All Diagrams Neat and Beautiful, All Networks Great and Small

In this thesis, we examined approaches to improve the use of network diagrams for networks with different sizes. We proposed an optimal layout for small networks that can easily adapt to different aesthetics. For large networks, we proposed a summary representation that provides enough insight into the structure of the network to perform overview tasks, but hides details that could potentially overwhelm the users. We also identified a threshold with respect to network size, beyond which the use of such summary representations is recommended.