An Introduction to Visual Variation

To see things clearly is an invaluable skill in today’s turbulent environment. This book gives you a versatile way to make the complex clear: ‘Visual Variation’ is the catalyst for swift analysis, creative ideas, and captivating communication.
With almost forty illustrations, you’ll learn through fascinating examples and with the help of concise instructions, simple checklists, provocative thought starters, and instructive information boxes.

You will find crisp explanations on topics as diverse as quantum computing and career paths, lessons from the dying and blockchain, learning styles and project failures, creativity and fake news. You will increase your understanding on these and other topics through the five visual variation patterns presented in this book:

The elementary approaches pattern to visualize different ways to reach a goal.
The expansive scenarios pattern to visualize options, risks, plans, or opportunities.
The analytic segments pattern to better understand processes, routines, meetings, or even your life.
The entertaining mutations pattern to create and share memorable insights and find novel perspectives.
The rigorous configurations patterns to devise new solutions or rethink existing ones.
You will learn how to apply these five techniques to your own work and life so that you can be a more effective problem-solver and communicator – and you don’t need any drawing skills or software know-how to do so.

The visual thinking approach presented in this book is based on Variation Theory and makes this paradigm actionable for anyone wanting to extend his or her communication and thinking toolbox. It has been tested in dozens of projects and application contexts, ranging from education to business, and from very personal to societal issues.