Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions

by Temple Grandin

Every industry has its jargon and acronyms, but engineering has many more acronyms than I’ve encountered in other fields. EPM stands for “engineering product manager” and PD for “product design.” Too many initials and acronyms make it easier to separate oneself from reality. Matrix charts employ such endpoints as very low severity to very high severity, or axis words such as rare, unlikely, possible, likely, and certain. The problem with jargon and scientific terms devoid of human connection is that they hinder problem solving and reduce motivation to fix serious problems. I think it is important to discuss this, because vague language emotionally distances engineers from the consequences of their mistakes. It is easier to talk about an anomaly or impact with terrain than to admit that something blew up, was flooded, or crashed, injuring or killing people. To the visual thinker, disaster is never abstract. As I write this, I see the wreckage, the pulverized bodies, the pieces of busted-up plane all over the ground.