The Journey towards Visual Thinking.
- Contemporary Empathy
- Jun 17, 2020
- 4 min read
"If I can´t picture it, I can´t understand it" [Albert Einstein]
Communicating our ideas can sometimes feel hard. We may choose the wrong words, something becomes lost in translation, or we simply struggle to translate the image or concept in our head to something that others can understand.
So how can we help others to see the thoughts inside of our head? One sure way is by making them visual!
You may be thinking "I am terrible at drawing, this does not apply to me!"; yet do not fear, visual thinking does not rely on artistic talent.
In fact, all of us have the capacity to work towards become more visual in how we think and communicate thanks to how our very brains are wired.
According to neuroscientists, we humans actually have hundreds of millions of neurons devoted to visual processing in our brain, which take up about 30% of its cortex. In comparison just 8% of the cortex is taken up by touch and 3% by hearing.*
So clearly we have a very visual brain to work with, one with the capacity to help us understand our own ideas and express them to others.
Visual thinking can enable us to:
Communicate complex concepts in a simple and clear manner.
Understand, develop, and refine our own ideas.
Align team members and help them to execute decisions faster.
Interpret data, make connections, and draw conclusions.
Clarify ´fluffy´ concepts and gain a grip on theory.
Keep reading to discover some of our recommended visual thinking tools!
Sketchnotes
When we listen to information we can tap into our visual processing neurons by sketching the key messages of what we are hearing in a format such as that of Mike Rhode´s ´sketchnoting´ technique.
We highly recommend delving into this easy guide to visual note taking as it will help you to get some basic foundations of drawing shapes, and understand that following simple patterns is all that is needed to become effective at this technique.
Sketch notes can help with memory and creative expression, as well as being more fun than average written note taking!*
2. Mind Maps
Our first introduction to the brainstorming tool of mind maps is often as school learners; and as adults we may reject them in favour of more ´complex´ models. However, our team think they are highly relevant for visual processing of information. Pen & paper maps or digital ones both work, and we recommend varying colours for the different branches.
3.Mood Boards
Mood boards (a.k.a inspiration boards) have long been associated with creativity and design. Pinterest has introduced most of us to the online version. We recommend you try out one of your own; create a physical or digital collage of ideas in which you can add and subtract things, and see how pieces relate to one another and to the overall concept.
4. Empathy Maps
Empathy maps have traditionally been championed in UX, Agile, and Design Thinking as tools to understand what a customer/user/employee thinks, feels and needs. We believe they are relevant across all industries, and have a mapping guide and downloadable template for you here.
5. Stakeholder or Ecosystem Maps
A stakeholder is one of many relationship maps that can aid us to understand the needs and motivations of customers, stakeholders, and other key players, as well as figure out how they are connected within a community.
The map shown here uses a three layer format to categorise the players according to their direct or indirect relationship with the core stakeholder at the centre.
6. Napkin Sketches
A napkin sketch consists of a quick, basic, rough, and visual explanation of an idea.
The concept has become famous due to lots of creatives coming up with ideas in unusual places such as bars or cafes, and grabbing the nearest writing utensils to hand; in this case the napkin.
A good place to start is with this book called ´Unfolding the napkin´. Roam structured the content as a four-day visual thinking seminar, which takes readers step-by-step from “I can’t draw” to “Here is the picture I drew that will solve a complex problem.” Ensure you have plenty of focus time to start this methodology and fully master it.*
7. Conceptual Frameworks (Venn Diagrammes etc)
Venn diagrammes such as our own C.E. methodology Venn shown here, fall under the category of conceptual frameworks. Others include graphs, charts, matrices, and flow charts.
Conceptual frameworks are analytical visual tools which help us organise ideas and break down concepts into blocks.
8. Storyboards
Storyboards offer a way to visualise the narrative of a story through a sequence of images. These can be drawings, photos, or animations; the important thing is that they bring the essential elements of a story to life on a page.
If you want to play around with the sequence of the narrative itself then create a storyboard with post it notes!
9. Low Fidelity Prototypes
The goal of rapid prototyping is simple: a means to demonstrate to stakeholders, end-users, and our own internal team what our concept/functionality will look like, and how someone will interact with it; then allowing for feedback, iteration and changes. You can use lego, plasticine, sketches, early wireframes, or basically anything to make a fast prototype.
10. Doodle Journals
Doodling is a fun way to express our ideas creatively and practice visual expression. You can try freeform doodling, or learn how to structure your doodles using a book such as Sunni Brown´s ´The Doodle Revolution´.
Keeping a journal with doodles and drawings to express your thoughts, memories, and ideas is a good start.
If you are interested in discussing visual thinking or trying it out in a workshop please get in touch with our team as we would be delighted to help!
*Bibliography
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