Hard to categorize into a single art historical style, Diederich was clearly influenced by American folk art as well as the Art Moderne aesthetic of the 1910s, 20s and 30s. His circle included avant-garde artists such as Paul Manship, Elie Nadelman, Alexander Archipenko, and Alexander Calder. His work often featured themes drawn from the animal kingdom, mythology, and the sporting world. Diederich's most adventurous work features reduced and flattened representational imagery and a sense of movement expressed through rhythmic contours and compositions.