Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Visual aids


Senior professionals at work are not very different from teachers. They love to watch a novice junior explain the concept clearly with the help of simple diagrams. 

Complexity arises due to the detail. It takes years of apprenticeship to reach mastery levels to deal with complexity. Yet it is the simple concept that lays the foundation of these complexities. 

Steady and composed students/ professionals who explain the concept clearly are always respected for the clarity they bring to the table. 

Visual aids are one of the best means to achieve clarity. Complex topics have a simple structure at the foundation usually. Once the focus is on the foundation of the topic, representing any branches of it visually becomes easier.

Choosing the method to represent the topic under discussion comes with knowledge and experience for the professional. I would call this the art of clarity. Paying attention to convey what needs to be conveyed with clarity may take time, but it is worth the practice.

Several design methods books and templates, tools and techniques fill this need.  Whether it is a geographical map to aid a traveller to go from place to place, a logical data flow model to represent how information is organized for data management, it is the picture that helps convey the message across.