The Design Psychologist | Psychology for UX, Product, Service, Instructional, Interior, and Game Designers
Welcome to The Design Psychologist, a podcast where we explore the intersection of psychology and design. The show is hosted by Thomas Watkins, a design psychologist who has spent years applying behavioral science principles to the creation of digital products.
We sit down with a variety of experts who apply psychology in different ways to the design of the world around us. Thomas uses his expertise to guide conversations that provide practical advice while illuminating the theory behind why designs succeed.
Tune in if you are a design practitioner who seeks to understand your work on a deeper level and craft experiences that are intuitive, effective, and delightful.
The Design Psychologist | Psychology for UX, Product, Service, Instructional, Interior, and Game Designers
How to Visualize the Invisible: Metaphors, Models, and Meaning (with Stephen P. Anderson)
Explaining an abstract idea can feel easy—until you put pen to paper. In this episode, our host sits down with Stephen P. Anderson to unpack the craft of turning complex concepts into clear, memorable visuals. Together they dig into the challenges of sketching an org chart, mapping a process, or nailing a scientific metaphor—and ask what really separates a helpful illustration from a confusing one.
You’ll hear them explore:
- Why visualizing a concept (not just data) often stalls once you start drawing
- Whether effective illustration relies on a repeatable method or innate talent
- How to test if you’ve chosen the right metaphor—and what happens if you haven’t
- Ways visual collaboration can pull teams out of creative ruts
- How embodied cognition reframes our approach to concept visualization
By the end, you’ll have practical, psychologically informed questions to guide your next sketch—so your ideas land the way you intend.
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