39 | Schematic intelligence
When you get to a four-way stop intersection, you may decide to pull a rolling stop at your own risk; but as a driver, you know exactly what you are supposed to do.
I don’t think there is a single driver in the world who can recite the four-way stop rule as it appears in the Rules of the Road. Yet, the STOP sign every driver sees several times a day synthesizes the 200+ words of the rule into one shape, two colors and one word.
A STOP sign is a good example of schematic intelligence, the ability to communicate complex messages simply and with minimal loss of meaning. Schematic intelligence is a process of translation, a way of thinking and acting. The ability to synthesize complex messages in ways that facilitate comprehension is increasingly important as the contexts in which we operate become less predictable and more volatile.
When you engage in conversation, you may respond with a nod, a gesture, or a providential a-ha that replace a more detailed verbal description. This is basic schematic intelligence at play. You don’t need full sentences because the context of the conversation fills in the information gaps for you, making things flow effortlessly.
Schematic intelligence thrives when we communicate visually. The basic unit of schematic visual intelligence is the diagram, a simple representation of complex…
