Principles of Design
1 February 2018
According to the book on pages 122-123, "Hierarchical organization is the simplest structure for visualizing and understanding complexity". The book then goes on to list three variations of hierarchy structure, Tree, Nest, and Stair.
Tree is pyramid shaped visually
Nest is akin to a Matrushka doll, one inside another
Stair is basically linear, but offset by stages to the side rather than straight down
I am most familiar with hierarchical structure in the form of Table of Contents pages or outlines, such as I am using in my blog to indicate how my blog is structured. This outline is in a stair configuration. See below*. I may or may not leave this outline visible to the reader. Right now I am using it to help me organize my archived materials and artifacts.
The other form I am very familiar with is the Tree structure when used in the military Chain of Command, having spent close to thirty years in the Army/Army National Guard. One must always know who is ultimately in command - in the case of the Army, it is the President of the United States - the Commander in Chief, and in the case of the National Guard, it is also the President of the United States but with the Governor of the state directly underneath him.
One must follow the Chain of Command for an issue and take it back up the chain from below, rather than start at the top and come down. Orders flow from above to below. Some individuals may be at the same level, but only those connected by lines to the one above are directly under that individual in the Chain of Command. They do not receive direct orders from those parallel individual.
Example of Military Chain of Command
1 February 2018
HIERARCHY
Tree is pyramid shaped visually
Nest is akin to a Matrushka doll, one inside another
Stair is basically linear, but offset by stages to the side rather than straight down
I am most familiar with hierarchical structure in the form of Table of Contents pages or outlines, such as I am using in my blog to indicate how my blog is structured. This outline is in a stair configuration. See below*. I may or may not leave this outline visible to the reader. Right now I am using it to help me organize my archived materials and artifacts.
The other form I am very familiar with is the Tree structure when used in the military Chain of Command, having spent close to thirty years in the Army/Army National Guard. One must always know who is ultimately in command - in the case of the Army, it is the President of the United States - the Commander in Chief, and in the case of the National Guard, it is also the President of the United States but with the Governor of the state directly underneath him.
One must follow the Chain of Command for an issue and take it back up the chain from below, rather than start at the top and come down. Orders flow from above to below. Some individuals may be at the same level, but only those connected by lines to the one above are directly under that individual in the Chain of Command. They do not receive direct orders from those parallel individual.
Example of Military Chain of Command
* Outline from my blog:
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