Do you have a hard time memorizing people’s names, but can easily place the face of a stranger? Is it hard to articulate your ideas and turn them into words? Do you prefer sketching out the details of a project? Do you love solving puzzles like this one? Those who are more inclined to visual thinking will likely answer yes to all these questions.
What is visual thinking?
Learn more about the unique ability to see the world in pictures and the skills it involves by watching these two videos:
Are You A Visual Thinker? by BuzzFeed Video
Visual Thinking 101 by Sean Griffin
Developing visual thinking skills
As we often discuss here, our brains are more inclined to process and retain visual information. This is why visualization is an important element in presentations. Complex concepts are better explained through the use of illustrations, charts, diagrams and pictures. Verbal or textual explanations can easily become confusing. People who are more inclined to visual thinking will know this for a fact.
While not everyone might be considered visual thinkers, others can easily develop the same set of skills. With a bit of practice, we can all achieve visual literacy. As Philip Yenawine of Visual Understanding Education writes,
It involves a set of skills ranging from simple identification (naming what one sees) to complex interpretation on contextual, metaphoric and philosophical levels. Many aspects of cognition are called upon, such as personal association, questioning, speculating, analyzing, fact-finding, and categorizing. Objective understanding is the premise of much of this literacy, but subjective and affective aspects of knowing are equally important.
Here are a few resources you can read to get started on your visual thinking journey:
- How to Become a Visual Thinking Expert – Visual Thinking Magic
- Visual Thinking – Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching
- Visual Thinking Strategies
Featured Image: Fons Heijnsbroek via Flickr
