Sketchnoting: Drawing as a Communication Tool
A course by Scriberia, Visual Thinking Agency
Learn the basics of visual note-taking to communicate complex ideas into simple, engaging stories
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?
What will you learn in this online course?
19 lessons & 15 downloads
What's included in this course?
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.
- 98% positive reviews (273)
- 8,990 students
- 19 lessons (3h 5m)
- 15 additional resources (5 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
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!
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
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.
Requirements and materials
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.
Reviews
Scriberia
A course by Scriberia
Dan Porter and Chris Wilson founded Scriberia over a decade ago with the aim of creating pictures that work hard for their clients. From their studio in London, they’ve provided clients like Twitter, Adidas, the UN, the Red Cross, and other government agencies with illustrations that visually communicate information in a way that is both engaging and insightful. They believe that every piece that has left their studio has had an important job to do.
Chris is an Edinburgh-native who went on to study art and animation in university. Before meeting Dan, he worked as a creative director for almost a decade. Dan is from Manchester, and he studied art history and worked in art galleries. For Dan, drawing used to be for entertainment, but he soon stumbled upon the world of drawing conversations and applying it to data visualization. Soon after, Chris and Dan met, combined their creative abilities, and thus, Scriberia was born.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Us
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Influences
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U2
Starting to Think Visually
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Why Make Visual Notes?
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Our Five Commandments for Drawing
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Hierarchies of Information
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U3
Your Visual Toolkit
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Tools and Materials
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Introducing the Drawing Alphabet
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Stick People to Brick People
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U4
Structure and Playing With Type
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Structures and Signposts
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Type
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Simple Data Visualization
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U5
Unpacking the Problem and Telling Stories
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Research and Inspiration
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Narrative Analysis
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Layout and Style Guide
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U6
Putting It All Together
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Draft and Review Stage
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Final Artwork 1
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Final Artwork 2
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Final Artwork 3
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Graphic Recording Applications
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FP
Final project
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Sketchnoting 101: Drawing as a Communication Tool
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for beginners and requires no prior drawing experience. It provides step-by-step guidance on basic drawing and sketchnoting techniques.
You’ll need basic drawing tools like marker pens, Sharpies, scrap paper, post-it notes, and a dotted sketchbook. No advanced equipment is required, and everyday materials are encouraged.
You will learn how to create expressive illustrations, condense complex information visually, organize ideas with sketchnotes, and communicate stories using simple drawing and layout techniques.
Yes, the course teaches sketchnoting and visual storytelling skills that help capture key points and conversations visually, making meetings and lectures more engaging and memorable.
Sketchnoting is a visual note-taking method that combines drawings, text, and symbols to summarize information. This course covers practical sketchnoting techniques for lectures, meetings, and personal learning.
No, the course focuses primarily on analogue techniques using physical materials, but also discusses digital options like Photoshop for those interested in refining their work digitally.
Yes, you’ll learn to create simple and expressive characters, including techniques for caricature, brick person figures, and dynamic body language to enhance visual storytelling.
Guter Kursinhalt. Sympathische Lehrer. Interessante Talks.
The course development is excellent, and the dubbing helps to better follow the lessons.
Ottimo!
Muy interesante que no solo sirve para hacer sketchnoting, sino que sirve para articular ideas y luego hacer infografias.
Muy original y muy divertido. Pienso que el equipo de Scriberia tiene mucho que aportar a la hora de enseñar el cómo usar el dibujo para comunicar un tema. Me encantó la síntesis y uso de recursos gráficos. Me gustaría a futuro un curso sobre el proceso de convertir los dibujos y textos en pequeños videos animados que comuniquen.