The System Language Palette
An evolving visual vocabulary for systems science, built collaboratively, grounded in Mobus. Click any icon to explore its theoretical foundations.
Where each icon is in its journey to the modeling tool:
✎ Concept
→ ⚡ Rendered live
→ ✓ In BERT now
System Structure
What defines a system: boundaries, hierarchy, and environmental connections.
Core Elements
✓ 
Subsystem
palette
create
Main decomposition unit for hierarchical modeling
Click for Mobus insights
⚡ 
Boundary
32px
48px
Inside/outside demarcation with selective permeability
Click for Mobus insights
✓ 
Source
palette
create
Environmental entity providing inputs
Click for Mobus insights
✓ 
Sink
palette
create
Environmental entity receiving outputs
Click for Mobus insights
✎ 
Stock / Reservoir
32px
48px
Substance storage with capacity limits
Click for Mobus insights
Complexity Classification
✎ 
Atomic
32px
48px
Indivisible, no internal structure needed
Click for Mobus insights
✎ 
Complex
32px
48px
Internal components with emergent properties
Click for Mobus insights
✎ 
Multiset
32px
48px
Multiple identical instances with scaling behavior
Click for Mobus insights
Interfaces
Where and how things cross boundaries: ports, connections, and transduction.
Boundary Crossings
✓ 
Interface
palette
create
Generic boundary crossing point
Click for Mobus insights
✎ 
Import
32px
48px
Input interface, inward through boundary
Click for Mobus insights
✎ 
Export
32px
48px
Output interface, outward through boundary
Click for Mobus insights
Flow Ports
✓ 
Inflow
palette
create
Flow entering a system
Click for Mobus insights
✓ 
Outflow
palette
create
Flow leaving a system
Click for Mobus insights
✎ 
Sensor
32px
48px
Transduces physical phenomena to signals
Click for Mobus insights
Flows
What moves through systems: substance types and their characteristics.
Substance Types
⚡ 
Energy
32px
48px
Power and transformative potential
Click for Mobus insights
⚡ 
Material
32px
48px
Physical substance and matter
+ 2 design alternatives
Click for Mobus insights
⚡ 
Message
32px
48px
Information and encoded signals
+ 2 design alternatives
Click for Mobus insights
⚡ 
Interaction
32px
48px
The flow connection itself
Click for Mobus insights
Flow Characteristics (Usability)
⚡ 
Resource
32px
48px
Beneficial input, useful to receiver
Click for Mobus insights
⚡ 
Disruption
32px
48px
Harmful input, detrimental to receiver
Click for Mobus insights
⚡ 
Product
32px
48px
Beneficial output, useful to environment
Click for Mobus insights
⚡ 
Waste
32px
48px
Harmful output, detrimental to environment
Click for Mobus insights
Design Alternatives
✎ 
Message (Speech Bubble)
32px
48px
Conversational feel, human communication
✎ 
Message (Wave)
32px
48px
Signal/waveform, technical systems
✎ 
Material (3D Cube)
32px
48px
Isometric cube, physical presence
✎ 
Material (Hexagon)
32px
48px
Molecular structure, scientific feel
Work Processes
Atomic operations that transform substances: the fundamental units of work.
Assembly & Disassembly
✎ 
Combiner
32px
48px
Two inputs merge into one output
Click for Mobus insights
✎ 
Splitter
32px
48px
One input splits into two outputs
Click for Mobus insights
✎ 
Copying
32px
48px
Pattern replication from template
Click for Mobus insights
Flow Regulation
✎ 
Impeder
32px
48px
Flow restriction creating back-pressure
Click for Mobus insights
✎ 
Buffer
32px
48px
Smooths flow volumes over time
Click for Mobus insights
✎ 
Propeller / Pump
32px
48px
Pushes substance against gradient
Click for Mobus insights
Signal Processing
✎ 
Amplifier
32px
48px
Boosts weak signal with energy input
Click for Mobus insights
✎ 
Modulator
32px
48px
Applies control signal to substance flow
Click for Mobus insights