Why Diagram?

I excel in conveying complex, dynamic information in an easy-to-understand way. One of my favorite (and most effective!) ways to do this is through visual diagrams. I've made hundreds of them over the years and know what works best for different audiences.

There are three reasons why diagrams are featured on my site:
  • The first reason is because I make them to understand information in my own life; why not share it with others?

  • The second reason is because, due to over a decade of research and teaching, I have extensive evidence that diagrams are an excellent way to convey complex, interrelated, categorical data to others.

  • The third reason is due to my work in information architecture and hierarchical, connectionist modeling. Understanding how users categorize concepts and interrelate them enables intuitive design and informed content placement. Everything is diagrams and tables!

As a researcher and educator foremost, I prioritize function (usability) over form (aesthetics). This means that above all else, I focus on getting the information and organizing it correctly. The rest of the design, such as graphics and interactive components, will always be second priority to me (and ideally polished by a graphic artist or designer). My diagrams may not have the latest artistic trends, but they fill a niche and do their job well!

Examples

Isopods Taxonomy

I used my domain knowledge and a personally-curated, cleaned dataset to practice my data visualization skills in python. This is called a sunburst chart, which depicts the hierarchical relationships between species (outer layer), genuses (middle layer), and families (inner layer). Hovering your mouse over a specie (in desktop) will reveal its average adult length in millimeters, environment type, and approximate percentage of the soil that should be moist in a captive setup.

Origins of the Pillbug

Did you know that most pillbugs (also known as roly-polies or potato bugs) in the USA are imported or were introduced by European travelers? It turns out that there are a lot of misconceptions about our friends, the Armadillidium pillbugs. These misconceptions extend to their care in domesticity and bioactive setups, resulting in keeper frustration and loss. How could knowing their origins inform Armadillidium husbandry? To find out, I conducted expert interviews and literature reviews.

Dashboard mockup

UX Research Mind Map

For new UXRs, industry-specific research jargon can be overwhelming. Factor in context, stakeholder needs, design phase, and overall purpose, and it can be SO easy to get lost and confused. I wanted to make sure that the methods I selected were based on logic and not just familiarity (that availability heuristic can really do wonders). So, I made this artifact for two purposes: 1) to help ME learn, and 2) to help other new UXRs who have trouble placing the function, purpose, and use of different methods. It is unfinished by design.

I constructed this diagram based on my experiences, readings, and interactions. Therefore, your mileage may vary. Please credit me if you decide to use/distribute it. You can download a PDF version here or the PNG here.

Dashboard mockup

Study Strategies

(Blog post in progress)
Mockup

Cognitive Complexity in Parrots

(Blog post in progress)
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Psychopharmacology

(Blog post in progress)
Mockup
.iframe-container { position: relative; overflow: hidden; width: 100%; /* Ensure container takes full width */ /* Adjust padding-top to maintain aspect ratio; 56.25% is for 16:9 content */ padding-top: 100%; /* This is just an example; adjust based on your content's aspect ratio */ } .iframe-container iframe { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }