Sketchnoting 101: Drawing as a Communication Tool

At Scriberia, their mission is to help people think, work, and communicate through the power of pictures. Dan Porter and Chris Wilson, the founders of Scriberia, believe “drawing is decision-making” and they are here to teach you how to create simple yet highly engaging illustrations. With clients such as Twitter, Adidas, the UN, and the Red Cross, their work visually communicates information in a way that is easy-to-follow yet incredibly impactful.

In this course, embark on a visual thinking journey and learn to create images that tell important messages with confidence and clarity. Are you ready to transform the way you perceive drawing?

Meet Dan Porter and Chris Wilson, founders of Scriberia, and your teachers for this course. They share their creative journey that led them to found their London-based visual thinking agency for creative consulting. Hear about the artists, authors, artwork and books that have inspired their work.

Learn about the importance of visual note-taking, or sketchnoting, and how it helps you engage with the content you create. Dan and Chris share their five commandments for drawing to help you become an effective visual communicator. Explore the hierarchies of information and how to reflect them in your artwork.

Create your own visual toolkit by choosing the materials for your sketchnoting. Discover Dan and Chris’s unique approach to drawing, which keeps their illustrations simple yet effective. Learn how to draw “brick people”, which are simple and versatile figures capable of conveying authentic human behavior.

Find the right balance between words and images to make your illustration engaging, but also easy to follow. Explore different structures and “signpost devices” that help guide the viewer’s eyes around your image. Discover how to use typography to place more emphasis, or less, on certain text. Incorporate simple data visualization elements to add depth to your storytelling illustration.

Time to tell your story! Immerse yourself in your subject matter by gathering and analyzing resources, and identify the most useful elements for your final sketchnote. Design a narrative analysis by composing the key points of your illustration cohesively. Then, create a layout and style guide to map out your final illustration.

Ready to put it all together? Start on the first draft of your illustration by applying everything learned throughout the course. Once you are satisfied with your final artwork, open up Photoshop to polish it and add the final touches. Wrap up the course by exploring different applications of visual thinking to continue on your sketchnoting journey.

Create an illustrated profile of Pablo Picasso using visual thinking and sketchnoting techniques.

Dan and Chris chose Pablo Picasso because he’s a recognized and inspirational visual artist, but you are free to illustrate whatever you choose!

This course is for curious minds who want to explore the art of sketchnoting. It doesn’t matter if you’re a confident illustrator or just starting out, this course is for everyone who wants to explore their creativity.

No previous drawing experience is necessary. Dan and Chris keep it simple!

To take this course, all you really need is paper, pencils, pens, and post-it notes. If you want to create a digital version of your work, you also need access to software like Photoshop, Procreate, or similar programs.