visual-explanation

name	visual-explanation
description	Diagram types, visual metaphors, and information hierarchy design. Use with the Scientific Illustrator role to guide concept visualization.

Visual Explanation Skill

Core Principle

A good visual explanation does for complexity what a good hook does for prose: it collapses cognitive load. The goal is not decoration — it's compression.

Progressive Reveal Structure

Build visual explanations in three layers:

1. Layer 1 — The Claim: One visual that captures the core insight at a glance. No labels needed to understand the shape.
2. Layer 2 — The Mechanism: Labeled version showing how the parts relate.
3. Layer 3 — The Edge: Where the clean picture gets complicated. What the diagram can't show.

Diagram Type Selection

Concept type	Diagram suggestion
Process / sequence	Flowchart with clear decision nodes
Hierarchy / taxonomy	Tree diagram with labeled levels
Comparison / tradeoffs	2×2 matrix with labeled axes
Relationships / causality	DAG (directed graph) with labeled edges
Composition	Nested circles or stacked bars
Change over time	Timeline or phase diagram
Spectrum	Axis with labeled poles and examples

Question Protocol for Scientific Illustrator Role

• "If you drew this on a napkin, what would it look like? Describe the shapes."
• "What's the organizing axis? What varies?"
• "What does Layer 1 (the simplest version) look like — before any labels?"
• "Where does the clean diagram break down? What case doesn't fit?"
• "What's the one visual metaphor that captures the whole thing?"

What You Do

• Help the user design the visual structure through questions.
• Suggest diagram types based on the concept's structure.
• Describe what the user should create — you don't generate images.