In school we learn to write as a fundamental building block for communication, and drawing is shunted away to “art class.” But scientists like Darwin and Marie Curie, presidents from Jefferson to Obama, and mathematicians, choreographers, and composers all have used sketching to give form to their ideas. Words are abstract and ambiguous, and can lead to miscommunication. We say a picture is worth a thousand words, so why do we discard this critical tool?
Drawing is not just for so-called creatives. Drawing allows you to ideate, communicate, and collaborate with your team. Stop talking around your vision, and get it on the whiteboard where your team can see it! Whether you’re an entrepreneur, an engineer, or a product manager, drawing will make you better at your job. In this workshop, you will go from “can’t draw a straight line” to visually representing complex ideas. First, we’ll demystify the act of sketching. Through a series of activities and exercises, we’ll cover the fundamental building blocks of visual communication. You’ll learn easy ways to draw the most common images, from people to interfaces. Next, we’ll tackle making storyboards, product flows, and interfaces. We’ll finish by working with charts, mental models, and canvases. This is a hands-on workshop, so come with paper, pencils, and pens, and be ready to make your mark.
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WORLD IA DAY 2017
HEADER
OF THIS
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From Rolf Faste’s MindMapping article
The basic principles of mind mapping are:
1 Create a Center Statement.
2 Develop ideas radially outward.
3 Capture ideas quickly.
4 Use lines to show connections.
5 Create train-of-thought structures.
6 Follow an idea as far as it will go.
7 Work from the known to the unknown.
8 Return to the center when ideas are exhausted.
9 Increase density to create richness.
10 Avoid being judgmental.
11 Have fun with the form.
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WORLD IA DAY 2017
Center for research on Environmental Decisions
http://guide.cred.columbia.edu/guide/sec1.html
A mental model represents a person’s
thought process for how something works
(i.e., A person’s understanding of the
surrounding world). Mental models,
which are based on often-incomplete
facts, past experiences, and even intuitive
perceptions, help shape actions and
behavior, influence what people pay
attention to in complicated situations, and
define how people approach and solve
problems.
57.
58.
59. Draw Toast
“Draw a picture of how to make toast. That is, darkened crispy
bread.
Use no words in your diagram.
Try to illustrate the important actions to someone who has never
made toast before.”
63. Chris Crawford explains different kinds of play
http://www.scottkim.com.previewc40.carrierzone.com/thinkinggames/whatisapuzzle/index.html
http://www.erasmatazz.com/library/the-journal-of-computer/jcgd-volume-4/my-definition-of-game.html
90. Draw the Box
• What’s it called?
• Who’s it for?
• What’s its tagline or slogan?
• What are its most
compelling features?
Benefits?
• What imagery would make it
stand out to you?
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WORLD IA DAY 2017
A simple model you
can draw on a
whiteboard becomes a
meme.
Is this why Lean
Startup is huge?
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WORLD IA DAY 2017
Determine the GOAL: how will the model be used, by whom? What is the job
of the model? To change minds, explain a concept, simplify complexity?
INVENTORY THE CONCEPTS: brainstorm many parts of your concept. Keep
adding more in the margins as you go.
INSPECT THE CONCEPTS: are there many concepts hiding in one? Do you
really understand each idea?
Determine the RELATIONSHIPS: how do the concepts interact?
Decision point: do i understand the ideas and what i’m trying to
communicate?
Test: ask yourself if the model “feels” right.
If yes, then continue.
ITERATE with words and pictures: talk to yourself and draw it out!
EVALUATE with yourself/the client: keep making sure the drawings match
the ideas you wish to communicate. Don’t punk out early! Rest if you need to!
Decision point: does my audience understand the ideas and what i’m trying
to communicate?
Test: can my audience answer key questions with the model?
If yes, then continue.
REFINE: use color, type, line weight, and labels to make sure you are
communicating clearly.
116. 01
WORLD IA DAY 2017Dave gray
What should I draw?
• Consider the elements
117. 01
WORLD IA DAY 2017Dave gray | http://www.xplaner.com/visual-thinking-school/
What should I draw?
Consider the purpose
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WORLD IA DAY 2017
MIND MAPS, to gather your
thoughts
CONCEPT MAPS, to organize
your understanding
SYSTEM MAPS, to map the
system (a tautology, but an
accurate one)
MENTAL MODELS, to
understand and communicate
your user’s understanding
CONCEPT MODELS, to message a
way to think about a complex
system
(1: "Water Pollution" Mindmap)
I was/am making a game on the topic of water pollution and environmental health. Knowing literally nothing about the topic beforehand, I mindmapped my research as I went along. Mainly this was to gauge, roughly, areas of interest within the subject domain in the one space. I find mindmapping on paper easier than digital, because I'm usually too worried about placement, composition, scale, etc. of the text, whereas on paper it's so rough and drafted that I'm content with just drawing. Because it's also on paper and not in a digital format, I didn't feel I was committing to specific topics to cover yet: it gives me breathing space to digest the information.
(3: "Engagement" Mindmap)
Similar to the mindmap in (1), I was looking at the topic of Engagement, and what exactly I wanted my game to "engage" people with. If anything, by making a mindmap such as this, it helped me to comprehend the challenge of defining "engagement" for my specific needs. Had I ploughed through research and started writing, I probably would have found myself hitting brick walls very quickly. With the mindmap, I was able to connect certain terms and show where topics were connected, while realising the uphill battle with defining and implementing "engagement" effectively for my research.
12:15
Act 1 Overview
After the DHack prototype I kept using the same style as the game grew. I would make these diagrams and take them to meetings so we could get a good overview of the how the game was shaping up.