Developing a visual language and Drawing for ideas

Visual Language

By developing a visual language, people can convey more complex ideas clearly.  By putting ideas on paper we can display strong visual links. Many people use this method but there is a way to make this method of thinking visual and exciting to look at. Below is an example of a mind map focused on the idea of dairy farming. Although this map shows thoughts and ideas surrounding this issue, it can only go to a certain depth without any visual connections or emphasis on particular words. It is all in black on white paper, which means that there is not anything that instantly  takes the eye. There is s sence that we are not seeing the full story behind this mind map as there are no minor details and only a small amount of subcategories to be seen. This may have been effective for the person that created it but would not be effective as a piece of visual communication, as there is little to be taken from it as an outside reader.

 Tony Buzan’s mind map, shown below, is something that can be looked at and interpreted very easily compared to this. It is brightly coloured and visually exciting. The images are what someone might call ‘doodles’ rough sketches that make the whole mind map more interesting as well as this they relate to the text. Use of colour is an effective way of categorising the information. Each core branch of the mind map is a different colour allowing a way to quickly distinguish between them, instead of someone just seeing a mess of black wavy lines which can get easily confused with one another.

 For an annotated version of this image follow the link below,

http://www.scribd.com/doc/42623909?secret_password=zuqpbtbqqjygwptt0uy

By creating full and detailed mind maps it is possible to create something that could be potetially bring and dull to a inspiring piece of visual communication. The specific use of colours and drawings allows not only the reader to understand more but the creator to develop their personal visual language.

Drawing for ideas

Visual thinking is different from just drawing a picture that is aesthetically pleasing. Visual thinking is about creating and bringing together new ideas and making sense of them on the page. Drawing and visual thinking should be the same thing. By drawing we unravel the visual problems we create in our heads. For this reason, when somebody allows themselves to do this type of thinking the pictures they produce do not always make sense to somebody else. What is produced is a clearer mind and further inspiration rather than a finished product, although this work may lead to this eventually. To do this an artist needs to let go of any self consciousness which prevents the brain from exploring all of the possibilities. This means that they are more likely to experiment using new materials and techniques, which ultimately could provide a better outcome. Visual thinking or thinking out loud can lead to a greater level of understanding and a much more sophisticated level of thinking.

Leonardo Da Vinci was incredible at this type of thinking and as a result he was years ahead of his generation. As the image below shows, he speculated machinery that was sophisticated and advanced. His sketches show a great deal of concentration, when he produced these he was immersed in creativity, allowing him to create these ideas. Annotations allow these ideas to become clearer after the initial drawings were put onto paper.

Working this way is best done by hand. There is something special about drawing straight from ideas onto a simple piece of paper. Ideas can be put down quickly and in their original state.