My Journey

Barbara Hidalgo

I’ve always been drawn to messy systems — cognitive, emotional, technical. My journey has taken me from eye-tracking labs to trauma-informed therapy to knowledge graph engineering. This page maps the connections — people, tools, and ideas — that have shaped the way I think and build.

The Big Turns

2009

Seeing Thought in Motion

Led an eye-tracking study at MIT that sparked my obsession with attention, memory, and visual cognition.

2017

From Research to Real Life

Moved into consulting and learned how data frameworks succeed or fail depending on how well they’re communicated.

2020

Licensed to Listen

Becoming a therapist reshaped how I see change, safety, and story — and it still influences how I build technology today.

2023

Return to Code, Rooted in People

Started designing AI tools with a cognitive science lens: context, clarity, and care as technical requirements.

Throughlines

Connected things are more valuable than isolated things.
Transformation matters more than perfection.
Clarity unlocks momentum.
Design is cognitive empathy.
Data isn’t neutral — it’s always part of a story.
I trust curiosity more than certainty.

Ways of Seeing

Cognitive Science

Helped me understand how people attend, decide, and learn — and gave me the foundation to build interfaces that support thinking.

Therapy

Taught me how humans actually change — through safety, repetition, and story. I use this lens when designing systems and teams.

Data & AI

Gave me system-level perspective, from messy inputs to structured insight. Showed me that pipelines are just conversations in code.

Product & Visual Design

Showed me the value of hierarchy, clarity, and attention. Helped me communicate ideas in ways that feel intuitive and humane.

Now & Next

I’m currently working on a set of projects at the intersection of knowledge graphs, mental health, and meaningful data interfaces. I’m also seeking collaborative roles on AI or product strategy teams with a human-centered twist.

If you’re building something thoughtful, I’d love to talk.