How to Bring Visuals Into Your Work

The V in our VAST system stands for Visual. It’s first because it’s the most prominent part of visual thinking. Also, it worked better for the acronym to put the V first.

We have explored why it’s important to communicate visually; it improves engagement in conversations, creates a shared understanding, and makes information more memorable. 

Now let’s talk about HOW you can be more visual. 

There are 2 major ways to be more visual in your work - you can find existing images that meet your needs or you can create them yourself.

Where to Find Existing Images for Visual Thinking in Your Work

If you are using images for visual thinking in your work, starting with images that already exist is a great choice. There are many sources that have 

The Noun Project

We like to use simple icons and graphics when we collaborate visually and The Noun Project is a great place to start. You can search through millions of images to find the right icons that meet your needs.

Google Images

If you want to use visuals that already exist you can access billions of images through Google search. These images are owned by their creators, so you can’t use them for commercial purposes, but there are other times and places where it’s fine to borrow. Use in a visual mood board, as a reference, or how many people use animated gifs when sending texts to peers. 

Stock Photography Sites

If you want to avoid the nuance of borrowing images, there are websites like Unsplash or iStockPhoto that provide stock photography and iconography that can be accessed for free or with a subscription. 

App Clip-art

Many apps like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, or Apple’s Pages and Keynote have some image or icon libraries. Often more limited, they can certainly be useful in a pinch. 

Even though these images are only a few clicks away, searching for the right image can take more time than you might expect and you still may not find that exact right image.

How to Create New Images for Visual Thinking in Your Work

Commission an Illustrator or Designer

When you need something unique or customized, commissioning an illustrator or a designer to create your visuals can ensure you get exactly what you need. Graphic design is a billion-dollar industry and it’s likely your organization has a graphic designer on the team or as a freelance resource. With a clear scope, communication, and iteration, anything you imagine can be created to a high polish.

But it’s not necessarily right for every situation. Because commissioning images requires a higher budget and more lead time, it’s better suited for projects where the information and ideas being represented have been refined and are ready to be shared. When dealing with the chaos and mess of new ideas, polished graphics are a waste of time and energy because everything’s still changing.

For visual thinking, the most important factors are being able to create visuals anytime they’re needed and to be able to visualize anything that you may imagine or that might be discussed. 

Needing customized visuals at a moment's notice can make stock image databases and custom commissions more time-consuming or expensive for most of your visual collaboration work. 

Drawing them yourself

Hear me out on this. Try drawing images and icons yourself.

I teach drawing as the primary method of visualizing ideas in real-time because of how flexible and versatile it can be. And drawing means simple lines, shapes, frameworks, and basic icons - not the Mona Lisa.

Here’s what makes drawing a core skill in VAST visual thinking.

Drawing is flexible.

You don’t need an internet connection or expensive technology. Paper and pens can be found nearly anywhere you might need them. And drawing can also be used to visualize any topic no matter how abstract or specific. 

Drawing is fast.

Creating a specific image, map, and diagram can happen in seconds or minutes. Drawing images, maps, and diagrams that don’t exist yet can happen at the speed of the conversation required to think it through. And it’s that time from saying something to seeing it on a board or page that is what really matters. When you quickly draw something out, you will be able to get everyone on the same page and make more informed decisions.

Drawing is free.

Learning to draw is something anyone can do. You might use a course like we offer to jump-start your journey and learn some basic icons. And you can easily access free inspiration to grow. Will you be as good as Leonardo DaVinci? Unlikely, it’s not important for visual thinking. It takes much less refinement to draw what’s required in most brainstorming, strategy, or planning sessions. But once you learn to draw something, the skill is yours and you can use it anytime you want.

Drawing is freeing.

Once you learn to add new images, shapes, and icons to your visual lexicon, there’s nothing you can’t visualize. You can visualize problems, solutions, realities that don’t even exist yet.

Drawing is forever.

Every stroke, shape, icon, or framework you learn to draw is yours in the end. They become part of your visual library or lexicon, to use without a second thought. And this human skill becomes even more valuable the more you practice and add to it.

Drawing is fun.

Moving a pen or pencil around, making marks, messing up, moving on, and improving. Doodling and sketching with more and more confidence. While some people fear being judged, most people respond to drawing as if it’s an unexpected gift.

Drawing is familiar.

Drawing may be the oldest form of communication, predating written languages. As kids, we pick it up naturally, and somewhere between 3rd and 5th grade, your natural drawing skill was focused on writing letters and words. As you’ll hear me say many times, writing is drawing. And once you start drawing, it might just feel like riding a bike to you.

Anyone Can Become More Visual in Their Work

If you still doubt that you can learn to draw or have emotional and mental blocks, I want you to know that you’re not alone. Many non-artistic professionals that have been through our course have felt it too.

For example, Susan, an accomplished Ph.D., psychologist, and author came into VAST convinced she was incapable of drawing. After finishing the course and understanding how to make the most of her skill level, she recognizes new benefits and has more fun in her work. And she is excited to practice more and improve her skills.

Another student, Joe, a successful entrepreneur, also believed that he couldn’t draw. In fact, he thought that he shouldn’t draw and that it wasn’t right for his work. After working in VAST, he not only discovered that he could draw, but that there were many reasons he should be drawing more in his work. Now he is finding new ways to bring visuals into his conversations with colleagues and clients.

Want to learn a few quick icons? Check out these videos and see what you’re capable of.

Now you are ready to choose how you want to improve in these skills and commit the time and energy that’s right for you. 

Enjoy your visual thinking journey!