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Stuck? Diagrams Help (Videoconference)
Thursday, October 27, 2022 • DesignOps Community
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Stuck? Diagrams Help (Videoconference)
Speakers: Abby Covert
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Summary

This month our DesignOps community was joined by Abby Covert, a founding member of the Design Operations community, and eMcee for DesignOps ‘18. Abby has two decades of making and teaching diagrams to other people. She is currently on a mission to rid the world of bad diagrams, one diagrammer at a time. And we think the DesignOps could learn a thing or five from her about how we could up our diagram game.

Key Insights

  • Diagrams help people move past feeling stuck by providing visual clarity in complex situations.

  • The military acronym VUCA—volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity—is a useful lens to understand when diagrams are most helpful.

  • Diagrams provide stability in volatile environments by creating a shared, clear reference point.

  • Transparency through diagrams during uncertainty allows everyone to access the same information, even if outcomes are unclear.

  • Complexity demands understanding over simplicity; the NYC subway map controversy illustrates balancing detailed information and readability.

  • Ambiguity is countered by diagrammatic clarity, but improper use of color or visual cues can add confusion.

  • Diagrams offer kindness by supporting emotional pacing, allowing users to pause and resume without losing track.

  • Diagram accessibility requires alternative text and alternative content strategies to serve diverse users, including visually impaired and neurodivergent people.

  • Alternative content, such as narratives, can sometimes be more effective than detailed alternative text for complex diagrams.

  • Audience and context critically shape diagram design, necessitating adjustments when used by individuals versus groups.

Notable Quotes

"Diagrams have been helping people feeling stuck for hundreds if not thousands of years across industries, fields, and cultures."

"When times are uncertain, transparency helps tremendously."

"Simplicity is not always the answer to complexity, but understanding often is."

"Diagrams are one of the best life rafts for crossing the sea of volatility."

"Diagrams provide clarity when we face ambiguity."

"Diagramming is this kindness that we give to ourselves to get our bearing on something that we're stuck on."

"Just because you can color code something doesn't mean you should."

"Diagrams allow us to take our time while remaining focused on the big picture."

"Alternative content is often a kinder gesture than any lengthy alternative text describing a diagram ever could be."

"The same diagram hated by New Yorkers in the 1970s can serve as the perfect starting place for New Yorkers of today."

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