Tracking and visualising connections

[histrel]

I’m and Engagement and Knowledge Exchange Manager and also doing a PhD around Engagement.

What I want to do is track and visualise the connections I make, who I introduce them to and so on so that I can go back and follow up to see what impact my work in nurturing relationships has had.

For example -
So, I know Zaphod who works for a charity, a few weeks later I meet Arthur at an event who is an academic with interests in the same area as Zaphod. I think they would really do some interesting work together so I introduce them. They go off and get funding and create a research project which has societal impact.

I want to record that introduction, so that at a future date I can say “this is what my hard work and relationship nurturing facilitated” because, as we all know, everything needs a price attached to it I would also like to visualise it with nodes and links - because everyone likes a pretty visualisation.

I’m fairly new to Logseq but slowly learning - does anyone with more experience than me have any ideas the best way to approach this before I start potentially reinventing the wheel.

Thank you in advance.

[mentaloid]

Welcome. You are basically asking for two different things:

• Record and keep track of connections on their making. Logseq is ideal for that:
  • Use the journal to write down things at the correct date they take place.
    • Like when you meet Arthur.
    • Keep notes even for things that may not be obviously useful in the end.
  • Use one page for each connected entity.
    • Like a person, a project, an area etc.
  • Use blocks in each page to properly outline its entity.
  • Use references to make the “hard” associations between entities.
    • Like the introduction of one person to another.
  • Use tags for any “soft” associations.
    • Like the current status of a project or the type of its impact (#societal etc.)
  • Use queries to produce reports.
    • This is advanced, i.e. optional but powerful.
  • Use the community to get help.
    • You are already here.
  • Move beyond all the above and develop your own style.
    • Don’t be afraid of inventing things (or even reinventing a few, just not too many).
  • Give back to the community.
    • Thank you in advance.
• Visualize the connections. Logseq is not ideal for that.
  • Automatic approach:
    • Current and future plugins may help to some degree.
    • Don’t expect anything particularly pretty.
    • Don’t expect the full “price” to come out of this.
  • Manual approach:
    • If the connections are not too many, you can use Logseq’s whiteboard feature to create a custom visualization.
      • It offers more control.
        • Can produce more value.
      • It takes more effort.
        • Attaching “price” has its price.
  • Mixed approach:
    • Multiple smaller visualizations can be more effective than a single big one.
      • Smaller is simpler and easier to:
        • generate to good quality
        • manage and maintain during changes
        • explain to and be understood by others
    • When compared to a static visualization, an interactive presentation (like within Logseq itself) can:
      • have more explanatory power
      • be more impressive and persuading

[w2018]

@mentaloid such a nice and rich response! Thank you To add to the aforementioned. In my own experience I use logseq to make complex relationships accessible. Through its amazing capacity to structure information. But then I’ll use another application for visualizing that. For presentations I’m using indesign. Although the visual example has a very different intention it might give some idea of the possibilities

[histrel]

@mentaloid and @w2018 - I posted this just before I set of for a meeting and then a long drive north to Glasgow. I didn’t expect such thoughtful and informative responses so soon Many many thanks, I will have a proper look and digest them over the weekend.

Again, thank you. Your time and advice is very much appreciated.