I’m working on my visual thinking skills.
Years of education and work trained me to think in 1 dimension (the linear narrative). Thank god for UML and kin and a couple courses in drafting—without them I’d be hopeless.
2D
It all started with an article in BusinessWeek titled “Doodling for Profits“.
A simple drawing can communicate complex ideas quickly and almost effortlessly. It can even be the basis of a successful business plan.
A Business Plan??? Yes! The business plan for Southwest Airlines began as a sketch on a napkin—3 dots representing 3 Texas cities with 3 lines representing 3 routes connecting them.
In my amateurish attempts I’ve found a useful rule—if I can’t conceive of a simple illustration that captures the essential point of a piece that I’m writing, the piece doesn’t have an essential point.
3D = width + height + time
Add another dimension and the fun multiplies.
OpenID isn’t exactly an accessible topic. Compare this (What is OpenID) to this (OpenID According to Dave) and you’ll begin to appreciate the power of a simple story told with stickmen.
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/xcmY8Pk-qEk" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
I’m not here yet, but I’m working on it.
3D = depth + width + height
I started experimenting with prototyping 3D objects in Second Life. “Whack!” you say. Maybe. But probably not. Haptic (touch-based) applications for research in areas like molecular modeling have been in use for a decade or more. 3D visual models and force-feedback engage a broad set of sensory systems.
Linden Lab is on to this in a big way. Check out the Second Life Grid—bringing Second Life to corporates for “…virtual meetings… …product simulations… …employee training…”.
Visual thinking re-engineers how we communicate.
- Bandit
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