Visualising complexity: using visual tools to facilitate coproduction of complex system design in healthcare settings

This paper reports on an empirical study evaluating the use of visual tools in an NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, City CCG. UK CCGs commission most of the community and hospital health care services, these are wide ranging and include emergency care, community health services, and rehabilitative care. Consequently, the need to communicate and design complex systems with staff and service users is common. This paper specifically focuses on how visual tools impacted on this challenging process -to communicate and co-produce complex operational systems. It finds the approach used widened participation and facilitated depth of conceptualisation of the underlying systems.