Pictures are global and transcend words. They carry metaphors, symbols and meaning beyond the written word. Capturing ideas with images takes less time than reading text or verbalizing ideas, and making drawings helps you tell stories more effectively. Visual thinking can help you make sense of complexity, help find patterns and surface critical issues, help make faster, better decisions, and help you take action and do 'good' for your business. In order to get comfortable with the skill of visual thinking, we need to build confidence in drawing ability for those with no experience, help people develop a personal toolbox of sketching shortcuts, promote and encourage visual thinking as a useful tool at your desk and in the conference room. The goal is to move from "let's THINK out loud" to "let's VISUALLY THINK out loud" as a way to brainstorm, collaborate and innovate together in the workplace.

1. “VISUAL
THINKING”
Presenter:
Sponsor:
Liz
Burow
Russell
C.
Petrella,
Ph.D.
–
Burlix
Studio
President,
UnitedHealthcare,
Community
&
State

2. I AM A VISUAL THINKING
USER, ADVOCATE
AND EDUCATOR

3. WHY VISUAL THINKING?
BENEFIT– SHOW NON-LINEAR RELATIONSHIPS,
ENCOURAGE HOLISTIC THINKING

4. WHY VISUAL THINKING?
BENEFIT: IMPROVES QUALITY AND SPEED OF IDEATION
AND PROBLEM SOLVING, MAKE IDEAS TANGIBLE

5. WHY VISUAL THINKING?
BENEFIT: LOWER BARRIER FOR ENTRY, PARTICIPATORY
CONVERSATIONAL

6. WHY VISUAL THINKING?
BENEFIT: SHOW VS TELL, MAKES COMPLEXITY EASY TO UNDERSTAND
AND MANAGE

7. WHY VISUAL THINKING?
BENEFIT: DECREASE TIME IT TAKES TO EXPLAIN AND UNDERSTAND AN
IDEA, BETTER COORDINATED

8. WHY VISUAL THINKING?
VISUAL THINKING HELPS
FIND PATTERNS,
SURFACE CRITICAL ISSUES,
TAKE ACTION FASTER
JOHN SNOW: PLOT MAPPING | 1854 Broad St Cholera Outbreak, London

9. WHY VISUAL THINKING?
PREVENTABLE
WOUNDS
OTHER
VISUAL THINKING HELPS
FIND PATTERNS,
SURFACE CRITICAL ISSUES,
TAKE ACTION FASTER
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE | Polar Area Diagram & Sanitary Reform

10. WHY VISUAL THINKING?
STEPHEN COVEY, 2 x 2 MATRIX FOR PRIORITIZING QUALITATIVE DATA

11. WHY VISUAL THINKING?
“DATA IN,
INFORMATION OUT”
– STEPHEN COVEY

12. WHY VISUAL THINKING?
“WE ARE MOVING FROM THE
INFORMATION AGE
TO THE
CONCEPTUAL AGE”
– DANIEL H. PINK, A WHOLE NEW MIND

13. “WE ARE NO LONGER KNOWLEDGE WORKERS,
BUT RATHER HIGH CONCEPT PEOPLE...(WE)
DETECT PATTERNS AND OPPORTUNITIES, CRAFT A
SATISFYING NARRATIVE, AND COMBINE SEEMINGLY
UNRELATED IDEAS INTO SOMETHING NEW...
(WE) EMPATHIZE WITH OTHERS, UNDERSTAND
SUBTLETIES OF HUMAN INTERACTIONS, FIND JOY,
STRETCH BEYOND THE QUOTIDIAN IN PURSUIT OF
PURPOSE AND MEANING. ”
– DANIEL H. PINK, A WHOLE NEW MIND

14. GREAT. SO, IF ITS
SO IMPORTANT,
WE CAN ASSUME
WE’RE ALL USING
VISUAL THINKING
ALREADY, RIGHT

15. HERE’S THE PROBLEM:

16. HERE’S THE PROBLEM:

17. HERE’S THE PROBLEM:
PEOPLE THINK IT’S:
TOO COMPLICATED
CAN’T DO IT
TAKES TOO MUCH TIME
NOT USEFUL
DON’T KNOW HOW
DIDN’T EVEN THINK TO TRY

18. HERE’S THE OPPORTUNITY:
START THINKING ABOUT
DRAWING AS A WAY TO THINK

19. HOW WE’RE GOING TO GET THERE:
1
GET COMFY

20. HOW WE’RE GOING TO GET THERE:
1 2
GET COMFY APPLY
METHODS

21. HOW WE’RE GOING TO GET THERE:
1 2
GET COMFY APPLY
METHODS
3
PICK RESOLUTION

22. LET’S MOVE FROM:
“I’M JUSTBLAH BLAH
BLAH
THINKING BLAH
BLAH
OUT LOUD
BLA H BLAH
HERE”
BLAH
BLAH
BLAH
BLAH

23. TO:
“I’M JUSTBLAH BLAH
THINKING BLAH
VISUALLY
OUT LOUD BLAH
HERE” BLAH
BLAH
BLAH

24. 1. GET COMFY

25. HOW?: REMOVE THE BLOCKAGE
INFORMATION/
NO TOOLS DECISIONS
NO LANGUAGE
DATA INHIBITION
ATTITUDE
PROBLEM CULTURE
SOLVING SPACE

26. HOW?: DRAW LIKE A CAVEMAN

27. HOW?: DRAW LIKE A CAVEMAN
USE LEARN FROM
SYMBOLS/ FAILURE/
ICONS/ SURVIVAL/
SIMPLE LANGUAGE ADAPTIVE
MAKE IT
LOW TECH/ CULTURAL/
USE RITUAL/
SHORTCUTS SPATIAL

28. CAVEMAN:
5/20/12
USE SYMBOLS Drawing Development in Children
Perspectives
Drawing
Development
in Children
Viktor Lowenfeld
Betty Edwards
2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 2 years 3 years 4 years 6 years 8 years 10 years 12 years 14 years 16 years
14 yrs
Viktor Lowenfeld Scribbling The preschematic stage The schematic stage The gang stage: The dawning The pseudo‐ naturalistic The period of decision
Creative and stage realism stage
Mental Growth First conscious creation of form occurs The child arrives at a "schema," a Art at this stage of life is
First around age three and provides a definite way of portraying an The child finds that schematic generalization This stage marks the end of art as something to be done or left
disordered tangible record of the child's thinking object, although it will be modified no longer suffices to express reality. This spontaneous activity as children alone. Natural development
scribbles are process. The first representational when he needs to portray something dawning of how things really look is usually are increasingly critical of their will cease unless a conscious
simply records attempt is a person, usually with important. The schema represents expressed with more detail for individual drawings. The focus is now on the decision is made to improve
of enjoyable circle for head and two vertical lines the child's active knowledge of the parts, but is far from naturalism in drawing. end product as they strive to drawing skills. Students are
kinesthetic for legs. Later other forms develop, subject. At this stage, there is Space is discovered and depicted with create "adult‐like" naturalistic critically aware of the
activity, not clearly recognizable and often quite definite order in space overlapping objects in drawings and a horizon drawings. Light and shadow, folds, immaturity of their drawing
attempts at complex. Children continually search relationships: everything sits on the line rather than a base line. Children begin to and motion are observed with and are easily discouraged.
portraying the for new concepts so symbols base line. compare their work and become more critical mixed success, translated to Lowenfeld's solution is to
visual world. constantly change. of it. While they are more independent of paper. Space is depicted as three‐ enlarge their concept of adult
After six adults, they are more anxious to conform to dimensional by diminishing the art to include non‐
months of their peers. size of objects that are further representational art and art
scribbling, away. occupations besides painting
marks are (architecture, interior design,
more orderly handcrafts, etc.)
as children
become more
RETURN TO
engrossed.
Soon they
begin to name
scribbles, an
YOUR 6YR
important
milestone in
development.
Betty Edwards
Creative and
Mental Growth
The
scribbling
stage
The stage of
symbols
Pictures that
tell stories
OLD SELF
The Landscape
By five or six, children develop a set
The stage of
complexity
The stage of
realism
The crisis period
The beginning of adolescence
After weeks of At four or five, the of symbols to create a landscape At nine or ten years, The passion for marks the end of artistic
that eventually becomes a single development among most
DRAWING DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN: VICTOR LOWENFELD, BETTY EDWARDS
Random scribbling, child begins to tell children try for more realism is in full
variation repeated endlessly. A blue children, due to frustration at
scribbles begin children make stories or work out detail, hoping to bloom. When
the discovery of problems with her line and sun at the top of the page achieve greater drawings do not "getting things right." Those who
at age one‐
art: a drawn drawings, changing and a green line at the bottom realism, a prized goal. "come out right" (look do manage to weather the crisis
Copyright 1985 and 1987 Susan K. Donley, All Rights Reserved
and‐a‐half,
symbol can stand basic forms as become symbolic representations of Concern for where real) they seek help and learn the "secret" of drawing
but quite
for a real thing needed to express the sky and ground. Landscapes are things are in their to resolve conflict will become absorbed in it.
quickly take
in the meaning. Often compose carefully, giving the drawings is replaced between how the Edwards believes that proper
on definite
environment. once the problem is impression that removing any single by concern for how subject looks and teaching methods will help
shapes.
Circular form expressed, the form would throw off the balance things look‐‐ previously stored children learn to see and draw and
Circular

29. CAVEMAN: USE SYMBOLS
RETURNING TO YOUR 6 YEAR OLD SELF- THIS IS ALL YOU NEED TO GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS

30. CAVEMAN: SYMBOLS/MEANING
DRAW WITH
SYMBOLS TO CONVEY
MEANING. SHOW
AS MUCH ACTION,
STORY AND SPACE
IN ONE DRAWING AS
POSSIBLE.

31. CAVEMAN: SIMPLE LANGUAGE
USE BASIC SHAPES
(LETTERS OF THE
ALPHABET) TO TO
BUILD DIFFERENT
‘NOUNS’, ‘VERBS’,
‘ADJECTIVES’
GLYPHS: 12 VISUAL SHAPES THAT YOU CAN USE TO CREATE ANY VISUAL
COPYRIGHT: SUNNIBROWN.COM

32. CAVEMAN: SPEED/ADAPABLITY
PLAY TO YOUR
STRENGTHS, THINK
SURVIVAL, ACCEPT
IMPERFECTION, ADAPT,
LEARN
PLAYING PICTIONARY WITH STUDENTS

33. CAVEMAN: FIND SHORTCUTS
DEVELOP SHORTCUTS.
CREATE A DRAWING STYLE
AND SIGNATURES, PLAY TO
YOUR STRENGTHS.
DAWING FOR THINKERS WORKSHOP: PRACTICE DRAWING SIGNATURE PEOPLE

34. CAVEMAN: MAKE IT CULTURAL
MAKE DRAWING A PART
OF YOUR DAILY LIFE,
YOUR DAILY RITUAL AND
YOUR OFFICE CULTURE.
LEAVE DRAWINGS UP AS
A WAY TO COMMUNICATE
YOUR IDEAS AND YOUR
PROCESS.
THE STANFORD DESIGN SCHOOL, CALIFORNIA

35. 2. APPLYING
THE METHODS

36. BE A FIT THE RIGHT METHOD
FOR THE RIGHT
TEACHER BENEFIT

37. BE A TEACHER
LEARN BY SEEING LEARN BY LISTENING,
TALKING
SPATIAL/VISUAL AUDITORY
TACTILE/KINETIC LOGICAL
LEARN BY DOING LEARN BY THINKING
COMMUNICATE FOR ALL LEARNING TYPES

38. TEACH WITH YOUR:
HEAD
HEART
HANDS
CREDIT: DAVE GRAY

39. TEACH TO THE:
HEAD
SCHEMATIC
VISUALS: LOGICAL/STRATEGIC
CREDIT: DAVE GRAY

40. TEACH TO THE: EMOTIONAL
HEART
VISUALS: METAPHORS/ENGAGING/STORIES
CREDIT: DAVE GRAY

41. TEACH TO THE: PRACTICAL
HANDS
VISUALS: OPERATIONAL/FUNCTIONAL
CREDIT: DAVE GRAY

42. COMPARISON
PATH
SYSTEM
CREDIT: DAVE GRAY

43. HEAD HEART HANDS
A
B
3 4
2 1
CREDIT: DAVE GRAY

44. IF YOU’RE NOT SURE WHERE TO START, TRY MIND-MAPPING

45. 3. CHOOSE THE RIGHT
RESOLUTION

46. VISUAL THINKING IS
TECHNOLOGY AGNOSTIC
YOU DECIDE WHAT IS RIGHT
LOW RES HIGH RES
{CHOOSING THE RIGHT RESOLUTION}

47. SIMPLE ELABORATE
QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
VISION EXECUTION
LOW RES HIGH RES
{CHOOSING THE RIGHT RESOLUTION}

48. {CHOOSING THE RIGHT RESOLUTION}
SIMPLE ELABORATE
START QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
VISION EXECUTION
LOW RES HIGH RES
FASTER ARTICIPATORY
P SSIBLE TORY
ACCE LORA
EXP

49. {CHOOSING THE RIGHT RESOLUTION}
SIMPLE ELABORATE
FINISH
QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
VISION EXECUTION
LOW RES HIGH RES FANCY
CONCLUS
IVE
COMPLE
ACCURAT X
E

50. LOW RES- A GOOD ENTRY POINT FOR COLLABORATION, INNOVATION

51. HIGH RES- A GOOD ENTRY POINT FOR COMMUNICATING

52. Q: HOW DO WE
PUT THIS INTO
PRACTICE? TAKE IT
BACK TO WORK?

53. A: THIS IS LESS
ABOUT SKILL AND
MORE ABOUT
CULTURE

54. SET AN EXAMPLE-
SHOW THAT IT IS
OK TO SKETCH AS A
WAY TO THINK. NOT
EVERYTHING HAS TO
BE WORDS.
WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT AWAY

55. ENCOURAGE
AS A WAY TO
COMMUNICATE IN
MEETINGS, FOR
PRESENTATIONS
WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT AWAY

56. GIVE YOURSELF
TIME AND SPACE
TO SKETCH AND
THINK VISUALLY
WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT AWAY

57. PRACTICE
TALKING AND
DRAWING IN
FRONT OF OTHERS
PRACTICE LIKE
AN ATHLETE- FOR
MUSCLE MEMORY
WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT AWAY

58. THE BACK OF THE
NAPKIN
BY DAN ROAM
THE VISUAL DISPLAY
OF QUANTITATIVE
INFORMATION GAMESTORMING A WHOLE NEW MIND
BY EDWARD TUFTE BY DAVE GRAY, SUNNI BY DANIEL PINK
BROWN
LEARN MORE!
WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT AWAY

59. FOR ALL OF US HIGH CONCEPT
THINKERS WHO NEED TO :
MAKE SENSE
MAKE DECISIONS
TAKE ACTION,
DO GOOD

60. BUR OW
LIZ
RLIX IO.COM
@BU STUD
LIX IZBUROW
BUR E/L
LIZ@ OUT.M
AB