The Art of Visual Notetaking

by Emily Mills

  Headers include a combination of things. Because each situation is different, you’ll need to decide what to include in your headers.

  A header can include a combination of any of the following:

  • Name and title of the presenter

  • Title of the presentation

  • Event name

  • Presenter portrait

  • Event logo

  • Date

  If you have the event information ahead of time, it’s helpful to sketch headers beforehand. I’m borrowing the word “header” from a term used in web design. I call the beginning of my sketchnotes “headers,” because it’s where all the important introductory information lives.

  HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD YOU SPEND CREATING A HEADER?

  Again, there is no right answer here. If you’re just learning, give yourself some extra time to get used to creating headers. With practice, you’ll get faster. A header is a great outlet for creativity, but if you’re in a time crunch, there’s nothing wrong with a simple, quick header.

  HOW MUCH SPACE SHOULD A HEADER TAKE UP?

  There is no one right way to do a header, and the spacing depends on your canvas size and the length of the presentation. Don’t use up a lot of space if you’re worried about running out of room. When in doubt, keep your header simple.

  If you’re capturing a quick talk (under 20 minutes), rendering a larger header is a good way to compensate for the minimal content.

  HOW TO CREATE A HEADER

  CONTENTS Headers should be constructed with context in mind, so first you need to decide what will be in the header. What is essential for viewers to know about the presentation? If you’re taking visual notes professionally, ask your client what information they want included.

  HIERARCHY Next determine the hierarchy. What’s the importance of each item in the header? List them in numerical order if you need to.

  LAYOUT Determine the amount of space your header will take up and block it off in pencil. Knowing what the hierarchy is, arrange each header element within the space. Think of this as putting puzzle pieces together to fit the space. Use a pencil to try different formats if you need to.

  If you don’t have time to do headers before the presentation begins, leave yourself an empty block of space to go back and fill in afterwards.

  INKING Once everything is arranged, it’s time to ink your header. Before you do, double-check all the names and titles for accuracy. If you’re drawing a portrait, you can usually find professional head shots to reference on the event or presenter’s website.

  EXERCISE

  Put yourself in a presenter’s shoes and pretend you’re about to give a speech. What is it about? Where are you? What is the most important part of your header? What would you want to see in your own header? Create three different headers for yourself that include:

  • Your name, your title, the title of your presentation, your portrait, and the event name

  • Your portrait, your name, the title of your presentation

  • Your name, the title of your presentation

  LAYOUTS

  Layouts are the road map of your visual notes. Before you begin, you should have a layout in mind. When you define your space beforehand, you feel more freedom and confidence while you capture your visual notes in the moment. If you don’t know where your visual notes are headed, you create opportunities for indecision and not using the space well.

  TYPES OF LAYOUTS

  Don’t make it hard for anyone to read your visual notes. If you’re just beginning to learn visual notetaking, it’s a good idea work from left to right, top to bottom. As you get used to taking visual notes and practice visual direction, start experimenting with different layout styles that may be contrary to the traditional path of reading.

  Don’t make your viewers work hard to understand the information you capture! I never recommend a random approach to filling a page—writing and drawing wherever there is white space. People like to know where to begin and when they’re done.

  TOP TO BOTTOM

  TOP TO BOTTOM

  If you don’t know what or how content will be shared, this layout is always a safe bet.

  TOP TO BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT

  TOP TO BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT

  Similar to top to bottom, this layout offers a bit more visual interest with a diagonal flow.

  CHOOSING THE BEST LAYOUT

  It’s important to note that not every layout works well with every type of information. Depending on the information being shared and the way it’s shared, certain layouts work better than others. No matter which layout you choose, remember to use good hierarchy, arrows, and labels to direct the viewer. The most important thing to focus on is the information!

  ZIGZAG

  ZIGZAG

  In the zigzag layout, you take notes until you hit the edge, and then move back to the other edge, and so on, until the page is filled in a back-and-forth pattern. This layout is perfect for storytelling, lectures, and journey mapping.

  SPIRAL

  SPIRAL

  This layout works best on wide formats. But be careful! With a spiral, you run out of room in the center of the page and there’s no flowing onto the next page. You might also be left with a large blank spot in the middle if the timing is off.

  CENTRAL

  CENTRAL

  This layout is best for fast-paced brainstorming sessions. Each topic of discussion is placed in the center, and supporting discussion is placed around it. Draw lines between ideas and topics to make visual connections.

  MODULAR

  MODULAR

  Similar to a central layout where supporting discussion can be placed around big ideas, the modular has flow capability. Modular is great for instances in which several unrelated topics are shared in one sitting. Each topic may not relate, but they’re all part of the flow.

  EXERCISE

  Read the following examples. First determine the best layout to use based on your paper size/orientation and the type of information being shared. If you need to, draw an arrow in pencil in your chosen layout direction. Then create visual notes from each example. Give yourself a 10-minute time limit.

  LAYOUT 1

  Ideas for Getting to Work on Time

  • Go to bed earlier

  • Set alarms for ending evening activities

  • Create a bedtime regiment

  • Learn how to fall asleep faster. Meditation? Reading? Prayer?

  • Resolve to never hit “snooze”

  • Improve “Getting Ready” time

  • Set out clothes the night before

  • Look over schedule for next day and pick clothes accordingly

  • Start laundry earlier in the evening

  • Stay aware of the time

  • Get more clocks in home

  • Use shower timer

  • Set clocks 5 minutes fast

  • Choose breakfast based on time needed to prepare and eat

  • Discover different routes to work

  • Communicate your need to leave on time with family/roommates

  LAYOUT 2

  “I was shy when I was a kid and making friends was hard—especially at church. I went to a different school than all the other kids in my youth group, so it was hard to break into their established groups. I often went on youth group seasonal outings hoping to make some friends through shared experiences—trips to water and amusement parks, summer camping trips, and winter lodge retreats. Unfortunately, I was ditched by the other kids every single time, year after year. One year during free time at a winter retreat, I was hanging around the lodge where groups of kids were talking and playing games. I, of course, was by myself figuring out how I was going to spend my day because I couldn’t bring myself to talk to anyone. Suddenly, I discovered a chalkboard in the corner! I knew I could pass the time with drawing and started sketching a winter scene with snowboarders doing tricks. As my pictures began to take shape, kids started noticing and came
over to look. To my surprise, THEY wanted to talk to ME! I started to connect with others, and by the end of the retreat, I was known by everyone as the girl who drew the cool pictures in the lodge. I went from being an invisible nobody to someone everyone recognized. It’s funny how the very thing I was using to escape my social anxiety became the thing that helped me connect with others.”

  TIME BLOCKING

  Another common question I get when people see my visual notes is, “How do you know how to space everything out so perfectly? There’s no room left on your page! Did you get the notes ahead of time?”

  I never get the notes, slides, or outline beforehand (wouldn’t that be nice?), but I always try to get a schedule ahead of time. If I know how long the presenter is speaking, I can plan my layout accordingly. One of the easiest ways to make sure your notes stay on track is to block out sections in pencil and write the time stamps along the way. I call this Time Blocking.

  HOW TO DO IT

  1. Consult your schedule or ask someone how long the presenter will be speaking.

  2. Next look at your paper and determine a layout type.

  Increments can be determined after some practice. I typically use 8- to 10-minute time blocks for most of the events I go to. For longer presentations, I like to use 15-minute increments.

  3. Divide the time frame of the talk into increments, and write the times in pencil along your layout. Leave room for a header if you don’t do one ahead of time. The first time block should be after the header.

  Many presenters share a lot of information at the end. Sometimes it’s because they run out of time and rush their last points; sometimes it’s because they have slowly built up their ideas, saving the most important points for last. To prevent overcrowding the last part of your visual notes, give yourself extra space for your final time block.

  EXERCISE

  1. Find a 15- to 30-minute podcast or video you want capture visual notes for.

  2. Determine the type of content. Is it a lecture? Interactive? Brainstorm session?

  3. Choose a layout that works best for the content. If you need to, draw an arrow in pencil in your chosen layout format.

  4. Use time blocking. Determine the length of the presentation, and break it into time increments. Pencil the increments in your layout.

  5. Capture your visual notes.

  TROUBLESHOOTING

  How did the exercise go? Were you able to stay on track and space out your notes perfectly? If you had some trouble, don’t get discouraged. It takes practice! If you’re having some trouble, consider the solutions below:

  You ran out of space before you hit the next time block.

  • You could be doing okay! Some parts of presentations can be more dense with ideas than others. If you go past one time block, don’t worry—your notes might even out on their own through the presentation.

  • You might be capturing too much information. Focus solely on the main ideas and takeaways.

  • Your time increments might be too long. Try decreasing your time per block.

  • You might be writing/drawing larger and need more space. Increase the space each block of time gets or use a larger canvas.

  You haven’t filled the space in your current time block before it’s time to move to the next one.

  • You could be doing okay! If your notes are on the light side, don’t worry—they might even out on their own through the presentation.

  • You might not be capturing enough information. If you’ve already captured the main ideas, get a few supporting details, draw pictures, or write/draw larger.

  • Your time increments might be too short. Try increasing your time per block.

  • You might be writing/drawing too small and don’t need as much space. Write/draw larger, adjust your time blocks, or use a smaller canvas.

  REFINING

  As you’ve learned, when taking lecture-based sketchnotes, you must be quick to capture all the main ideas. Often, being fast means there may be gaps in your notes, missing drawings, unfinished words or thoughts, and little to no color or shading. What you need to do next is refine.

  Refining is about improving your visual notes to be the best they can be, especially if you’re in a professional setting or being paid to create them. Refining your visual notes isn’t about “making them pretty,” but making sure the information is clear. Everything you refine should help the information stand out and be more memorable.

  If you’re capturing multiple sessions at an event, use breaks to catch up on refining or refine your notes once you get home. Do not put off this process! The information and experiences should be fresh in your mind. The more you practice, the more you’ll learn to refine as you go, and the less time it will take.

  WHAT TO REFINE

  Every visual notetaking experience is different, so the refinements needed will vary each time. Below are some common things I refine.

  • Make key words bolder

  • Underline or highlight words for emphasis

  • Write anything important not captured in the moment

  • Add containers

  • Complete pictures

  • Add shading

  • Add color

  • Add arrows and guiding shapes

  • Add a header

  PRE-REFINING

  POST-REFINING

  SPELLING ISSUES

  At almost every workshop I teach, someone says “You advocate for taking notes in pen, but what if you’re a bad speller?”

  If you’re sharing your notes with others, you want the information to be accurate and memorable, and bad spelling and grammar can be a big distraction. It’s important to master both so the information can shine! Below are some of the most commonly misspelled and misused words.

  COMMONLY MISSPELLED WORDS:

  Gauge, Grateful, License, Maintenance, Deductible, Caribbean, Millennial, Millennium, Noticeable, Possession, Definitely, Questionnaire, Relevant, Schedule, Vacuum, Broccoli, A lot, Sincerely, Hors d’oeuvres, Entrepreneur, Accommodate, Recommend, Indict, Rhythm, Embarrass, Liaison, Supersede, Business, Subtle, Canceled, Schedule, Pregnant, Apparel, Fiancé, Permanent, Rudimentary, Convenience, Banana, Mississippi, Bureau, Raspberry, Jewelry, Library, Camaraderie, Odyssey, Scissors, Changeable, Exercise, Pumpkin, Separate, Decision, Restaurant, Conquer, Conqueror, February, Acknowledge, Amateur, Chauffeur, Lieutenant, Hallelujah, Pharaoh, Decision

  COMMONLY SWITCHED/MISUSED WORDS:

  Capital/Capitol, Principal/Principle, Cite/Sight/Site, Compliment/Complement, Conscious/Conscience, Council/Counsel, Eminent/Immanent/Imminent, Lose/Loose, Sell/Sale, Passed/Past, Stationary/Stationery, Your/You’re, Their/They’re/There, Its/It’s, To/Two/Too, Threw/Through/Thorough/Thru, Though/Thou, Than/Then, Precede/Proceed, Lead/Led, By/Buy/Bye, Affect/Effect, Descent/Dissent, Customers/Costumers, Vain/Vein/Vane

  WORDS WITH “I” AND “E” COMMONLY SWITCHED:

  Receive, Ceiling, Deceive, Protein, Sovereign, Forfeit, Foreign, Seize, Neither, Leisure, Science, Height, Receipt, Niece, Efficient, Ancient, Field, Mischievous, Weird, Piece, Lien, Caffeine

  If you’ve had trouble with spelling and grammar in the past, the following solutions will help you manage and overcome it.

  PROBLEM WORD LISTS

  Even the best spellers have words they get hung up on. (I’ll start to write “receive” and end up second-guessing myself every time!) If you know your problem words, write the correct spellings in the front cover or first page of your notebook, or keep a list in a notes app on your phone. Having a list to reference easily is faster than having to look it up in the moment on your phone. Bonus: by repeatedly looking at your word list, you’ll learn the correct spelling over time.

  WRITE PARTIAL WORDS

  If you’re writing a word in ink and aren’t sure of the spelling, write the parts you DO know and keep going. When you refine later, look up the word and fill in the missing letters. If you aren’t sure of most of the word, pencil it in and move on. I d
on’t recommend skipping the word altogether because you could forget what it was. Always write something!

  CORRECT IT

  Maybe you already inked a word and only noticed later it was wrong. Consider these options:

  1. A white Gelly Roll® pen can correct some minor mistakes.

  2. Correction fluid and white paper stickers make it possible to re-do.

  3. Black out the word completely by drawing a solid black rectangle over the word; then write the correct spelling with a white pen. Make sure the black ink has dried completely before writing on top.

  ROLL WITH IT

  So you’ve misspelled a word and you don’t have a way to correct it. What can you do?

  1. Ignore it. You might know something is wrong, but that doesn’t mean others will notice. Leave it alone, move on, and resolve to spell it correctly next time.

  2. Playfully point it out. You can draw arrows to show how letters should be switched, insert an extra letter with an arrow from above or below, or just write “oops!” with the correct spelling nearby.