I draw to see...

I like to draw.

But it isn't because I'm good at it...

I like to draw bcause it forces me to look more closely at the world around me. I don't spend enough time drawing, but - then again - I don't spend enough time doing anything.

At dinner the other night, I pulled out my index cards (don't leave home without them!) and drew this 2-minute sketch of Anige. I wish I was more confident in my strokes, but it captured the way she looked at that moment and I'll take that.

You can't draw and not look... at least I can't.

If nothing else, that's the gift that drawing gives me: focus.

Drawing forces me to be in the moment. To stop. Look. Reflect. And make a connection from my eyes to my brain to my hands (hopefully with a quick stop at the heart, but who can say?). Isn't that a pretty good description of learning?

Restroom Iconography XIII: Mountain View, CA

A couple weeks ago, Angie and I had an excellent lunch at Cascal, in Mountain View, California. We'd been there before, but I'd never used their restroom. I know, I know - too much information, but stick with me...

On this occasion, I did use the restroom. On my way in, the tile door icons immediately caught my eye. I reached into my pocket for my camera and found it wasn't there.

Damn... I've been posting interesting restroom icons on this blog for the past year and was bummed to miss these.

I immediately started planning my next visit to Cascal - with a camera. I'm sure this says something about me, but I'm not sure what exactly it says. And I'm not sure I want to know...

Anyway, I made it back to Cascal this past week, with my buddy Ed Muzio. We had an excellent meal - ceviche, queso fundido, paella, and a Cuban wrap.

At the end, I excused myself to 'take photos of the bathroom icons'. I thought I'd mentioned this little hobby of mine to Ed, but his expression indicated that I hadn't.

I explained, and then shot these.

I love gesture drawings. Rodin's sketches of Cambodian dancers are some of my favorite images. So, you can imagine how pleased I was to add these to my icon collection.

I'm not sure which I like more - the toreador or the flamenco dancer. So, I offer both.

VizThink 09 Highlights: XPLANE Discovery Cards

I am always looking for new tools to add to my toolbox, so I got all geeked up when I saw these Discovery Cards at the XPLANE booth at VizThink 09...

This card set is designed to facilitate the discussion of issues. There are four subsets in the deck - 'crisis', 'growth', and 'change' form the issues portion. The participant(s) will recognize their current issues in this set and set this side. They then tell the story of their problem. 

When this step is completed, the fourth subset - 'action' - is used to identify possible actions.

I love using visual and kinesthetic tools to facilitate discussion. I call them 'Externalization Engines'. Photos, Legos, Cards, Physical Modeling, Drawings, Posters: all of these allow people to present thoughts and feelings that are difficult to articulate.

My set of cards arrived today and they look great.

I can't wait to find a opportunity to use them.

Make sure to check out XPLANE's Discovery Cards, and I'll update you as soon as I use them.

VizThink 09 Highlights IV: Visualizing Tomorrow

My infographic of a factory going from 100% waste to 30% waste

At VizThink 09, I attended a 20-minutes session facilitated by Elizabeth Pastor of Humantific and accomplished way more than I though possible in 20 minutes.

We did quick warm-up drawing exercises, and then started making meaning.

By the end of the session, I had created the graphic above. It's a today/tomorrow image of a company going from 100% to a strategy with 33% reuse and 33% recycling.

I'm not bragging about the art or anything, but it's amazing what you can learn in 20-minutes.

VizThink 09 Highlights III - Authenticity in Storytelling

An overview of our story

Our VizThink friends - Darin Westich, Carolyn Grant & Jill Zimmerman from Proctor and Gamble - led an excellent session on storytelling authenticity.

Robin and Yvette from Duarte Design

In the session, we (Robin and Yvette from Duarte Design and another guy whose name - excuse me, please - I didn't catch) were asked to create a story with a beginning, middle and end - that utilized narrative and data.

My mindmap of the rules of authenticity

It was amazing how much we accomplished in about 20 minutes, once we had a structure and information. There really is NO excuse for not having an authentic and compelling story in your presentation.

VizThink 09 Highlights II - Jessica Hagy

Jessica Hagy debunks 15 Professional 'Rules'

If you haven't seen Jessica Hagy's brilliant Indexed site or book, you should go look at it now. Don't even bother with my site until you've spent an hour in hers... really.. hers is a treasure. I grant you permission to go there (if only Jennifer had just said that.. "Go Brad. Hell, it's Angelina. Clearly, I've been bested").

Jessica gave a very funny, informal presentation where she summarized 15 professional rules, and then debunked all of them. In between, she had us use her favorite tools - Venn diagrams and the X-Y axis - to make some sense of our worlds.

This was my favorite exercise.

1. Draw a 2-circle Venn Diagram.
2. Label the first circle with something you're really good at.
3. Label the second circle "Prostitution"
4. Find the relationship between the two (if you're a lawyer, the overlap will obviously be much greater than the one in my diagram).

Here's mine.

Teaching is what I do, but it was hard to find a common area, at first.

Then I found it - Students named John.

Try the exercise.

And if you get a chance to see Jessica present, I recommend you do it.

It's Venntastic I

I am unabashedly stealing from Jessica Hagy, so see go her site, Indexed...

That said, Venn diagrams are a great visual communication tool, so I sat down a couple of weeks ago and exercised my brain by creating some.

I love the saying, "Every villain is the hero of their own story", so that is a natural my first Venn diagram.

I'll post more over the next few months.

One Way to Communicate with Images

Take a moment and read the following passage:

Ken sat at a nondescript desk, in a nondescript office, in one of the
cookie-cutter high tech office buildings that populate Silicon Valley. At the
end of the day, Ken checked his emails and say a message from his Japanese
counterpart that read, "Call me".

Ken picked up his phone and dialed the number in Japan.

After exchanging pleasantries, the Japanese manager updated Ken on the days
events. Ken's blood pressure rose and his face turned red as he responded, "He
did what?"

As the call ended, Ken's pent-up anger burst out as he slammed down the
phone. This action relieved some of Ken's stress. Unfortunately, that stress was
soon replaced by a feeling of despair. Ken dropped his head into his hands as he
considered his options and thought, "My career is over".

Now read this version (click to enlarge):


Here are four questions for you:

1. Which method is more efficient?
2. Which method is more effective?
3. Which method is more engaging?
4. What are the pros and cons of each method?

There are, of course, no correct answers to these questions.

We know that Asians, particularly Japanese, are used to reading graphic novels (I'll use this word to include comics, cartoons, manga, and sequential art), but Americans are becoming more and more comfortable with this style of visual communication as well.
If you haven't noticed, look at how much the Graphic Novel section of your local Borders has grown in the past few years.

I've mentioned in the past few months that both Daniel Pink and Patrick Lencioni released business books in graphic novel format. Google also released the user guide for Google Chrome in this format.
Translation: The wave of graphic communication is growing.
Will you be riding it, or standing under it?

I'm rewriting one of my workshop manuals to be in graphic novel format. I'll be offering attendees both formats to see which they choose. As I get results, I'll keep you posted.

Links of Interest:

• Google Chrome Graphic Guide
• Scott McCloud's "Making Comics"
• Daniel Pink's "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko"
• Patrick Lencioni's "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team"

Book Review: The Adventures of Johnny Bunko

Daniel H. Pink's A Whole New Mind is one of my favorite books. He's an engaging writer and he picks interesting and important topics.

I drove straight to the bookstore when I heard that his new book, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko - a career guide done in manga (Japanese comics) style - was released.

I've read a few manga - Shirow Masamune's Ghost in the Shell holds a prominent spot on my bookshelf. enjoy the manga, the anime movies and the video series... I've even got a Major Kusanagi action figure on my bookshelf - but I'm not what you'd call a hardcore manga fan.

Major Motoko Kusanagi
Ghost in the Shell's Heroine protects my books

Still, you'd have to be blind not to see that visual communication is the next big wave in learning, and manga is a leading edge of that wave.
Hence, my interest in Johnny Bunko. I bought it and read it in one sitting.

Title: "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko"
Author: Daniel H. Pink
Genre: Manga, Business, Careers
Summary: to quote the book's subtitle, "The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need"

Favorite Quote: I have two - "There is no plan" and "Make excellent mistakes".

Strengths: Well, I applaud Mr. Pink for innovating. It's not without risk to write a non-fiction book in manga format. On the other hand, his audience - new college graduates - is ready for this. And the message is right on target. I don't have any major disagreements with the content.
Weaknesses: All the learning in this book could have fit in a manifesto (manifestos rock!!).
This, essentially, is an article, not a book.

Ghost in the Shell proved that a manga doesn't have to be simple or dumb.
In fact, I guarantee that you'll learn more and think more during a reading of Ghost in the Shell than you will in Johnny Bunko.

Conclusion: Maybe Johnny Bunko is the baby step we need to launch the next visual learning wave - but if you're interested in riding that wave, I'd suggest you pick up one of these:

• Ghost in the Shell - the science fiction manga that inspired "The Matrix"
• Understanding Comics - Scott McCloud's overview of comics as a visual language is proof you can learn through pictures.
• Flight Volume 2 - This anthology of 'sequential art' - as Will Eisner termed it - is inspired and inspiring. If you wonder what the medium is capable of - look here.

Post-it Flags: 1 flag
* Each time I find an interesting quote, model, image, or idea in a book, I mark it with a Post-it flag. The more flags, the more value I found in the book.