Seedling Series: Introduction to Systems Diagramming

Join Rupesh Shah for this practical, 2-hour workshop designed for anyone navigating complex challenges across sectors and areas. In this session, you’ll be introduced to a powerful approach to help you think and act systemically: systems diagramming. You’ll learn how to use systems diagramming to understand relationships and interconnections, see differences, and engage with multiple perspectives in complex situations.

The workshop offers a hands-on opportunity to explore diagramming as a tool for sensemaking, engagement and communication. You’ll get an overview of systems diagramming, engage in live demonstrations, practise diagramming, and learn how to integrate diagramming into your own practice for cultivating systemic change.

Why does this matter? Because in a complex world, linear, event-oriented thinking falls short. Systems diagramming helps you see the bigger picture - how elements influence one another over time - and makes complexity visible. Unlike written reports, systems diagrams can enable you to focus on systemic ways of seeing - dynamics over time and space, feedback loops, and emergent properties. Ultimately, this can help you gain reflective insight, enable better conversations between different stakeholders, and generate just strategy and action.

This workshop is especially valuable when you're trying to make sense of a new challenge, plan an intervention, or engage others in dialogue about a shared problem. Whether you're working alone or with a group, systems diagramming gives you a practical edge in thinking, seeing, and acting systemically.

This short course is offered in collaboration between The Open University and School of System Change as part of the Seedling Series: short courses supporting changemakers to embrace complexity through discovering the diversity of systemic approaches and practitioners.

Is this course for me?

Seedling Series courses are for changemakers who want to learn to embrace complexity through discovering the diversity of systemic approaches and pracitioners that exist in the field.

This short course is for you if you want to:

• Get a hands-on opportunity to explore systems diagramming as a tool for sensemaking, engagement and communication
• Discover an approach to help you gain reflective insight, enable better conversations between different stakeholders, and generate just strategy and action
• Understand how systems diagrams can enable you to focus on systemic ways of seeing - dynamics over time and space, feedback loops, emergent properties
• Learn how to integrate diagramming into your own practice for cultivating systemic change

To maximise your learning, spaces on this cohort are limited. We encourage you to enrol as soon as you can to secure your place.

This course will run on Wednesday 30 July 2025 at 11:00-13:00 BST.

You can join from anywhere in the world, so long as you can attend the time listed above.

Check your time zone

The School of System Change is continually working to improve the financial accessibility of our courses. For this course we offer three rates, and ask that you select the one that fits your financial situation. It is our hope that those able to afford the higher fees help us cover costs and support others to access the discounted rates.

• Contribution Ticket: Regenerative - £55 GBP
• Contribution Ticket: Supporter - £40 GBP
• Contribution Ticket: Supported - £25 GBP

VAT does not apply.

Refund policy: Tickets are non-refundable but can be transferred to another participant.

Enrolment is first come, first served until we reach our maximum cohort size, so we encourage you to enrol as soon as you can. Enrolment closes on Monday 28 July 2025 at 23:00 BST. If the short course is full before the enrolment deadline, we will start a waiting list of those interested.

Refund policy: Tickets are non-refundable but can be transferred to another participant.

We seek to create safe and brave spaces for participants from different backgrounds and lived experience to engage in learning together. We acknowledge the power and responsibility we hold in our role as a convenor and learning provider, placing multiple ways of knowing and awareness of difference as fundamental design principles in our programmes.

Read more about our commitment and journey around equity and difference.

Accessibility

If you will need additional support for your wellbeing or access needs, then please let us know as soon as possible, so we can factor this into our session design. You can let us know when you enrol or email us at [email protected] - we are happy to arrange a call to discuss how we can support your learning.

If you have any questions about this short course or the Seedling Series, get in touch with the School team at [email protected].

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