Visual Thinking & Lettering Practice: 30 Days of Thanks! Designs

Last November, I drew the word Thanks! in a different way every day. I used a black Sharpie marker and only a black Sharpie marker. No pencil, no eraser, no sticky white correction stuff - just a black Sharpie marker. (They're permanent, by the way!) Any mark that ended up on the page had to become part of the design. Some of them I like, some of them I don't. But they ARE all different!

Pictures usually steal the show when it comes to live graphic recording or other types of illustration. But fun and fancy lettering can be just as powerful and equally creative!

Each design was colored in either Photoshop or Illustrator, but not touched up.

Sketchnotes: Published!

How does a very visual person write an academic paper? Visually, of course! This was the first page of a book review created as part of my master's program. While it has yet to appear in any scholarly journals, it has been published in something way more fun - The Sketchnote Workbook, by Mike Rohde.

Synthesis Image or Illustration: Creative Connections Network

Synthesis images are not always created live. They can be created from print materials or audio and video files, too. This synthesis image was created from an entire website to draw people in and highlight all they have to offer. Check it out!

Live Graphic Recording: Design Thinking Innovation Workshop at The Product Summit

Workshops are generally made of PowerPoint presentations, hands-on work, and lively discussions. Graphic recording is a great way to capture both the facts and the flavor of the group, giving everyone (present or not) a clear picture of the key points and the experience as a whole. It's also a great way to show the whole group how much of an impact each person's  participation has on everyone's experience there.

The two images above were created during the full day Design Thinking Innovation Workshop last Saturday, as part of The Product Summit in San Francisco.

Visual Templates: Visual evaluation and group consensus

Most people think coming up with ideas is what creativity is all about, but evaluating them is just as important. And it's equally important evaluation waits until you're trying to decide which one of your many ideas to use. If that final decision is made in a group, consensus can be hard to reach.

A simple visual like this one can make the whole process much more simple, enjoyable, and engaging. Everyone can see at a glance how bright the group as a whole thinks that idea really is.

Live Graphic Recording: Leaders for Change 2014

Last Friday, I did some live graphic recording at Foster Youth in Action's Leaders for Change conference. Leadership teams from ten different groups each presented a little about their group, their accomplishments, and their goals. 

This was recorded on one 4'x8' panel. Since unity and collaboration were a big part of this event, it was really important for each group to be represented in one final image. Fortunately, space allowed for a larger image, but that's not always the case!

Alternately, each group's presentation could have been recorded on a smaller panel (around flip-chart size). Smaller images can then be displayed together at the event and pieced together into one final digital image, if desired.

Timeline: Golden Gate Bridge

Timelines are by nature visual, but that doesn't always make them so visually inviting. I did this one a while ago for practice and to learn a little about a Bay Area landmark, too. Even from a distance, you can clearly see it is about the Golden Gate Bridge, it's foggy, and there's a blimp in the sky. A successful visual creates a very simple, yet clear, first impression like that.

This timeline was created on a 4'x8' sheet of paper and colored with crayons...which I quickly discovered are hard to photograph well. So, this one remains a cropped snapshot, not a bright and shiny digital image like I usually send my clients.

Goals: Now and Later

It helps to figure out where you are before you decide where you want to be. For my goal of blogging and tweeting everyday, I've noted how many blog posts and tweets I have today and what the total number of each will be when I reach my goal. That way, it's much easier to keep the end number in mind. Creating a visual like this with those numbers side by side makes it much more likely I'll actually look at at remember those numbers.

Goals: Make 'em Visual

If you make your goal visual, you're more likely to reach it. And visuals can help track your progress, too. I'll be using visuals to track my progress on this goal throughout the coming year.

Visual Summary: Milwaukee

Here's what I do on airplanes - I draw! I was in Milwaukee for a job a few weeks ago and created this visual summary on my way back. Looks like I managed to see quite a bit in the 36 or so hours I was there! The one disadvantage of working in black and white? I couldn't capture the beautiful sunrise!