We spend years learning to read and write, but very little time learning to think visually. For Sande Smith, Communications Director at the California Wellness Foundation, developing visual thinking skills unlocked a powerful new way to process complexity, communicate ideas and drive change.
As a communications leader, coach and facilitator, Sande Smith understands the importance of helping people make sense of difficult challenges. But despite spending her career helping others communicate effectively, she realised there was a gap in her own skillset.
Words, after all, are only part of the story.
Learning a new language
"None of us would question how important it is to be word-literate," says Sande. "You have to be able to write and speak to convey emotion, express urgency, communicate a vision and tell a story."
"But while words allow us to make sense of things sequentially, visual thinking allows us to make sense of things spatially — to see the whole picture."
Like many communications professionals, Sande already understood the power of visual communication. What she lacked was the confidence and practical skills to create visual explanations herself.
"I realised many of our diagrams and PowerPoint slides weren't working as well as they could. I wanted to become better at processing and communicating ideas visually."
From information to insight
That opportunity arrived through Scriberia's six-week Visual Thinking Diploma.
Shortly afterwards, Sande found herself working on a major piece of narrative-change strategy for the California Wellness Foundation, which supports organisations working on issues including economic security, healthcare access and reducing gun violence.
The project had generated valuable thinking, but the final output was dense and text-heavy.
"My team is incredibly busy. I wanted to create something they would actually want to look at, refer back to and share with others."
Using techniques developed during the Diploma, Sande distilled the material down to its essential messages, explored different visual structures and worked with an illustrator to create a compelling visual journey.
"Now we have something that's dynamic, engaging and genuinely useful. It's become both a reference tool for the team and a communication tool when speaking with others. That was a direct result of going through the programme."
"You don't need to draw complicated things, just simple shapes, to get the idea down. If you can draw a circle, that's enough. This really is a tool for everyone."
Sande Smith, Communications Director, California Wellness Foundation
Making sense of complexity
Sande believes visual thinking is becoming increasingly important in a world overloaded with information.
"We're constantly bombarded emotionally and intellectually. It's easy to become overwhelmed."
"Visual thinking helps you ground yourself. It helps you see a way through complexity, communicate your thinking to others and create something you can return to as your ideas evolve."
For Sande, visual thinking isn't really about drawing. It's about processing, organising and sharing ideas in ways that make them easier for people to understand.
"How do you help people see what you mean? How do you help them understand the relationships between ideas? That's where visual thinking becomes incredibly powerful."
Six weeks to build confidence
Having previously attended shorter graphic facilitation workshops, Sande found the six-week structure of the Diploma particularly valuable.
"I've done two-day courses before and they've been excellent. But the Diploma gives you time to practise."
Each session introduces new concepts and techniques, followed by practical assignments designed to embed learning between classes.
"Scriberia has put a huge amount of thought into how people build confidence. You move from simple drawing exercises to sketchnoting, then into visual listening, simplification, storytelling and meaning-making."
"It's very systematic, very effective and a lot of fun."
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