How do you use Miro for Systems Thinking or Causal Loop Diagrams?

  • 27 February 2021
  • 5 replies
  • 1830 views

Hi community! 

 

My first post here, so nice to be part of this community.

I’ve been exploring using Miro for causal loop diagrams or diagrams often used in Systems Thinking. Miro has been good for capturing elements (as text or sticky notes) and makes connecting them with different lines easier. The alignment tools allow me to align text with each other, but for more complex graphs this becomes more difficult.

In an ideal world, I would love if Miro could automatically adjust the elements for easy readability. This would save me from moving each element and line around when we add more.

Does anyone here use Miro for similar diagrams and found a way Miro can help focus on building and evolving a diagram, instead of fidgeting around with the layout?

Thanks in advance.

 


5 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +5

@Pat Kua   Super excited to see you post about causal loop diagrams. 

We built a tool as a prototype for a collective causal loop diagramming process called Perception Mapping ( by Darrel Mann ).  Its not precisely what you’re desiring… but its not far off either. What you’ve described has been on my mind / backlog of tools to build… a sort-of network layout support tool. 


I made you a quick demo video of this causal loop tool in action. 

 

Eager to keep chatting with you about such tools. Keep the positive feedback loop alive here or feel free to DM me.  :)

 

Cheers,

Max

Hi @Max Harper!

 

Thank you for your comment and your perception mapping tool looks interesting. I agree with you that Perception Mapping looks like a very specific (but related) approach to Causal Loop Diagrams.

If I were to use such a tool, I want to focus on the relationship between entities, letting the tool do the formatting. I’m not so sure I would want to enforce a table as way of input though if you’re looking for feedback. I really want to drop entities on the canvas (text, stickies or notes), make connections but have the canvas nicely distribute them.

 

Good work on the plugin though. It looks nifty for its purpose

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +5

@Pat Kua   Yep. Everything you mention makes sense. I’m adding it to the network-thinking/systems-thinking tool Wishlist. I’ll keep you posted when I can get around to a prototype. 

And great idea. Let’s get causal loop diagramming more popular. Done well it can be transformative! 

Hi@Max Harper, I landed on Miro to find better tools for causal loop diagramming, and I found your demo. How do I start working with the tool you developed? 

What if…. the existing “connector” functionality was expanded…

More “connector end shapes” like:

  • Positive Link indicator   >+
  • Negative Link indicator     >-

And an additional connector line type:

  • Delayed indicator -||-

Reply