Scribing is the practice of visually representing ideas while people talk, providing real-time feedback and reflection. As a form of social art, it helps groups see their collective thinking, notice patterns and tensions, and access deeper layers of understanding. In a classroom, it serves as an additional learning mode which is non-linear and physically-oriented.

This session focuses specifically on system scribing—the practice of integrating systems thinking with scribing to reveal the parts, relationships, and dynamics within spoken content. Building on foundational scribing skills (covered in our Introduction to Scribing session), participants will learn structural mapping techniques to make systemic patterns visible and support deeper understanding.

Kelvy Bird—MIT Lecturer in Visual Sensemaking and author of Generative Scribing: A Social Art of the 21st Century—will lead this all-day session. With over 30 years of experience in the field and 15 years working within Sloan Executive Education and across the university, she brings a deep understanding of group dynamics, systems thinking, and presencing to her practice.

What You'll Learn

This session emphasizes visual methods to help an audience see patterns and structures, reveal mental models, and identify leverage points for change. Participants will explore:

• Application of the Levels of Scribing framework
• The Iceberg Model as applied to scribing
• Techniques for representing relationships, causality, and emergence
• Diagnosing a personal or professional case to gain insight

Note: This session does not cover foundational scribing basics such as lettering, composition, and symbol work. For those new to scribing, we recommend starting with our Introduction to Scribing session.

Program Design

The workshop balances conceptual learning with experiential hands-on exercises, individual reflection, small group sharing, and plenary conversation. The schedule is as follows, and full-day participation is highly suggested:

• 8:30-9:00 Room open for participant arrival
• 9:00-10:30 Part 1: System Scribing Approach
• 10:30-11:00 Break
• 11:00-12:30 Part 2: Working with Feedback Loops
• 12:30-1:30 Lunch (on own)
• 1:30-3:00 Part 3: Iceberg Model Diagnostic
• 3:00-3:30 Break
• 3:30-5:00 Part 4: Integration & Application

Who Might Attend

This program is open to all MIT faculty, students, and alumni interested in visual approaches to systems thinking and collaborative sensemaking. Whether you're working with complex organizational challenges, teaching system dynamics, facilitating strategic conversations, or exploring visual methods for research, this session offers practical tools for representing systemic complexity. While some familiarity with basic scribing is helpful, it's not necessary. All interested participants are welcome!

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