On the spur of the moment, invited by Bob Jansen, we (Timan and I ) decided to go to Barcelona. Barcelona LeanCamp that is. An unconference that encourages people to share their knowledge with one another on the theme ‘lean businesses’. Since I am all into ‘lean thinking’ especially after reading Eric Ries’ Lean Startup this felt like a great opportunity to explore the lean thinking part of my visual thinking mind as well as exploring Barcelona while Amsterdam was in the middle of a deep freeze.

The unconference started of a little shy, people where called on stage to introduce themselves and the proposed session and fill the board or schedule for the whole day. Luckily there where some awesome speakers invited that had prepared presentations and led the way, their enthusiasm worked on others and the schedule soon began to fill up. Bob decided to put a visual thinking workshop given by me on the board as well. I agreed, thinking that a couple of people, 10 at the most, would give me the intimacy to draw and talk together.

I actually learned a lot during that day in Barcelona. I have made a couple of sketchnotes I will share with you, but the mingling of people from all different trades on this subject and talking to them gave me new insights. One of the most important is the fact that Lean and visual thinking are best buddies, and the visual way of thinking can help lean teams. In communication, but also in solving problems and breaking them into smaller little bits.

Another quick learning process was my session visual thinking, instead of 10, more than 50 people decided to show up. No intimate drawing, a lecture!. After a rough first start it went a lot smoother when I decided to ask for someone with a problem and have him draw that on the board. Having prepared nothing at all, it turned out to be a lot of fun. I never realized that what is so very obvious for me, is not necessarily for some one else.

All in all a day of good fun and great insights, thanks Nicky Smith and Salim Virani for organizing. Hope Bob Jansen will bring a LeanCamp to Holland soon.

Of course we had some great walks exploring the street of Barcelona, check out my pic’s here

sketchnotes by @wilg

main picture by Bob Jansen

-”Are they felt tip?” -”What brand pens do you use?” I get asked these questions a lot. And I am always happy to answer them, though the answer depends on what I have with me at the moment, it being my Faber-Castell brush tips, my Pigma Micron Pens, my Stabilo’s or even just round tip Edding whiteboard markers. It’s the situation that calls for certain pens, but only because they feel ‘comfortable’ or suit the medium. Not because they make me draw better.

It doesn’t really matter with what I draw at all, it’s what and how I draw it, its the words, the one liners and theme’s and how they are connected to one another that are relevant to the story that I need to catch and get on the paper in a single visual. It is translating an event, story, or concept, however complex, in a clear visual to give oversight, insight, or just as a quick recap. It doesn’t even matter whether that is in black or white or not. After all, it’s the message that I need to get across, the rest is mere detail.

The pens I use most often on all sorts of paper are brush tips; you can order a Faber-Castell Pitt Pen – Basic Set of colors on Amazon to get started.
On whiteboard I use round tip Edding whiteboard markers, also available on Amazon.
For details and words I use these three sizes of Pigma Micron Pens.
For conceptualization and brainstorm sessions I usually bring along Stabilo’s, available in a real handy hard case.

Ofcourse I am experimenting with digital drawing as well, but in fast sketchnoting, brainstorming or conceptualizations I still often prefer pens and paper. But I will keep you posted of my digital adventures for sure.

photocredits by Marlooz

We have a chance to change education and help our children prepare for their future; is what Mark Randall told us in his #TNW keynote. One of the many things that hasnt changed in over 30 years is the way we each to children who need teaching in a different way than classis methods of pure leftbrain linguistic linearity. Today I stumbled upon an article about dyslexia that posed the following;

“The problem is that no one tells children or their parents, teachers, and classmates that some of the world’s most creative and brilliant minds had similar difficulties learning to read. Most children with dyslexia do not easily learn to read, spell, or write, and they believe this means they must be “dumb” (their classmates’ description), or “lazy” (what many parents think) or “not working up to their potential” (many teachers’ description). Not all children with dyslexia have extraordinary talents, but everyone has a unique potential that is being daily whittled away by this lack of understanding.“

from; Dear parent: why your dyslexic child struggles with reading

Somehow we need to find a way to tap in to our children’s unique talents and teach them accordingly. Innovation and new technology provide us with new means, all we need to do is to be as open minded and creative as our children in finding new ways to prepare them for the future.

Education is still based on principles that do not longer apply in our society, everything has changed except for the way we teach our children, our future.I have made no secret that I think this should change. It forces our kids to be mediocre at best. Children that are gifted in any other way  fall out of this system.  Sir Ken Robinson is my absolute hero as it comes to his education changing ideas, togehter with the RSA guys who make any keynote look great with there potent visual noting animations, this video is an absolute must see; changing paradigms >>

Click here to view the embedded video.

This morning I stumbled across this article in the NY times;  in the article a Kaiser family foundation studies is discussed that reveals that media consumption by children between the age of 8-18 is up again. I was pleased to see the following quote by Dr. Michael Rich, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Boston who directs the Center on Media and Child Health;

” with media use so ubiquitous, it is time to stop arguing over whether it is good or bad and accept it as part of children’s environment, “like the air they breathe, the water they drink and the food they eat.”

And in my opinion that is exactly what we need to do. Yes we can have lengthy and heated discussions about whether this is good for them, taking in arguments of addiction, social deprivation, loss of concentration etc. As I did have some weeks ago at a parent school night on online dangers. But will that change the world our children already live in? At school I was asked to deliver my opinion on new media and online friending and gaming. It shocked most parents who would not accept that their children already think in a different way. At the end my only answer was; “We can go on discussing this for hours but it doesn’t change the fact that this is how our children live these days, and how they will function later and need these new skills in their careers. We can pretend we do not see it and be scared, or we can accept it and guide them with the rules they still very much need”.  See how they ask questions on all sorts of subjects on multiple channels and have the answers pouring in not as lazy (why do they not look it up for themselves) They realize that sometimes asking in their networks is simply more efficient and get you far more answers in far less time. They learn how to sift through streams of information and tell the valued from the crappy answers, they are developing much needed skills for the still rapidly changing way we share, take in and publish information increasing the data flow everyday. We need to be proudly aware of that, whilst trying to have them see the basic good and evil stuff on that different plain as well.

picture by wilgengebroed