bicycle
1. Draw a Bubble Diagram of a Bicycle. Use bubbles to express the key concepts of a bicycle; use placement and size to convey relationships
2. Now draw a bicycle
3. What do we notice (more)? Jot down some observations about drawing to see, to think, ..
Draw a Bicycle
1. Draw a Bubble Diagram of a Bicycle. Use bubbles to express the key concepts of a bicycle; use placement and size to convey relationships
2. Now draw a bicycle
3. What do we notice (more)? Jot down some observations about drawing to see, to think, ..
Day 4 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Russ Ackoff on Systems
Watch and sketchnote: If Ackoff had given a Ted talk
It's roughly 10 minutes and he gets a lot done, and the concepts and illustrations/stories are useful to have in one's repertoire for explaining systems ideas.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=OqEe...
Russ Ackoff on Systems
Watch and sketchnote: If Ackoff had given a Ted talk
It's roughly 10 minutes and he gets a lot done, and the concepts and illustrations/stories are useful to have in one's repertoire for explaining systems ideas.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=OqEe...
If Russ Ackoff had given a TED Talk...
YouTube video by Steven Brant
m.youtube.com
December 4, 2024 at 5:05 AM
Day 4 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Russ Ackoff on Systems
Watch and sketchnote: If Ackoff had given a Ted talk
It's roughly 10 minutes and he gets a lot done, and the concepts and illustrations/stories are useful to have in one's repertoire for explaining systems ideas.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=OqEe...
Russ Ackoff on Systems
Watch and sketchnote: If Ackoff had given a Ted talk
It's roughly 10 minutes and he gets a lot done, and the concepts and illustrations/stories are useful to have in one's repertoire for explaining systems ideas.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=OqEe...
Day 3 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Explore System Concepts
1. Spend several minutes brainstorming system concepts (boundary, parts, etc.). Create a list, mind-map, concept map, or whatever you find generative, to get your ideas about systems out where you can see them.
Explore System Concepts
1. Spend several minutes brainstorming system concepts (boundary, parts, etc.). Create a list, mind-map, concept map, or whatever you find generative, to get your ideas about systems out where you can see them.
December 3, 2024 at 11:03 AM
Day 3 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Explore System Concepts
1. Spend several minutes brainstorming system concepts (boundary, parts, etc.). Create a list, mind-map, concept map, or whatever you find generative, to get your ideas about systems out where you can see them.
Explore System Concepts
1. Spend several minutes brainstorming system concepts (boundary, parts, etc.). Create a list, mind-map, concept map, or whatever you find generative, to get your ideas about systems out where you can see them.
If you’re thinking of participating in the #AdventOfSystemSeeing this year, you have a good reason to treat yourself to a new notebook to journal in, and maybe even some nice pens or whatever.
Last year’s daily journal prompts got turned into this (pdf): www.ruthmalan.com/systems/2025...
Last year’s daily journal prompts got turned into this (pdf): www.ruthmalan.com/systems/2025...
www.ruthmalan.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:37 PM
If you’re thinking of participating in the #AdventOfSystemSeeing this year, you have a good reason to treat yourself to a new notebook to journal in, and maybe even some nice pens or whatever.
Last year’s daily journal prompts got turned into this (pdf): www.ruthmalan.com/systems/2025...
Last year’s daily journal prompts got turned into this (pdf): www.ruthmalan.com/systems/2025...
Day 8 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Sketch the Situation
Start to explore the situation you described — visually this time.
Draw the situation, using words and images, but keep it informal and sketchy.
The situation sets the general frame (so we aren't bringing the whole world into our picture).
Sketch the Situation
Start to explore the situation you described — visually this time.
Draw the situation, using words and images, but keep it informal and sketchy.
The situation sets the general frame (so we aren't bringing the whole world into our picture).
December 8, 2024 at 5:58 AM
Day 8 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Sketch the Situation
Start to explore the situation you described — visually this time.
Draw the situation, using words and images, but keep it informal and sketchy.
The situation sets the general frame (so we aren't bringing the whole world into our picture).
Sketch the Situation
Start to explore the situation you described — visually this time.
Draw the situation, using words and images, but keep it informal and sketchy.
The situation sets the general frame (so we aren't bringing the whole world into our picture).
Day 12 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Graphical History: How We Got Here
Continue exploring the history, but with a visual "lens" — in particular, draw the unfolding over time, identifying major events and their rippling consequences. Consider going back (somewhat) further than you think is "the beginning”
Graphical History: How We Got Here
Continue exploring the history, but with a visual "lens" — in particular, draw the unfolding over time, identifying major events and their rippling consequences. Consider going back (somewhat) further than you think is "the beginning”
December 12, 2024 at 5:26 AM
Day 12 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Graphical History: How We Got Here
Continue exploring the history, but with a visual "lens" — in particular, draw the unfolding over time, identifying major events and their rippling consequences. Consider going back (somewhat) further than you think is "the beginning”
Graphical History: How We Got Here
Continue exploring the history, but with a visual "lens" — in particular, draw the unfolding over time, identifying major events and their rippling consequences. Consider going back (somewhat) further than you think is "the beginning”
Day 16 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
System Purpose and Capabilities
Consider a (socio)technical system of interest. What is its primary purpose (or defining identity)? Explore the capabilities it offers, shares, and relies on, to fulfill this purpose.
System Purpose and Capabilities
Consider a (socio)technical system of interest. What is its primary purpose (or defining identity)? Explore the capabilities it offers, shares, and relies on, to fulfill this purpose.
December 16, 2024 at 2:36 PM
Day 16 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
System Purpose and Capabilities
Consider a (socio)technical system of interest. What is its primary purpose (or defining identity)? Explore the capabilities it offers, shares, and relies on, to fulfill this purpose.
System Purpose and Capabilities
Consider a (socio)technical system of interest. What is its primary purpose (or defining identity)? Explore the capabilities it offers, shares, and relies on, to fulfill this purpose.
“But no leader of however small a group can forget, without disastrous consequences, that the activities of each group have to be fitted into a whole which is constantly changing"
— Mary Parker Follett
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 3: Explore Impact of Change
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
— Mary Parker Follett
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 3: Explore Impact of Change
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
Advent(ure) in System Seeing
Web: https://www.ruthmalan.com
www.ruthmalan.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:36 AM
“But no leader of however small a group can forget, without disastrous consequences, that the activities of each group have to be fitted into a whole which is constantly changing"
— Mary Parker Follett
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 3: Explore Impact of Change
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
— Mary Parker Follett
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 3: Explore Impact of Change
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
"A system is an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something"
— Donella Meadows
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 5: Characterizing Systems
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
— Donella Meadows
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 5: Characterizing Systems
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
Advent(ure) in System Seeing
Some ideas for the page: a characterization of systems. A list of the key ideas in systems. Some images that illustrate your characterization. Some examples.
www.ruthmalan.com
December 5, 2025 at 1:15 PM
"A system is an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organized in a way that achieves something"
— Donella Meadows
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 5: Characterizing Systems
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
— Donella Meadows
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 5: Characterizing Systems
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
Day 6 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Describe Focal Situation
Think of a situation you’d like to explore with a systems lens as we practice various systems approaches and views. It's good if it's something that matters to you to explore (15-20 minutes/day adds up)…
Describe the situation
Describe Focal Situation
Think of a situation you’d like to explore with a systems lens as we practice various systems approaches and views. It's good if it's something that matters to you to explore (15-20 minutes/day adds up)…
Describe the situation
December 6, 2024 at 6:03 AM
Day 6 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Describe Focal Situation
Think of a situation you’d like to explore with a systems lens as we practice various systems approaches and views. It's good if it's something that matters to you to explore (15-20 minutes/day adds up)…
Describe the situation
Describe Focal Situation
Think of a situation you’d like to explore with a systems lens as we practice various systems approaches and views. It's good if it's something that matters to you to explore (15-20 minutes/day adds up)…
Describe the situation
Day 5 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Attending (more) closely
This page is from @nsousanis book Unflattening. (It’s amazing; gift yourself!)
Study this page and write notes — on the page if you have access to a printer. Take the full 15-20 minutes, so you push yourself to notice more and then more.
Attending (more) closely
This page is from @nsousanis book Unflattening. (It’s amazing; gift yourself!)
Study this page and write notes — on the page if you have access to a printer. Take the full 15-20 minutes, so you push yourself to notice more and then more.
December 5, 2024 at 5:14 AM
Day 5 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Attending (more) closely
This page is from @nsousanis book Unflattening. (It’s amazing; gift yourself!)
Study this page and write notes — on the page if you have access to a printer. Take the full 15-20 minutes, so you push yourself to notice more and then more.
Attending (more) closely
This page is from @nsousanis book Unflattening. (It’s amazing; gift yourself!)
Study this page and write notes — on the page if you have access to a printer. Take the full 15-20 minutes, so you push yourself to notice more and then more.
Day 20 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Constraints and Forces
Identify an area (in your situation) where you want to *do something* (nontrivial) and want to explore further what you'll encounter and what it will take.
Constraints and Forces
Identify an area (in your situation) where you want to *do something* (nontrivial) and want to explore further what you'll encounter and what it will take.
December 20, 2024 at 5:09 AM
Day 20 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Constraints and Forces
Identify an area (in your situation) where you want to *do something* (nontrivial) and want to explore further what you'll encounter and what it will take.
Constraints and Forces
Identify an area (in your situation) where you want to *do something* (nontrivial) and want to explore further what you'll encounter and what it will take.
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 1
Draw a Bicycle
Draw a Bicycle
December 5, 2024 at 2:51 PM
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 1
Draw a Bicycle
Draw a Bicycle
Day 15 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Systems and Boundaries
Identify systems in the situation you’re exploring. List them, or draw them interacting.
Some things to think about: what larger systems are the systems we name, part of? What are the interactions?
Systems and Boundaries
Identify systems in the situation you’re exploring. List them, or draw them interacting.
Some things to think about: what larger systems are the systems we name, part of? What are the interactions?
December 15, 2024 at 5:47 AM
Day 15 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Systems and Boundaries
Identify systems in the situation you’re exploring. List them, or draw them interacting.
Some things to think about: what larger systems are the systems we name, part of? What are the interactions?
Systems and Boundaries
Identify systems in the situation you’re exploring. List them, or draw them interacting.
Some things to think about: what larger systems are the systems we name, part of? What are the interactions?
"Everything within a system is changed by being part of that system, every element, every relationship is changed."
— Patrick Hoverstadt, The Grammar of Systems
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 9: Relationships and Interactions
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
— Patrick Hoverstadt, The Grammar of Systems
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 9: Relationships and Interactions
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
Advent(ure) in System Seeing
Image source: Camille Defrenne and Suzanne Simard, "The Secret Language of Trees"
www.ruthmalan.com
December 9, 2025 at 9:11 PM
"Everything within a system is changed by being part of that system, every element, every relationship is changed."
— Patrick Hoverstadt, The Grammar of Systems
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 9: Relationships and Interactions
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
— Patrick Hoverstadt, The Grammar of Systems
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 9: Relationships and Interactions
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
Day 17 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Care and Repair
"What we really need to study is how the world gets put back together." — Shannon Mattern
Find where repair is happening in this situation you're exploring, and draw it out, to understand and appreciate and learn from it.
Care and Repair
"What we really need to study is how the world gets put back together." — Shannon Mattern
Find where repair is happening in this situation you're exploring, and draw it out, to understand and appreciate and learn from it.
December 17, 2024 at 5:36 AM
Day 17 #AdventOfSystemSeeing
Care and Repair
"What we really need to study is how the world gets put back together." — Shannon Mattern
Find where repair is happening in this situation you're exploring, and draw it out, to understand and appreciate and learn from it.
Care and Repair
"What we really need to study is how the world gets put back together." — Shannon Mattern
Find where repair is happening in this situation you're exploring, and draw it out, to understand and appreciate and learn from it.
“Knowing what to keep is just as important as knowing what to change.”
— Esther Derby
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 13: What if you do nothing (different)?
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
— Esther Derby
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 13: What if you do nothing (different)?
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
Advent(ure) in System Seeing
Template: Ideal Present Canvas by Jabe Bloom
www.ruthmalan.com
December 14, 2025 at 12:21 PM
“Knowing what to keep is just as important as knowing what to change.”
— Esther Derby
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 13: What if you do nothing (different)?
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
— Esther Derby
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 13: What if you do nothing (different)?
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
"We fail more often not because we fail to solve the problem we face but because we fail to face the right problem.”
— Russell Ackoff
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 8: Context Changes Everything
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
— Russell Ackoff
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 8: Context Changes Everything
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
Advent(ure) in System Seeing
www.ruthmalan.com
December 8, 2025 at 3:04 PM
"We fail more often not because we fail to solve the problem we face but because we fail to face the right problem.”
— Russell Ackoff
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 8: Context Changes Everything
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...
— Russell Ackoff
#AdventOfSystemSeeing Day 8: Context Changes Everything
www.ruthmalan.com/Advent/2025/...