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Revamping our template picker

We''ve redesigned the template picker to make it easier to pick the right template for your map. We''ve renamed some templates, added new ones, and provided more context about when to use each template. You''ll see the new template picker any time you create a new project or a new map within an existing project.

Learn more about the changes on our blog.

Sticky Studio sneak peek

We now have a working prototype of a real-time mapping platform we''re calling Sticky Studio. We built Sticky Studio to make it easier to collaborate on the early, more generative stages of building out a systems map (but we''re finding ourselves using it in many other ways). Think of it as Mural + Kumu with a focus on keeping things as simple and easy to use as possible.

Here''s a preview of what we''re working on next:

• Image uploads
• Circles, rectangles and lines for building templates
• Comment threads for each sticky note
• Image uploads
• Secure, private URLs for each studio

Click here if you''re interested in early access.

Post topics in Weavr

Weavr is a platform built by the team at Kumu to support a healthier network. Use Weavr to strengthen relationships, share learnings, and make the most of your network''s most valuable asset: its people.

We recently added support for post topics, making it easy to organize posts by topic and also subscribe to the posts that matter most to you. Hopefully this makes it far easier to scale meaningful conversations in your community.

Know of a community that might benefit from Weavr? Tell us about it!

Our favorite complexity links

What white people can do

Gender equality in tech

Navigating the future impact of today''s tech

How to be an antiracist

Welcome ,

We're excited you're here! You are now part of a wonderful community of people around the globe using Kumu to create change, and find clarity within complex information.

So where do you begin?

We strongly recommend checking out our Help Docs. They''re the quickest way to get acquainted with Kumu's features and are loaded with tips, videos, and advice on getting the most out of Kumu.

Read the docs

If you ever get stuck, you can always drop us a line at support@kumu.io or chat with us on slack.

Happy mapping!
Team Kumu

P.S. Have data you''re planning to import? Make sure to read our guide on how to structure your data first to ensure a smooth import!

Hi ,

I''m Alex Vipond, head of Customer Support at Kumu. I noticed that you''ve been using Kumu for a few days now, and wanted to share a few guides that will help you dive deeper whenever you''re ready:

• Color-code and re-size your data
• Show/hide items based on information stored inside them
• Cluster elements to find their hidden connections
• Import spreadsheets of data to build maps more quickly

Let me know if you have questions on these guides, or anything else in Kumu. I''m here to help!

Cheers,

Alex

--

Alex Vipond | Kumu | Customer Support | 408-335-4699

Tools for tackling tough problems.

Introducing direct decorations

One thing that sets Kumu apart from many other mapping tools is its ability to create data-driven decorations. Data-driven decorations are rules that tell Kumu how to style your map based on underlying field values. While data-driven decorations are powerful, they can be a bit overkill for simpler maps. Enter direct decorations!

You''ll now find a toolbar whenever you hover over individual elements, connections, and loops, allowing you to quickly apply decorations specific to that item while avoiding the mental overhead of a more data-driven approach. Even better, you can use this toolbar to quickly edit the label or add a type.

Learn all about direct decorations with our new help guide.

Wondering when to use data-driven versus direct decorations? Read Alex''s guide.

COVID-19 and the new WFH reality

We hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given how many aspects of life the virus and our response to the virus has affected, now seems like a ripe opportunity for deep exploration of the various second and third order effects we are already seeing and might anticipate. Alex on our team has pulled together this presentation looking at how the lens of vicious, virtuous, stagnating, and stabilizing loops are helpful in making sense of COVID-19 implications.

Given that many of you usually run in-the-room participatory processes in the creation of your system maps, we''re also looking at what it might take to support real-time functionality within Kumu (a la Google Docs or Mural). One experiment we plan to run involves a participatory front-end that allows you to collect upstream and downstream factors in real-time. Send us a note if you''re interested in being part of the experiment!

Getting serious about the how of systems change

by Rob Ricigliano

The systems change field has reached a milestone: the issue is no longer whether systems change is needed to address big challenges, such as poverty or the climate crisis, but how to implement a complex-systems approach.

Unfortunately, many of us have evangelized the need for systems change while understating the difficulty of the challenge. When I started working with organizations of The Omidyar Group (TOG) in 2014, I glossed over the practical difficulties of building a system-change organization, and that naivety certainly added to the cost of doing so.

Recently, I was asked, "what do you know now about systems-change organizations that you wished you knew back in 2014?"? Here is how I answered that question.

Read the full post on In Too Deep

Weavr now supports direct messages

Weavr is a platform built by the team at Kumu to support your network''s impact. Use Weavr to strengthen relationships, share learnings, and make the most of your network''s most valuable asset: its people.

We recently added support for direct messages, making it easy to connect with others privately without having to turn to email or other platforms. We''ve also made it easier to see patterns in interests of everyone in your network, as well as adding support for more targeted, multi-segment searches.

Have a community that might benefit from Weavr? Send us an email.

Our favorite complexity links

Second order effects of coronavirus

Why conservation needs a new way to scale

Another way is possible

How systems thinking can transform journalism