Introducing the First Online Class from The Graphic Distillery!

Graphic Distillery's First Online Course

Over the years, I’ve taught many in person visual thinking workshops to all kinds of people, and I really enjoy doing it. I love seeing people shift from an attitude of “I can’t draw” to: “Hey! I can do this!” I live for that moment, seeing that spark of surprise and delight on people’s faces.

And now, I’m about to launch my first online class, so that more people can have access to building their visual thinking skills!

Draw it Out is an online class designed to teach you the fundamentals of visual thinking. We’ll learn to draw lines, simple shapes, and lettering. And (this is my favorite thing to do) I’ll show you how … how to hold the pen, how to move your arm, or bend your knees – the secrets of a body-based approach to drawing. Once we’ve practiced the fundamentals together, we’ll apply them – with my three go–to formats: the List, the Cluster map and the Mind Map. And I’ll share principles of design and rules about color to guide you. Plus, I’ve got nineteen pages of worksheets for you to download!

This class is not about learning zillions of icons and then feeling lost about how to apply them to your work. Icons are great, but they come later. Instead, you’ll Iearn how to make your everyday charts clean, clear and organized. These are the skills that underlie 80% of my work as a professional graphic facilitator.  When you’re confident in the visual thinking basics, you can focus on your work –– listening deeply to your clients, capturing their ideas, looking for connections, and supporting collaboration and action.

So, let’s do this! It’s a super fun and practical class, and I can’t wait to be your guide. You can sign up here to be on the list to stay informed.

 

 

Faces Everywhere!

Recently I was rifling through the kitchen junk drawer at my mom’s apartment, and I found the scraper shown here. A very clear character immediately jumped out at me. I can’t imagine not seeing a face in this tool, with his crew cut hair, startled eyes, three-dimensional nose, and shocked mouth. (Clearly, he was outraged at being forced into such a harshly lit photo!)

 

Several days before I happened upon Mr. Shocked Scraper, I noticed another episode of face pareidolia (the phenomenon of seeing faces where none actually exist). This time I was in Santa Barbara for work, and when I glanced at the door handle inside my hotel room I saw this surprised face staring back at me! The wide-set eyes appeared under glossy dark hair, (or was that a Russian fur hat?) the nose was rakish but demure, and even though the mouth was occupied with what – a backwards pipe? – a bent lollipop? –  it still read as a face to me.

At one point it was assumed that only neurotic people saw faces like the ones above, (hmm, I protest!) but in a recent study conducted at the University of Toronto, in association with several Chinese universities, a different conclusion was reached. The lead researcher, Professor Kang Lee summed it up by saying,

“…Our findings suggest that it’s common for people to see non-existent features because human brains are uniquely wired to recognize faces, so that even when there’s only a slight suggestion of facial features the brain automatically interprets it as a face.”

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So you think you can’t draw? Think again!

It’s not uncommon that people come up to me at the end of a job and comment on the visual charts I’ve created. “Wow, you really have an artistic talent – quite a gift,” they say, sometimes followed by, “I can’t even draw a straight line!”

I appreciate the compliment, but I always find myself wanting to address the underlying assumption – that drawing skills are only in the realm of talent, rather than techniques that anyone can learn!

With less art being included in U.S. school curriculum, fewer people are exposed to learning how to draw, which means that drawing as an act gets shrouded in mystery. This leads to the assumption that drawing is a “gift,” which some people have, and others don’t.

If art classes were more common in school, people would find that drawing is like any other skill: it can be broken down into components and taught. In a studio art drawing class, there is instruction on what to look for, and multiple techniques on how to draw what you see.

In contrast, it’s assumed that even if a person isn’t particularly inspired by math in school (that would be me!) he or she would eventually make it through the various levels of math classes. Sure, some students may be adept, even brilliant mathematically, but nevertheless everyone learns math in school.

It’s a given that math is a tool that has many applications, and is also a way of thinking. The same is true for drawing. Everyone can learn to draw, and some people may choose to take that skill and use it in service of fine art, architecture, illustration, or as a tool to aid thinking and build clarity, either for oneself or with groups.

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Graphic Facilitation: A way to reinforce learning, increase engagement and co-create understanding

Graphic facilitation increases participation and engagement, reinforces learning, and co-creates understanding

When it comes to learning about or exploring a complex idea, what helps it stick in your brain? A long, detailed written report…or a colorful graphic that highlights the main points of the topic?

If you said the latter, you’re in good company – the majority of people are better able to comprehend and retain complex information when there are graphics to support it.

Using graphics to support ideas is nothing new, but leveraging this principle when you’re doing group work can make a huge impact on how people interact and connect – both with the concepts and each other. That’s why many companies and organizations use graphic facilitation to make meetings and group sessions more effective.

What is Graphic Facilitation?

Graphic facilitation increases participation and engagement, reinforces learning, and co-creates understanding

Graphic facilitation is a way to help people solidify their learnings and deepen their thinking by using the power of visuals in real time, at an event or meeting.

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