Visual Thinking Review

: Simple sketches can clarify complex systems by stripping away unnecessary jargon.

You don't need a canvas to think visually. Use these "vehicles for thought": : For connecting sprawling, related ideas. Storyboards : For planning a narrative or project sequence. VISUAL THINKING

At the base of the mountain, he sketched a small group of stick figures—the team—carrying oversized backpacks labeled "Legacy Data." Halfway up, a bridge was out. He drew a giant, coiled spring on one side of the gap. Above it, a hang glider soared toward a peak glowing with a simple, yellow sun: "The Goal." : Simple sketches can clarify complex systems by

"Leo, are you with us?" Sarah asked, her brow furrowed. "We’re trying to figure out how to bridge the gap between our current user base and the new feature set." Storyboards : For planning a narrative or project sequence

Leo turned his notebook around. "I think we're trying to hike up a mountain with too much old gear," he said, pointing to the sketch. "The bridge is broken because our old servers can't handle the load. We shouldn't try to fix the bridge. We should use the spring—the new API—to launch a 'glider' version. A lightweight beta that gets us to the peak faster."

: Organizing data into maps or diagrams helps the brain spot patterns that words might hide.

: Turning a business challenge into a "mountain" or a "storm."