Visual techniques for expressing complex ideas

People remember ideas better when they’re paired with visuals.

It’s supported by research: information encoded in verbal and visual formats is processed and retained more efficiently.

Early in my career, I realized I struggled to articulate ideas verbally, especially when on the spot. I could ‘see’ ideas clearly but struggled to verbalize them—until I started translating them into visuals.

I realized my ideas were far more effective when I could help others visualize them.

The feedback from colleagues, prospects, and clients made it clear: visuals helped crystallize things that hadn’t clicked before.

Visuals force clarity and precision in ways that words alone can’t. And like writing, putting words into visuals is a great way to test your own understanding and highlight gaps in your thinking.

Does your model hold up? Does it seem complete? When does it work? When does it break? What else needs to be added to make it withstand scrutiny?

I think the process of mapping an idea visually can help you truly grasp it.

Recently, an old friend asked how I made visuals for T2D3. This got me thinking about what my visuals are actually made of.

So, I deconstructed some of my recent canvases and codified the core methods I turn to.

Here’s my shortlist of techniques for expressing complex ideas as graphics so they’re easier to understand and share.

• Correlation: show how two variables are connected and how their relationship changes over time.

• Collection: group similar items into a list for easy comparison or reference.

• Equation: represent relationships between multiple variables with algebraic notation.

• Distribution: place ideas on a spectrum to show how they vary across a single dimension.

• Organization: categorize information into matrices to reveal patterns between them.

• Composition: break large concepts into its smaller component parts.

• Segmentation: score ideas on two dimensions, then abstract them into quadrants that explain the clusters.

• Proportion: highlight differences in size or importance using relative scale.

• Representation: create a visual representation using metaphors or analogies.