Sketching outside the box: Visual thinking for teams

• All Resources
• Blog
• Experience Reports
• Webcasts
• Videos
• Books
• Event Sessions
• Research Papers

People are unique in their ability to communicate abstract concepts using symbols and language. After all, that is where the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” comes from. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that expressing yourself visually (as well as verbally) improves the likelihood that others will not only understand what you are trying to say, but also retain the message. A picture has a way of showing ideas and solutions that would have remained hidden if you hadn’t picked up a pen. But a good picture doesn’t eliminate the need for words. It just reduces the number of words we use, so that the ones left behind are the most important…

So why is thinking visually so important?

When working in complex environments and trying to influence change in the workplace, it is essential that we are equipped with the knowledge and tools to tap into different styles of learning. Recent studies show that 65% of people learn and retain information more effectively by seeing words, as well as images. In contrast, only 30% of people learn through verbal communication alone. So if you aren’t one of the 65% of visual learners, someone in your team probably is!

Incorporating visual thinking into your day to day work can reduce the length of meetings by 24% – primarily by providing a shared record of the discussion, effectively stopping “turntable” discussions. A visual record makes it possible to capture the emotions of the conversation, bringing the human element to the forefront making it more likely that the team will remember what was said. Visual Thinking is particularly powerful during facilitated sessions, creative whiteboard discussions, problem solving meetings, as well as in retrospectives to help unpack challenges and serve as a reminder of the actions agreed by the team. Using graphics you can create visual metaphors for the team and help others see the “big picture”.

Luckily, you don’t need to be an artist to think visually! Join us as we co-create a visual vocabulary you can practically apply at work or in your personal capacity (during studying and learning). We will take you through the elements essential for visual thinking, as well as some ideas for visualizing concepts. No power points slides allowed!

This session is for anyone who needs to innovate, invent, analyze, come up with solutions, ideate, solve problems, retain information and build up their confidence to pick up a pen.