Mapping Systems and Complexity
In today's complex and uncertain landscape, Mapping Systems and Complexity helps to discern and see through the noise. Visual sense-making and systems mapping involve consolidating key ideas and information and making connections to achieve a holistic understanding of complex challenges.
These techniques are invaluable in situations where complex information needs to be understood, processed, and communicated. They are particularly effective for tackling multifaceted problems, defining insights in research projects, aligning multi-stakeholder engagements, supporting futures thinking, and bridging the gap to a desired state in change management initiatives.
In the context of current polycrisis challenges and transitions to a more flourishing future, visual sense-making can simplify complexities by presenting interconnected information in a way that highlights relationships and underlying causes.
By utilising visual tools, communities and organizations engaged in transitional processes can collectively identify challenges, envision and communicate effective outcomes.
Wela Herstory of Environmental Leadership Map
The Wela Herstory of Environmental Leadership Map is an installation crafted to honour and visualise the legacy of environmental changemakers, with a focus on women and gender-diverse advocates. The map is a living, evolving work-in-progress, creatively and thoughtfully designed by Vivien Sung.
The map is more than a visual archive, it’s a learning tool to deepen our understanding of the political and social movements and events that drive change.
This installation serves two main purposes:
• To illuminate and celebrate the contributions of women and gender-diverse people in environmental advocacy and acknowledge the continuity, wisdom and resilience of Australia’s First Nations and the impact of colonialism and patriarchy on all.
• To foster dialogue and invite community involvement, bridging past accomplishments with present and future change-making efforts.
This map captures the contributions of a multitude of voices from many generations from First Nations, WELA team, activists, environmentalists and changemakers. The map was developed digitally to capture the First Nations movement, environmental movement and gender and women's movement in an interwoven story.
Visual Mapping to improve end of care services: (UNSW ARC Research Project with Carers NSW, Research led by Emma Kirby, 2023)
Vivien Sung was engaged to visualise key research insights on a research project to improve end of care services. To develop the visualisations, Viv synthesised qualitative research from focus group interviews with carers to map and capture key themes, issues, concerns and perspectives. The final series of eight visualisations were published in the research teams first research report, the first output of the UNSW ARC Research Project.
