You say you can’t draw? No problem, we hear that a lot at the bikablo akademie. Graphic visualisation is a cultural skill that can be learned, just like learning a foreign language – and sketchnoting is the best way to get started in this new language. You’ll need a sketchbook and two pens – and then you’re ready to go! Get your hands on a fine-line marker or pen, a highlighter, and a notebook (the best size to begin with is A5 – or, in the US, half-letter). Choose an audio book or an interesting video presentation on a topic...

In the world of bikablo, colors play a central role. If it helps clarify information while also supporting the poster layout, a tree may sometimes even be orange, or a lightbulb green. At bikablo, however, no matter how colorful things may get, grey is still the “color of all colors.” Our bikablo trainers have put together seven new color palettes to show which color combinations work best for both beginners and visualization pros. Into the light: bright shades that stream upwards, with light blue as a point of contrast Color plays a very special role in the bikablo technique. It creates structure, highlights...

By combining different elements of visual vocabulary, you can develop your own visual language. If you take a playful approach to this, you will often come up with unusual visual translations of the topic under discussion. In combining different vocabulary elements, we use a technique similar to one that the German language is famous for – a grammatical concept called “compound nouns.” In English, we use this technique, too, for words like “notebook,” “skyscraper,” or “sunshine” – but the German language really takes these compound nouns to a new level, with words like “Schlüssel-Bild” (key visual) or “Hochhaus” (literally, high...

Our modern business world is often dominated by complicated structures. If we want to change or optimise these, we first have to understand them – and this is not always an easy task! Using posters to visualise complex topics or processes is an ideal way to bring clarity to the seemingly incomprehensible. Here are some tips for what to pay attention to when preparing a visual presentation. My great-grandfather was a carpenter. Using just a few tools, he built tables, cupboards, and cabinets – one of which still graces my kitchen today. What was special about his work was its...

I went half around the world to train advanced visualization skills with our partners in Singapore and China. I learned why you should not write names with red ink in China and had many other insights during my journey. Singapore The city was packed with people when I arrived, so I wondered: „Do they all want to join our new advanced training?“ Then I realized that the formula 1 race was on. Luckily, I had our certified trainer Jaya Machet by my side, who knows Singapore inside out. We ran the training at the national library of Singapore in a bright room...

In everyday business situations, the ability to comprehend abstract knowledge is a prized skill. Anyone who can take complicated information and visualize it in drawings is in possession of an essential key competency and can, by making business processes visible, enable solutions to complex problems to be developed. The following three steps can aid you in doing this! The majority of the participants in our bikablo training sessions are there because they want to learn how to quickly and aptly visualize complicated and abstract concepts. We also teach people how to get started with this during our brief Impulse training...

Sketchnoting or visual note-taking works a lot like writing. To begin, you will need paper and a pen – and then some of the basic visual vocabulary that we’ve developed here at bikablo. Of course, a little finger practice will come in handy, too – but this usually happens all on its own. Then, you’ll be taking your first steps toward becoming a visualizer. A few images from “UZMO – Thinking With Your Pen” will help you to get started. Have you ever drawn an arrow? Of course you have! I personally have always been fascinated by this graphic, which was used...