Idea Gallery

This is a collection of all my illustrations that simplify mental models, thinking tools, human biases, and productivity hacks. Please attribute if you use them.

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Gallery

What is circle of competence explained using a diagram by Tapan Desai — What is Circle of Competence?

An image explaining what is circle of competence using three zones — What is Circle of Competence?

The Dunning Kruger Effect Explained - Art - Tapan Desai - Stages of Dunning-Kruger Effect — The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Theranos: A Cautionary Tale of Overconfidence

Split image illustrating the Paradox of Choice by Tapan Desai. On the left, a person looks confused in front of an ice cream shop with a long menu. On the right, the same person appears happy while looking at a shorter menu. — The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Theranos: A Cautionary Tale of Overconfidence

Chesterton's Fence Explained - Art Graphic - Tapan Desai — Understanding Chesterton’s Fence: Don’t Change What You Don’t Understand

Second Order Thinking Tapan Desai - Thinking Tools — Understanding Chesterton’s Fence: Don’t Change What You Don’t Understand

Illustration of a balancing scale depicting authority bias and how authority is more powerful than rational brain when affected by the cognitive bias of authority bias in decision-making — Overcoming Authority Bias: Lesson from Mahabharata’s Eklavya

The unlikely champion razor that helps you overcome authority bias and this is a visual by Tapan Desai representing the concept. — Overcoming Authority Bias: Lesson from Mahabharata’s Eklavya

Survivorship Bias explained through an image by Tapan Desai. Survivorship bias is the tendency to not focus on the complete picture but only success stories. — Survivorship Bias

Venn diagram showing the overlap between personal beliefs and information sources, filled with echo symbols, representing the Echo Chamber effect and Confirmation Bias — Survivorship Bias

An image showing a person selecting supporting evidence that confirms their theory while contradicting evidence remains in the dark, illustrating Confirmation Bias in statistical interpretation. — The Power of Confirmation Bias: How it Influenced Kodak’s Fall and Impacts Our Decision-Making

An image explaining Warren Buffett's Noah Rule which says "don't just anticipate the storm, build your ark". — The Power of Confirmation Bias: How it Influenced Kodak’s Fall and Impacts Our Decision-Making

An image explaining Pomodoro Technique showing how the technique outweighs other time management principles. — The Pomodoro Technique

The concept of flow explained using the idea of focused vs diffused thinking. Explained by Tapan Desai using graphics. — The Pomodoro Technique

Graphic explaining Focused thinking resembles a microscope’s detailed scrutiny, helping us delve deep into specific issues. However, it sometimes restricts our perspective, narrowing our vision and ideas. — Sherlock’s Secret Sauce: Balancing Focused and Diffuse Thinking for Innovative Solutions

An image explaining Matthew Effect which means initial advantages lead to further gain and disadvantages hinder progress by Tapan Desai — Sherlock’s Secret Sauce: Balancing Focused and Diffuse Thinking for Innovative Solutions

An illustration explaining the regret minimization framework of Jeff Bezos — MINIMIZING REGRETS IN LIFE – A MENTAL FRAMEWORK

Beer and Coffee Mode by David Perell explained by Tapan Desai using graphic. — MINIMIZING REGRETS IN LIFE – A MENTAL FRAMEWORK

An image of a minimalist snowball icon symbolizing the Matthew Effect by Tapan Desai — The Mystery of the Matthew Effect: Why Do The Rich Get Richer?

The Peak-end rule explained using a graphic by Tapan Desai — The Mystery of the Matthew Effect: Why Do The Rich Get Richer?

An image explaining the Paradox of Choice and how it affects happiness using a graph that depicts the reduction in happiness as the number of choices increase. — Unpacking the Paradox of Choice: Why is Having Too Many Choices Bad?

Mimetic Desire explained by Tapan Desai showing how he was mimicking Mark Zuckerberg — Unpacking the Paradox of Choice: Why is Having Too Many Choices Bad?

An illustration explaining what mediators of desire mean and who influences our desires for mimetic desires. — The Mediators of Desires – Mimetic Desire

An illustration explaining the Duration Effect made by Tapan Desai which shows an hour glass that represents time taken to process information. — The Mediators of Desires – Mimetic Desire

An illustration representing social proof through a business meeting where the board members are mimicking others when facing uncertainty while making a decision. — Social Proof

An illustration representing the two day rule for productivity. — Social Proof

Survivorship bias explained through an illustration representing a pyramid which shows people only focus on the survivors. — MAKING BETTER DECISIONS – LOGICAL FALLACIES AND BIASES

An illustration simplifying the concept of opinion shopping where two people are arguing in a way that confirms their existing beliefs. — MAKING BETTER DECISIONS – LOGICAL FALLACIES AND BIASES

An illustration showing backfire effect where two people are arguing and as they argue their existing beliefs become stronger. — Backfire Effect

An illustration showing reasons why we procrastinate. — Backfire Effect