It really is incredibly sweet that they're so close that they all go to each other's important family events but I'm also cracking up thinking about the siblings planning for all of them. Oh don't forget instead of a +1 my little brother gets a +7 for all the members of his boy band polycule
Hello! Today I have something interesting to talk about, something that also hasn't been done in relation to Ateez before, so this is going to be very fun!!!
In 2024, for the summer photobook, Ateez were asked to do one small, cute exercise. Basically, they were given one word 'Summer' and told to make a sort of visual diagram centered around it, with related topics generally branching outward like a tree. Each branch can have sub-branches for more details, using keywords, colors, or whatever they feel like.
I'm going to post each member, talk about what I'm visually observing, then what I think it potentially reveals about how they think and how they process information. I'll try to stay as neutral and accurate as possible, but since I am no medical professional, do take what I say with a grain of salt.
I will also be ranking them. I won't tell you what the ranking is, but it's going to be so obvious as you read. Hahaha.
(In case you can't tell, I'm very enthusiastic about doing this!)
As always : This is a work of interpretation. I am in no way claiming direct access to ATEEZ members' inner lives, thoughts, or feelings. Everything I write is subject to revision as more information about the teezers comes to light and as my own opinions and perspectives grow.
Post Disclaimer : Everything in this post is also based purely on one creative exercise. I have no professional medical qualifications to diagnose anyone with anything. What I do have tho, are visual analysis qualifications, so I will be observing creative choices. My discussion of cognitive patterns is speculative curiosity. And also, it's fun. I'm having fun. This is for fun. Don't come @ me.
The scans on which this interpretation is gonna be based are provided by yours truly. You're welcome to save and reuse them.
English translations are already provided by KQ, Just zoom in the pictures !
Okey let's start !
8. Park Seonghwa
As you can all see, this mind map is very clean. Everything is visually balanced. 'Summer' is written big in the center, while everything branches out evenly, filling the entire page. No obvious empty spaces. The link between each word makes sense, there's a clear logic following through. The lines are slightly wobbly, but his writing is legible. Seonghwa also makes good use of colors, grouping every subcategory with a different color.
This, y'all, is what the standard mind map looks like. Let's take a moment to applaud how amazing Park Seonghwa is at this exercise! He's so very clearly well organized while still leaving a bit of leeway for fun and joy!
Overrall: 10/10, a model student truly, no notes.
7. Choi Jongho.
Similarly to Seonghwa, his mind map is all very clean. Everything is visually balanced. 'Summer' is written big in the center, while everything branches out evenly, filling the entire page. The link between each word makes sense, there's a clear logic following through. His lines are also wobbly, but it's an obvious stylistic choice, and his handwriting is legible. A good use of colors, too.
Here's where it differ, tho. You'll notice that Jongho has a different way of categorizing his coloring. Where Seonghwa colored each section separately, Jongho colored by degree, by depth of layer. It's very hierarchical.
You'll also notice that he wrote down three layers, where Seonghwa wrote down two. And at the very last one, Jongho got more personal. He brought up his OST, where he wants to go next, home, surfing, freediving—aspirational or challenge-based activities. You need to dig a bit deeper to access Jongho.
And because there are more layers, his writing is smaller. His mind map is also more condensed; it's almost forming a circle. Seonghwa's mind map is more airy, with more space for other thoughts to filter through. But Jongho holds his together and closer to his heart. Still, within that condensed circle, Jongho made it a point to leave space between 'Summer' and the first layer of keywords. It's an implicit boundary or protective circle so that the word can sit properly at its center.
He's very organized as well, more rigorously than Seonghwa, very structured with a clear attention to detail. In terms of how much satisfaction it brings me to look at it, visually his is my favorite. But Jongho has a natural talent for the arts and design.
Overrall: 10/10. The most insight I ever had on Jongho. A round boy through and through.
Also man has a whole section dedicated to food that's insane. The little tiny captain after boat is so cuute toooo
6. Jung Wooyoung
Wooyoung's mind map is very similar in structure to Seonghwa's as well, just waaay messier. You've got 'Summer' at the center with branches spreading to each corner of the page. Each section is organized by color, with generally two layers. And there's a clear logic following his words, tho his writing is a bit messy and inconsistent.
Wooyoung has more empty space, and his mind map is less visually balanced. It's more go-with-the-flow. You can see it in how he cares less about specific coloring : 'Summer' is in the same color as the sea section (blue), and 'Heat' is the only bright pink colored word, but I can't tell if that's accidental or on purpose (doesn't matter tbh, he didn't care).
His mind map is also very focused on experiences and sensory exploration. The heat section is particularly hilarious because he's just listing words that are related to making it less hot. He also makes it a point to list specific locations like Okinawa, Hawaii, Namhae and Gangwon Province. He's not thinking abstractly but concretely in the moment. He couldn't just say 'travel' and call it a day, he had to be geographically precise as to where. Those are places he's been to before, he's potentially imagining being there.
The S in his MBTI is very fitting.
Here's the interesting detail in this mind map: Wooyoung has a loose, confident line going from 'Summer' to each of the first four branches. However, between each layer after that is a line with a little twirl. Still confident, but also still a twirl.
It's a very small detail, but it adds a bit of personality— a small mental detour before coming back in. He's having fun with it. He's not stressed about the mess, or the gaps. Wooyoung trusts his first instincts enough to put them on paper without overthinking or over-editing himself. His hand is trying to keep up with his brain. The little twirl is an extra beat before picking back up its pace.
Overrall: its messy/10 but the twirls are cute so i'll let it slide.
5. Choi San
This is where I genuinely start to worry. From here on now, it's all going downhill, y'all.
This page terrifies me (/hj). I don't know what's going on inside San's brain, and that's exactly why it's so scary (puddings, don't kill me please).
San's mind map is extremely clean, straightforward. There are no colors, no scribbles, no distractions, no wobbly lines. His writing is neat af. It's visually balanced. It's neither condensed nor too loose, it's the right amount of space between categories. But all around his page is empty. There's so much space unfilled, so his words feel exposed.
San is often perceived as the most expressive member on stage. But his page has very little emotional leakage.
And the content. Work. He put work under summer. Where everyone treated the exercise almost like a diary, a fun escapism, San thought about work. He wrote 'fun' after, though, so that was interesting. He's also the only one to mention something "negative" : Stress, followed by Mosquitoes and Heat (funnyyy). His summer isn't a separate, carefree vacation. It's a season within his ongoing life cycle.
The empty space, San didn't add extra words just to make the page look fuller. He gave us exactly what he thought was relevant, nothing more, nothing less. It's very minimalist, but it's also very honest in its presentation. He strips summer down to its essential contrasts in his life: work vs rest, stress vs healing. Tensions he's living in.
The only decorative element there is, is the little blue cloud surrounding 'Summer.' Not a circle, not a square, not a colored scribble or a heart or whatever, but a cloud. He contained Summer inside a soft, protective boundary. And it's floating. It's detached. A touch of romance.
When San says "simple is best", he's not just using it to talk about his clothing style. I'm starting to think it's an insight into how he thinks as well, a philosophy of sorts. Keeping things uncomplicated and straightforward for peace of mind. A part of me still feels like he's guarding himself on the page tho.
Overall: unsettling/10. Idk how to feel. The page is too sterile and clean for my personal taste but San is sooo... mmmmm let's just say he's one of the members I find the most interesting.
(my brothers liked his page the best so clearly its a matter of taste)
4. Kim Hongjoong
My secret favorite. I love this page so much. Kim Hongjoong wiggled his way through my heart with how cute and earnest he is with his mind map.
Some patterns are gonna start emerging soon, and I'm gonna start pointing fingers.
Right off the bat, what jumps up from the page is the illustrations. Where the past members were all content with coloring and scribbling over the words or just one simple doodle, Kim Hongjoong is treating his page like a sketchbook, with visuals enhancing communication. Which... isn't surprising when you know the guy. The second thing you notice is that whereas everyone before tried to keep the mind map centered, with four branches running toward each corner of the page, Kim Hongjoong has his visually leaning toward the right side of the page.
This is also the part of our analysis where we start seeing full sentences forming instead of the regular keywords. Thankfully, Hongjoong is still within the standards four branches, two layers in (mostly). "The best summer song" attached to "Wave" (hell yeah, captain) and the small "Gotta Work !" attached to "comeback". Can't tell if he's speaking to us or himself tho, maybe both ?
His mind map is definitely more free-spirited than the last four. There's less of a rigid following of the standard structure, but differently from Wooyoung. Wooyoung is a bit messy and added one unique detail, but he's still essentially functioning within the rules of the mind maps. Hongjoong is aware of the structure he needs to follow, but he has no issue deviating from it, doing his own thing. He prioritizes creativity over rules.
Hongjoong's mind map reads as intentional and expressive. One reason for that is the lines linking words are straightforward and confident, and the overall map still looks visually pleasing (it's super cute). The illustrations aren't random either, they're associative. 'Summer' is literally drawn as a word, then surrounded by a sun and wave.
The other interesting detail is his mention of Ateez, Atiny, and San. The word "mountain" is San, it's automatic! Just as Ateez and Atiny are both linked to the word "Wave" and, more importantly, to each other. In Hongjoong's mind, they're not separate entities but always connected to each other. He even drew little hearts (again, he's super cute)
A few of the others mentioned "Mountain/산" , but Hongjoong is the only one who directly wrote Choi San/산. His people are never too far off from his mind. He's direct about his connections.
His map so far is the warmest of all four and also the one with the most personality, because while everyone else put theirs in the words they wrote, Hongjoong put his on the page itself. You'll find It's a similar approach to how he handles his fashion style and eveything else about him.
Overrall: very creative/10 very cute. i love him, hes amazing.
3. Song Mingi
My Brain is starting to hurt.
*deep sight*
Summer is slightly off center, leaning up. At first glance, there is no clear structure to Mingi's map. He didn't follow the standard four branches at all. His lines are crossing over one another, intertwining, multiple lines pointing at a single word. He's all over the place, filling the entire page, contradicting himself in his words, but at least his writing is legible-ish (small mercies).
Mingi colored thematically, not by depth or degree. He wrote full sentences, and is in full conversation with himself. How can we tell? Because there are at least ten mental steps between thought A and thought B. Like what do you mean you drew "Summer" with 'Mingi' on top, linked it to "my birthday in August" and then linked that to "all four seasons are fine" ?
Practically everyone so far went: Summer → Travel → Sea, and ended it there. Meanwhile, Mingi is going : Summer → my name → my birthday → but all seasons are fine → but chicken → but which chicken → oh actually, dakbokkeumtang → wait, that links to happiness → happiness links to first win → first win was Wave → Wave is summer → back to chicken. This is associative thinking in its purest form.
My guy slow down on the thoughts.
Mingi's structure is nonlinear. His mind map is a network, Everything is connected, there's no "level" system, no hierarchy. A tertiary thought can loop back to the center or jump to a completely different branch. This is so clearly a neurodivergent brain. Like, if he doesn't have at least ADHD, I don't know what to tell you guys...
And the FIX ON logo to the side, the clearest tie to his identity. Mingi left a footprint. This is him. Mingi. Zero filter, zero desire to simplify himself. This is the most inside a member's head we've truly been so far. Mingi argues with himself about chicken, writes lol on his mind maps, and is unapologetically himself. FIX ON.
In all seriousness, his mind map is also very sentimental. He sees the sun and says he's grateful. He thinks of happiness and immediately associates it with ATINY and their tours. The word 'comeback' reminds him of their first win, 'Wave'. His page is filled with feelings. It is the most alive out of all 8.
Overral: Severe case of neurodivergence /10. No wonder he's such a cool guy.
2. Kang Yeosang
This is where I start fearing for my life. /j
You know what? It took me a while to figure out who I wanted to rank in first place. But I had to give Yeosang his point because at least he tried. At least he put effort into this exercise. You can't fault him if he has zero understanding of spatial structure or just no general feel for how this exercise should actually be executed.
This is.. very yeosang coded actually.
And by that, I mean my guy should really consider that autism diagnosis fr.
Yeosang is the only member to begin this mind map exercise from the top right corner of the page. Mingi's map looks all over the place, but his words and lines still followed a logic you could more or less understand. Yeosang does not. Not because his words don't make sense that is—they're straightforward and simple most of the time— but because the structure is so unconventional compared to everything we have seen so far. It is weirder than if all of it was collapsing like mingi's.
To explain more Yeosang circled all his words and colored inside the circles, but the coloring has no clear logic. It's not organized by theme, degree, or section. They're just colored. (sure by his own internal logic that we do not have access to). It also looks like Yeosang started his mind map and halfway through realized he lacked space (or maybe he just didn't care ?), so he just kept expanding on one point over and over again: Summer → body → exercise → protein → meat → beef. It's an interesting chain he broke down. Truly a one-track mind. He stops at beef even though he could go further. He was done.
His writing is messy, and so is the coloring. He doesn't care about staying inside the circles. Matter of fact, I wouldn't even call them full circles because they're just... not ? But he did contain each word in a bubble-ish shape, and the link between each is a straight line. There's a lack of performance from Yeosang. Most members were, more or less, aware of the audience; they tried to make their mind map look pretty in some way, shape, or form, but Yeosang does not. Either he doesn't care, or it genuinely didn't cross his mind to do so ?
And the most interesting detail : "YS brain" linked to Summer, not 'my brain,' but '"YS brain" I also have no idea what that actually means. Does Summer remind Yeosang of himself? Is it the exercise he's doing right now ?
Like ???? What is going on ???
Overral: I don't understand what's happening actually. This is very funny tho. Get this man a screening /10 and I say this with love.
1. Jeong Yunho
If i was a teacher and Jeong Yunho was my student i would consider a career change.
See, the difference between the last two is they, at least, tried their best. Yunho just feels like he's clowning everybody.
"Ah yes! You gave me a mind map exercise, but instead of actually writing words and structuring it with the conventional linear, four sections, two-layers-in structure, I am going to link 'Summer' to only five words, which I am going to draw and represent very poorly, knowing that I have zero drawing skills."
And despite this, this is the most insight I have on how one member thinks (besides Mingi). Yunho thinks in visuals.
Hongjoong drew decorations beside his words. Little boats, little watermelons, little mountains. But Yunho encased his words inside the drawings themselves. He didn't just write "seagull" and drew a seagull beside the word, no. The seagull as it is written is the seagull he drew. They are not separate in his mind. He didn't just draw waves for 'Wave', he drew the exact album cover as he remembers it, as it is. He's not imagining something that's not here. He's tapping from memory.
This is the same instinct that pushes Yunho into mimicking objects or people around him, as well as miming the other members' words or lyrics as they're spoken. Just watch any 'Now This House Ain't a Home' Yunho fancam. He's not just dancing to the song, he's trying to visually represent the lyrics and his thougths through his physical body. It's how he understands and connects with the world— through replication.
show don't tell
Aditionally in Yunho's map, 'Summer' is contained inside the sun, and the five words/images are inside it's field touching said sun, orbiting around it like a solar system. That's exactly why he's number one on this ranking for most unconventional — because everyone else attempted a tree diagram (hierarchical/linear), but Yunho drew a solar system (gravitational/cyclical). His words are held in place by gravity, not by logical descent. That's the most different model we have of how concepts relate to each other.
Suddenly I understand why ATEEZ keep saying he's the weirdest out of all of them, and they can never figure out what goes on inside his brain. (Timing is crazy because San just called Yunho a smiling lunatic/maniac)
Overral: I'm quitting my hypothetical job as a teacher /10. I need a new job. Hire me. He's also neurodivergent af i'll die on this hill.
one day i'll write more more about the cyclical thing and yunho
+BONUS
*After trying the exercise myself (really recommend it btw, it's easy and quick and really does reveal things about your own thought process, even if you're aware of it), it is much harder than you think to come up with words or decide what to write or add. It made Jongho's mind map stand out to me due to how layered and detailed it is. That's a lot of patience, and desire to get to the bottom of things. It might be overwhelming for people who prefer simpler processes.
*The natural impulse for me has also been to follow the tree diagram model with branches and sections. Made me realize that the members who deviated drastically from the standard— Mingi, Yeosang, and Yunho— are all the more unconventional for it.
*I set Seonghwa as the standard, but really, most people will not be as polished as he is. If anything, Wooyoung is closer to what the average person would make. Seonghwa is just the ideal. And by being the ideal, I can't read him as well as the others, which is why my observations of him are so short. All I can say is that he has good visual-spatial awareness, and he has the patience to color-code neatly.
*Ateez clearly love their watermelon and their food. Everyone had a food section, or mentioned some type of dish they love. Food, beyond being something you eat and experience sensory-wise, is also something you share with people.
And CUT !
This was fuuun, hope you enjoyed it too. As always feel free to drop comments or asks ! Let me know how you would have ranked those hehe
Apparently KQ held a New Years party and they raffled off some pretty nice prizes, including a luxury hotel ticket, which went to xikers' Hunter and the reaction was hilarious 😂
yousharknotpass
theartofmadeline
jacobvanloon
stormborns
turnnoffyourmind
jbbartram-illu
kaledo-art
