What's an algorithm, anyway?

We've all heard some definition or other at this point, but the word has also become a metaphor for everything from newsfeed rankings to automated decision making.

The highly technical (or pedantic) might debate what actually falls under the term. But technology has become extremely pervasive in all our lives, so wouldn't it be more interesting to find out what people actually have in mind when they hear the word?

This project asked a wide variety of participants to make a drawing representing an algorithm. Here, we have collected their responses and explanations for you to browse.