Summary

The article discusses the importance of visual aids, such as diagrams and models, in effectively explaining complex concepts, using the example of understanding how a bicycle works without pictures.

Abstract

The author's daughter's frustration with text-heavy explanations of how a bicycle works without accompanying images prompts a discussion on the value of visual aids in communication. The article argues that visuals like diagrams, models, and flowcharts can convey information more efficiently than words alone, particularly in business contexts such as stakeholder impact analysis, glossary definitions, system scope descriptions, and discussions about requirements. It suggests that business analysts and architects are well-equipped to create such visuals using standard office software or specialized modeling tools, and that these skills can be learned to enhance communication and understanding.

Opinions

Visuals and diagrams are underused in business communications where they could greatly enhance understanding.
Drawing is often faster and clearer than forming complex sentences to explain a concept.
No one complains about too many diagrams; the request is usually to include more visuals, not less.
Visual aids like models and maps can make complex concepts more accessible and can shorten explanations significantly.
Learning to create visual representations is a skill that can provide a competitive edge and is not a "dark art" reserved for the artistically gifted.
Standard office software can meet basic diagramming needs, while advanced modeling notations like UML, BPMN, TOGAF, or ArchiMate require specialized tools.
The author believes that a picture can replace a thousand words and is a proponent of using visuals to communicate difficult concepts.
The article concludes with a recommendation for a resource that provides visual explanations of bicycle mechanics, emphasizing the effectiveness of pictures in learning and communication.

Can You Explain How a Bicycle Works Without a Picture?

Good luck with that!

My daughter is not a mechanic at heart. But one day she decided to learn how a bicycle actually works. No, she did not try to pull one apart — she googled it.

And she came to me all riled up:

I’ve tried to look up how a bicycle works, and some of the websites don’t even have pictures! How can you explain this without a picture?

Indeed, how can you?

Even if you believe you can explain this without pictures, will others understand your explanation?

Have you ever tried to describe a difficult concept to anyone? Did you grab a piece of paper, or took a marker to the whiteboard? I do it all the time. And it usually works better for both the presenter and their audience.

Many people find it much easier to explain something by drawing a map, or a model, or a little flowchart. Drawing is faster, it can get you straight to the point in a third of a time it would take to form complex sentences. And it can make something clearer with a line, or a splash of color.

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Yet, visuals and diagrams are often underused in business situations where they would be invaluable.

A stakeholder impact analysis will be more meaningful with a context model:

Glossary definitions and rules can be compressed into a table complemented by a conceptual model:

A long description of the scope of a new system can be replaced by a use case diagram:

And a difficult discussion about the value of nice-to-have requirements can be helped along with a humorous or silly picture:

I don’t know about you, but I have never heard anyone complaining about too many diagrams. No requests to get rid of a confusing picture and simply write down in plain English what it means. It is usually the other way around.

Enterprise architecture boards, strategic committees, program offices, and business analysis teams could communicate more efficiently with the help of models, maps, and diagrams.

Who can help with that?

Business analysts and architects are experts in communicating complex concepts visually. Their repertoire includes a variety of analysis and modeling activities:

Capturing the current state of business in a business capability map
Depicting and analyzing process flows
Understanding (and explaining to others) the relationships between business entities and concepts
Investigating the root cause of a problem
Creating a vision of a future product or process
Capturing user experience
Storyboarding games and interactions

Making pictures and visuals that convey a message is not a dark art. It is a skill that can be learned, even if you think you can’t draw.

You can start with any standard office software, such as MS Office. Even MS PowerPoint can fulfill 80% of basic diagramming needs. For advanced modeling, there is a variety of tools on the market that support UML, BPMN, TOGAF or ArchiMate notations. Learning these modeling notations will give you a competitive edge in many situations.

If I could convince you of one thing today, it would be this:

Whenever you need to communicate a difficult concept, supplement it with a visual.

Most of your audience will appreciate it.

And adding a visual may shorten your explanation by a few hundred words, or even the proverbial thousand.

“Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.” — Walt Disney

Before I forget, here is a great picture for someone who needs to understand the basics of bike mechanics. I found it on a website with lots of pictures, very aptly named explainthatstuff.com.

https://www.explainthatstuff.com/bicycles.html

I write about business analyst mindset, architecture, change, communication, and waste. I love pictures and models. If this interests you, join my mailing list for practical analysis & architecture insights.