Drawing Conclusions — The Art of Thinking Visually

We are more productive when we think visually. Let me explain how to unlock the power of your Visuospatial Working Memory, and let’s explore why.

Introduction

One of the many things I cherished about office life pre-Covid19 was those spontaneous brainstorming sessions with colleagues around a whiteboard. Drawing messy boxes, connecting lines, avoiding using permanent markers and jotting down ideas became invaluable for visualising complex processes, systems, and thoughts.

But why is this visual representation so effective?

More importantly, in an era where remote work and digital tools have taken precedence, how can Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) tools bridge the gap and enhance our ability to think visually?

This article delves into the intricacies of visual thinking and explores how PKM tools can amplify this innate cognitive skill. You will discover it’s not just AI that benefits from storing knowledge on Graphs; so can humans!

The Evolution of Visual Perception

The human brain has evolved to prioritise significant information from the visual system over other senses. This is supported by the vast number of neurons in the brain dedicated to the visual sensory cortex. Neurobiologist Semir Zeki explains that our brains construct the visual world around us. With overwhelming visual information, our brains sort out the relevant features and quickly judge their meanings.

The Power of Visual Memory

Our brains are equipped with a unique system known as Visuospatial Working Memory. This system allows us to recall and manipulate mental images or scenes when the actual objects or scenes are not physically present. For instance, imagine visualising the layout of your home with your eyes closed. This is a testament to your visuospatial working memory in action.

Furthermore, our spatial memory, which can remember the locations of objects, is closely intertwined with visual perception. Visualising a scene or an object isn’t merely a replica of our observations. It’s a constructed image that draws from various inputs, including past visual experiences and memories.

How does this affect our day-to-day lives? Take, for example, if you’re considering purchasing a particular make, model and colour car. You’re more likely to spot similar cars in your vicinity. This happens because the mental image of that car influences your visual awareness. Our perception and understanding of the world are deeply linked with our memory and imagination. This connection helps us navigate our surroundings, concentrate on vital details, and recall the locations of objects.

Jennifer Vendemia has developed this test so you can work out how good your Visual-Spatial Memory is:

The Advantages of Visual Learning

Visual learning holds several advantages over reading text. People react to visual information much faster than text-only materials, enhancing learning on various levels. Our brains can perceive images that last only 13 milliseconds, and our eyes can register 36,000 visual messages every hour. Therefore, programs that integrate appropriate visuals are often preferred over those that rely solely on text.

Visuals stimulate our imaginations and positively impact our cognitive abilities, allowing us to grasp concepts swiftly. The visual language also has the potential to expand our ‘human bandwidth’, which includes absorbing, understanding, and analysing new information. Given all these benefits, it’s evident that our inclination towards visuals isn’t just a preference but a result of our evolutionary history and the intricate workings of our brains.

Mind Maps and Graphs

Visual aids like Mind maps and Graphs have revolutionised learning, comprehension, and productivity. They enhance our ability to remember and retrieve information by encouraging us to link new and existing knowledge, deepen our understanding, and make learning more engaging and enjoyable.

Rather than passively absorbing information, Graphs involve us actively in the learning process. We generate ideas, organise them visually, incorporate colours and images, and review and connect concepts. This active engagement facilitates the understanding of complex ideas because it helps break them down into small parts that are easier to comprehend.

Because Graphs are straightforward to grasp, they are used in collaboration and cooperation with others. This is why sessions around a whiteboard were so impactful back in the office.

PKM Tools Graphs

Capacities and Obsidian are leading Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) tools featuring compelling Graph views. Obsidian’s Vault showcases a user’s entire knowledge base, and while its Reddit stream is filled with impressive Vaults, navigation can be challenging. That’s where Obsidian’s filters come in, helping users zero in on specific content.

In contrast, Capacities enhances the Graph view with clear icons, indicating the node type at a glance. Users can also customise how much of the Graph they see, starting with a page and expanding as needed. Check out Beth’s article for more details on Capacities’ Graph view.

On the Graph

We’ve talked about how both Obsidian and Capacities feature a Graph. Similarly, while mind mapping tools primarily emphasise visual exploration, there are PKM tools that also revolve around the Graph for the same reason. Mind maps and Graphs differ because Mind maps revolve around a central theme, but with a Graph, you are free to connect and explore in any way your mind wants to wonder. For example, I use a wonder PKM tool called Scrintal, a Graph First tool. Similar tools exist in this space, but I haven’t tried them.

With Scrintal, creating a backlink creates the new note directly on the Graph, which you can move around, organising them as you wish. Doing this spawns more thoughts where you become free to explore. Scrintal promotes this by making the canvas as large as you need. It is a beautiful experience to capture everything and see how it links together. It does remind me of that iconic scene in the first Matrix film when Neo is offered the choice of a Blue or Red pill, “You take the red pill… you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” Using a Graph-based tool like Scrintal does just that: it frees you to explore how deep the rabbit hole goes. As an example, this is precisely what I did with the Large Language Model Knowledge Graph, which is still an ongoing effort to capture all I know about Large Language Models.

In Summary

In this article, we have explored visual learning and visual thinking and how this unlocks the ability to be more productive. With the help of PKM tools, they can unlock this ability where it can be used to good effect.

If you want to use Scrintal, it’s £4.17p per month or £199 if you prefer a lifetime deal. Other tools offer a Graph-first style similar to Scrintal, but I haven’t used them. If anyone has, I would love to hear your experiences, good, bad or indifferent. Let’s keep learning and discovering together.

If you have enjoyed this article, please read my next article in the series, Visual Modelling with Heptabase & Scrintal.