Visual Thinking

Last week I attended a training that focused on the power of visual thinking through graphic facilitation.  It’s true – a picture is worth a thousand words – and even better, a metaphor is worth 1000 pictures.  Thinking and communicating in pictures and metaphors seems to have reached a tipping point, as businesses from all industries tune into the fact that visual learning is the preferred style for up to 80% of people (ahead of kinesthetic and auditory learning).

Recent books on the subject include Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures, Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations and Presentation Zen:Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery.

The message is clear:  using the right visuals can quickly get your message across to your audience and sell your ideas.  From video and photography to rough “back of the napkin” drawings, your ideas will become clearer with visuals.  You don’t have to be an artist to start visually communicating your ideas.  Begin by using fewer bullet points per slide in your next presentation and include a unifying visual to communicate your idea. Try creating a rough drawing to quickly communicate your next big idea to your colleagues.  You’ll be amazed at the response!