Simple Summer Series Recap

Sheri Kennedy • Sep 22, 2023

The Art of Applied Visual Thinking

The official newsletter of Applied Visual Thinking SUPERHEROES. Vol. 4 No. 18 September 22, 2023

Sometimes the best way to move forward is to look back.

My hairdresser/geologist/artist/astrologist friend Linda introduced me to a few of the helpful insights that can be gleaned from astrology. I don't follow astrology as a rule, but when communication, travel and technical glitches crop up in frustrating abundance, I can now confirm with surprising accuracy that Mercury is in retrograde*. I then know that I need to double-check travel reservations and appointments and be well stocked with patience for technology projects and unclear conversations.

Mercury retrograde is not all bad news, however. Linda advised me that these periods can be a good time to look inward, edit or perform other needed tasks starting with the prefix "re-" as in review, restore, reissue, reread, or rewrite.

Since we just emerged from a Mercury retrograde on September 15 and the autumnal equinox is this Saturday, September 23, kicking off the first day of fall, it seems like a good time to review all the juicy offerings we introduced over the summer in our Simple Summer Series.

smiley face looking up and to the left. Two orange arrows wrap around the face in a counter-clockwise direction

Easy Shadows - 3 ways : Adding shadows to a map, chart, or diagram can enhance clarity, add appeal and draw the viewer's eye to essential elements.

Find a New Template : Friends don't let friends keep reinventing the wheel. Browse a few of our favorite templates and find a new favorite to add to your toolkit.

Find a New Color Palette : Using color wisely is a wonderful way to increase clarity and understanding. Trying a fresh palette is a fun, easy way to up your visual thinking game.

Expand Your Figure Library: Increase the cast of characters in your visual toolkit and learn to differentiate different groups of people, show diversity or hierarchy, show actions or activities and add variety to your work.

Pair Visual with Tech to Make Learning Sticky : Pairing visual with tech or text based learning makes your lessons easier to understand and remember.

Super Simple Activity Planning : Make summer activity planning super simple. Use visuals to plan a visit, build anticipation and excitement, share perspectives and ideas, avoid potential pitfalls and get the group invested in the success of the event.

Use Lettering to Remember More!: Grab your pen and paper — we're using lettering hierarchy to make remembering what you're learning easier to digest, remember and share.

Make Your Notes Come Alive with Figures in Action : Make your notes come alive. Add super simple figures in action.

Top 10 Things To Do When Creating a 10 Minute Sketchnote: Sketchnotes are a great way to tell a story. This week we share our list of top tips and tricks to making great sketchnotes.

Ready for a fall review?

Look over the list above. Which one(s) speak to you? Grab a pen and paper, click on one or two of the links and help yourself to the harvest of visual thinking tools and tips.

*NOTE: Mercury has an 88-day orbit around the Sun, while Earth takes 365 days. This difference means that Mercury laps us three or four times per year. During this overtaking period, it appears to us on Earth that Mercury is moving backwards for about three weeks.

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