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Deeper Understanding & Better Communication through Art by Anna Rankin

"Understanding new concepts and complex systems is hard. Explaining them? That’s even harder.
Like anyone in a highly specialized career, software engineers may struggle to convey information concisely, confidently, and clearly to their technical and non-technical teammates. As a former illustrator and graphic designer, has found that visual art can be the key to both deeper understanding and clearer, more accessible communication. In this talk, we’ll explore why the ability to clearly communicate is so vital to mastering a complex topic, how to choose the right abstractions to present to a specific audience, and how a different medium can provide a new lens through which to view a familiar topic."

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As a tech lead, Anna spends her days at General Assembly helping a team of engineers deliver reliable, useful software that helps adults learn the skills they need to pursue a career that inspires them. Before transitioning to software, she was an undercover tech enthusiast working in roles ranging from graphic designer to ESL tutor — and even community relations for a small island! In her free time, she makes pixel art, designs punny stickers, and hangs out in dog parks with her pup.

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In her talk at RailsConf 2020, Anna Rankin explores the vital role of visual art in enhancing understanding and communication, especially in technical fields like software engineering. She shares her journey from a non-traditional background as an illustrator to becoming a tech lead at General Assembly, showing how visual communication can bridge gaps in knowledge and improve team collaboration. The key points discussed include:

- **Importance of Visual Communication**: Visual aids help clarify complex concepts and can be a diagnostic tool for one's own understanding. Rankin emphasizes that interpreting technical topics through art can lead to better comprehension for both the communicator and their audience.  
- **Drawing as a Learning Tool**: Drawing helps unpack one’s own understanding and illuminates areas of uncertainty. Rankin encourages technologists to sketch ideas, which helps in organizing thoughts and highlighting gaps in knowledge.  
- **Finding Your Audience**: Tailoring illustrations to the audience's prior knowledge can enhance understanding. Recognizing the audience's familiarity enables clearer communication and lowers barriers to entry for complex topics.  
- **Practical Examples of Illustration**: Rankin discusses various forms of illustration, including diagrams and visual analogies that clarify concepts. She highlights the use of different artistic styles to convey distinct ideas, emphasizing the relevance of context and clarity in technical illustrations.  
- **Iterative Process of Understanding**: The presentation reinforces that crafting visual aids is an iterative process of testing and refining ideas. Rankin shares that her journey in improving her visual communication skills mirrors the developmental process in programming.  
- **Conclusion on Mastery and Mentorship**: By creating visual aids, one not only strengthens their own understanding but also contributes to the learning of others. Rankin concludes that building mastery as a technologist involves mentoring peers through effective communication.

Overall, Rankin advocates for integrating drawing and visual thinking into daily engineering practices to enhance communication and understanding, ultimately leading to more effective problem-solving in technology.

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