#TalkThree 17: Diagrams, Canvases, and Problem Solving
A Tiny Case Study of Diagramming as Practice
The above picture is the cover image of a possible book which is the outcome of the D as Diagramming project.
In 2018, I wrote a 108-page thesis titled Diagram Explained. I developed a framework for understanding multiple layers of diagrams and wrote a list of topics about diagramming.
On August 10, 2021, I decided to return to the D as Diagramming project. In Dec 2021, I closed the D as Diagramming project (phase 1) and edited two possible books. You can find more details in the following links:
- Diagram Blending: Building Diagram Networks (Introduction)
- Diagram Blending: Building Diagram Networks (Table of Contents)
- Diagramming as Practice (Book, version 1.0)
You can find a set of meta-diagrames, frameworks for designing and studying diagramming.
This post aims to run a tiny case study about diagrams and canvases.
Jonathan Kahan recently published a series of articles about Modeling in Problem Solving (MPS). You can find his article in the following links:
- Part 1: The Hidden Fabric of Knowledge
- Part 2: Model, Framework, Data
- Part 3: A Latticework of Mental Models
- Part 4: Practical Modeling — in Projects and in Life
He uses the following two diagrams for the MPS project.
The above diagram is the primary Framework of the MPS project.
The above diagram is the primary Canvas of the MPS project.
From the perspective of Curativity Theory, this is a great example of the Double-Container Principle:
We need Abstract Containers and Concrete Containers for developing Tacit Knowledg, Sensemaking, and other activities.
The above Framework is an Abstract Container which contains several concepts and the complex relationships between these concepts. The framework is a Representation of Jonathan Kahan’s knowledge about problem solving with models.
The above Canvas is an Concrete Container which aims to be used for containing real data in a particular situation of problem solving. The Canvas is an Instrument of the Activity of Problem Solving by using the MPS framework.
You can use the above Canvas without using the MPS Framework, however, it doesn’t make any sense since you don’t understand the complex relationship between the set of working concepts: Problem Statement, Frameworks, Models, Variables, and Data.
The Canvas only uses the hierarchy below to design the visual layout.
This is a good strategy for designing knowledge containers. You don’t have to put everything in one diagram. You can design a Framework and a Canvas and use them as a toolkit.
In D as Diagramming: The Creative Work Canvas, I made a distinction between Knowledge Diagram (knowledge framework) and Canvas. See the diagram below:
The above diagram is called HERO U and it presents six types of “Object of Knowing”. Let’s look at the terms I used for the diagram.
mTheory: Meta-theory
sTheory: Specific Theory
aModel: Abstract Model
cModel: Concrete Model
dPractice: Domain Practice
gPractice: General Practice
What is the major difference between a framework/diagram and a canvas? A simple answer is that the former focuses on expressing the relationship between several concepts while the latter primarily offers spaces for posting notes which can be considered as data about concepts.
In other words, a canvas is a situational application of a framework/diagram.
When you design a diagram, your goal is finding an ideal spatial structure to represent a set of concepts and their relationship. You don’t have to consider making spaces for others to add data about concepts. People tend to add notes around the diagram if they need to do it. For example, I made the diagram below in July. I just added some texts which refer to a set of metaphors about Strategy and Design around the diagram.
The original diagram is When X Meets Y (WXMY). I didn’t design spaces for adding notes. I discovered these spaces for adding notes which don’t correspond to concepts of the diagram. Here we have to pay attention to the picture and the diagram. The picture is a container which contains the diagram. However, the space outside the diagram is part of the picture. The act of adding notes on the space refers to the picture, not the diagram. This insight is very important if we talk about diagram-in-use for a particular situation in a particular environment. For further discussion, you can read this one: Physical Space Affordances and Graphic Space Affordances.
However, the purpose of a canvas is just offering spaces for adding notes and stickers which contain data corresponding to concepts. For example, A 2014 book titled Value Proposition Design offers a canvas for understanding value propositions and customer segments. The Customer Profile module sets three spaces for sensemaking: Customer Jobs, Gains, and Pains. According to the authors,
- Customer Jobs: describe what customers are trying to get done in their work and in their lives, as expressed in their own world.
- Gains: describe the outcomes customers want to achieve or the concrete benefits they are seeking.
- Pains: describe bad outcomes, risks, and obstacles related to customer jobs.
The above two pictures show the original canvas and its one use case. It is clear that the value of a canvas is its status of canvas-in-use for understanding data in order to achieve sensemaking in a special situation. For the case of Value Proposition Design, the situation is designing a business model for a new/old product/service.
Since canvases are designed for encouraging contributions, it became a popular instrument in several fields such as educational workshops, team meetings, design and innovation events, and other creative communication activities. The situational function requires makers to print canvases in a large size and post them on physical walls.
According to the authors of Value Proposition Design, the walls of the venue are important for a workshop. They emphasize, “Walls: Large vertical surfaces are indispensable, whether movable or part of the building. Make sure you can stick large posters, sticky notes, and flip chart paper on them…Set up an area where you can expose canvases and other work in progress. Add on ‘inspiration wall’ with content that participants can draw from, such as reference models, examples, and models of competitors.”(2014, p.167)
The same method is applied to the online environment too. Thanks to the rise of collaborative whiteboard platforms, now we can design, deliver and use canvas in digital spaces.
Let’s summarize the discussion, a diagram is a Representation of conceptualized knowledge while a canvas is an Instrument of practical application and situational communication. The primary goal of diagrams is visually express knowledge frameworks while the primary goal of canvases is to enable situational interaction around data and concepts.
Both Frameworks and Canvases are knowledge containers. While Designing is a critical activity for sharing Tacit knowledge, the source of Tacit Knowledge is more critical.
It takes time and a village to raise a creative mind.
Congrats to Jonathan Kahan!
