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 the 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
Liz
Burow
www.about.me/lizburow
Russell
C.
Petrella,
Ph.D.
–
hlw Studio
Burlix
@burlix UnitedHealthcare,
President,
www.hlw.com eburow@hlw.com
Community
&
State

2. ICE BREAKER
EXERCISE!

3. INTRO

4. “
Creating high-
performance
work environments
that:
Function for the
people who live
and work in them.
”
INTRO

5. “
Making
meaningful
solutions for
people begins
with a deep
understanding
of their needs.
”
INTRO

6. SO, WHY
ARE
WE HERE
TODAY?
INTRO

7. COLLABORATIVE SPACE
+
COLLABORATIVE CULTURE
=
INNOVATIVE IDEAS
INTRO

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

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

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

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

12. WHY IS IT HARD TO GET STARTED?
PEOPLE THINK DRAWING IS A SKILL FOR ARTISTS. IF YOU CAN”T DRAW LIKE AN
ARTIST, THEN YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN’T”T BE DOING IT.

13. WHY IS IT HARD TO GET STARTED?
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

14. THE OPPORTUNITY:
START THINKING ABOUT
DRAWING AS A WAY TO THINK

15. LET’S MOVE FROM:
“I’M JUSTBLAH BLAH
BLAH
THINKING BLAH
BLAH
OUT LOUD
BL AH BLAH
HERE”
BLAH
BLAH
BLAH
BLAH

16. AND MOVE TOWARDS:
“I’M JUSTBLAH BLAH
THINKING BLAH
VISUALLY
OUT LOUD BLAH
HERE” BLAH
BLAH
BLAH

17. VISUAL THINKING:
SPACE & TOOLS
CULTURE & PROTOCOLS
SKILL & METHODS

18. VISUAL THINKING:
SPACE & TOOLS
CULTURE & PROTOCOLS
SKILL & METHODS

19. OPEN MEETING
OWN
ENCLOSED MEET TOUCH-D
ING (4PPL)
WORKS
TATION
SMALL
-DOWN -
TOUCH
VISUAL THINKING CAN HAPPEN IN A
VARIETY OF SETTINGS, ON A VARIETY
OF SURFACES AT A VARIETY OF CAFE
DIFFERENCE SCALES.
SPACE & TOOLS

20. post-its
Post-it
Self-Stick Easel Pad
markers 1/2inch foamcore boards
(4ftx8ft) and push pins
VISUAL THINKING CAN HAPPEN EVERY-
WHERE, USING A VARIETY OF DEVICES
& TOOLS...from LOW TECH...
paper &
paper
napkins
brown paper roll
sketchbook
SPACE & TOOLS

21. VISUAL THINKING CAN HAPPEN EVERY-
WHERE, USING A VARIETY OF DEVICES &
TOOLS...from LOW TECH...
SPACE & TOOLS

22. screensharing apps
device apps-
paper53
VISUAL THINKING CAN HAPPEN EVERY-
WHERE, USING A VARIETY OF DEVICES &
TOOLS...from LOW TECH...to HIGH TECH
Screensharing apps
Smart Phone
photography
SPACE & TOOLS

23. VISUAL THINKING:
SPACE & TOOLS
CULTURE & PROTOCOLS
SKILL & METHODS

24. VISUAL THINKING IS AN
ACTIVITY, NOT A TALENT.
NOTHING IS PRECIOUS AND
EVERYONE IS ENCOURAGED TO
PARTICIPATE!
ENCOURAGE DRAW IDEAS,
“ADDING ON” NOT PRETTY
PICTURES
ASSIGN A
VISUAL NOTE 1)
TAKER TO MAKE IT
FACILITATE TOGETHER
CULTURE & PROTOCOLS

25. VISUAL THINKING HELPS PEOPLE
QUICKLY EXPLAIN THEIR IDEAS.
2)
SHARE OUT
SESSIONS
CULTURE & PROTOCOLS

26. VISUAL THINKING CAN HELP MAKE IDEAS
TANGIBLE, HELP REGISTER PRIORITIES, CREATE
A PLATFORM FOR FEEDBACK, MAKE SENSE OF
COMPLEXITY.
3)
IDEA POSTERS-
PIN-UP, LEAVE
AROUND AND
ASK FOR
FEEDBACK
CULTURE & PROTOCOLS

27. VISUAL THINKING:
SPACE & TOOLS
CULTURE & PROTOCOLS
SKILL & METHODS

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

29. VISUAL THINKING
METHOD:
SHOW A
PROBLEM,
OBSTACLE,
EXISTING STATE.
1)
DRAW THE
PROBLEM
STATEMENT
SKILL & METHOD

30. VISUAL THINKING
METHOD: MANAGE EXPECTATIONS.
2)
VISUAL
AGENDA
SKILL & METHOD

31. VISUAL THINKING
METHOD:
MAP THE
LANDSCAPE. START
WITH THE BIG IDEA
IN THE MIDDLE,
AND THEN WORK
OUTWARD.
3)
MIND
MAPPING
DIAGRAM
SKILL & METHOD

32. VISUAL THINKING METHOD:
MAP THE PROCESS. SHOW WHERE YOU
ARE AND WHERE YOU WANT TO BE,
AND HOW TO GET THERE.
4)
ACTION
PLAN
POSTER
SKILL & METHOD

33. VISUAL THINKING METHOD:
TELL A STORY. CREATE A
NARRATIVE THAT EXPLAINS
THE PROBLEM/SOLUTION OR
OBSTACLE/OPPORTUNITY.
5)
STORY
BOARDING
SKILL & METHOD

34. IN OTHER
WORDS...
SKETCHING IS SOMETHING EVERYONE
CAN DO, AND SHOULD!
IN SUMMARY

35. IN OTHER
WORDS...
1) MAKE DRAWING A PART OF YOUR
DAILY LIFE. USE YOUR SPACE TO
HELP YOU VISUALLY THINK AND
COMMUNICATE IDEAS.
IN SUMMARY

36. IN OTHER
WORDS...
2) BUILD A CULTURE WHERE
VISUALLY THINKING IS SUPPORTED.
IN SUMMARY

37. IN OTHER
WORDS...
3) PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!
TO BUILD MUSCLE MEMORY SO YOU
ARE COMFORTABLE SKETCHING
FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS.
IN SUMMARY

38. IN OTHER Pictures are global and transcend words. They carry metaphors,
WORDS...
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 the 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.
--Liz Burow
IN SUMMARY

39. VISUAL THINKING:
LEARN MORE!!
A WHOLE NEW MIND
by Daniel Pink
www.VIZTHINK.COM
On-line community
for Visual Thinking
THE BACK OF THE NAPKIN
by Dan Roam
IN SUMMARY

40. THANK www.about.me/lizburow
YOU!
LIZ BUROW
hlw @burlix
www.hlw.com eburow@hlw.com