Most of my work is focused around a single (broad) question: How can we use our understanding of human perception and artistic traditions to improve our tools for communicating and data understanding? In problems ranging from molecular biology to video editing, we are faced with a deluge of data. In this talk, I'll survey some of the ways we've tried to turn this problem into solutions. I'll discuss our efforts in data visualization and multimedia, showing how we can use an understanding of art and perception to create novel tools for a range of problems. I'll also speculate on some of new directions including the use of visual simulation for home healthcare development.