Concept and organizational diagrams, and layout design for various National Science Foundation grant proposals. When someone has 5-10 minutes to review an application, clear graphic communication can go a long way to make sure the core ideas are understood. While these proposals are filled with a lot of required information, being verbally succinct, allowing headline text space to stand out, not splitting core descriptions oddly over two pages, and replacing written descriptions with diagrams are key.

The first page, through the main concept diagram, needs satisfy the basic question asked of all proposals: "Why should we fund this one? What is different or important about this work?"

The diagrams and layout design (plus organization and writing suggestions) are based on my thorough review of the written proposal as an outsider, and desire to be clear without dumbing down. I regard the proposal as a beautiful book, not as a required paper.