At the center of the experience is a D3.js-based force-directed visualization that renders a dynamic concept network of Calculus topics and their relationships. Users can select one or multiple CS topics to generate relevant Calculus concept sets in real time, allowing the visualization to shift from broad discovery to focused inquiry.

To support different exploration behaviors, the application provides two complementary view modes. A List View ranks Calculus concepts by connection strength to selected CS topics, enabling quick review and comparison. A Concept Map View presents the complete interactive network with zooming and panning, supporting deeper discovery across topic clusters. Each connection includes a short, structured explanation that clarifies how the Calculus concept is applied within the CS context, transforming the visualization into an explainable learning and curriculum tool rather than a purely visual map.

The Explorer is built as a front-end-only application using HTML5, CSS3, and vanilla JavaScript, without requiring a backend server. Interactive rendering and real-time filtering are implemented using D3.js v7, enabling smooth graph behaviors and responsive exploration even across large datasets.

The interface is designed to be responsive across screen sizes and is optimized for static deployment platforms such as GitHub Pages, making the project lightweight, accessible, and easy to distribute.

A key technical challenge was managing hundreds of nodes and edges while maintaining fast interaction performance. The project also emphasizes usability for non-technical audiences by integrating onboarding guidance, informative empty states, and animation transitions that help users understand changes in the graph as they filter or explore. The overall structure is data-driven and built from real curriculum topic datasets, enabling multi-level organization across courses, core ideas, and topic connections.