'I don't have time to Sketchnote!'

Rachel Burnham writes: 'I don’t have time to Sketchnote!’ - is one of the comments I get when I am encouraging people to make use of Sketchnoting.

If you haven’t come across the term ‘Sketchnoting’ before – it was coined by Mike Rohde and is the name for those graphics, which are often colourful and hand-drawn, that combine both words and pictures to share information and ideas.

I have been Sketchnoting for the past 8 years or so, initially to make notes for myself at conferences and presentations, but gradually I have realised what a flexible and effective ‘learning and thinking tool’ Sketchnoting is.

Yes, Sketchnoting often seems to take more time than conventional written-only note-taking – however, if you never refer back to those written notes and find it difficult to recall what you have written, then it is worthwhile investing in the time to develop your Sketchnoting skills.  Both myself and the very many people I have worked with have found that Sketchnotes are far more memorable and the active process of creating them means that you find the information easier to recall. I think this is because Sketchnoting, with its use of both words and simple pictures makes use of dual-coding. Dual-coding has been well-researched in many cognitive psychology studies and is well established as a practice in which the combination of visuals and words help to form rich memories, thus aiding recall and learning (listen to ‘The Learning Scientists Podcast’ episode 12 for a good introduction to dual-coding).

The length of time it takes to create a Sketchnote can vary tremendously depending upon how familiar you are with the material and also with Sketchnoting, plus what the purpose is of the Sketchnote. When Sketchnoting for yourself, you can create effective Sketchnotes in 30 to 60 minutes – as an experienced Sketchnoter I frequently Sketchnote live sessions in 30 to 45 minutes.

Secondly, the very fact that creating a Sketchnote is a relatively slow process is a strength.  As you draw, embellish and colour in elements of a Sketchnote, you relax and can find yourself thinking more deeply and also differently about the topic you are capturing.  By seeking out relevant images to illustrate points and using metaphors for this, you gain a different way of looking at the subject and may find yourself with fresh insights. By taking your time to consider the topic, you become able to reflect on it - I think this makes Sketchnoting (and drawing more widely) a useful tool for aiding reflection and contributing to learning in this way.

If you are interested in how Sketchnoting can help you, your team or your organisation learn, think or work more effectively I would be happy to discuss this with you.

Rachel Burnham

24 July 2024

I help individuals and organisations to use visuals to think, learn and work more effectively, particularly though using Sketchnoting and drawing.