How to think in pictures
Now we have built up our skill in drawing simple symbols and pictures we will move on to look at pictures and meaning. The purpose of this is to help us when communicating ideas and information.
Attaching meaning to pictures
Pictures can mean many things. This is good news for us because it means that every picture we can draw may be used to convey numerous ideas. Here you will see a number of pictures with potential meanings.
As you look at them, see what other meanings come into your mind.
Achievement; victory; goal
Solid; ecological; environment
We are all on board; we are in this together; we are all at sea
Trust; teamwork; balance
One symbol can mean many things
This may seem a rather obvious learning point, however it is fundamental to assisting us in being able to easily represent many different ideas. There could be numerous other interpretations of these pictures. I could have written many other meanings, so there are no right or wrong answers.
The important point is this, however, if one symbol can have multiple meanings this means that…
We can use the same symbols over and over again
This means we can get a lot of use from each picture we can draw. One reason why we can use one symbol for many different meanings is that, once we suggest a meaning for a symbol, the brain will easily accept this, providing it is plausible enough. This is all to do with the role of suggestion in guiding our perception. When we take in information we are always seeking meaning as we try to make sense of it.
When we receive a suggestion as to what something might mean we seek to fit our perception accordingly. You may have come across the example of a person walking through long grass and mistaking a piece of hose for a snake. Providing the suggested meaning makes sense, we are highly likely to accept it.
This is one of the reasons why I suggest using a word or phrase along with the picture. Whilst a picture may say 1000 words on its own, our word or phrase will ensure that the specific meaning we have in mind is exactly how the audience will interpret that picture.
Using words and pictures together makes a powerful link
When we use a word and picture together we can create a powerful link and it is by making such connections that we help ideas to stay in the memory. The more creative and unusual these links are, the more effective as far as memory is concerned.
Thinking of pictures for meanings
Have a go
Let us get used to thinking in pictures.
For each word below I have sketched three examples of pictures to represent it.
Have a go at sketching my examples.
Then see what other pictures come into your mind to represent each word and, finally, draw your own pictures.
Remember, it is not about every picture you come up with being brilliant. It is actually more important just to practise. Through trial and error soon you will start to improve your ability to think of pictures and be able to draw them.
Teamwork
Success
Results
How to make ideas easier to remember
The following applies both to pictures and the words attached to them.
Colourful
The brain loves colour so use it to help with recognition and recall of images. There are great benefits to including colour, and advantages when we use certain colours to represent particular ideas. This is because some colours already have natural associations for people. Sometimes the meanings of colours can be subjective, but often there is widespread agreement as to what certain colours represent.
The following examples illustrate this point:
- red = danger, alarm, hazardous, hot;
- yellow = positive, optimistic, bright, cheerful, sunny;
- green = natural, environmental, eco-friendly.
When an appropriate colour is used it serves to convey meaning more powerfully. It also makes the information easier to recall.
Difference and contrast
People find it easier to recall things that stand out or are very different from other things. When you want elements of a picture to be noticed, a simple way to achieve this is to make those elements very different from everything else. This could be a contrast in colour, size or some other attribute.
Exaggeration
One sure-fire way to make an idea stand out is through exaggeration.
In fact exaggeration combined with contrast is a really simple way to show a difference visually between two concepts. For example, you may be talking about contrasting concepts such as big/small, low/high, narrow/wide, inexpensive/costly, unprofitable/profitable, operational/strategic, less/more, up/down and so on. All of these concepts lend themselves to exaggeration and contrast visually, in order to make the point obvious.
The following two pictures show exaggeration to make one element stand out.
Write words in ways that illustrate their meaning
We can get quite creative not only with colours, but also in the imaginative ways we can write a word to emphasise its meaning.
Here are four examples.
Keep practising – and you will find it easy to think in pictures
Once you get used to thinking in pictures, you will find it gets easier to come up with ideas. The trick is just to start drawing and often you will find that the idea develops as you draw. It is rarely the case that the idea is fully formed in your head first. The act of drawing itself helpfully prompts the thought process.
Summary
- Use a word and picture together – to make a memorable link.
- One picture will represent many ideas – so use the same pictures many times.
- Make subtle variations to symbols and use them again in different ways.
- Draw just enough lines for people to see the picture.
- Just see what images pop into your mind when thinking of pictures.
- Use colour, contrast and exaggeration to make pictures easy to remember.
More practice
-
Draw a symbol or picture to represent each of the following:
- action;
- energy;
- environment;
- idea;
- global;
- data;
- knowledge;
- flexibility;
- harmony;
- research.
Tip: If the first picture that comes into your mind seems too difficult to draw, think of a different image. There will always be an easier one.