*Clusters (left and right boxes)*

Small groups of people who already know each other

Lots of ties inside the group

Reinforcement happens here (“I see 2–3 people doing it”)


  *Wide Bridge (the X‑shaped middle)*

*Multiple* ties connecting Cluster A to Cluster B

Not one connector, not one champion

Enough parallel ties for a behavior or norm to /travel/ with credibility

  *1. Clusters are where new practices take root*

  *2. Wide bridges let practices travel*

  *3. This is how complex contagions spread*

  *When launching a new practice*

Start inside a cluster

Build 3–6 ties to the next cluster

Let norms stabilize before expanding


  *When growing participation*

Reinforce behaviors inside clusters

Connect clusters with wide bridges

Avoid single‑tie “influencer” strategies

Here’s a *clean, plainspoken visual diagram* of *clusters and wide bridges* you can use inside Open Space Labs. It’s text‑based so you can drop it into WhatsApp, Nextdoor, or a slide without fuss. *Visual Diagram — Clusters & Wide Bridges* |[ Cluster A ] ┌────────────────────────────────┐ │ ● ● ● │ │ ● ● ● (dense ties) │ │ ● ● ● │ └────────────────────────────────┘ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╳ WIDE BRIDGE (many ties) ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ┌────────────────────────────────┐ │ ● ● ● │ │ ● ● ● (dense ties) │ │ ● ● ● │ └────────────────────────────────┘ [ Cluster B ] | *What You’re Seeing* *Clusters (left and right boxes)* * Small groups of people who already know each other * Lots of ties inside the group * Reinforcement happens here (“I see 2–3 people doing it”) *Wide Bridge (the X‑shaped middle)* * *Multiple* ties connecting Cluster A to Cluster B * Not one connector, not one champion * Enough parallel ties for a behavior or norm to /travel/ with credibility *Why This Matters for Open Space Labs* *1. Clusters are where new practices take root* People adopt when they see *several neighbors* doing the same thing. *2. Wide bridges let practices travel* A single tie between groups is too weak. A wide bridge carries *reinforcement across communities*. *3. This is how complex contagions spread* Hosting, showing up, sharing, experimenting—these are *complex behaviors*, not viral memes. They need *clusters + wide bridges* to move. *Alternate Diagram (more detailed)* |┌───────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐ │ ●─●─● │ ╲ ╱ │ ●─●─● │ │ │ │ │ Cluster │ ╳ │ │ │ │ Cluster │ │ ●─●─● A │ ╱ ╲ │ ●─●─● B │ └───────────────┘ └───────────────┘ Wide Bridge = 4–6 ties connecting A ↔ B (triads, buddy pairs, shared sessions, rotating groups) | *How to Use This Diagram in Practice* *When launching a new practice* * Start inside a cluster * Build 3–6 ties to the next cluster * Let norms stabilize before expanding *When growing participation* * Reinforce behaviors inside clusters * Connect clusters with wide bridges * Avoid single‑tie “influencer” strategies Warm Regards, Tony

                [ Cluster A ]
     ┌────────────────────────────────┐
     │  ●  ●  ●                       │
     │  ●  ●  ●   (dense ties)        │
     │  ●  ●  ●                       │
     └────────────────────────────────┘
              ╲   ╱   ╲   ╱
               ╲ ╱     ╲ ╱
                ╳  WIDE BRIDGE (many ties)
               ╱ ╲     ╱ ╲
              ╱   ╲   ╱   ╲
     ┌────────────────────────────────┐
     │  ●  ●  ●                       │
     │  ●  ●  ●   (dense ties)        │
     │  ●  ●  ●                       │
     └────────────────────────────────┘
                [ Cluster B ]

      ┌───────────────┐          ┌───────────────┐
      │  ●─●─●         │   ╲ ╱    │  ●─●─●         │
      │  │ │ │ Cluster │    ╳     │  │ │ │ Cluster │
      │  ●─●─●    A    │   ╱ ╲    │  ●─●─●    B    │
      └───────────────┘          └───────────────┘

Wide Bridge = 4–6 ties connecting A ↔ B
(triads, buddy pairs, shared sessions, rotating groups)

Tony, I applaud the work here, but I have dissonance. To start with, the diagram shows the connections between clusters as connections between clusters. I would expect connections between clusters to be shown as connections between members of clusters. Sent from my iPad > On Aug 10, 2026, at 5:48 PM, Tony Budak via OSList <everyone@oslist.org> wrote: > >  > Here’s a clean, plainspoken visual diagram of clusters and wide bridges you can use inside Open Space Labs. It’s text‑based so you can drop it into WhatsApp, Nextdoor, or a slide without fuss. > Visual Diagram — Clusters & Wide Bridges > > > [ Cluster A ] > ┌────────────────────────────────┐ > │ ● ● ● │ > │ ● ● ● (dense ties) │ > │ ● ● ● │ > └────────────────────────────────┘ > ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ > ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ > ╳ WIDE BRIDGE (many ties) > ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ > ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ > ┌────────────────────────────────┐ > │ ● ● ● │ > │ ● ● ● (dense ties) │ > │ ● ● ● │ > └────────────────────────────────┘ > [ Cluster B ] > What You’re Seeing > > Clusters (left and right boxes) > > Small groups of people who already know each other > > Lots of ties inside the group > > Reinforcement happens here (“I see 2–3 people doing it”) > > Wide Bridge (the X‑shaped middle) > > Multiple ties connecting Cluster A to Cluster B > > Not one connector, not one champion > > Enough parallel ties for a behavior or norm to travel with credibility > > Why This Matters for Open Space Labs > > 1. Clusters are where new practices take root > > People adopt when they see several neighbors doing the same thing. > > 2. Wide bridges let practices travel > > A single tie between groups is too weak. A wide bridge carries reinforcement across communities. > > 3. This is how complex contagions spread > > Hosting, showing up, sharing, experimenting—these are complex behaviors, not viral memes. They need clusters + wide bridges to move. > > Alternate Diagram (more detailed) > > > ┌───────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐ > │ ●─●─● │ ╲ ╱ │ ●─●─● │ > │ │ │ │ Cluster │ ╳ │ │ │ │ Cluster │ > │ ●─●─● A │ ╱ ╲ │ ●─●─● B │ > └───────────────┘ └───────────────┘ > > Wide Bridge = 4–6 ties connecting A ↔ B > (triads, buddy pairs, shared sessions, rotating groups) > How to Use This Diagram in Practice > > When launching a new practice > > Start inside a cluster > > Build 3–6 ties to the next cluster > > Let norms stabilize before expanding > > When growing participation > > Reinforce behaviors inside clusters > > Connect clusters with wide bridges > > Avoid single‑tie “influencer” strategies > > Warm Regards, > Tony > > OSList mailing list -- everyone@oslist.org > To unsubscribe send an email to everyone-leave@oslist.org > See the archives here: https://oslist.org/empathy/list/everyone.oslist.org

*- Charlie,* Yes, of course — and I think this is where the behavioral‑change thinking really matters. Diffusion isn’t just “connections between clusters.” It’s the pattern of ties between actual people, inside and across clusters, groups, and places. That’s where Centola’s work comes alive. When I look at his model, I don’t see tidy circles linking to other tidy circles. I see something closer to a complex fishing net — every knot a person, every strand a relationship, and every bridge uniquely shaped by who’s involved. Clusters aren’t monolithic units that connect to other units. They’re dense pockets of people whose ties spill outward in very specific ways. That’s why the member‑to‑member connections matter. They’re the mechanism of diffusion. They’re what carry norms, practices, and behavior across the network. The wide bridges Centola talks about aren’t abstractions — they’re built from many individual ties crossing between clusters, groups, and place‑based communities. So yes, I share the dissonance when a diagram shows cluster‑to‑cluster links without showing the human layer. The real picture looks more like that LILA image — a woven mesh of people, groups, and places, each with its own shape, each contributing to how change actually spreads. The best illustration so far is, https://www.learninginnovationslab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/LILA_Winter2021_Centola_02-scaled.jpg On 8/12/2026 11:10 AM, Charlie wrote: > Tony, I applaud the work here, but I have dissonance. > > To start with, the diagram shows the connections between clusters as > connections between clusters.  I would expect connections between > clusters to be shown as connections between _members_ of clusters. -- In Solidarity for more joy, and less stuff, *Tony* Click HERE to Meet with Tony <https://bit.ly/3WtAIgT>