JUMPING IN

The first step in designing with a diagram is to identify what it is that you wish to represent and to understand. In the lecture, we looked at two different example diagrams. Each is designed to represent the user experience graphically, over time, with variations among multiple experiential parameters. Each begins with a symbol and layers that symbol with meaning.

The first:

uses the simple box as the symbol. The parameters are confusion and comprehension, active and receptive, and time. All three parameters are represented in each instance of the box, and can be easily read at a glance.

The second:

Begins with the symbol of the circle, which represents the individual subjective experience. Encoded on the circle are three parameters: fear, attentiveness, and the sense of beauty. Each is encoded with a different texture and color, and the radial layout allows for concentric circles to represent increasing time. The radial layout also allows for parallels to be drawn between events on different days. Each instance of the symbol is influenced by a stimulus –  either a fistfight or a dance performance. All the symbols are represented more expressively than in the previous diagram to better communicate the experiential quality of the moment.