Visual thinking, creating connections through mental maps

Human beings have tried to represent in a visual way their ideas and surroundings since the origin of civilization, most of the times with an aim connected with storytelling or problem-solving. 80% of our brain is built to process and identify images, constituting a smaller effort than the use needed in activities such as Reading or listening.

The term visual thinking defines a human, innate condition. An abstract tool that portraits and shapes ideas through simple sketches or easy-to-recognize drawings, creating connections through mental maps with the objective of obtaining a better knowledge about that reality, define goals, identify problems, discover solutions, simulate processes, and generate ideas.

These steps, designed by Dan Roam, renowned author expert in visual thinking, could serve as simple outline to transform ideas into images:

1. Look. Compile the visual information, absorb it, and prepare a selection of all the material.
2. Observe. Select all what may be interesting and compile that information through relations between elements and patterns.
3. Imagine. Interpret and manipulate the elements to define new patterns.
4. Display. Once the guidelines are defined and understood, we show other people our visual information to obtain feedback on the work accomplished.
But if you are one of those people who thinks “I can’t draw”, here are some recommendations and very simple activities to start using our visual thinking tool. And if you are one of those lucky people who are great at drawing, try to improve your skills!

Basic outlines. You can start by drawing simple forms to improve your hand skills: circles, rectangles, different types of lines, etc.
Pictograms e ideografías. If you want to dare with more advanced figures, practice with pictorial symbols that represent thoughts or ideas.
Doodles and scribbles. Let your imagination run wild and draw casually, using all shapes your brain will.

It is much simpler than it may seem, so goa head and give it a try!!