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Content strategy. Future of publishing. Techwriting. Sketchnotes and visual communication. "And more!"
I'm a content strategist @amazon, a grad student at the University of Washington (Master of Communication in Digital Media program), a retrotechnology blogger (Strikethru.net), and an amateur sketchnoter.
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Category Archives: Sketchnotes
Sketchnote: How do I buy books on Kindle for iPad?
The difference between sketchnotes and comics is, comics have to be drawn intentionally. They have to look like more than one draft went into it. If we’re being honest here, you probably also need to memorize this book, have a … Continue reading
Sketchnote: The Art of Explanation by Lee LeFever
Wow! This book. All technical writers, in particular, should read it. Common Craft is known for its widely imitated paper-cutout style instructional videos, but in a way this has become a distraction, the “Common Craft style,” I mean. Before reading … Continue reading
Sketchnote: The Graphic Faciliator’s Guide
First things first, my attempts to sketchnote but a few of the many fine ideas in Brandy Agerbeck’s The Graphic Facilitator’s Guide, which shares the wisdom of her profession (distilling and illustrating information in a live meeting environment). Brandy’s book … Continue reading
Sketchnote building blocks + visual vocabulary
Sacha Chua has a great post on how to build your sketchnote visual vocabulary. It’s helpful to be fluent in symbols you’re likely to draw and re-use, especially when sketchnoting live. With this in mind, I’ve borrowed ideas from some … Continue reading
Information structure for sketchnotes
After experiencing an empty chair moment while trying to sketchnote a training last week, I realized I needed to hit the books and revisit some basic visual information structures. The Napkin Sketch Workbook chapter “Choosing a Structure” provides great sketchnote … Continue reading
Drawing is easy. Thinking is hard.
Last week I attended a training on how to write a product planning document. “Writing is the easy part,” read one slide. “Thinking is the hard part.” I tried (and failed) to sketchnote the talk. Early in the discussion, the … Continue reading
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Sketchnote Autobiography
In the spirit of Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist, I have a number of sketchnote heroes whose work I admire and sometimes try to emulate. One of them is Don Moyer. His one-page autobiography is a favorite, which I’ve … Continue reading
Sketchnotes: lettering by hand
Any one of Mike Rohde’s sketchnotes makes me want to improve my penmanship. His own doubles as both art and information. This being so, the curiously low-priced Creative Lettering Techniques by Jenny Doh seemed like a compelling investment. Although the … Continue reading
Use iPad to edit handwritten paper notes or hand-drawn sketches
I like to sketch and take notes on good quality paper using fountain pens. However, it’s hard to erase mistakes, and I don’t always have the right pens on hand to add color or other effects. Also when I’m done, … Continue reading
The Napkin Sketch Workbook by Don Moyer
You can’t draw (I can’t either), but you know drawings are a compelling way to communicate information. Graphic designers usually handle the infographics, conceptual art, and other images that appear in web content, but graphic designers are not always information … Continue reading