A speech bubble used in a generic manner conveys a generic message.

Humans constantly communicate. But communication isn't always two-way.

We don't always listen, and we don't always want to listen.

How do we convey this in visual thinking?

In the context of a story and to create a story, what better way than to create a setting?

Any setting works for telling stories.

How many elements are speaking here?

The man?

The elderly woman?

The pigeon?

What are they each saying?

Would you like to guess what they are talking about or just suggest a keyword for the whole scene?

If you want to learn to tell stories through visual thinking, I can teach you using visual metaphors. Leave your details on my site, and I'll notify you as soon as enrollment opens.

Thank you,

Dario Paniagua
Visual Thinkers Coach

Here are two tips for you.

1. Creating Stop-Scrolling Content:
   When you start playing around with the elements, everything you draw starts to connect with each other. When you have similar shapes in the same image, your audience begins to make connections. The more connections they make, the longer they'll spend looking at your image. Creating these focal points is crucial because the time people spend on your image determines how well they understand your message.

1. There's Nothing Like a Good Story:
   We can tell stories through anything. The more open we leave the meaning, the more interpretations your audience can come up with.

   Who's speaking in the image?

   Is it the bridge?

   The woman?

   The water?

   What do you think they're saying?

The more questions the viewer has about your image, the more engagement you are generating with them.

Thank you,

Dario Paniagua
Visual Thinkers Coach

The use of color helps to simplify in two ways:

Firstly, with a single color, I can evoke sensations or emotions.

The use of a specific color can convey multiple meanings and evoke sensations for someone observing a scene.

Secondly, by removing color.
Removing color from an image can completely change its meaning. Think about how interesting that is! I remove color and add meaning...


These are just a few of the many things you can learn in the first Membership which teaches Visual Thinking through metaphors without resorting to clichés.

Thank you,

Dario Paniagua
Visual Thinking Coach

I'd like to share a couple of tips for avoiding clichés by incorporating disruption:

In this metaphor, there are three disruptions you can utilize when drawing cliché icons:

1. Blend your clichè with something else and explore the inside: What elements can you incorporate?

2. Place objects out of context: Think of something unexpected or impossible. For instance, what would a person be doing inside a pill?

3. Experiment with disproportionate sizes (such as significantly larger or smaller elements, like the tiny person).

If you're interested in mastering Visual Thinking through metaphors without resorting to clichés, you can enroll for a limited time on my website.

Thank you,

Dario Paniagua Visual
Thinkers Coach

Using negative space isn't just a clever way to play with shapes; it's a fantastic opportunity to tell a story.

Always keep in mind, it's not just about being creative or drawing well. It's about crafting messages that truly resonate with your audience.

A great message won't be noticed unless you capture attention with your visual thinking.

Let me share three tips to help you achieve this:

1. Create disruption.
    

2. Use that disruption to craft a compelling narrative.
   
   

3. Intentionally leave gaps that prompt your audience to fill in the blanks.
   
   

Why is the woman breaking the glass? Why did the shattered mirror create a speech bubble? What message does this scene convey?

When your audience starts asking these questions, you've already sparked engagement and, whether clear or not, you're getting a message across.

If you're interested in mastering Visual Thinking through metaphors, without resorting to clichés, you can enroll in my...

There is a false belief that complexity equals value.

We often fall into the trap of thinking that if something sounds or appears complicated, it must possess more value or seriousness.

This misconception can lead us to prioritize the wrong aspects of the message we are trying to communicate or present.

But what exactly characterizes something as complicated?

When we break it down, we identify two key variables:

*Difficulty to Understand**:

Complex topics or processes are often challenging to grasp, requiring significant effort and specialized knowledge by your audience.

**Volume of Information**:

Usually, complexity comes with an overwhelming amount of information. It's the large quantity that can make something seem more valuable, even if it's not necessarily more difficult to understand.

The critical insight here is that quantity often weighs more than difficulty in our perception of complexity.

This means that we might be overvaluing detailed or information-heavy...

Many are still signing up for the Membership to learn Visual Thinking through Metaphors without resorting to clichés.

And when I say "no clichés," I don't mean you can't draw them.

Sure, we can draw them, but the trick is to transform them to make them impactful, so they don't just fade into the background.

Take a look at this scene: a pirate with all the classic clichés - the eyepatch, the parrot, even a speech bubble.

But what saves this image is a little twist and a story.

The twist? The eyepatch also works as a speech bubble, creating an interaction between all these clichés that triggers a story in the audience's mind.

What's the pirate thinking?

What's the parrot saying?

Why is the parrot speaking through the eyepatch?

Can you think about any of these answers?

When the audience engages with our visual stories like this, that's when we're truly crafting effective visual...

 It's important that we seek new approaches for turning a basic cliché into attention-grabbing metaphors.

Even if we think we've exhausted all possibilities, shifting our perspective can spark new ideas.

Try sketching your cliché from an angle you haven't explored before.

What does it look like from above?

How about from below?

Or what if you draw just a part of it?

As you explore these new angles, you also open up the possibility of making other connections that you didn't see before.

For instance, drawing the cliché from above inspired the creation of a mortarboard hat.

Don't get discouraged by the idea that you don't know what you're communicating. People will always find meaning.

Let's give it a shot!

Think about what short phrase or keyword would you link to this scene?

If you're interested in mastering Visual Thinking through metaphors without resorting to clichés, you...