React is a Potato Plant 🥔: Drawing the Invisible by Maggie Appleton

My friend and long-time collaborator Maggie Appleton delivered one of the most compelling talks on React I've ever seen at the online version of the Women of React conference.

Here's the best part, the talk wasn't really about React! 🤯

Maggie delivered a Trojan Horse learning surprise the likes I've never seen. She gathered us React lovers around a delightful series of visual metaphors that explain the core patterns and architecture of our beloved JavaScript library.

Half way through, she pulls out the rug and gives us the thinking tools we need to start considering how we use cognitive metaphor to enhance our communication skills as developers and collaborators.

One of the most compelling points that Maggie makes is that we don't have to be incredibly skilled at drawing and rendering.

As Julia Evans proves time and time again with her delightful Wizard Zines, stick people are not only fine, they can be extremely effective at conveying a concept in a way we can understand.

Watch the full talk. It's really great.