Ella Darby

Academic Research & Writing

Academic Research & Writing

Research projects demonstrating analytical thinking, cross-disciplinary synthesis, and theoretical foundations in information design and communication.

Designing for Understanding: The Cognitive and Historical Foundations of Successful Data Visualization

Analysis Report | Information Design | Spring 2025

This project is a historical and theoretical research paper that dives into the purpose for and efficiency of data visualization. The goal of this project is to present complex information about the design and productivity of data visualization through a commonly understood example: the bar graph. By examining the bar graph, this project provides an accessible environment for a conversation about how productive information design reproduces natural cognitive processing.

This paper blends cognitive science and psychology with information design history to contextualize the purpose and need for productive data visualization today. It represents my research and analysis skills in a cross-departmental context, as well as my passions for representing information in accessible and digestible ways. This project speaks to my understanding of the importance of humanizing writing and design to create a meaningful, useful experience for end users.

Research and Analysis Data Visualization Creative Problem Solving Cross-Disciplinary Research

Ambiguous Authorship and the Death of True Meaning: Understanding Gothic in "The Fall of the House of Usher"

Critical Essay | Literary Theory | Spring 2023

This critical analysis paper explores Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" through primarily a post-structuralist lens. I examine Poe's manipulation of readers' quests for meaning by weaving a parody of logocentrism and structuralism throughout multiple layers of readership. This analysis differs from many structuralist approaches to the short story that attribute its meaning to the Gothicism of the narrative.

My paper demonstrates literary research, analysis, and synthesis skills as well as a creative solution to a unique rhetorical situation. I build upon previous structuralist, feminist, and genre theory approaches to the short story to articulate my own perspective on the work. My analysis demonstrates critical thinking by drawing upon the ideas of Derrida, Barthes, de Beauvoir, and other scholars, and synthesizing their concepts in conversation with my own claims.

This project expresses critical analysis and problem solving skills that are essential in any UX or content strategy role. The paper demonstrates my ability to evaluate and synthesize multiple critical perspectives to understand narrative context.

Critical Analysis Literary Theory Synthesis Original Insights