Synthesis Map Showcase 2026 (Session 1 of 3)
Hosted by
Systems Thinking Ontario
In-Person
Address available to attendees
Online
Link available to attendees
Ready to join in on the fun?
June 8 (the second Monday of the month) is the 140th meeting for Systems Thinking Ontario. This will be a hybrid session.
Synthesis Map Showcase (session 1 of 3)
As part of a Systems Thinking Ontario tradition, we will be hosting students from OCADU's Strategic Foresight & Innovation (SFI) program to share recently-completed synthesis maps (as well as Map the System projects) for the monthly sessions in June, July, and August.
Presentation #1 [synthesis map] Crossing the Community Threshold (2026)
Dina Abu Khalil, Yashar Behroozi, Roxanne Clavero, Chloe Lim, Victoria Stacey
This synthesis map shows how different systems such as housing instability, lack of third spaces, and neoliberal economic pressures-interact to weaken community connection in Toronto. It uses feedback loops and structures to explain why people struggle to build relationships, highlighting barriers like time scarcity, digital substitution, and displacement. The map also identifies leverage points, showing how repeated local interactions and shared responsibility can rebuild trust and stronger communities.
Presentation #2 [system report]: Intimate Infrastructures & the Chemsex Syndemic (2026)
Carl Meschino
My system is observed as a socio-technical system, one that looks at the intersection of online connections (geosocial dating/hookup applications), sexual behaviours, and substance use, specifically for men who sleep with men (MSM) who pair crystal meth use with sex (chemsex). It explores how the chemsex syndemic affects mental and sexual health issues in MSM, and how it is exacerbated in today's age of tech. Grindr is the geosexual application of focus of this system.
Registration (& Virtual Link)
- For those attending or presenting virtually*, you will receive a Microsoft Teams invite/virtual link before the session.
Venue (for In-Person)
- Room 115* (first floor up the stairs from lobby), 205 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON, M5V 1V3
*Please understand that this will be the hosts first time using a fully hybrid room and there may be technical difficulties in the setup.
Suggested pre-readings / audio / video
- Jones, Peter and Bowes, Jeremy (2017) Rendering systems visible for design: Synthesis maps as constructivist design narratives. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 3 (3). pp. 229-248. ISSN 24058726 Available at http://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/2131/
Platform Sponsors
Torc is a community-first platform bringing together remote-first software engineer and developer opportunities from across the globe. Join a network that’s all about connection, collaboration, and finding your next big move — together.
Join our community today!
Don't let broken lines of code, busted API calls, and crashes ruin your app. Join the 4M developers and 90K organizations who consider Sentry “not bad” when it comes to application monitoring. Use code “guild” for 3 free months of the team plan.
https://sentry.io
Ready to join in on the fun?
Platform Sponsors
Torc is a community-first platform bringing together remote-first software engineer and developer opportunities from across the globe. Join a network that’s all about connection, collaboration, and finding your next big move — together.
Join our community today!
Don't let broken lines of code, busted API calls, and crashes ruin your app. Join the 4M developers and 90K organizations who consider Sentry “not bad” when it comes to application monitoring. Use code “guild” for 3 free months of the team plan.
https://sentry.io
Synthesis Map Showcase 2026 (Session 1 of 3)
Hosted by
Systems Thinking Ontario
In-Person
Address available to attendees
Online
Link available to attendees
June 8 (the second Monday of the month) is the 140th meeting for Systems Thinking Ontario. This will be a hybrid session.
Synthesis Map Showcase (session 1 of 3)
As part of a Systems Thinking Ontario tradition, we will be hosting students from OCADU's Strategic Foresight & Innovation (SFI) program to share recently-completed synthesis maps (as well as Map the System projects) for the monthly sessions in June, July, and August.
Presentation #1 [synthesis map] Crossing the Community Threshold (2026)
Dina Abu Khalil, Yashar Behroozi, Roxanne Clavero, Chloe Lim, Victoria Stacey
This synthesis map shows how different systems such as housing instability, lack of third spaces, and neoliberal economic pressures-interact to weaken community connection in Toronto. It uses feedback loops and structures to explain why people struggle to build relationships, highlighting barriers like time scarcity, digital substitution, and displacement. The map also identifies leverage points, showing how repeated local interactions and shared responsibility can rebuild trust and stronger communities.
Presentation #2 [system report]: Intimate Infrastructures & the Chemsex Syndemic (2026)
Carl Meschino
My system is observed as a socio-technical system, one that looks at the intersection of online connections (geosocial dating/hookup applications), sexual behaviours, and substance use, specifically for men who sleep with men (MSM) who pair crystal meth use with sex (chemsex). It explores how the chemsex syndemic affects mental and sexual health issues in MSM, and how it is exacerbated in today's age of tech. Grindr is the geosexual application of focus of this system.
Registration (& Virtual Link)
- For those attending or presenting virtually*, you will receive a Microsoft Teams invite/virtual link before the session.
Venue (for In-Person)
- Room 115* (first floor up the stairs from lobby), 205 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON, M5V 1V3
*Please understand that this will be the hosts first time using a fully hybrid room and there may be technical difficulties in the setup.
Suggested pre-readings / audio / video
- Jones, Peter and Bowes, Jeremy (2017) Rendering systems visible for design: Synthesis maps as constructivist design narratives. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 3 (3). pp. 229-248. ISSN 24058726 Available at http://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/2131/
Get in touch!
hi@guild.host