Visual SenseMaking
From Blank Page to Big Picture
Abstract
What if your notebook was not just a place to record ideas, but a laboratory to challenge them? In this session, Stephen P. Anderson introduces “Visual SenseMaking,” a process for using spatial arrangements to explore, question, and strengthen your thinking.
We'll dive into three powerful modes of inquiry: First, the inventory. How do we move from a “junk drawer” of ideas to an insightful model? Second, the interrogation. How might we tug at and pull apart provocative statements (like “all lies are bad”). Finally, we'll take on the blank page itself, and explore ways to make the most of notetaking while meeting with others.
You will leave with a practical method for turning passive note-taking into an active and rigorous dialogue with your own ideas.
- Turn passive note-taking into an active inquiry practice.
- Transform scattered concepts into coherent visual models.
- Stress-test bold claims using visual primitives.
- Apply reusable prompts to interrogate assumptions.
- Leave with a repeatable framework for visual thinking.
Speaker Bio
Stephen P. Anderson
Stephen P. Anderson is a bestselling author, speaker, and product leader who wants to make learning the hard stuff fun. He wrote the book on how we make sense of the world, Figure It Out, and founded The Mighty Minds Club, a community that shares ‘playful things to think with’. With a passion for “Visual SenseMaking,” Stephen explores the foundational grammar behind all visualizations, from the arrangement of objects on a canvas to the subtle encodings we use in everyday life. His work moves beyond simple drawing techniques to reveal the underlying patterns that allow us to wrangle complexity, interrogate ideas, and build shared understanding. Ultimately, Stephen wants to teach the world to think in more intentional, visual, and playful ways.
