Why Venn Diagrams Actually Work

Everybody loves a good Venn diagram. You kinda can’t go wrong throwing one on a slide.

(You know, those easily drawn, disarmingly simple overlapping circle diagrams that show the relationship between ideas, priorities, or categories.)

A two-circle Venn diagram might compare “what visitors want” with “what museums want.”

A three-circle version might overlap education, entertainment, and orientation.

And in both those cases, the middle overlap is “our exhibition”. So satisfying.

But what makes Venn diagrams so effective in group projects?

I don’t think it’s geometry.

I think it’s politics.

A single guiding principle on its own is harder for large stakeholder groups to approve. People worry that their priorities will disappear if they don’t see them on the page somewhere.

But a good old Venn diagram is inherently more inclusive. More people can see their concern represented somewhere in the diagram. It quietly communicates that multiple priorities can coexist, even if they sometimes compete.

That’s handy in collaborative endeavors like exhibition making — or any project involving many voices, goals, and decisions.

Here’s the thing:

I don’t think Venn diagrams are great just because they’re simple and visual.

I think they actually work because they make more stakeholders feel included.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
Line length. The number of words or characters in a line of text, usually in a paragraph (versus a title). Very long or very short lines of text aren't easy to read in a sustained way. 50-65 characters per line is a common sweet spot.