On Systems

From Martin Lorenz I got into lots of exciting literature about systems. One might think that this is a totally boring and theoretical topic. But the opposite is the case, because everything in the world is a system!

We can consider a human being as a system, the earth, space, a tomato, a family, a garden pond, a national economy, a company and so on.

A system is usually made up of many components. It is especially important to understand that most components are somehow related to the other components. And so the many individual connections are what make a system so infinitely complex.

It gets particularly crazy when you realize that every system is also a system again, that is, a system of systems. And so one gradually comes to the realization that we humans with our simple brains can never comprehend the entire complexity of the world.

There are open systems that allow input. Likewise, there are closed systems that do not.

If you have followed my writings and talks, you probably once came across the input output model, that i often use to explain how i understand the term Generative Design:

From a system-perspective this is a proper example for a so called open system; one that processes an input.

Systems can be found everywhere.

Abstract, engineered systems can logically be much simpler. A circuit system is less complex than the flora and fauna of the oceans.

Systems theory has taught me a lot in the last few months that I can apply super well to my teaching in Creative Coding to make many things a lot clearer.

Quotes on Systems

Thinking in systems creates a sense for responsibility, as your work affests the systemas well as everyone and everything involved.

Martin Lorenz – Flexible Visual Systems, page 5

Thinking in systems leads to the opportunity of criticism of systems because you realize that the system may be the problem, not it’s components.

Martin Lorenz – Flexible Visual Systems, page 5

System thinking is a basic skills that you can apply to any field since basically everything can be seen as a system.

A system can be so complex taht it creates an unpredictable output.

A system can be so complex that we don’t understand it anymore. Then we call it a black box.

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Internal links

• Martin Lorenz on the intersection of creative coding and flexible visual systems
• Martin Lorenz talk at my self-initiated Processing Community Day 2021

External links

• flexiblevisualsystems.info
• Donella Meadows