Sketchnotes: A Guide to Visual Note-Taking
Are you curious about what sketchnoting is and how you might use it?
Sketchnoting is a form of note-taking, hence the “noting” part of it, but as you might guess it involves bringing more visuals into the process compared to typical note-taking, hence the “sketch” part.
The whole idea behind adding sketches to your notes is that it taps into parts of your brain that would lie dormant if you only use words to explore ideas. It’s the combination of the two that’s most powerful — using both words and visuals while taking notes.
That’s what will fully light up your brain.
Customize Your Note-Taking Process
What’s nice about sketchnoting is that it’s not a strict format.
It doesn’t say you have to take notes this way.
Instead, it presents you with a variety of tools for you to choose from and create your own customized note-taking process, one that works well with your learning style and your personality.
So for the doodlers out there, your notes might be heavy on the sketches. For those who prefer working with words, you might stick mostly to that, but maybe bring in some diagrams here and there to help you organize those words.
And there’s plenty of room for everyone in between those two ends of the spectrum.
If you’re a visual learner with a passion for pens and paper, the sketchnote method is perfect for you. Sketchnoting combines traditional handwritten notes with drawings, symbols, and other creative elements. The result is an engaging map of ideas with clear visual cues.
With sketchnotes, you can:
- Use visual cues to boost memory retention
- Keep your brain active and engaged with variety and stimulation
- Develop ideas more comprehensively by creating connections between points
- Make your notes more compact and easier to review at a glance
THE SKETCHNOTE PROCESS
Step 1: Listening and Experiencing
Listen closely for key points.
Be alert! If you are attending a meeting or conference, take note of lists, famous quotations, or items that the speaker repeats. If you are using sketchnotes to record personal experiences like travels, observe sensory details like sight, smell, or sound.
Step 2: Processing
Process content and only record important material.
Don’t write down everything — instead of taking verbatim notes, process the content and only write the most important material. It is better to fully take in one major point, rather than frantically scribble many lesser ones. During this step, think of yourself as a thought curator.
Step 3: Writing
Write quickly and keep your letters consistent.
Start writing. Your handwriting should be fast, but legible. Use abbreviations when necessary, and keep your letter size consistent so the emphasis points can stand out. Remember that sketchnotes do not have to follow a linear order, so you can use any part of the page. When relevant, add your own responses or thoughts on the topic.
Step 4: Visualizing
Add visual elements like boxes, arrows, and images.
You don’t have to be good at art to add visualizations to your sketchnotes. During down time or pauses in the presentation, add shapes, lines, and symbols to the most important sections. This act of revisiting uses visual cues to help cement the concepts in your mind. Then, use shading to add depth.
ELEMENTS OF SKETCHNOTING
Text
Start with your normal everyday handwriting.
The most basic element of sketchnoting is your standard everyday handwriting. Your penmanship does not have to be perfectly tidy — after all, you will be writing quickly. It should, however, be legible and consistent.
Suggestion: Use your regular handwriting for specific details or items in a list.
Emphasis Text
Use emphasis text to make a heading stand out.
Emphasis text is meant to stand out on the page, and is often used for headings, titles, and important takeaways. Add emphasis by embellishing your letters or using a different writing style. Some examples include bold text, all caps, or bubble letters.
Suggestion: Use bold, block print for headings.
Basic Shapes
Basic shapes are an easy way to add visuals.
Everyone can draw basic shapes like circles, triangles, and squares. Use these as alternatives to plain black bullet points, or to mark items of the same category. You can also combine basic shapes into figures like cubes and venn diagrams.
Suggestion: Draw a rectangle around all dates and times.
Containers
Containers collect thoughts or items together.
Containers are used to collect a group of thoughts or items together, or to emphasize one primary point. Some examples of containers include boxes, speech bubbles, thought clouds, and banners.
Suggestion: Draw a thought cloud around future goals.
Connectors
Connectors link related ideas to one another.
Connectors are used to connect one idea to another. Arrows, paths, lines, double lines, and dotted lines can be used to link related concepts. You can also use connectors to illustrate chronological items like timelines or cycles.
Suggestion: Draw an arrow to illustrate cause and effect.
Icons and Symbols
Use icons to represent ideas or objects.
Simple icons and symbols are an easy way to add visuals to your sketchnotes. Some examples are a stick figure, book, gear, and cloud. As you advance your sketchnote skills, build a repertoire of common symbols like buildings, modes of transportation, and more.
Suggestion: Draw an envelope to represent email.
Sketches and Illustrations
Illustrations can capture stories or metaphors.
If you want to further stretch your artistic muscles, add detailed drawings to your pages. A picture is worth a thousand words, and illustrations can vividly capture analogies and metaphors.
Suggestion: Draw a mini comic to depict the events of a story.
WHAT TO SKETCHNOTE
The sketchnote method can be used in many creative ways. We’ve collected some potential sketchnoting scenarios below.
Conferences and Conventions
Capture key ideas at conferences and conventions
Sketchnoting first gained traction at large design conferences, and it continues to be a great method of note-taking during these busy, action-packed sessions. Even if you don’t regularly attend conferences, practice by sketchnoting podcasts or TED Talks.
Work Meetings
Use sketchnotes to develop a big-picture view at meetings.
Instead of taking ordinary notes at the next work meeting, encourage your team to try sketchnoting. Because sketchnotes don’t follow a strict linear order, they offer a big picture view that can facilitate discussions and brainstorming. Additionally, sketchnotes from multiple viewpoints will reveal a greater variety of opinions and insights.
School Notes
Draw timelines and icons in your school notes.
Whether you are learning history, science, or math, sketchnoting is an effective way to map out complicated dates and formulas. Use connectors to mark important dates in history, or symbols to illustrate the steps of a microbiology cycle.
Personal Diary
Record day-to-day memories with drawings and bullet points.
If writing entire paragraphs in a diary is not your style, switch it up by trying a visual diary instead. Combine journaling with drawing to create an at-a-glance view of the day’s events, including your outfit, current mood, and meal plans.
Travel Log
Document your travels and plan your itinerary with sketchnotes.
Sketchnoting can be a fun, creative way to document your travels and highlight favorite memories. You can also plan your itinerary sketchnote-style: use connectors to mark flights and train rides, or draw a container around a list of must-see landmarks.
Sporting Events
Keep track of your favorite sports team’s victories.
Whether you’re a die-hard Warriors fan or obsessed with the Seahawks, keep track of your favorite sports team throughout the season by sketchnoting their winning matches and best plays. You can also use sketchnotes to build your ultimate fantasy sports team. Score!
Books, TV Shows, and Movies
Sketchnote a list of characters as you read.
Are you a bookworm, TV critic, or movie buff? Sketchnoting can be a fun way to record episodes, plot twists, and favorite characters. For example, use sketchnotes to decipher the increasingly complicated Game of Thrones family tree.
SKETCHNOTE SUPPLIES
Sketchnotes can be created using whatever materials you have on hand. You never know when inspiration will strike, so it’s perfectly fine to use a free hotel pen and a cocktail napkin to capture that brilliant idea. However, having a designated set of sketchnote supplies will keep your notes organized and visually consistent. Quality materials will also look more professional in a business setting, and make your sketchnoting experience more enjoyable.
Notebook
A blank, plain paper notebook is best. Avoid ruled notebooks because the lines are too rigid and may get in the way of your sketches. Graph and dot grid notebooks are good alternatives if you prefer your sketchnotes to be nicely aligned, but be aware that the grid may limit your creativity.
Top Notebook Recommendation: Maruman Mnemosyne Inspiration Notebook
Maruman Mnemosyne Inspiration Notebook
The minimal Maruman Mnemosyne Inspiration Notebook lives up to its name — its silky-smooth blank pages will inspire you to write and sketch freely. Durable ring binding allows the notebook to lay flat on your lap or desk, and each page has a subtle “Title/No.” section to keep your sketchnotes organized. If you opt for the graph version, the gridded lines are light and subtle.
Also Consider: Leuchtturm Softcover Notebooks, Rhodia Dot or Rhodia Blank Pads
Black Ink Pens
Because you will be jotting down notes at a fast pace, choose black ink pens that can write quickly without skips or stalls. Avoid pens and markers that may smear or bleed through to the next page.
Top Drawing Pen Recommendation: Sakura Pigma Micron Pens
Beloved by artist and designers worldwide, the Sakura Pigma Micron is a reliable marker pen with crisp, bleed-free lines. It comes in many tip sizes, from tiny 0.2 mm to bold 0.5 mm. The ink is archival, which means your sketchnotes will be well-preserved for years to come. For more information, check out our Guide to Drawing Pens.
Also Consider: Staedtler Pigment Liners, Uni Pin Pens, Ohto Graphic Liner Drawing Pens
Top Gel Pen Recommendation: Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle-Point Gel Pen
Pentel EnerGel Euro Needle-Point Gel Pen
The Pentel EnerGel is known for its incredibly fast-drying ink, which makes it great for lefties and fast-paced writers. It is the ideal pen of sketchnote inventor Mike Rohde, author of The Sketchnote Handbook. To learn more about these reliable pens, read our Guide to the Pentel EnerGel or check out our Guide to Fine Tip Gel Pens for other alternatives.
Also Consider: Uni-ball Signo RT UMN-103 Gel Pens, Zebra Sarasa Dry Gel Pens
Emphasis Pen
To add depth and dimension to your sketchnotes, you will need a marker pen that can quickly add emphasis to important points. Most commonly, the emphasis pen is a gray marker that can add shading to letters and sketches. It can also be a highlighter or accent color, such as blue or orange, but avoid using too many colors in one sketchnote.
Top Emphasis Pen Recommendation: Kuretake Fudebiyori Brush Pen — Gray
Kuretake Fudebiyori Brush Pen — Gray
With its versatile brush tip, the Kuretake Fudebiyori allows you to quickly add shadows or accents to your sketchnotes. Use the very tip of the brush to fill in small spaces, and use the side of the brush tip to cover larger areas. The light gray color is unobtrusive and easy on the eyes, while still providing an eye-catching visual effect.
Also Consider:Zebra Mildliner Highlighters, Faber-Castell Pitt B Brushes,
Carrying Case
If you are traveling on a business trip or running across campus to your next class, you’ll need to keep your sketchnote essentials together in a compact, organized way. Using a carrying case ensures that your supplies will be ready whenever you are.
Top Carrying Case Recommendation: Lihit Lab Teffa Bag in Bag
The Teffa Bag-in-Bag is a durable organizer that will easily hold your entire sketchnote kit. One large compartment is for notebooks, and smaller exterior pockets are for pens and markers. It can also hold small accessories like earbuds or a USB drive.
Also Consider: Cubix Round Zip Pen Case, Sun-Star Digistyle Carrying Bag
Now, you are all set to use visuals as a practice of note-taking and be an active member of this visual revolution.
This content was originally taken from https://www.jetpens.com/ & https://www.verbaltovisual.com/ with a few edits to enhance the reading flow for the audience.
