Causal Loop Diagram vs neoloopy

"Causal Loop Diagram" is a fast, focused editor for sketching causal loop diagrams (CLDs) on iPhone — a foundational tool of systems thinking. Place variables, draw arrows, set polarities (+/−), and the app automatically detects feedback loops and classifies the whole diagram against well-known systems-thinking archetypes. — Features — ■ Simple drawing • Tap empty area to add a node, then tap source → target to link • Long-press an arrow to add a delay marker (||) • Drag nodes freely; pinch to zoom; one-finger drag on empty area to pan ■ Automatic loop detection • The moment a cycle closes, an R (reinforcing) or B (balancing) badge appears • Each loop is numbered (R1, R2, B1, B2…) so overlapping loops stay distinguishable • Tap a badge to highlight that loop's interior; other loops dim ■ Nine archetypes auto-classified • Reinforcing loop / Balancing loop • Limits to Growth • Fixes that Fail • Shifting the Burden • Escalation • Success to the Successful • Tragedy of the Commons • Growth and Underinvestment ■ Seven curated samples Familiar themes — study, family, sibling rivalry — to learn each archetype by example: • Study Habit (R) • Calibrating to Target Score (B) • Limits to Growth: Fatigue • Shifting the Burden: Escapism • Fixes that Fail: All-nighter • Escalation: Sibling Rivalry • Tragedy of the Commons: Parent's Attention ■ Privacy • No network access at all • No account, no sign-in • No analytics or tracking SDKs • Diagrams stored only in UserDefaults; uninstalling removes everything ■ Other • Japanese / English UI, one-tap switch • Save multiple diagrams locally with custom names • iOS 16+ (iPhone 8 and later) — Who is this for — • Students of systems thinking and system dynamics • Managers and designers who think in structures • Anyone who wants to step back and see the loops in their own habits, relationships, or work • Educators preparing diagram examples on the fly Pairs naturally with Peter Senge's "The Fifth Discipline" and other systems-thinking textbooks — turn the loops in your head into something you can draw and touch in seconds.

neoloopy is a local-first tool for systems thinking. Map any system as a causal-loop diagram, let neoloopy find the feedback loops that drive it, and — new in 3.4.0 — grow a Graph: a system map that holds your ideas next to live references to your models, variables, loops, and concepts. GRAPH — YOUR SYSTEM MAP (NEW IN 3.4.0) • Put an idea on the canvas and link it to the real thing: a model, a variable, a loop, a concept from your vault. References stay live, so the map is never a stale drawing of your thinking. • Focus on one node and the map re-centers around it. A +N badge counts its hidden relations — tap to bring them in, tap again to prune. Big maps stay readable because you only ever look at what you asked for. • Search the structure. The board lists every node and relation with search and filters, so a hundred-node map is still navigable on a phone. • Plain files. Every graph is a Markdown note in your vault, and graphs import from and export to Cypher for tools that speak property graphs. CAUSAL LOOPS, FOUND FOR YOU • Draw a variable, connect causes to effects, and mark each link same-direction (+) or opposite (−). neoloopy continuously detects every closed feedback loop and badges it Reinforcing (R) or Balancing (B) — the heart of how systems grow, stall, and stabilize. • Recognize the patterns. Classic archetypes like Limits to Growth and Tragedy of the Commons surface when your structure matches them. • Read the dynamics. Mark delays, flag virtuous vs. vicious cycles, and see how much of your model sits inside feedback loops. • See an edit's impact before you commit it: which loops it creates and which it breaks. • Annotate richly. Write a note on any loop or variable to capture what it means and why it matters. STOCKS AND FLOWS • When a map is ready for more, draw it in stock-and-flow notation on the same canvas — stocks as tanks, flows as channels — and export the result as SVG. LEARN AS YOU GO • A built-in systems-thinking glossary explains every term — causal link, polarity, delay, reinforcing, balancing — right where you need it. LOCAL-FIRST BY DESIGN • No account required. Download it and work offline. • Your models and graphs are plain Markdown files in a folder on your device — yours to keep, back up, and open in other tools. • Obsidian-compatible vault format. Your thinking is never locked in. • No ads, no tracking, no analytics inside the app. • Optional cross-device Sync (in development) is end-to-end encrypted: notes are encrypted on your device before they ever leave it, so we relay only ciphertext and cannot read your models. Map a business, a habit, a team, an ecosystem, a policy — anything with moving parts that affect each other. Think in loops, and keep the map.