SXSW Panel: Shift Happens – Moving from Words to Pictures

For SXSW Interactive 2009, Tom Crawford, former CEO of VizThink.com, put together a panel proposal around the topic of moving from words to pictures. It was called ‘Shift Happens’ and he invited Dan Roam (www.thebackofthenapkin.com), Dave Gray, (www.davegrayinfo.com), Lee LeFever (www.commoncraft.com) and I to be the panelists. I used the PowerPoint linked here: http://www.slideshare.net/SunniBrown/sxsw-2009-thinking-visually to describe what visual thinking is, discuss why it matters to an organization or an individual, and show how absolutely anyone can use it as a tool. (Note: In my experience, audiences need to be reassured that they, too, can use visual thinking as a tool. The belief that it requires artistry is a myth that runs rampant – and it is patently false. I’m not an “artist” by any definition.) The audience, just under 600 strong, seemed really energized by our content, and Dan Roam heightened that energy with his excellent closing. What this experience told me is that (a) all kinds of people are hungry for this kind of content and (b) it needs to be made accessible. Several audience members approached me afterward – educators, marketers, project managers, etc. – asking about more information and “how to” techniques. I guarantee you, visual thinking will be a highly-sought after skill set in the years to come. And I intend to support as many people as humanly possible in their efforts to attain it.