The Art of Visual Notetaking Read online

  THE ART OF

  VISUAL NOTETAKING

  EMILY MILLS

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  INTRODUCTION How to Use This Book

  THE BASICS: WHAT ARE VISUAL NOTES? Why Are Visual Notes Important?

  Who Can Take Visual Notes?

  Types of Visual Notes?

  How Can I Use Visual Notes?

  TOOLS: THE VISUAL NOTETAKING ARSENAL OF SKILLS Surfaces

  Writing and Drawing Tools

  Miscellaneous Supplies

  Considerations When Choosing Your Tools

  Mindset

  PREP WORK: BEFORE YOU BEGIN

  LISTENING Listening Cues

  WRITING Print

  Cursive

  Block Letters

  Serif Letters

  Embellishments

  HIERARCHY & COMPOSITION

  DRAWING The Basics

  Imagination and Association

  Leveling Up

  Figures

  Hands

  Cartoon-Style Faces

  Putting It All Together

  VISUAL DIRECTION Containers

  Numbers

  Arrows

  FINDING INFORMATION FAST Icons

  Indexing

  VISUALIZING INFORMATION IN DIAGRAMS

  YOUR VISUAL LIBRARY

  VISUAL METAPHORS

  HEADERS How to Create a Header

  LAYOUTS Types of Layouts

  Choosing the Best Layout

  Time Blocking

  REFINING What to Refine

  Spelling Issues

  Guiding Shapes

  Shadows

  Color

  WHAT MAKES VISUAL NOTES “GOOD?” Looking “Good”

  SHARING YOUR VISUAL NOTES Capturing the Best Image

  The Value of Sharing

  When Should You Share?

  IMPROVING YOUR CRAFT: TRACK YOUR TRENDS Tips for Left-Handed People

  PROFESSIONAL & EDUCATIONAL VISUAL NOTETAKING

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  INTRODUCTION

  I stumbled into the world of visual notetaking quite by accident.

  It all began with whiteboards. I drew cartoons on my mom’s office whiteboard, and the teachers and staff at the school loved coming by to see my comics. I continued that tradition throughout college and even after I joined the workforce and had an office of my own.

  One day a former coworker emailed me out of the blue. He worked at a film studio that had agreed to create a voiceover whiteboard video for a client—only they didn’t have anyone on staff who could draw. He remembered those whiteboard drawings in my office and asked me to come in and help. The whiteboard video project was one of the most fun projects I had ever worked on, and it opened my eyes to the possibilities of using illustration to help tell a story, as well as convey complicated information.

  Not long after, a company called The Sketch Effect saw my work and hired me as an artist in their network. Years later, I’m still here in the world of visual notes, learning and growing as much as I can. I continue to work professionally, attend conferences and trainings, and host my own workshops to teach others what I have learned.

  THAT’S WHERE YOU COME IN!

  You’ve picked up this book, so chances are high that you’re interested in the idea of visualizing information and have even seen the value it provides. Whether you’re taking up visual notetaking as a hobby or perhaps want to become a professional notetaker, I can’t wait to help you on your journey to create compelling, memorable, and shareable notes! The best part? Anyone can take visual notes if you can hold a pen and listen…

  ARE YOU READY? LET’S GET STARTED!

  HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

  This book is formatted just like the live workshops I teach. Visual notetaking is simple to look at (that’s the whole point!), but there’s a lot beneath the surface that you may not realize!

  It’s important to progress through this book in order. Don’t jump ahead or skip any section! Visual notetaking is an additive process, and each lesson builds on the last. We’ll build a strong foundation, add skills and tools, and in the end, you’ll have a strong, complete framework of knowledge you can be confident in.

  Each section features instruction, practical tips, and exercises to help you practice the skills you learn, along with some fun stories from my experiences along the way.

  I encourage you to use an unruled journal or sketchbook for practice. Bound books keep your work contained in one place, and they’re easy to transport and store. If journals aren’t your style, use whatever paper you have on hand. Above all, I can’t reiterate enough that you must KEEP YOUR WORK! It’s so important to look back and see your progress as you grow. My first sketchnote was pretty bad, but I got better with practice! I’m so glad I have my old work so I can see where I’ve improved and how far I’ve come, no matter how embarrassing it might feel.

  Turn the page to get started building that foundational knowledge!

  THE BASICS:

  WHAT ARE VISUAL NOTES?

  You’re probably eager to start practicing visual notes on paper, but first we have to build a foundation and learn the why and what behind visual notes. If you don’t know why you’re doing something, you probably can’t do a very good job at it! Let’s dive in.

  Visual notes, also referred to as “sketchnotes,” are made for the purpose of retaining information. Visual notes are hand-rendered, visual records of information or an experience using drawings and written text.

  Whoa, that was a lot! Let’s break it down.

  FOR THE PURPOSE OF RETAINING INFORMATION

  The overall goal with visual notes is to remember the information that was shared or experienced. Information has zero value if it can’t be remembered or shared! Visual notes help information retain its value over time.

  HAND-RENDERED

  Visual notes must be done by a human hand, whether in real time or after the fact, digital or on paper. The human element is essential for effective visual notes.

  VISUAL RECORDS OF INFORMATION

  Just like a photograph is a visual representation and documentation of a moment in time, visual notes are a visual representation of imparted information or an experience.

  DRAWINGS & WRITTEN TEXT

  This part is really important to master! With visual notes, you either create clarity or confusion. Visual notes exist to visualize, clarify, and organize information. The purpose of the illustrations is to help the information be understood and remembered, so the illustrations that are paired with the information should always be directly related, otherwise you will create confusion. The illustrations and information should work in tandem to create a visual understanding for better clarity. We’ll get into the science behind this later.

  Below is this concept in action.

  It’s easy to see which page of notes is more effective. When information is illustrated, it’s powerful!

  VISUAL NOTES ARE NOT JUST ILLUSTRATIONS

  Illustration by itself is primarily form over function. Visual notes pair illustration with information to provide function over form. The driving power of visual notes lies in the information. An illustration’s purpose is to visualize and highlight the information; therefore, the information must be present before the illustration can exist.

  “But what if I can draw a really great picture that gets the concept across clearly? Do I have to write words?”

  I’ll ask you this: What takes longer? Writing the sentence “Leaders should listen to their employees” or drawing a picture of a leader listening to employees? Writing is MUCH faster than drawing.

  If the information isn’t shared with written words, it loses clarity. Effective visual notes will always i
nclude written words. Together, illustrations and information work with each other to create a more powerful learning experience.

  VISUAL NOTES ARE NOT JUST INFORMATION

  Just as visual notes are not only illustration, neither are they only information.

  While the information always takes priority in visual notes, it loses its driving power without the aid of illustration. A wall of written words is overwhelming and not interesting (or memorable!). Hand a sheet of written text to a person and ask them to read it—they’ll probably groan! If you hand them a sheet with images and text on it, the reaction will probably be different.

  Visual notes are all about illustrations and information working together to create a visual understanding for better clarity. Let’s visualize this concept. Illustration and information are two separate spheres. The place where they overlap is called “visual notes,” and you’ll notice that “visual notes” includes much more information than illustration.

  VISUAL NOTES ARE NOT DOODLES

  The definition of a doodle, according to the dictionary, is “a rough drawing made absentmindedly.” Visual notes are ANYTHING but absentminded! Effective visual notes are taken with complete focus. As we learned earlier, the illustrations are intentionally related to the information being shared.

  VISUALS ARE THE SHARED HUMAN LANGUAGE

  Visuals transcend culture, age, gender, spoken language, and just about every other difference. Human beings are highly visual—we always have been. From the Lascaux cave paintings in France to modern-day emojis, we love communicating visually! If you were to go to France and needed to ask for directions to the Eiffel Tower, all you’d have to do is draw a picture and you would be understood.

  “I wanted to learn all the languages in the world, so I learned to draw.”

  - Alejo Porras

  In modern Western culture, if you’re not communicating visually, you’re not communicating effectively. Think about it. Most of the apps you use are highly visual. Does your weather app show you pictures of what the weather looks like? Do you use Instagram™ to view photos of your friends and heroes? Do you watch YouTube™ videos to learn something or be entertained? Most modern communication is visual, and it’s not going to change any time soon. If you want an effective way to capture ideas and share them, visual notetaking is invaluable.

  “If you want to be in today’s conversation, you need to be visual!” - Dan Roam

  WHY ARE VISUAL NOTES IMPORTANT?

  VISUAL NOTES ARE ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO LEARN

  As we discovered earlier, visual notes exist to visualize, clarify, and organize information so that the information remains memorable and compelling. Sixty-five percent of the population identifies as visual learners—visual notes are a no-brainer! Visuals are human language; if you aren’t communicating visually, you’re missing out.

  Auditory information has a shockingly low chance of actually sticking when it’s presented alone (i.e. hearing a lecture). Information has a better chance of sticking when you pair it with other methods of learning, like visuals and movement.

  The more learning methods you use, the better. Everyone learns differently. Some learn best by listening, some by seeing, and some by doing. When you take visual notes, you get to do all three. When we include visual and kinetic learning (a.k.a. drawing pictures by hand) we engage more parts of the brain—and the information retention rate is up to six times greater!

  VISUAL NOTES AS LEGACY

  When you make visual notes, you create a tangible artifact of your life, your work, what you learn, everything! These are precious things you can pass down to your family. Think about how cool it would be to flip through the visual notes of your grandma’s life in the early 1900s! Or if your children could see the things you cared about when you were young. Physical artifacts, like photos and letters from family members, are getting harder and harder to come by, and it’s only getting more difficult as our digital age progresses.

  Consider also how the world has been changed by the sketches of Leonardo da Vinci and the diary of Anne Frank. Physical creations like visual notes might not change the world, but if something you create can inspire one person, that’s powerful!

  SUMMARY

  Taking visual notes is important because

  ▪ Visual notes clarify and organize information.

  ▪ Humans communicate visually, and visual notes are one of the best ways to learn.

  ▪ Most the world’s population identify themselves as visual learners.

  ▪ Information retention is improved when paired with other methods of learning, such as visuals.

  ▪ Visual notes create tangible artifacts of life.

  WHO CAN TAKE VISUAL NOTES?

  Anyone! Whether you consider yourself an artist or not!

  Visual notes are powerful in learning environments. Teachers can use them to explain complex concepts and reach students who are visual learners. Students as young as 6 or 7 years old can use visual notes to visualize their thoughts and ideas and share them with others or take visual notes in classes to retain information better. Visual notes can help students map out ideas for a term paper or project and help synthesize and simplify ideas.

  In the business world, visual notes are powerful because most environments lack visuals. Most working people can attest to boring meetings, presentations, and conferences. Because the business world doesn’t typically rely on visuals to communicate, there can be a lot of miscommunication, which means that those who use visuals are automatically ahead of the game.

  “Whoever draws the best picture wins.”

  - Dan Roam

  Using visual notes can help document your meetings, clarify information, and easily share with others in a format that has a better chance of being read. (Admit it, you rarely read the meeting follow-up email with the minutes!) Visual notes put the focus on the big ideas, instead of documenting every single overwhelming detail.

  TYPES OF VISUAL NOTES?

  There are two categories of visual notes:

  1) Lecture-based

  2) Experience-based

  LECTURE-BASED visual notes are taken when one person gives insight or information to another. Some examples are conferences, church sermons, panels, meetings, and workshops.

  EXPERIENCED-BASED visual notes are taken when you experience something personally. Some examples are traveling, making a recipe, trying a new restaurant, and keeping a personal journal.

  Lecture-based visual notes should be taken live in real-time. Experience-based visual notes should be taken later. Here’s why…

  LECTURE-BASED

  visual notes usually involve more information, such as facts, quotes, statistics, examples, and stories. That information is usually more complex, and because it comes from an external source, it’s more foreign and not as easily or quickly understood. Because the information isn’t personal, it’s harder to grasp right away. To take the best lecture-based visual notes, take them live, in real-time, to capture as much information as possible, so nothing (or very little) is missed. The information is fresh in your mind, and your notes will be more accurate than if you relied on your memory to recall it later. Remember, auditory-only learning is highly ineffective, so don’t trust yourself to remember lecture-based information later!

  EXPERIENCE-BASED

  visual notes are different in that the information is intensely personal, and you’ll have an easy time recalling the experience later. Experiences should be enjoyed in the moment, with as few distractions as possible. See sights! Make memories! Try new things! Don’t worry about your notes until you have some time to sit, reflect, process, and capture them. Documenting an experience shouldn’t prevent you from fully experiencing it. If you need to take pictures or jot down some quick notes in the moment, go for it… but leave the full visual notes for later.

  REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE

  I once tried to take visual notes at a restaurant table. First, it was probably rude. When you’re with people, it�
�s better to enjoy their company in the moment. Second, when I moved my water glass over my sketchbook, condensation dripped onto the page and made the ink bleed! Sometimes it’s just better to wait for the right time!

  SUMMARY

  Lecture-based visual notes need to be taken live, in the moment, because

  ▪ The amount of information to document is higher.

  ▪ Information is complex.

  ▪ Information isn’t necessarily as personal to you.

  Experience-based visual notes need to be taken later because

  ▪ The amount of information is lower.

  ▪ Information is simpler.

  ▪ Information is personal (familiar = more memorable).

  ▪ It is logistically easier.

  HOW CAN I USE VISUAL NOTES?