didactica
You know your stuff
You are a unique expert in your field like quantum physics, climate research, oncology, psychology etc. Know-ing your stuff is good, but being able to share your wisdom with others is even better. Often you are talking to non-experts like your students, members of your interdisciplinary project team or a panel deciding on your project proposal.
From abstract concept to visual story
If you want to explain an abstract, complicated concept like «ocean acidification» to non-experts, you need to translate the topic into a relatable story. You would explain that ocean acidificaiton, caused by CO2 emissions, is like pouring a bottle of acidic lemon juice into a fish tank. The acidic juice harms the chalk bodies of corals, lobsters or turtles.
You see, a story helps your students to imagine a concept. The second step is to provide a simple sketch, so they don’t have to imagine — they now can see it. Storytelling with pictures combines the two most brain-friendly and powerful communication methods.
The three step approach
Like most people, you find drawing frustrating. High expectations and messy results spoil the fun of creating your own drawings.
To free you from your imagined inability to draw and help you rediscover the childlike joy of drawing, we use the following therapeutic approach:
1. It’s okay if it looks silly.
2. We draw with professional tools.
3. With a few simple tricks, even talentless artists can create amazing pictures!
Over 5,000 participants have already used this method to rediscover their drawing skills.
Some participant feedback
«It was excellent!»
«Great exercises and a very pleasant course atmosphere!»
«Just start and dive in»
«The freedom to realize that I can and may communicate well through drawing.»
«Lots of opportunities to pick up the pen and try things out.»
«A really good mix of theory, practice, and application.»
Content
1. Where do pictures help?
There are situations where words are enough. When you order a cappuccino in a restaurant, you can simply do it with words.
But if you are in Paris, ask for directions and someone in Paris is waving their hands in the air trying to explain the way to the Hilton Hotel — that’s when a picture, like a city map, would be truly helpful.
In the course, you’ll discover that communication from experts to non-experts can only work effectively through images.
2. Sketching
Drawing is easy when you leave out 97% of the details.
Little figures don’t need hands, and faces work just fine without eyes.
Cars don’t need side mirrors, and a bike doesn’t need pedals.
In this part, we’ll develop a visual vocabulary that will help you build your own stories. We’ll also use the free Picture-Pilot App (Download Android / iOS), which offers simple drawing guides for over 800 icons.
3. explain with a visual story
Concepts like house or table are easy to draw. They’re visible and don’t need to be translated into an image first.
But how can you turn abstract ideas like efficiency, cognitive dissonance, or artificial intelligence into a picture?
That’s exactly what we’ll practice in this part.
We’ll explore the storytelling method, which helps you explain and visualize your content using clear, concrete examples.
4. Pitch your idea
You know the situation: you have a great idea for a project, but it’s an expert-panel, your team or a client who gets to decide whether to go along with it. Too often I’ve seen brilliant ideas being destroyed by mediocre bullet point presentations.
That’s not going to happen to you.
With visual storytelling, you’ll explain—in just three minutes—what you’re talking about, what the core problem or the core question is, and why your idea will work. On the left you see an example of such a story: it shows, why the display repair spray might just be the invention of the century.
Course leader
Roland Siegenthaler started his career as an electrical engineer. In meetings and workshops he often ob-served how little misunderstandings slowed teams down and caused trouble. That’s why he started drawing . He was amazed how a simple sketch or a relatable story helped explaining a complex concept. For the past 20 years he helped experts to share their ideas with their mostly non-expert audience. He has worked for many University Institutes, Spin-Offs and organisations like Caritas, Baloise, Axpo or Coop. With great enthusiasm, he now shares his tricks in workshops and will turn every drawing skeptic into a passionate visual storyteller.
