What is visual note-taking?
There are many different ways to take notes. You can use words--either in sentence form, in a list, or in an outline--to help you remember things. But words are not the only way to remember information. Pictures and visual arrangements can be useful too. Visual note-taking is simply the exercise of using images (or sometimes a combination of images and words) to convey or summarize information. Examples of visual notes include a map, flow chart, or diagram.
When should I use visual notes
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What are some specific types of visual notes?
As mentioned above, visual notes can take the form a map, flow chart, or other kind of diagram. Below, you can explore some of the characteristics and uses of these different kinds of visual notes.
Tables/ChartsLike other graphic organizers, simple tables and charts can help you visualize information in a meaningful way. Generally divided into rows and columns, tables can be as small or as large as you need, based on the information you want to include. Tables and charts can be particularly helpful if you're looking for a particular kind of information, or if you're trying to learn new vocabulary words from the text you're reading. In this case, you could easily make a chart with 3 columns: one for new words, one for the page number on which you found it, and one for the definition which you look up in a dictionary or glossary later.
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Flow ChartsFlow charts are one type of note-taking tool or graphic organizer that can help you keep track of complicated information. As shown in the image above, flow charts tend to be some combination of boxes, circles, text, and arrows. They can be very useful when describing a process or procedure (such as for a science experiment); a chain of events (such as the causes leading up to the Civil War); or an interconnected group of tasks that may not need to be done in order (such as all of the steps it takes to write a research paper). Concepts taken from flow charts (using arrows to connect ideas, for example) can also be easily incorporated into your more traditional note-taking practices.
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Venn DiagramsVenn diagrams are information organizers that help display how two or more things are alike and different. The simplest kind of Venn Diagram includes two interlocking circles to compare and contrast the characteristics of two different things. Characteristics of one thing go in one circle, characteristics of the other thing go in the other circle, while common characteristics are listed in the center, overlapping area. More complicated diagrams may have a greater number of circles and comparisons. In general, Venn diagrams can help you visualize the connections or disparities between different concepts, things, or ideas.
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MapsMaps, whether they depict a real or imaginary location, can provide very beneficial information in a contextualized way. Maps help you find thing, whether it be treasure, your house, or a good idea. Mind maps are another popular map-like kind of note-taking tool. They are created by writing a word, idea, or claim, then drawing lines to connected ideas. These ideas might also branch into new ideas, eventually leading you to a related, but entirely new idea. Look at the mind map below for a sense of what they look like.
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Other Types of Visual NotesThe examples discussed here certainly do not represent all of the kinds of visual notes. Even something as simple as changing the typography of your notes to designate changes or convey themes (for example, using large bubble letters for causes and thin bold letters for effects) can be useful visual note-taking devices. One newly popular visual note-taking tool is the infographic.
Like many of the tools mentioned to the left, an infographic like the one below uses space, lines, simple images, and shapes to help organize and convey information in helpful ways.
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*Information on these types of visual notes are adapted from Julie Green's Write It Down. For full citation, please visit the References page.
How do I get started with visual note-taking?
Start simple.
As Mike Rohde emphasizes in his book, The Sketchnote Handbook: The Illustrated Guide to Visual Note-Taking, visual notes do not try to be art. It's not important if your drawing of a lightbulb is a little lopsided or your facial expression for Albert Einstein is a little unrealistic. Your notes are about capturing information and ideas. They're about thinking and processing and remembering, not showing off your artistic talent. So start simple. Shapes, lines, and arrows can convey quite a lot, especially when paired with a few key words or ideas. Try including a few visual elements in your notes the next time you are recording information. If you find it helpful, perhaps expand and include a few more.
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Focus on structure.
Although it can be easy to get caught up in creating fancy drawings or adding illustrations to each point or detail, this won't serve you well in the long run. Instead, focus on the underlying foundation and governing structure. How can illustrations, visuals, or diagrams help you convey that information. Stick to that philosophy and you will have notes that are both interesting to look at and useful for summarizing and synthesizing information.
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Use an organizational strategy that is clear to you.
Some people think best when they stick to strict chronological order. Others are able to be more creative if they can draw connections among different ideas from different times, lectures, sources, and even subject areas. The notes you take are for your own benefit, so just make sure to use an organization that makes sense to you and will help you keep track of important details. Furthermore, don't feel limited by how you think visual note-taking is supposed to look. Unless you have been explicitly assigned to create a Venn diagram or put information into a flow chart, there is no reason that you can't adapt, mix, and match various approaches to suit your needs and thinking processes.
*These suggestions are adapted from guidelines in Mike Rohde's The Sketchnote Handbook. Visit the References page for a full citation. |
Want to listen to this lesson instead?
Just click the triangular orange play button below.
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What do you think?
Each of the situations in the exercise below would lend itself well to a visual note-taking strategy (or several!). Practice identifying different note-taking tools for different situations and contexts.
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