When you’re engaging with people to understand a system, it’s certainly possible to capture insights using written notes, however, it is very difficult to articulate complicated systems without illustrating them in some way. Below are some tools to help you with your engagement.
Cluster maps - do and capture an initial “brain dump”
System maps - Illustrate a whole system
Causal Loop Diagrams - Articulate specific parts of a system
Affinity sorting - Organise your observations and draw out insights
Theories of Change - Explain a solution to a problem