observe >>>>> visualize

it’s a portmanteau, although smooshing the words together unfairly ignores the juicy process. a lot happens between my observations and visualizations - i think, research, remember, feel, sketch, ideate, test, evaluate, think. did i say think?

may I see more diagrams?

tell me more about diagrams and abstraction!

I’m a creative thinker: artist, designer, architect, reader, student, teacher, strategist. My superpower is diagramming, taking complex things and extracting the essence. I’ve naturally gravitated towards abstraction and analogy, even as a child. Embracing the cryptic aspect of abstraction in my art has helped me feel safer exploring the caverns of my own thoughts and feelings. I’ve slowly developed my own visual language of sorts, and each decision is meaningful and precise — so in a strange way, I can communicate more deeply through abstracted symbols. At least with myself :)

diagrams and abstraction, a slideshow!

I've always kept an active sketchbook, starting when I was very little. My parents and I would go places and draw together. Over the years, these pages have contained drawings of the world around me, ideas, doodles, school projects, collages, etc.

I've always kept an active sketchbook, starting when I was very little. My parents and I would go places and draw together. Over the years, these pages have contained drawings of the world around me, ideas, doodles, school projects, collages, etc.

Growing up, I loved looking through art books and going to museums. I was especially drawn to abstraction and surrealism, which I emulated in my own drawings.

Growing up, I loved looking through art books and going to museums. I was especially drawn to abstraction and surrealism, which I emulated in my own drawings.

These are some surreal / abstract drawings from around age 9, when my aunt and uncle sent me a huge box of prismacolor markers.

These are some surreal / abstract drawings from around age 9, when my aunt and uncle sent me a huge box of prismacolor markers.

In my own artwork, such as these drawings from a life drawing class, I would quickly move towards abstraction regardless of medium, style, or instructions.

In my own artwork, such as these drawings from a life drawing class, I would quickly move towards abstraction regardless of medium, style, or instructions.

I draw a diagram every day to keep my mind sharp and to try to make sense of the world. I started this experiment on 01.01.2011. I first learned about diagrams in college. A few years after graduation, I I realized I needed to keep the spark lit in m

I draw a diagram every day to keep my mind sharp and to try to make sense of the world. I started this experiment on 01.01.2011. I first learned about diagrams in college. A few years after graduation, I I realized I needed to keep the spark lit in my creative conceptual brain. It's changed how I see creativity and how I experience life. This is now how I learn & process information, analyze myself and the world around me, and develop insight & clarity.

[ diagram: a symbolic representation of information according to some visualization technique ]

[ diagram: a symbolic representation of information according to some visualization technique ]

I was introduced to diagramming in architecture school at NCSU College of Design - formative diagrams that start with the essence of an idea and generate solutions, and analytical diagrams that reduce something existing to its essence.

I was introduced to diagramming in architecture school at NCSU College of Design - formative diagrams that start with the essence of an idea and generate solutions, and analytical diagrams that reduce something existing to its essence.

A few reasons to use diagrams (there are many).

A few reasons to use diagrams (there are many).

A few types of diagrams (there are many).

A few types of diagrams (there are many).

(some types of diagrams specific to architecture)

(some types of diagrams specific to architecture)

The graphic representation is also important. I’ve developed my own visual language for my own personal (artistic) diagrams, but when I create them for others I think differently about how the content is communicated. As a side note, I really don't l

The graphic representation is also important. I’ve developed my own visual language for my own personal (artistic) diagrams, but when I create them for others I think differently about how the content is communicated. As a side note, I really don't like the color red in any other context than my diagrams. And cardinals.

These are a few considerations to keep in mind when developing diagrams. While diagrams have some degree of abstraction by definition, the more abstract the more text or explanation becomes necessary to communication the idea successfully.

These are a few considerations to keep in mind when developing diagrams. While diagrams have some degree of abstraction by definition, the more abstract the more text or explanation becomes necessary to communication the idea successfully.

[ analogy: understanding one idea in terms of another ]

[ analogy: understanding one idea in terms of another ]

Analogy is thought to be the core of cognition, and involves a process of mapping information or meaning from a familiar source onto a new or less familiar target. We do this so naturally that we don’t even realize it.

Analogy is thought to be the core of cognition, and involves a process of mapping information or meaning from a familiar source onto a new or less familiar target. We do this so naturally that we don’t even realize it.

[ abstraction: a process where general rules and concepts are derived from the use and classifying of specific examples ]

[ abstraction: a process where general rules and concepts are derived from the use and classifying of specific examples ]