Page 159 - The Design Thinking Playbook

2.3 How to visualize ideas and stories

“But we don’t know how to draw . . .!” This is a statement Lilly often hears from her students and
attendees of her design thinking workshops. Visualizing is not the same as drawing, Lilly tries to explain
while encouraging students to think with the pen. Visualization is a powerful tool for us to bring abstract I cannot draw :-(
information and interconnections as well as data, processes, and strategies into a graphical (i.e., visual)
form. In design thinking and in workshop moderation, we can use visualizations in various phases of the
process. Visualizations help convey themes and problems comprehensibly to our teams and users. We
process visualized content faster, understand it better, and remember it longer.
RED PEN
(He just doesn’t
With the help of quick sketches and visualizations, we can pursue different goals: want to draw)

• Outline many ideas as part of a brainstorming session.
• Develop a common understanding.
• Make abstract things tangible. I can’t draw but I can
highlight things!
• Create a dialog by collaborative drawing.
• Find surprising solutions with sketches.
• Draw the function of a prototype.
• Sketch a customer experience chain and bring it to life.
• Lighten the mood and make content more interesting. YELLOW PEN
• Shape the story in a lively way like we do here in the Playbook. (Highlighter—
at least he’s trying ;-)

I can’t draw but I do
AND WHICH PEN it anyway!! Can I have
the pen?
ARE YOU?? BLACK PEN

(How everyone
would, should,
could draw)
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