Southbeach 2.1 Released

A screenshot of Southbeach Modeller 2.1.0.0

Southbeach 2.0 and Six Thinking Hats template

A sneek peek at Southbeach 2.0. The new UI allows for embedding of best practices in a Southbeach model. This comprises multiple creativity scripts (MyCreativity) and multiple refreshable reports (MyReports). This example is a Southbeach template for running a 'Six Thinking Hats' workshop. The situation can be modelled, and as we click around the model, the appropriate questions are generated. A simple report is included which summarises the positive and negative sentiments.

Southbeach 0.9.6 Alpha20

I have the privilege of being exposed to upcoming releases of Southbeach Modeller. In this screenshot (0.9.6 Alpha 20) you see evidence of the new Transforms toolbox, as well as live and editable Agent and Effect Views and Sorts. The image shows a large model, being developed to illustrate various Root Cause Analysis applications.

RCA (root cause analysis) of plane crash

In this screen shot of Southbeach Modeller, a root cause map, with 'evidence' hexagons, shows the sequence of events leading to a plane crash. The MyCreativity rules for the RCA tool "5x5Whys" is being used to generate questions in the lower panel. 

The rules used are available for download here and a more detailed image of the model here.

TRIZ 9boxes example for Sales Model

This model used the Southbeach 'grid' object to create a TRIZ 9boxes diagram. It shows past, present and future for the system, supersystem and subsystems. (It was developed based on an example in Darrell Mann's book "Systematic Innovation", page 64, Figure 4.2.)

It shows how relationships can be modelled across the grid between elements.

The line of output in the lower windows illustrates the use of a MyCreativity rule to generate questions directly from the model, in this case, the contradiction at 'market trends'. Clicking anywhere on the model generates different output depending on which rules fire. The rules can refer to the dimensions of the grid (past, present, system, super-system etc) so that different suggestions can be generated for different time and structure based relationships.

For those interested in how the output was generated, it used a rule that is part of a contradiction rule set as follows:

produces(&a=@present+@supersystem, &b=harmful+@future) counteracts(&b, &c=useful+@future) "Explain how current {&a} can create future {&b} so as to jepardise future {&c}"
(Click on the screen shot image for higher resolution)

The cat killed the mouse

In this example, a tabbed 'tutorial' model, explaining various approaches to model development, is illustrated. The selected tab focusses on the power of questions. In the upper part of the diagram, the statement "the cat killed the mouse" is shown. On the right, MyCreativity rules associated with this template are being used to generate questions, lower middle, which is guiding the development of the model as the user clicks on selected blocks. 

Planning to use Southbeach in a project

This model contains advice on how to embed Southbeach within a project. Each agent contains notes, guiding people through the process of building a modeling plan.

Degrees of innovation - Best Practices template

Southbeach 'grids', linked to MyCreativity rules, makes it a snap to create a 'best practice' template in any field. Here, we show a model developed by the Innovation Leadership Forum, together with questions it prompts based on latest research into primary and secondary drivers of innovation culture. The questions change as you navigate the model. Tabs can be added to capture strategies for your own company, opening up more questions as you do so.

Starbursting with Southbeach MyCreativity

Starbursting is a form of brainstorming that focuses on generating questions rather than answers. It can be used iteratively, with further layers of questioning about the answers to the initial set of questions. The following screen shots illustrate two ways to use Southbeach Modeller to help facilitate a starbursting workshop.

In the first - the starbursting method is shown visually. The facilitator enters the subject of the workshop in the center. Clicking around the model generates questions. These questions can be captured in the notes panel (right) or used to create MyCreativity rules that trigger and generate additional prompts as the user clicks around the model they are developing.

Using a template like this, it is also possible to have a tab that displays a grid, with each of the focus questions as a cell. As model elements are moved from cell to cell, the appropriate questions are fired, simulating a gradual elaboration of the model.

Root cause problem impacts template

Adapt to your own purposes. A generic model to illustrate a problem, it's root cause and upstream harmful impacts. Each green box is a potential solution - illustrating different ways to think about alleviating the problem, for example:

1. Preventing the problem
2. Removing the root cause
3. Limiting upstream impacts
4. Turning the problem into a solution etc.

The model acts as a template --Replace the names of the boxes with your own situation. Use 'MyCreativity' creativity rules to explore the problem and solution ideas in more depth (left of screen)

Two 'goals' (preferred solutions) are highlighted:
1. Intervention to remove the root cause or if not possible ...
2. Conversion of the problem to a solution (transformation) - providing benefits

The model helps create a focus in any activity where it is necessary to look at solution ideas around problems in a holistic way, to make sure that all options are considered.

Rep Rap and 3D Printing

Southbeach is often used as a visual notebook for ideas linked to Web resources. Here, a YouTube video is linked to a model of the idea of self-reproducing 3D Printing. Note how agent types (right mouse on any agent) have been used to clarify different parts of the model - idea, function, thing, etc. In addition, effects have been used to clarify the relationships between these agents. For example, while a 3D Printer can 'create' parts for a new 3D Printer, it can only do so for some parts (insufficient) and these only 'contribute' (never completely fulfil -  yet) all the requirements for making a new 3D Printer!

Also note how some 'creativity' from the field of marketing is used to ask questions about 3D Printers. Southbeach is a highly effective way of managing knowlege of solutions and ideas, and providing these in a form that can be shared, modified, updated, extended and analysed.

Dialog Mapping

This model is a 'dialog', developed by a team in a workshop. It illustrates a decision tree for how a company can move into new markets. The methodology is called Dialog Mapping and was popularised in the book: Dialogue Mapping - Bulding Shared Understanding of Wicked Problems, by Jeff Conklin   (We recommend it) The model is illustrative only.

Southbeach|MyCreativity rules have been added to the model, and which can be used with any model. The generated output can be used to guide workshop practice. Look at the hierarchical 'creativity library' on the left. The Dialog Mapping tool is organized into a number of categories, e.g.

- 3questions
- assessment
- background
- conceptual ... (left Creativity panel).

The user is able to check or uncheck (enable/disable) any set of questions to create combinations of generated output. In this case, '3questions' and 'pros and cons' are enabled, generating 12 lines of output having clicked on the agent "We could modify existing products"

21 Drivers for the 21st Century - Climate Change

This model is based on the Nov '09 newsletter from Outsights, a leading Scenario Planning and Horizon Scanning consultancy. It illustrates research sources that lead to uncertainty factors in the climate change debate and measurement models. The screenshot shows a simple Southbeach|MyCreativity rule set to question the model. (The model is illustrative only, and does not represent in any way the full richness of the Outsights research)

Fear of steep energy bill prices reported by Ofgen UK

This model illustrates high level themes in a BBC news item about a new Ofgen report, predicting high prices for energy in the UK, unstable supply and proposing four possible scenarios/outcomes for the environment, UK security and consumers. The Southbeach creative output panel lower middle is providing best practice questions from a technique called Backcasting. This is one of 21 techniques included in the Best Practices Toolkit of the Horizon Scanning Centre (HSC) of the UK government Foresight program (www.foresight.gov.uk). The full toolkit is available here: http://hsctoolkit.tribalctad.co.uk/

SWOT chart with rules-driven creative output

This Southbeach Modeller screenshot shows a Southbeach grid, defining a SWOT analysis. An artificial example is given to illustrate how the model can generate creative output, both by analyzing the agents and effects between them, as well as their placement on the grid. Each agent knows where it is on the grid, and therefore, rules that refer to grid axes can pick up the names of those agents. The panel on the right shows some of the syntax. What this illustrates is the powerful semantics of Southbeach Notation being linked to the creativity of its users, to generate applications (creative 'tools') that others can use to analyse other models.



Note from founder Howard Smith: We are close the dream I had in the original 'triz methods' series of articles, where active models would suggest their own improvements. This SWOT example was covered in this article, originally published at BPTrends.com. Beyond SWOT and towards change

Economic Uncertainty by Outsights.co.uk

This model is based on a fortnightly update newsletter from Outsights research. For more information on how to use this information in your organization, write to drivers@outsights.co.uk.

Preview of MyCreativity User Interface

This screenshot is a preview of Southbeach | MyCreativity, to be released later this year. On the left, you see the palette panel now has it own tabs. One of these is 'Creativity'. This list all the rules/scripts/applications available to the Modeller. Each can be turned on or off or combined. Clicking around a model then generates the appropriate output in the lower panel. This output panel has its own context (right mouse) menu which gives control of the formatting of the output.

Rule sets are developed by the user, and simply copying them to an appropriate directory makes them available for use.

21 Drivers for the 21st Century - War, Terrorism, Insecurity (outsights.co.uk)

Southbeach can be effective at visualizing and asking questions about 'scenarios'.

Scenario planning is a strategic planning method that some corporations and many public sector organizations use to make flexible long-term plans. It is considered by some as part of 'corporate innovation'. Related terms include futures studies, horizon scanning, forecasting and roadmapping.

Outsights is a leading practitioner of scenario planning and horizon scanning - helping clients (including public sector organizations and NGOs) to anticipate, interpret and act on important developments in the external world. Their latest work is entitled '21 Drivers for the 21st Century'. Here is a small Southbeach model based on the summary ideas within one scenario.

Capturing knowledge from the Web

Use Southbeach Modeller to search the Web to find related articles. Copy and paste text from the Web into your models. Model the associated effects and then generate creative output as required, using domain specific rule sets (MyCreativity) developed by you. Apply these to any model you develop in the future. Share models or rule sets with colleagues.

Humungous models

As the following screen shot shows, Southbeach Modeller is not limited to small models. Add hundreds of agents and hundreds of links. Generate reports and creativity based on these models, selectively or over all links, according to rules set by you with Southbeach | MyCreativity.