Effectively Communicating System Models Using Artistic Concepts

November 4, 2020

A Perspective on Systems Thinking, Architecting, and Art: Part 3

By Tom McDermott & Alejandro Salado

The systems architect must learn three core methods to convey their vision: conceptualization, composition, and communicating & focusing.

  • Conceptualization. Artists, systems thinkers, and system architects all use their skills and experience to conceptualize new designs. Conceptualization strategies include abstraction, precedence, and time. Abstractions are the means to communicate complex concepts in meaningful ways to the observer.
  • Composition. The NK and MA strategies discussed previously are the core of composition. Compositional strategies include decomposition and recomposition, boundary setting, simplifying, and synthesizing. While artists might use the canvas, stage, or music staff to describe their composition, the systems thinker and the system architect uses narrative and models. Learning to convey aesthetics in model views is how systems people create meaning to an observer.
  • Communication. Communicating is the purpose of art and defines the ability of an artist to express their internal abstractions to the observer. Art that does not effectively communicate fails. Likewise, communication is the essence of an accomplished systems thinker and systems architect.

We believe that effectively communicating system models using art is fundamental to the development of conceptualization, compositional, and communication skills in engineering. Technical education focuses first on analytical and then methodological skills and may not even arrive at these essential competencies. Contrast this with the arts and building architecture, where mastering composition is taught first, with analytical and methodological competencies to follow.

View Part 1 of this series here and Part 2 here.


References

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