Sketchplanations

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The open-air kitchen
The magic of open-air kitchens for Asian street food shown calling out each aspect that makes it such an ingenious set up
The Automation Paradox
The automation paradox explanation, or paradox of automation, summary with a hiker choosing their phone in place of a physical map and then getting lost in a landscape when there's no signal
Point Nemo
Point Nemo - the furthest point from land shown on the earth with the nearest three landmasses, Ducie Island, Moto Nui and Maher Island. This would be a long swim.
Iceberg orientation
Iceberg floating orientation explained: Icebergs are usually drawn floating vertically, while a stable iceberg orientation is usually on its side
Pillars of hope
Pillars of hope, steel starter bars or starter rods stick out of a house so that in the future it's easier to add an extra storey
Parallax
What is parallax explanation - how parallax works showing different layers moving at different speeds
Word spectrum
Word spectrum examples and explanation showing what is a word spectrum as gradations of description and examples of different word spectrums for size, frequency, talk volume, intelligence and taste
Detecting prostate cancer: old way, new way
Detecting prostate cancer summary - how screening for prostate cancer has changed DRA, PSA blood test and MRI screening compared in the old way and new way
The Village Venus Effect
The Village Venus effect example, a term from Edward De Bono, with a fish declaring that another fish in the fish bowl is the most beautiful fish in the whole world
Hara Hachi Bu
Hara Hachi Bu meaning summary showing a person, perhaps in Okinawa Japan, declining food at 80% full
Equality and equity
Equality equity difference illustration: showing 3 of the same bikes that fit just one adult as equality vs 3 differently-sized and equipped bikes to fit an adult, a child, and an adult with a baby
Public commitment pledge
Public commitment pledge explanation - a soft commitment device shown by someone battling a desire to eat cookies with a public commitment
Muddy puddles, leaky ceilings
Muddy puddle leaky ceilings - James Clear's model of two types of problems
Rose, Thorn, Bud
Rose Thorn Bud reflection technique summary showing a rose with thorn and bud highlighting successes, challenges and potential
Me or I
Me or I illustration: explaining when to use me or I through an example with owners of a cottage lending a bike to Nicky and me, and Nicky and I then cycling to a beach down a winding road.
Winking in the dark
Business without marketing is like winking at someone in the dark illustration: with three panels including someone winking in the dark, someone leaving, and then concluding that they weren't interested (from the Steuart Henderson Britt quote)
Rivers and buckets
Rivers and buckets metaphor illustration: one person sits calmly by a river watching interesting things go by, another gently stresses holding a bucket with an overflowing list surrounded by more buckets on the floor, each with long lists
Painkillers and vitamins
Sell painkillers, not vitamins illustration: showing two stores, one for vitamins with just one customer and vague future benefits, next to a busy store selling painkillers with a queue of people seeking "relief now!"
There is no "away"
There is no away illustration: A 4 panel cartoon has a child asking a parent what to do with some trash or rubbish. The Dad says just throw it away. After some confusion the child chucks it off planet earth. The final panel reads: Oh wait. There is no "away"
The Upward Spiral
The upward spiral from Stephen Covey illustration: showing a spiral growing from the bottom with Learn Commit Do repeating as it rises and someone reading a map, packing their gear and heading off determinedly on a trip illustrating each step
Impossible staircase
Impossible staircase illustration (also Penrose staircase, impossible stairs) with some people visiting MC Escher's house and being pointed to the bathroom at the top of the never-ending stairs
The Fundamental Attribution Error
The Fundamental Attribution Error illustration: a driver assuming someone is rude when they swerved in front of them rather than considering that they may have been running late and it been an accident - attributing character over context
RAS Syndrome
RAS Syndrome illustration: Redundant Acronym Syndrome shown with a person using their PIN Number in an ATM Machine
The Wheel of Death
The Wheel of Death illustration: a pie chart of last week's support issues from large categories of login problems, and payment issues to smaller ones at the end in shades of blue. A tool to help review and prioritise issues.
Chickens and pigs
Chickens and pigs illustration: also known as the bacon and eggs principle, shows a bacon and fried egg breakfast with an egg for the chicken's involvement and a cleaver for the pig's
Bellini — blini
Bellini or blini illustration: a glass of a bellini—a prosecco and peach cocktail—shown next to blini—small Russian pancakes with smoked salmon and caviar
The Normalisation of Deviance
Normalisation of deviance: A person looks dubiously on at a building site which seems to be ignoring all the safety signs. (Normalization of deviance)
Amphitheatre and theatre
Amphitheatre and theatre (or amphitheater and theatre): an open theatre like the Minack theatre is shown on the coast on the left, contrasted with a larger amphitheatre with seating on both sides (or all the way round) on the land on the right.
The XY Problem
The XY Problem (or X-Y Problem): a child tries to reach a balloon by precariously stacking chairsand asks how they can stick them together to someone outside of the room who, eventually, wonders what for?
Box breathing
Box breathing illustration: a person demonstrates breathing in, holding breath, breathing out, holding breath, counting 4 each side around the sides of a box. Also called square breathing: breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold
Jólabókaflóð
Jólabókaflóð (Jolabokaflod) illustration: The Icelandic Christmas book flood with books flooding through a cosy cabin door and other housemates quietly reading near the fire with hot chocolate. Also, Jólabókaflóðið
The Barnum effect
The Barnum effect (also the Forer effect) illustrated by 3 people, each getting the same seemingly personalised personality test result and figuring it described them perfectly.
Birthday creep
Birthday creep illustration: how does your birthday move each year illustrated by some people jumping a weekday timeline—1 day each year, 2 days around leap years
Phone zombie
Phone zombie illustration: pedestrians turned zombies staring into their phones run into danger and bump into each other while crossing a road
Overnight success
Biz Stone quote: Timing, perseverance and 10 years of trying will eventually make you seem like an overnight success — illustrated by someone on the tip of an iceberg with a whole lot of it underwater
The Pyramid Principle
The Pyramid Principle - Barbara Minto: a muddled message of a burst water main becomes clear that the school is closed when someone uses the pyramid principle
Greeble
Greeble or greeblie illustration: showing a panel of buttons on a wall and a ship in a spaceport rather like the Millenium Falcom full of small elements that give detail and scale
Whose job is it?
Whose job is it? or The Responsibility Poem illustration: four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. Everybody is given a job but in the end Nobody takes responsibility for it
Affordance
Affordance illustration: one person effortlessly pushes open a door with a flat plate while a victim of poor design struggles to pull open a door with a bar handle and a discreet push sign
VUCA
VUCA illustration: Examples of Volatility (a stock-like chart), Complexity (a circuit-like confusion), Uncertainty (a direction splitting into 3) and a person sweating over Ambiguity (a Necker cube).
Blending buildings
Blending buildings illustratiion: example of two large distribution warehouses one coloured in greens to blend better into countryside, and one in shades of blue to blend better into the sky.
Anchors and tugboats
Anchors and tugboats illustration: a swimmer thinking negative thoughts is pulled back by an anchor and thinking positive thoughts is pulled forward by a tug. Confused fish look on.
Three Types of "No"
Three types of "no" illustrated animation with parenting examples. The Yes No (no to ice cream, yes to eating). The Material No (Yes I'd get it down if I had a ladder). The Priority No (Yes we can take the bear but we'll leave to have one of the others)
Hotel Drying Technique
Hotel drying technique: a guest washes their underwear in the sink before rolling in a towel, wringing well and leaving it to dry overnight. Clean, fresh underwear in the morning!
Self-serving bias
Self-serving bias illustration: two tennis players think on their contrasting fortunes, the winner proud of their athleticism (character), and the loser blaming the umpire (the situation).
The Overton Window
The Overton Window illustration: with the example of two children lobbying their parents on bedtime policies and the range of politically acceptable ideas
Design by committee
Design by committee illustration: A person demonstrates a camel as the solution to all the requirements for Horse 2.0
The Droste effect
The Droste effect illustration: where the picture contains the picture which contains the picture which contains the picture...
Chihuahua syndrome
Chihuahua syndrome illustration: an analyst wonders at the number of dog breeds when most of them are misspellings of chihuahua
Dark patterns
Dark patterns: using design to deceive, like hiding the 'I don't need insurance' option in the country list rather than as its own option
The isolation effect
The isolation effect: remembering better what stands out from a set of otherwise like items in a set. Also known as the Von Restorff effect
Point positive
Point positive illustration: Rafters pointing towards the safe way down a rapids for a swimmer in the water rather than pointing towards the dangers
Orbit
Orbit illustration: how a satellite stays in orbit - the balance between its velocity and gravity pulling it towards Earth
Mangroves
Mangroves illustration: showing the coastal habitat and their benefits in protecting, stabilising, nurturing and sequestering
Two types of checklists: Read-Do, Do-Confirm
Read-Do and Do-Confirm checklists illustration: examples of a Dinner party fail and an Expedition checklist
Complaining at the weather
Complaining at the weather illustration: An adult complains about the rain, the sun and the snow while a child enjoy all three
Siphon
Siphon illustration: how a siphon works draining a reservoir by running a water uphill, unaided, until it empties into a lower reservoir.
Cake wreck
Cake wreck: a cake where instructions for the cake—"Happy birthday in purple, no nuts"—have been smartly written across the front. Intended as a metaphor for literal misinterpretation.
The ring-segment illusion
The ring-segment illusion, or Jastrow illusion: A child wonders at two identical train tracks that, when aligned next to each other seem to be different sizes
Fortnightly
Fortnightly: a person considers whether 'biweekly' really means "twice a week" or "every two weeks" and resolves to use fortnightly for "every two weeks" in the future.
The Feynman Learning Technique
The Feynman Learning Technique illustration: a flow diagram of picking a topic, writing about it to explain to someone until it's clear and then simplifying and adding analogies
Anadiplosis
Anadiplosis illustration. Yoda speaks his famous lines: Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering—on a dusty desert planet with two moons
The frog boil metaphor
The frog boil metaphor illustration: showing a frog put into cool water that is slowly raised not complaining until it's too late. Poor frog. Don't try this.
Feedback fear
Feedback fear illustration: A poor soul goes through all sorts of internal doubts about what they might have done wrong and how they might have failed when someone gives a friendly suggestion to ask what others think
The tomato test
The tomato slicing test to see if you need to sharpen your knife. A knife running over the surface of a tomato followed by a disaster needing sharpening or some perfect precise slices
Collective effervescence
Collective effervescence illustration: two people hold their phones up as lights with 1000s of others in a stadium concert at night
Temptation bundling
Temptation bundling illustration: examples of running on a treadmill to watch your favourite shows or ordering your favourite in a cafe only while working
Hotel HQ
Hotel HQ: using a folded flannel on a desk as a base for important bits like room keys and wallet
Pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory: King Pyrrhus laments a victory that wasn't worth winning as he surveys the remains of his troops after a victory on the battlefield
Red volcano, grey volcano
Red volcano gray volcano - a red volcano's effusive eruption has lava flowing down its slope while a gray volcano's explosive eruption shoots ash into the air
Braille
Braille reading and writing system: the letters of the alphabet in english braille showing how it's constructed from 6 dots
Ask the question at talks
A speaker is saved from confusing the listeners with a chart when one brave soul asks what on earth a TLA is
Apricity
Two people are loving soaking up the low winter rays of sun in a park
Without data you're just another person with an opinion
An employee is flummoxed by a set of opinions without data about how to proceed on a project
Attribution bias
A parent consoling a child and correcting their attribution of winning and losing to the situation and actions not to personal traits
Advise vs advice and other s and c's
Fellow devising a device as a way to illustrate how Devise, Advise, License, and practise (with an s) are all verbs in British English and device, advice, licence and practice (with a c) are all nouns
Fahrenheit and Celsius
The two primary temperature scales of Celsius and Fahrenheit side-by-side calling out water freezing, body temperature and water boiling
Redshift
Astronomer watching the light of one star moving away being redshifted and one star moving towards being blueshifted
Optimism bias
Optimism bias illustration: A stunt rider overestimates their chance of leaping a canyon thanks to optimism bias. Various onlookers gasp. "Huh" says the rider
Ghost grid
Examples of a ghost grid: a lightly dotted grid, and a grid of ghostly houses so that extension options can clearly be seen
Phonetic alphabet
The phonetic alphabet helping two pilots correctly identify Y I V B D T which is easily misheard
Front of house, back of house
A parent and child entering an immaculate living room with perfectly behaved children unwisely find themselves comparing with their own chaotic house.
Plan ahead
Plan ahead illustration: A painter with passers-by contemplate the lack of planning ahead on a billboard that says Plan Ahead without the D fitting on.
Phubbing
Phubbing illustration: Someone sat in a cafe being phubbed by their friends on their phones while a parent and child walks by, gently heartbroken by being upstaged by a phone
Parts of a circle
A circle with a number of its mathematical parts labelled. And someone trying to climb up the tangent.
Sharpen the saw
Sharpen the saw from Steven Covey illustration: A woodcutter explains that they have no time to stop and sharpen the saw as they have so many trees to cut
The metrics onion
Peeling away the intent and subtlety behind what seems a simple metric. Next to an onion.
Bus factor
The bus factor summary - A poor soul squashed by a bus lamented because they were the only one who knew the password
Ma
Ma sketch: a kayaker glides through a calm lake with a shoreline reflection on a moody grey day
Heating people, heating spaces
Two houses showing different approaches to heating: heating people and heating spaces
A common orb spider web
A spider constructing a common orb spider web
In theory, practice is the same as theory, but not in practice
Confused parents wonder why their children aren't asleep after following all the right steps — In theory practice is the same as theory, but not in practice
Groupthink
Groupthink: People acquiescing to the manager's and what they see as others' views during a meeting
Halfalogue
Two people enjoying a dialogue, one falling asleep to a monologue, and one being distracted from their book by a halfalogue
Pleonasm
An unexpected surprise seeing a personal friend in a museum with exact replicas and free gifts
It's easier to give privacy than to find it
Two people on a desert island trying to find some privacy
Clear is kind
Someone explaining clear is kind and not being clear along the way
Veblen goods
Comparison of typical goods selling by the box load at a retailer, and veblen goods — that have greater demand the more expensive they are — with people on a fancy yacht
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
The side of a pyramid of needs: physiological, safety, love-belonging, esteem, self-actualization
Fungible - non-fungible
Fungible goods and non-fungible goods: Examples of fungible goods on the left: money, fuel, and commodities and Non-fungible goods on the right: houses, art, people, used cars
The first draft is always perfect
The first draft is always perfect: A person creating multiple drafts of a sketch before reaching the one that hangs on the wall
Ponderosa pine fire protections
Ponderosa pine and its bark listing out some of the fire protections it has
Kintsugi
Kintsugi: A bowl repaired with kintsugi with bright gold seams visible next to a flower
Flash-to-bang method
Two hikers look at distant lightning and count how long it takes to hear the thunder to estimate how far the lightning is away
Heat islands
An urban area next to a more natural rural area showing how the urban area gets hotter than the surrounding land
Happy talk must die
Example web page with lots of useless happy talk and a person thinking blah blah as they look for the payments button
Black swan events
Two people walk through many white swans before bumping into a black swan. One claims it was obvious all along.
Only dead fish go with the flow
Two fish in a stream. One is dead and floating with the current. The other is swimming against it and jumping out of the water.
The cost of fixing bugs
The cost of fixing bugs: Chart showing how the cost to fix bugs rises the longer you leave before fixing them
Stand sit lie
A drawing of 3 people resting on a cycle, one standing, one sitting, one lying down
Extrinsic motivation
A sketch of extrinsic motivation with a donkey being followed by a man with a stick and in turn following a carrot that's strapped always just out of reach
Hybrid meetings
A meeting with some in-person participants and one remote participant showing the disadvantages of each
Because
Someone asks to cut in line at the photocopier with a lame reason - but the favour and reason combo mean the person mindlessly complies
The tyranny of small decisions
The tyranny of small decisions: 3 people order more expensive items and end up with a large bill because they knew they were splitting it
Banner cloud
Banner cloud on the Matterhorn showing strong wind of cold dry air on one side and warmer humid air on the other producing the cloud in a banner shape
Sneaky averages
Sneaky averages: A statistician sinking in the deep part of a pond by a sign saying the average depth is 3ft
Chaos monkey
Chaos monkey illustration: A monkey hangs from a girder in a room of servers cheekily pulling out wires to simulate the servers turning off at random and to build resilience, the Netflix principle
Challenge questions
Challenge questions and clarification questions: 2 different interpretations of the question 'When will it be ready?' as either a clarification question, or a challenge question
Reasons stop mattering
The janitor and the CEO story inspired by Steve Jobs illustrating how reasons stop mattering somewhere between the janitor and the CEO
One-size-fits-men
One-size-fits-men summary: Piano keyboard showing different handspan widths and that standard keyboards advantage larger handspans
Chesterton's fence
Chesterton's fence: two people contemplate a barbed wire fence stretching through rolling hills and wonder why on earth someone would put the fence there, unaware of the large animal down the slope
Correlation is not causation
Correlation is not causation illustration: A chart of the correlation between storks nesting on roofs and children in a household is shown above a street of progressively larger family houses with more and more storks and someone wondering if the storks are bringing the babies
Short words are best
Short Words Are Best illustration: A quote by Winston Churchill, about how using short words is best, appears next to an iconic portrait of the man himself wearing a Homburg hat and bow-tie, whilst smoking a big cigar.
For want of a nail
For want of a nail poem: from the shoe, to the rider, the battle and the kingdom it's all lost because that fellow dropped the nail
Möbius strip
Möbius strip animation: a small red ball continuously rolls around the surface of a 2-dimensional strip that has been twisted before having its ends joined - meaning the ball covers the entire shape.
Don't fill the silence
Don't fill the silence illustration: Someone does much better at eliciting a more in-depth response by simply waiting after asking their question rather than filling in an awkward silence
Short speeches
Short Speeches illustration: A bar chart shows how the the length of time it takes to prepare a speech decreases as the length of the speech itself increases - to the point where the plucky character charged with delivering a speech of no pre-determined length is happy to wing it.
Physics Envy
Physics envy: a football coach looks on exasperated as none of his young team play according to the plan
Features are like pets
Features are like pets illustration: a series of images shows different practical roles and responsibilities involved with owning a pet dog, compared with a solo image of how simple and rewarding one might imagine it to be - all presented as a simile for the time, effort and cost involved in developing new software features.
Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut
Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut: a patron to be points at their hair as the barber confidently gestures towards the barber's chair
Sankey diagram
Sankey Diagram illustration: a diagram shows an example of the flow of materials in a system. The example illustrated is the point of disposing of domestic waste. The jumbled, inbound mix of waste brought in on the left gets separated into outbound flows on the right including card recycling; plastic, glass & metal recycling; compost; landfill and directly re-useable items (such as milk bottles). The width of each outbound arrow represents size of flow.
The Rhyme As Reason Effect
The Rhyme As Reason Effect illustration: whilst on a stroll, one friend shrewdly convinces the other about how aphorisms that rhyme tend to be more believable, by including a rhyme in their statement.
Reef knot and clove hitch
Reef Knot and Clove hitch illustration: arrows highlight the path for a length of rope or string to take when tying a reef knot, often used to tie belts, bandages and bundles (left) and a clove hitch, often used to tie up to a post (right). It is noted that neither should be used when safety is at stake.
Kitty Hawk moment
Kitty Hawk Moment illustration: The Wright brother's first successful bi-plane, The Wright Flyer is shown taking flight; shifting the concept of human flight from the impossible to the possible.
Micro-editing redundant words
Micro-Editing Redundant Words illustration: A list of frequently used phrases in web copy is shown, with redundant words highlighted in red. A good reminder when writing these image captions!
The cave you fear to enter
Someone exploring the mouth of a large, dark cave where they can see a mysterious light
Leading and lagging metrics
Leading metrics and lagging metrics: illustrated by diet and exercise as a leading metric with weight loss as the lagging metric
Joy and vulnerability
Joy and Vulnerability illustration: as a parent tucks their young child into bed at night, they simultaneously acknowledge their deep-felt love and anxiety for if anything should happen to the child; they simultaneously experience joy and vulnerability.
Hump-back stations
Hump-Back Stations illustration: an above and below ground cross-section of an urban environment is shown, displaying the rise and fall of an underground transit tunnel as it approaches and departs a station platform - allowing gravity to play its part in slowing the train down, uphill as it comes into a station and accelerating it away, downhill on departure.
Time hierarchy
Time Hierarchy illustration: a lush, verdant, coniferous alpine forest is depicted as a means of explaining the range of layers within any durable system that develop at different speeds. From the individual needles on the trees that develop over a year, to the surrounding biome, 10,000 years in the making.
Flotsam and jetsam
Flotsam and Jetsam illustration: a bright yellow rubber duck floating in the sea is flotsam; as it is an item of cargo accidentally lost overboard from a container ship listing heavily to one side (left). This is contrasted by jetsam; green crates, actively being thrown overboard by a team of sailors desperately trying to avoid their small boat from sinking (right).
The rule of 7
The Rule of 7 illustration: two people walk together along the street, bombarded by imagery of apples; on posters, on the front page of newspapers, by a large promotional 3-D apple perched atop a news-stand. By the end of the scene, their conversation about whether they are hungry has turned to one specifically about buying an apple to eat.
Sonic boom
Sonic Boom illustration: a series of increasingly fast planes flying in the sky is shown from left to right, along with their position in relation to the sound shockwaves produced as the air in front of each plane is compressed. The plane on the left travels slower than the speed of sound and is thus behind its shockwaves. In the middle, the aircraft travels at the speed of sound and the shockwaves are shown bunching up near the nose of the plane. On the right, the supersonic, speedy aircraft surpasses the speed of sound creating a loud boom to the delight and / or fright of those on the ground nearby.
Primary metaphor
Primary metaphor examples: Important Is Big with parents and a small child, Knowing Is Seeing looking in a box, and Affection Is Warmth with a parent hugging a baby
Settlement patterns
Settlement Patterns illustration: in the foreground, buildings line the banks of an estuary as an example of linear settlement. A few miles inland, we see a dense grouping of buildings in a town perhaps, representing a nucleated settlement. In the foothills further back from the town, a few buildings dotted about depict dispersed settlement. And a lone dwelling half-way up a mountain in the distance is an example of an isolated settlement.
Be open to be changed
Be Open To Be Changed illustration: in the top half, two people are in conversation; as one speaks, the other is only waiting their turn to tell their story. In the bottom half, the same two people are in conversation but this time, as one speaks the other simply listens - allowing their mind to remain open to what is being said. It's perhaps more rewarding to be involved in the second of these two conversations.
Brilliance bias
Brilliance bias: A group of people in a gallery of portraits of famous people lament that the brilliant women were forgotten again
Front stage, back stage
Front stage back stage illustration: the Irving Goffman metaphor of life as theater illustrated with a couple and a waiter at a fancy restaurant
Russell's Teapot
Russell's Teapot illustration: an unexceptional china teapot floats peacefully in space with part of a large burnt-red planet visible in the background. Bertrand Russell's quote fills the space: "If I were to claim "there's a teapot, too small to spot, orbiting between Earth and Mars", the burden of proof lies on me."
Content drift
Content drift illustration: A cat-lover is seen on their mobile device, delighted at having linked to an online article containing pictures of cute cats. When they check the same link at a later date, they are confused / annoyed that it now navigates to an article with pictures of cute dogs!
Altruism and ambition
Altruism and Ambition Richard Reed quote illustration: a determined character soars through the clouds miles above the earth below and has a large wing strapped to their back. On the left hand side of the wing is a jet engine labelled "Altruism". On the right hand side is a jet engine labelled "Ambition".
Bloom's Taxonomy
Blooms Taxonomy illustration: A series of 6 building blocks are stacked on top of each other, decreasing in size as they go up, creating a pyramid-style construction. Each block represents one of 6 thinking skills. These skills become more sophisticated as the pyramid climbs and reminds us that the foundation of learning is knowledge.
BODMAS
Figuring out the order of operations in a calculation using BODMAS (or PEMDAS)
Prints and performances
Prints and Performances illustration: a black and white artistic representation of the Half Dome rock formation in Yosemite National Park, California. The peak is named for its distinct shape; one side is a sheer face while the other three sides are smooth and round, making it appear like a dome cut in half. The image is accompanied by a quote from celebrated American photographer, Ansel Adams.
The Gini coefficient
Gini Coefficient illustration: a scale of wealth distribution is depicted where green squares represent the wealth of an individual within a population. On the left, every individual has a green square - equal wealth distribution. In the middle, the wealth sits with only half the population. On the right, all the wealth sits with only one person - they have a shiny crown and gold chain to display that wealth!
Ablaut reduplication
Ablaut reduplication illustration: showing the fascinating observation that reduplicated terms go i-a-o with someone splish-splash-sploshing and zig zag and hip hop
The front page test
The Front Page test illustration: a stack of today's newspapers show a big picture of you on the front page, symbolising your actions or decisions being splashed in the news. How do you feel about that?
Yak shaving
Yak shaving: someone looks on confused as another explains the convoluted story which led to them sitting there shaving a yak
Context is king
Context is King illustration: the capital letters A, B and C are handwritten in sequence on the top row. On the bottom row, it's the numbers 12, 13 and 14 - again handwritten. When you look closely, you notice that the letter B and the number 13 take exactly the same form. It is only the characters that come before and after in each sequence that define them.
Push authority to information
Push Authority to Information illustration: on the left in a position of authority, a boss waits expectantly to hear the latest updates from their team in order to make a decision. On the right, a leader distributes their authority out to team members who become empowered to make decisions themselves based on the information they have. Everyone seems happier on the right.
Sampling bias
Sampling bias: a presenter proudly shows the conclusion of a bar chart of responses from people who were asked if they love responding to surveys. A resounding 'yes'.
By monkeys
...By Monkeys illustration: on the left, representing passive communication, a group of monkeys climb all over a typical office work station causing havoc; seemingly without much productivity. On the right, representing active communication, a diligent worker sets to fixing a software bug. There's no sign of those pesky monkeys.
T-shirts make a team
T-Shirts make a Team illustration: The group of people on the left have different coloured t-shirts and seem a bit lost. The group on the right are all wearing green t-shirts and they're celebrating success. What a team!
Passing on an inside bend
Time passing on an inside bend illustration (UK edition): showing a two-lane carriage way bending to the right with a red arrow to show the shorter route for overtaking
Umbrellas and funnels
Umbrellas and Funnels illustration: On the left, the effective manager uses an umbrella to shield their team from a downpour of tasks and requests coming from all directions. This sheltered team are focussed and productive and celebrate their achievements. On the right, in place of the umbrella, the less effective manager uses a funnel as a catch-all, showering their team with actions, sending the team members running scared.
The curb-cut effect
The curb-cut effect: A range of people of all ages next to a crossing, road, and park show how the curb cut design for disabilities benefits everyone
When drinking tea, just drink tea
When Drinking Tea, Just Drink Tea - Zen proverb illustration: a blue tenshi teapot, often used in Japan, sits beside two cups of steaming hot tea, next to an open window looking out onto a calm natural scene of trees, hills and a river..
Languishing
Languishing illustration: an unmotivated, apathetic figure sits slumped in an armchair with a TV remote in hand, clearly fed up and demoralised - for the time being at least.
Confirmation bias
Confirmation bias: people dressed in blue buy the blue newspapers at a newsstand while some reds are buying the red papers.
Herd immunity
Herd Immunity illustration: in a line of 10 people, we see how members of a society immunised or protected from a disease or infection (in blue) can act as a buffer between unprotected members (in red) and those vulnerable to infection (in green).
The dilution effect
The dilution effect illustration: showing how adding a side effect of 'itchy feet' to sleeping pills reduces perceived risk of the other side-effects of heart attack and stroke!
Replicate then innovate
Replicate, then Innovate illustration: inspired by seeing a peer present their decorative star, a young creative sets to; making lots of stars in different styles and sizes, seemingly without any plan in mind. Some are hung up on the wall, some coloured in, some combined with other shapes, until a large, multi-coloured, multi-layered star decoration comes together and hangs majestically from 2 hooks. The young creative seems pleased with themself.
Looking under the lamppost
Looking under the lamppost, the streetlight effect, or the drunkard's search: a person asks someone scrabbling on the floor under a lamppost at night if they've lost their keys. The person replies they lost them elsewhere, but the light's much better here.
The blind and the elephant
The Blind and the Elephant illustration: a large elephant is joined by three blindfolded individuals; one reaching out to touch the elephant's trunk, one feels along the elephant's side and the other has hold of its tail. Each individual seeks to identify what's in front of them, but with the limited information they have, none of them guess correctly.
Labyrinths and mazes
Labyrinth maze: A person lost in a maze with many choices and a person thoughtfully walking through a labyrinth following the path inexorably and peacefully towards the centre
Biceps, triceps, quadriceps
Biceps, triceps and quadriceps: muscles drawing showing the 2, 3, and 4 connecting origins of each, respectively
The Learning Pit
The Learning Pit illustration: a journey from left to right; an individual faces a learning challenge represented by a large pit they need to reach the other side of. Having fallen down into the pit, the challenge seems more difficult than first anticipated. As the picture becomes clearer they discover what they need to climb up the other side to a point where they can look back down at the pit having mastered the challenge.
Climate anxiety
Climate Anxiety illustration: a disconsolate figure on the left ponders the scale of the climate emergency picturing scenes of widespread drought and flooding. Having considered this predicament, they become motivated and defiant realising that one thing they can do is take some action - no matter how small.
Fact tennis
Fact Tennis illustration: two individuals with tennis racquets knock unproductive, point-scoring arguments back and forth over a pile of laundry.
Wabi sabi
An old bonsai tree with just a few green leaves in a bowl together with fallen maple leaves and a short definition of Wabi Sabi
The bandwagon effect
The bandwagon effect: someone struggles to decide at a path forking between a long empty road of 'what they think' and one full of people and fun of 'what everyone thinks'
The Bystander Effect
The bystander effect: a lady sits dazed on the floor in a busy train station while others ignore her or walk on by — someone really ought to check she's ok
Data Information Knowledge Wisdom
A funnel of dots of information emerge as a shining ball of wisdom at the bottom — the DIKW chain
Wishcycling
Wishcycling: someone wonders about whether something can go in the recycling — followed by the effect on each part of the recycling chain after
Binary
A breakdown of constructing the number 13 in the decimal system of base 10 next to 13 written in the base 2 of binary
Microadventure
Microadventure illustration: as the sun sets over a cityscape in the valley below, a young family set up camp for the night - I wonder if they'd be able to see their house in the distance if it weren't so foggy down there.
Starting a company
Starting a Company - Reid Hoffman quote illustration: a brave soul leaps off a tall coastal cliff with only a backpack for survival. On their way down, they quickly assemble a plane from the components in the backpack and pilot it away from the beckoning sea - just in time! Written in the sky is the quote: "Starting a Company is like jumping off a cliff and assembling a plane on the way down."
Days of the week
Days of the week and their Norse Gods: Tyr for Tuesday, Odin for Wednesday, Thor for Thursday and Frigg for Friday. And the Sun, Moon and Saturn for Sunday, Monday and Saturday.
The spectrum policy
2 people interpreting an idea of using bubbles, one in black and white only seeing the bad, and one seeing the spectrum including the good in the idea
The paradox of choice
The paradox of choice: a poor soul confronted by a giant pizza selection raises their expectations, wonders about everything they're missing, anticipates getting it wrong and then blames themselves for picking the wrong one
Forcing function
Forcing function: a person is forced into getting into shape after signing up to a marathon
You get what you measure
A fisherman illustrates the parable of the fishing net by concluding a minimum size of fish because they never see any smaller in their nets — you get what you measure
Flow
Flow from Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi - a state of total focus and joy: two climbers illustrate flow through clear goals, feedback and challenge matched to skills
Hitched to everything else in the universe
John Muir quote illustration with a Sierra Nevada lake and distant mountains with a mountain chickadee bird on a branch in the foreground and the quote "As soon as we take one thing by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."
Halloween
A graveyard with the timeline of Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls day after
Idling
150 balloons filled by the exhaust of an idling car in a minute
The haversine formula
The Haversine Formula illustration: a portion of the earth's globe is shown with a green arc drawn between the cities of London, UK and Seattle, WA. The mathematical Haversine formula takes into account the curvature of the earth's surface when calculating the true distance between two points on a curved surface.
The goal-gradient effect
The Goal-Gradient Effect illustration: sat at a table, two individuals feel very different levels of motivation to complete their loyalty cards to be rewarded with a free drink at their local coffee shop. On the left, the customer only needs one more stamp and is excited to go buy that card-completing coffee. In contrast, the customer on the right has only one stamp on their card and doesn't look like they're moving any time soon.
The Swiss Cheese Model
The Swiss Cheese Model illustration: A stack of 4 vertical Swiss cheese slices act as safeguarding protective layers, keeping a young family on the right of the stack safe from the harmful elements approaching from the left. Although the holes in the cheese slices allow penetration through some of the barrier, the multiple layers, with unevenly distributed holes, prevent harmful elements breaking all the way through.
The 4 horsemen of relationship apocalypse
Examples of the 4 horsemen of relationship apocalypse from John Gottman: criticism, defensiveness, contempt, stonewalling
If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is
Notice when you're happy: advice from Kurt Vonnegut's Uncle Alex to stop and say "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
States of matter
Diagram of the states of matter showing a solid, liquid, and gas, showing all the transitions between each state
Solvitur ambulando
Solvitur Ambulando illustration: this phrase from Greek philosopher Diogenes, is represented by an individual walking a winding route around a large open space in nature. When they set out, the thick, dark scribble above them represents a jumbled mind of thoughts. In the distance, about half-way around the scribble is fading. And as they reach the end of their walk the shining lightbulb above them signifies clarity of thought. Translated from Greek, Solvitur ambulando means: "It is solved by walking".
Nurse log
A set of young trees growing in a straight line along the trunk of a large fallen tree now in the clearing of a forest
Manager time, maker time
Manager Time; Maker Time illustration: On the left, Manager Time shows someone in their office at their laptop, scheduling in meetings and calls throughout the day, neatly managing time with hourly and half-hourly slots in their calendar. On the right, Maker Time ideally does away with any scheduled meetings or calls to allow for an open day for our worker at their desk to grind through a complex problem or new project. The passing of time is only marked by day turning to night.
Forcing function — design
Forcing functions in design - 2 examples: a hotel room with the lights controlled by key card and a lawnmower that needs both hands to turn it on
The BS asymmetry principle
The BS Asymmetry principle, also known as Brandolini's law explained with one person struggling to persuade their friend that the moon isn't made of cheese
RACI
RACI framework illustration: A family making a sandcastle highlights who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed
Schadenfreude
Schadenfreude illustration: a double layer of schadenfreude as an onlooker laughing at someone tripping is about to fall into a hole and get their comeuppance
Survivorship bias
Survivorship Bias illustration: two analysts observe bullet damage, depicted by red dots, on a fighter plane returning from battle. They propose that heavier armour is added to all aircraft in the most hit areas of the plane. A third onlooker wonders whether this surviving plane tells a different story in that it returned because the most vulnerable areas weren't hit. Maybe heavier armour should be added to those areas?
Finishing lines
Finishing Lines, Stevie Smith quote illustration: a cyclist sits on their bike about to set off on a long journey - the bike is heavily loaded with panniers at the front and the back. The thought bubble above their head shows them visualising the finish line of their journey as their motivation to get going. As Stevie Smith suggests: "The most important role of a finishing line is to get you over the start line."
Hope
Hope: CR Synder's model for hope illustrated by a climber looking at The Ogre mountain considering the goals, pathways, and willpower that gives them hope they can climb it
Sexy value
Sexy value illustration: the Venn diagram overlap of better and cheaper
Solstice
Solstice: illustration showing the paths of the sun in winter, summer and on the equinoxes
Analytics maturity
Analytics Maturity illustration: A young character is very happy, sat at their makeshift lemonade stand next to the sidewalk. When they close their stand, our young entrepreneur can assess their performance today using hindsight and insight to inform preparation through foresight for next weekend.
Net Promoter Score
Net Promoter Score illustration: How to calculate NPS from the spectrum of responses to the question "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend?"
Submarine shower
Submarine shower illustration: following these 3 simple steps, we can save water and energy by showering as if there was a very limited supply of water - like on a nuclear submarine. Firstly, the shower-goer wets their entire body using only 10 seconds of water. Secondly, the shower has been turned off for soap or shower gel to be applied and lathered up. Thirdly, the water is turned back on again for a thorough but quick rinsing - again only using 10 seconds worth of water. Job done. Little water used.
Find your why not
'Find your why not' Venn diagram with 3 equally overlapping circles for different types of work. Work that: feeds you, feeds the world, feeds my soul. You don't have to aim for the centre.
The Keeling curve
The Keeling Curve illustration: A line graph shows a tight zig-zag red line rising from around 310 parts per million (ppm) monthly average CO2 concentration in the air at the top of Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii in 1960, up to 410 ppm in 2020. The smaller graph at the top shows the reason for the zig-zag nature of the line; the seasonal variation of CO2 concentration in the air due to more plants blooming and photosynthesising in Spring and Summer.
LEGO faces
Lego faces are awesome: a comparison of the expressions on Lego faces from the Lego Movie 2 with one from the 1980s
The law of unintended consequences
The law of unintended consequences illustration: with someone trying to regulate a complex system with a simple system
Listen with passion
Listen with Passion quote from Harriet Lerner illustration: as one individual talks, another listens intently following the mantra within this quote that we should "Listen with the same passion with which we want to be heard".
3,500 Lifetime reads
3,500 lifetime reads: how many books will you read in a lifetime if you read 1 book a week, 50 books a year
The liar paradox
The liar paradox: one soul gets in a muddle trying to interpret when another says simple "I am lying"
The Bullwhip Effect
The bullwhip effect: A person whipping a bullwhip showing how the amplitude of shocks increases through retailers, manufacturers and suppliers
Solar system planets — distances to scale
Solar System Planets illustration: shows just how far away the outer planets like Uranus and Neptune really are from us here, peering up at the sky from Earth.
Equinox
Equinox: meaning equal night, the autumn and spring equinoxes are days where there is an equal amount of daylight as night time. They mark the transitions between seasons
Flatten the curve of an outbreak
Flatten the Curve illustration: 4 different containment strategies for a contagion outbreak and their expected effect on the number of cases detected over time are shown through a series of distribution curves.
Chindogu
Chindogu example: A t-shirt with a labelled grid on the back could be a useful tool to guide someone to the exact coordinates you'd like your back scratched.
How to wash your hands
How to wash your hands illustration: the 6-step guide shows how to make sure you wash your hands thoroughly; getting right into all the nooks, crannies, creases and folds of your fingers, thumbs, palms and backs of your hands. A minimum of 20 seconds wash time is recommended.
Types of phishing
Types of phishing: phishing, spear-phishing, whaling explained — 3 common types of phishing communications are shown from the impersonal, wide phishing net email, thrown out to a large population; to more personalised "spear-phishing", picking you off with a harpoon gun; to whaling, where scammers go after high profile targets like CEOs.
The dangers of just this once
The Dangers of just this once illustration: Clayton Christensen's quote that "It's easier to hold on to your principles 100% of the time than it is 98% of the time" is played out by one individual sticking to their guns when being badgered about something and another quickly giving in, and ending up at a point very far from their initial stance.
Thunderclap or rumble
Thunderclap or Rumble illustration: a dark, menacing cloud produces a lightening strike, creating a high frequency sound wave that gradually dissipates the further away you get.
Commitment device
Commitment device illustration: Odysseus asking his men to tie him to the mast so that he can resist the siren's song who are kind flying women
The travelling salesman problem
The travelling salesman problem illustration showing a bewildered salesman contemplating the many options he could take to visit all the places the need across America
The transparency paradox
The transparency paradox: In an open classroom one student secretly passes a note to the other illustrating the transparency paradox
The Boaty McBoatface effect
The Boaty McBoatface effect: Someone holding up a poll for the naming of a boat which was vote-bombed to be Boaty McBoatface for a laugh
The data prison
The Data Prison illustration: shows 2 tables with identical data describing a schedule of work and fun for every day of the week. The "imprisoned" data in the table on the left is separated by lines in a grid. The "freed" data in the table on the right has no lines, and instead uses shading and spacing.
The Peter Principle
The Peter Principle illustration: a confident and competent junior worker gets promoted to a senior level. At the senior level, they appear very happy and excel such that they get a promotion to Director. As a Director, their competence has been exceeded and we see them in a state of stress and disarray. Oh dear.
Thesis, antithesis, synthesis
Thesis, antithesis, synthesis — Hegel's dialectic — as a progression of ideas illustrated with alerts invented on a phone, frustration with alerts leading to do not disturb settings
The two generals problem
The Two Generals Problem: Two Generals fighting for the same side, have set up their camps on the high ground either side of a castle to be attacked and use a messenger running between them to coordinate their attack. The problem is that the messenger has to run right past the hostile castle to relay the Generals' messages and confirmation of receipt of messages and there's no guarantee they'll make it past the castle unharmed.
The cost of being late
The cost of being late illustration: an executive walks into a meeting 10 mins late adding up to 100 total lost minutes of everyone else's time
Law of diminishing returns
The Law of Diminishing Returns illustration: a chart of broth quality increasing from a lone chef stirring a large pot to eventually decreasing once again as a crowd of chefs get in each other's way and goof off. Standard.
Autumn leaves and the compounds that cause their colours
What causes the colors of Autumn leaves and the compounds that make them
Stock, Broth, Jus
Stock, Broth, Jus illustration: a large cooking pot of water has bones thrown in to make Stock. A second pot has meat added to water to make Broth. The cooking tray used to roast a chicken is tipped up to pour out the Jus, made from pan drippings.
Who cut down the last tree?
Who cut down the last tree illustration: 300 years ago we see someone cutting down a tree with an axe in a large dense forest. 100 years ago we see someone cutting down a tree in a now much more sparse forest. Today, there's only a small sapling left, and someone just snapped a branch off it. So what next?
The Doppler Effect
The Doppler effect illustration showing how a wave changes from a static source and gets either bunched up or spread out if you're standing in front of or behind a moving source like a siren
Apophenia
Apophenia example: two hikers look up into the sky with surprise to see a cloud in the form of Godzilla!
Ordering adjectives
Ordering adjectives illustration: two people in kilts improbably play catch with a terrific giant old circular grey scottish stone throwing toy
5 Ways to Wellbeing
5 Ways to Wellbeing Illustration: in a busy park scene the 5 ways to wellbeing are depicted as families and friends come together to socialise and interact with their surroundings to Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give.
Continuous partial attention
Continuous partial attention illustration: A family spill the dinner and miss what's said while a baby paints the floor and another child has to go to yoga for some focus to remain in the present
The tragedy of the commons
The Tragedy of the Commons illustration: a cross-section of land shows a shared source of underground water being heavily used by one with access to it, leaving very little for everyone else.
Bactrian or dromedary camel? Never be confused again
How to identify a Bactrian or Dromedary Camel: The Bactrian camel (on the left) has 2 humps like the capital letter B turned on its side. The Dromedary camel has 1 hump (on the right) like the capital letter D turned on its side. If you can count the humps, you know the first letter.
The Shirky Principle
What is The Shirky principle explained — from Clay Shirky — illustration in a garage where a manager is astonished by a mechanic fixing the cars so they'll never need to come back
Does this spark joy?
Does this spark joy illustration: As they sort through their t-shirt collection to determine what stays and what needs to go, an individual holds up a shirt and is reminded how much they love it.
Capitonym
Capitonym illustration: a large turkey and a map of the country Turkey shows how adding a capital changes the meaning
Strand line
Strand line illustration: a beach showing the line where debris is stranded by high tide
Weather and climate: an analogy
Weather and Climate illustration: weather is likened to the notes and loose change kept in your purse and the climate is likened to a graph showing your financial status over a long period of time.
The overview effect
The overview effect illustration: 2 astronauts have a bit of a moment and need to sit down when taking in the majestic view of Earth from the moon and realise this is all we've got.
Deseed a pomegranate
Deseed a Pomegranate illustration: this 5-stage process shows how to separate the seeds from within a pomegranate using the back of a spoon and a bowl of water.
Proxemics
Proxemics illustration: inside a large cathedral we see opposite ends of the proxemics scale; a family whisper to each other as they walk around the cavernous main hall and someone else gives confession inside a tiny booth.
Campbell’s law
Campbell's law illustrated with examples from elections and leading to fake news and a crackdown on crime distorting how it is reported and measured
Human risk
Human Risk illustration: an enormous line of Mongol soldiers easily march through an open gate in the Great Wall of China as the two bribed guards take a nap.
The cobra effect
The cobra effect illustrated with the intention to reduce the cobra population and a bounty for dead cobras leading to cobra farming and cobras escaping. A nice example of unintended consequences.
1.5 billion heartbeats in a lifetime
1.5 billion heartbeats illustration: showing how mammals share broadly the same number of heartbeats from a shrew to an elephant
The continental axis hypothesis
The continental axis hypothesis: from Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel, illustrating how the llama didn't manage to travel North-South
Stop chopping board slip
Stop chopping board slipping illustration: a tea towel is made damp at the sink in a kitchen. The damp tea towel is then laid out underneath the copping board. And hey-presto, the chopping board doesn't slip around as our chef happily chops their carrots.
The accountability ladder
The accountability ladder illustration: A child explaining to a parent why homework wasn't done illustrating each rung of increasing accountability on the accountability ladder
Fading affect bias
Fading affect bias illustration: showing that the emotional intensity of negative memories, like dropping your ice cream, fades faster than for positive memories
The finger-dip test to not overwater houseplants
The Finger-dip Test illustration: a finger is pushed into the soil of a healthy, green houseplant down to around the first knuckle. Where the soil is found to be dry, the owner of said finger tops it up with water. Where the soil is found to be moist, they sit back and enjoy a good book in an armchair next to the plant.
The trust battery: A handy metaphor to think about trust
The trust battery illustration with a manager considering 2 employees based on their past interactions
The 3-day effect
The 3 day effect: A hiker sets off up a mountain, as each day goes by, thinking less about the work they were doing before they came
The 9 times table on your fingers
The 9-times table on your Fingers illustration: holding up both hands in front of you, the example of 3 x 9 is given; whereby the 3rd finger from the left is lowered leaving 2 fingers to the left of the gap and 7 fingers to the right. 2 and 7 gives 27.
The story spine
The story spine: illustrating a common pattern of storytelling with a small vignette of people alongside the steps
The Egg Float Test
Egg test: how to use the egg float test to know if an egg has gone bad by checking it's floating behavior underwater
Fruit vs vegetable
Fruit vs vegetable drawing: showing the elements of a plant that are fruit or vegetable and a 2x2 matrix for which are commonly miscategorised
The business flywheel
The Business Flywheel illustration: the model of The Business Funnel, where prospects are filtered to yield end customers is compared with The Business Flywheel, where customers are at the centre, acting as the driving force behind your business momentum.
Proportionality bias
Proportionality Bias illustration: a dice has landed on a six and the person who rolled it gave it a really good shake beforehand.
Tsundoku
Tsundoku illustration: A person snoozes happily on their bed surrounded by books, books and books
The Abilene paradox
The Abilene paradox: a family sets out on a trip to Abilene on a hot dusty day only to discover on the way back that none of them actually wanted to go
Choose the fast line
Choose the fast line illustration: two lines of shoppers at a supermarket feed up to three servers at the checkout. Choosing a longer line with more servers could still be quicker.
The coastline paradox
The coastline paradox: a map of the UK dividing up the coastline with ever smaller rulers shows how the coastline length dramatically increases
Imposter syndrome
Imposter Syndrome illustration: even as an appreciative audience applaud, an award recipient at the rostrum on stage questions whether they actually deserve this recognition.
Plogging
Plogging illustration: a happy jogger runs along with a bin bag in hand. Whenever they see litter, they stop to pick it up and pop it in the bag.
The trust equation
The Trust Equation illustration: set out as a mathematical equation, we understand that the trust we have in someone professionally is proportional to how credible they are in their field, how dependable they are and how safe you feel around them. That trust is inversely proportional to how self-orientated they are.
Tax freedom day
Tax Freedom Day illustration: a year-long scale from January to December shows how long into the year it takes for different countries to cover the bill for public services through income tax. After that point, the money you earn is for you to spend however you like.
A world of 4 income levels
Factfulness: A world of 4 income levels explained — beyond developing and developed countries
The 3 tallest mountains
The 3 Tallest Mountains illustration: on the left, Mount Everest is measured from sea level. In the centre, Mauna Kea is measured from its base (well below sea level) to its summit. On the right, Chimborazo is located near the equator where the earth bulges making its summit the furthest from the centre of the earth (and hence closest to the sun).
The Hungry Gap
The hungry gap illustration showing a timeline with a full box of Winter vegetables leading out of April, a nearly empty box in May, and an overflowing one in the Summer
Anamorphosis
Anamorphosis illustration: the words "Tilt Me" are written in large bold letters on an angle, making it easy to read when viewed from an intended position.
The Destiny Instinct
The Destiny Instinct illustration: bent over on hands and knees, an individual inspects a line of ants through their magnifying glass. At some point later in time, they return to find an enormous anthill that towers overhead.
Compose a cheeseboard
Compose a cheeseboard illustration: a delicious-looking platter is presented with a wide selection of cheeses; soft, hard, round, blue-veined and riddled with holes. In amongst the cheeses we find a colourful range of items to complement flavours; olives, nuts, pickles, cured meats and dried fruit.
The classic twit-twoo is actually a duet
Twit-twoo illustration: showing how the classic owl sound is actually a duet with a female and male tawny owl doing a "kewick" and "whoo"
The power of streaks
The power of streaks illustration: a task schedule is shown as a daily grid where all but the final 2 squares have been completed.
Jevon’s Paradox
Jevon's paradox: 2 people, looking over a busy road from a balcony, remark how everyone's driving everywhere now that cars are so efficient
Marchetti’s constant
Marchetti's constant illustration: chart showing how Berlin increased in size with new means of travelling faster through walking, electric trams, and subways, to cars
The availability heuristic (and bias)
The Availability Heuristic illustration: Plane crashes, cold snaps, and winning lottery tickets are shown as examples of uncommon but widely reported events that might affect the significance we associate with them.
The Pomodoro Technique ®
The Pomodoro technique explained in 3 steps of planning, doing 1 pomodoro, and repeating — includes a tomato timer also known as the pomodoro method
The Mercator projection
Mercator Projection illustration: shows the consequences of flattening out a spherical globe. Whilst it's a handy exercise for navigating and producing maps, it can inflate the size of land masses the in the north and the south. In a Mercator projection Greenland is comparable in size with Africa. In reality, it's much smaller.
The Diderot Effect
The Diderot Effect illustration: As two residents admire the brand new sofa they've brought into their living room, they remark how it now shows up the old rug and the old lamp and the old curtains. Oh dear.
Implementation intentions
Implementation Intentions illustration: A blank ballot paper is shown as the result of vague plan to vote at some point. A completed ballot paper demonstrates how a specific logistical plan on when, where and how they'll get to the polling station got the job done.
The doorstep mile
The Doorstep Mile illustration: A lone soul beginning a seemingly long journey away from their isolated house in an empty landscape accompanies the Seth Godin quote "Start small, start now".
The fun scale
The Fun scale for outdoor fun: illustrating Type 1 fun as skiing, Type 2 fun as mountaineering and Type 3 fun as surviving a bear encounter (the best story)
Accuracy and precision
Accuracy and Precision illustration: 4 circular targets with red dots marking a series of strikes show the difference between accuracy and precision.
Dunbar’s number: 150
Dunbar's number: a person can't remember the name of the one person outside their circles of closer friends, super family, clan and tribe behind them
Fix wobbly tables by rotating
Fix wobbly tables by rotating illustration: a puzzled character considers how to prevent their 4-legged table from wobbling. Instead of popping something under one of the legs, they're encouraged to try rotating it. It's worked, and they celebrate with a glass of something cold!
The Square-Cube law
Square cube law illustration with volume increasing faster than length and an elephant, an ant carrying a giant leaf and a child on the monkey bars as examples
Pour, don’t dip when sharing snacks.
Pour, don't dip when sharing snacks illustration: on the left the snack sharer seems sad that their friend has plunged their hand into their open snack packet. On the right, they're a lot happier to share by pouring snacks from the packet into their friend's open hand.
A little bit of slope makes up for a lot of y-intercept.
A little bit of slope makes up for a lot of Y-intercept illustration: on a line graph, a red line starts well below the blue line, but over time, it overtakes and surpasses the blue line because it has slightly more gradient to it.
The Implicit Association Test
The Implicit Association Test illustration: using gender roles as an example, we are asked to sort Career words into a Men's column and Home/Family words into a Women's column. We are then asked to do the opposite. One's bias is calculated as the difference in time it takes to complete both tasks.
Forest bathing
Forest bathing illustration — shinrin-yoku
What drives us: autonomy, mastery, purpose
Autonomy Mastery Purpose summary of Dan Pink's book Drive
Second cousins once removed.
Second cousins once removed illustration: a family tree is displayed with YOU in the middle where the relationships with all those around you is labelled.
Acronyms and initialisms
Acronym vs initialism illustration: comparing the acronym laser—pronounced as a word— and the initialism FBI—pronounced by saying the letters
2 factor authentication
What is 2 Factor Authentication: a Venn diagram of three intersecting circles containing things you know, things you have and things you are. Where any 2 circles overlap, there is an opportunity for 2-factor authentication.
The Rashomon effect
The Rashomon Effect illustration: a smashed bottle and its contents lie strewn on the ground. Each individual present recounts how this happened and their stories are not the same.
How owls’ necks turn so far round
How owls' necks turn so far round illustration: showing the amazing neck vertebrae they have
Conway’s Law
Conway's law showing how the organisation of a company, as small, distributed teams or large colocated teams can reflect the architecture of the software as modular or monolithic
The kitchen working triangle
The Kitchen Working Triangle illustration: a plan view of a kitchen is shown with the distances between commonly related appliances and storage highlighted.
The spotlight effect
The Spotlight Effect illustration: two individuals greet one another, each illuminated by an intense spotlight as if on stage - and each secretly worry about how the other perceives their appearance.
The Effect Effect
The Effect Effect illustration: two colleagues are left in no doubt as to the veracity of research presented to them because it has been labelled as an "effect". Indeed, one heads straight off to tell their friends about it.
The third teacher
The third teacher: a pupil with 1. a teacher or parent, 2. their peers, and 3. a classroom full of opportunity and aids to learn
Homonyms, homographs, homophones, heteronyms… 
Matrix of spelling and sound showing the place of homonyms, homographs, homophones, heteronyms, synonyms and antonyms
How a lip stops drips.
How a lip stops drips illustration: a glass of water is tipped up to pour out its contents. Close-ups of the mouth of the glass show how without a lip, water trickles down the side of the glass and that with a lip the side of the glass stays dry.
The misattribution of arousal
The Misattribution of Arousal illustration: a couple in the early stages of romance reflect on how excited they were to ride on a roller coaster together. Was the excitement due to each others' company or the roller coaster itself? Or maybe a bit of both?
Recession vs depression
Recession vs Depression illustration: Recession is depicted by a man in a flat cap sitting on the edge of the pavement next to a man with a briefcase on his way to work. Depression is depicted by both men now sat on the pavement in despair.
The ‘Virtuous Cycles’ of Amazon and Uber
The "virtuous cycle" of Amazon and Uber illustration: closed loop flow diagrams demonstrate the effect of growth on factors like demand, price and service for Amazon and Uber.
OODA Loop
OODA Loop illustration: military strategist John Boyd's framework for action in conflict is shown as a closed loop cycle of Orient, Decide, Act, Observe and back to the beginning. The cycle also applies to business when you reconsider the points on the cycle as Frame, Strategize, Test, Gather.
What is a blue moon?
What is a blue Moon illustration: on a year-long timeline, the occurrence of full moons is plotted for each month. A blue moon is when a full moon occurs twice in the same month - once at the beginning and again at the end of the month.
Rival and non-rival goods
Rival and non-rival goods illustration: a scale with rival goods at one end (left) and non-rival goods at the other (right) displays items at each extreme and along the scale in between. eg. (left to right) cup of coffee; roads; software.
Crossmodal perception
Crossmodal perception illustration showing that coffee tastes better when the machine is quiet and why plane food is less tasty
The Lucretius problem
The Lucretius Problem illustration: examples of the biggest occurrences in history, like a market crash, a volcano eruption, a long drought and a traffic delay tend to be perceived as the biggest there could ever be.
Seasons
Seasons illustration showing how it is caused by the earths tilt: The earth in different positions around the sun including showing the tile of its axis which causes more or less concentrated light to hit at different times of the year, causing seasons
Lake-effect snow
Lake-Effect Snow illustration: cold air blowing across a lake and picking up water vapour on its way, is shown to form heavy snow-producing clouds as the air hits higher ground on the other side of the lake.
Gaslighting
Gaslighting illustration: an individual making a speech at their lectern tells lie after lie after lie. As the lies keep coming an audience member starts to question their own, previously firm, understanding.
The Oxford comma
The Oxford Comma illustration: in the acknowledgements at the beginning of a book, the oxford comma, used after the penultimate item in a list, clears up any confusion as to whether God is a parent of the author.
How to grow your own fresh air
How to grow your own fresh air illustration: examples of common houseplants that help create an environment with relatively cleaner air; the Areca Palm, Mother-in-law's Tongue and the Money Plant.
Tame unruly crisp packets
Tame unruly crisp packets illustration: a 7-step process lays out exactly how to fold a large, unruly, empty crisp packet into a neat, manageable triangle. Origami with purpose.
The Streisand Effect
The Streisand Effect illustration: the attention of two passers by is drawn by a glut of warning and security signs mounted on a high security perimeter wall.
Zip backpacks to the side
Zip backpacks to the side illustration: with double-ended zips, one person's backpack has peeled itself open (both zips closed up to the top), while another's remains safely zipped up (one zip brought right round to join the other)..
9-Enders (nine-enders)
9-enders (nine-enders) explanation: people approaching their 30s, 40s and 50s, examining their lives for meaning and setting off skydiving, running marathons and climbing Everest
Metcalfe’s Law
Metcalfe's Law illustration: starting with just 2 nodes and one line connecting them, a line is drawn connecting all nodes in a series of forms with increasing number of nodes (from a line, to a triangle, to a square, etc...). Underneath, a graph of y=X^2 shows the fast-growing relationship between nodes in a network and value of said network.
The Windscreen Phenomenon
The windscreen phenomenon illustration: showing a 1970 truck with bugs splattered on the windscreen and a 2017 with very few, reflecting, most likely a general decline in flying insects
Origins of Boxing Day
The origins of Boxing day illustration: On Christmas Day, the gentry exchange gifts amongst themselves, as do the servants. On Boxing Day, the gentry offer gifts to the servants (in a box).
Kaffikok
Kaffikok illustration: wrapped up warm in a snowy landscape, a person sits and enjoys a coffee, before setting off on foot and stopping again some time later distracted by thoughts of another coffee. The distance travelled is shown as 1 Kaffikok.
Rubberducking
Rubberducking explanation: a developer talks their problem through with the therapist duck on the table only to reveal the insight they need. Often useful for debugging.
Know your flying fabrics
Know your flying fabrics illustration: in a green, mountainous landscape with a lake we see a variety of people flying using different methods; 2 people have jumped from a plane with parachutes; a paraglider sails beneath them; a hanglider soars with the occupants legs stretched out behind; on the water a kitesurfer is pulled along by the wind; and 2 people enjoy a parasail ride being pulled behind a speedboat.
Catch drilling dust with a Post it
Catch drilling dust with a post-it illustration: with one fold along its length, a post-it note is stuck to the wall creating a little shelf to catch all the dust from a drill boring a hole in the wall just above.
Inverted pyramid writing
Inverted pyramid writing illustration: giving a rowing sports example from the most important at the start to the details later
Buyer’s remorse
Buyer's remorse illustration: a customer hands over cash to a car dealer seemingly very excited about their new purchase. At the wheel of their new car as they drive away, they begin to question their decision.
Goodhart’s Law: when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.
Goodhart's law illustration showing a manager frustrated by 1000's of tiny nails when measuring on number of nails made, and pulling their hair out when presented with giant nails when measuring on weight
Kayak vs Canoe
Kayak v Canoe illustration: on the left we see a kayak with one person sat with legs stretched out inside the hull with a double-bladed paddle. On the right, 2 people sit in the open canoe, each with a single-bladed paddle.
Double-landlocked countries
Double-landlocked countries — Lichtenstein and Uzbekistan —explained with a map of Lichtenstein wholly surrounded by landlocked countries
The singularity effect
The Singularity Effect illustration: a line graph shows how the value of and compassion for saving a life quickly diminishes as the number of lives at risk increases.
Isochrones
Isochrones illustration: An aerial view of London shows enclosed concentric, but irregular shapes, radiating out from the centre of the city, denoting areas of equal travel time; from 5 minutes to 30 minutes.
The golden circle
The golden circle: illustrated with the start with why circles, and Martin Luther King and the "I have a dream," not the "I have a plan," speech
Emotional hot potato
Emotional hot potato illustration: a person is yelled at by their boss at work setting off a chain reaction of bad moods when they get home. Coming though the front door, the worker yells at their partner, who yells at their kid, who yells at their sibling, who yells at the dog, who does a pee on the carpet and walks outside.
Atmospheric perspective
Atmospheric Perspective illustration: a large vista shows undulating hilltops for as far as the eye can see, but we note that the further away these contours are, the colour and tone that we experience becomes more and more washed out.
Psychic numbing
Psychic Numbing Illustration: A radio plays out the news headlines. The story about a young girl is met with empathy. Another story about thousands of people dying is met with apathy.
Party bottle sizes
Party Bottle Sizes illustration: a series of increasingly large green glass bottles are shown in a row with their formal names and comparative size in relation to a standard wine bottle. From a Demi (half a standard bottle) to a Nebuchadnezzar (20 standard bottles).
Mean world syndrome
Mean world syndrome illustration: showing how those who watch more believe the world is a meaner place
The 10 Essentials
The 10 Essentials illustration: a list of essential bits of kit for camping and being out in wilderness is laid out; compass & map, hat and sun cream, a warm jacket, head-torch, first-aid kit, lit match, tape & knife, food and snacks, full water bottles, a tent or tarpaulin.
How to remember if you did something
How to remember if you did something illustration: a person does a star jump as they leave the house and lock the front door. Later on, remembering that they did a star jump helps remember that they locked the door.
Johari window — a window of feedback and sharing
Johari window illustration: a 2 x 2 matrix of what's known to others plotted again what's known to oneself yields four possible scenarios.
Santo libre, cuba libre
Santo Libre & Cuba Libre illustration: a dark drink on the left is a Cuba Libre (rum & coke). A clear drink on the right is a Santo Libre (rum & lemonade)
The Gartner Hype cycle
The Gartner Hype Cycle illustration: a line graph shows the typical curvy evolution of expectations from new technologies over time.
Wrap up your keys for running
Wrap up your keys for running: a set of keys on a keyring are wrapped up in a small piece of clingfilm. The when the key owner goes out running, they have a smile on their face as there's no jingling coming from their pocket.
Nominative determinism
Nominative determinism examples — or an aptronym — with 3 books and their nominatively deterministic authors
The peak-end rule
The Peak-end rule illustration: chart showing two experience lines, one with more downs that ends on a high that's remembered as better than the one that's more steady throughout
The beard cycle
The beard cycle illustration: a virtuous circle is shown where beards being rare in society (on the left) makes them more desirable which leads to beards becoming more common in society (on the right), making them less desirable, which leads to fewer beards again. And so on...
Strahler stream order: Streams, rivers, the Amazon and how to organise them.
Strahler Stream Order animation: what looks like the silhouette of a tree with branches but no leaves, is actually a plan view of a large river network. Starting at the outermost, narrowest parts, each time two tributaries of the same order merge together the order of river size increases until it flows out into the sea.
60-30-10 Colour rule
60-30-10 colour rule illustration: a man is shown wearing a plain suit, button up shirt and tie. 60% of colour on show is from the suit; 30% is from the shirt; 10% is from the tie.
The real shape of a crossing
The real shape of a crossing illustration: as cars and a cyclist stop at a red light for pedestrians to cross the road, we see that people on foot start crossing before they reach the designated crossing area that is typically perpendicular to the road.
The customer value chain
The customer value chain illustration: a concave up, decreasing line graph shows the different elements of competitive advantage at play as a new product or market evolves over time.
The browse line
Browse line illustration with a deer reaching up to eat the leaves off a tree and creating a tidy line at the height they can reach
The basic colour wheel
The basic colour wheel illustration: a doughnut-shaped colour wheel shows the 3 primary colours, with secondary colours sandwiched in-between. Complementary colours are then shown as those that sit opposite each other.
Draw smooth lines
Draw smooth lines illustration: on a large piece of paper a hand holding a pen draws lines. Short straight lines are drawn through rotation of the wrist. Longer straight lines are drawn through rotation at the elbow.
Antipodes
Antipodes illustration: the earth is shown as a sphere with an axis drawn straight through the centre. The example of an antipode shown is where the axis passes through Spain in the northern hemisphere and through New Zealand in the southern hemisphere.
Moon pool
Moon pool illustration: a moon pool as a neat underwater base showing divers entering the water, underwater, like it was a pool
Bugs and releases
Bugs and releases illustration: an upward curve line graph shows the increase in risk for bugs or problems with software as the size of release increases. Instead of one large release, a series of smaller software updates each with smaller, more manageable risk is suggested.
Sea jelly, sea star
Sea jelly, sea star - Sketchplanations
Orthographic projection
Orthographic projection - Sketchplanations
A release strategy for happier customers, sooner
A release strategy for happier customers, sooner - Sketchplanations
The Goldilocks Zone
The Goldilocks Zone - Sketchplanations
Goldilocks tasks
Goldilocks Tasks: a spectrum where the challenge is not too easy, not too hard, but just right for flow and mastery
Muphry’s Law
Muphry's Law illustration: a reviewer of a manuscript makes a spelling mistake in their review
Ghost fishing
Ghost fishing: a shark investigating a fish caught in lost fishing gear underwater
Stages of grief
Stages of grief - Sketchplanations
How to speak plainly, by Pooh Bear
How to speak plainly: Winnie-the-Pooh simplifies Owl's Owl Speak
The prisoner’s dilemma
The prisoner’s dilemma - Sketchplanations
Sneezes and coughs
Sneezes and coughs - Sketchplanations
Idempotence
Idempotence, or idempotent, illustrated with an idempotent action of look_at_cake that always has the same effect, compared with a non-idempotent action of eat_slice_of_cake
Stand diagonally on transport
Stand diagonally on transport - Sketchplanations
The nocebo effect
The nocebo effect - Sketchplanations
The placebo effect
The placebo effect - Sketchplanations
Earth is a big magnet.
Earth is a big magnet. - Sketchplanations
MOSCOW Prioritisation.
MOSCOW Prioritisation. - Sketchplanations
The piston
The piston animation: a short animation of a piston with connecting rod and crankshaft showing how it converts linear motion—back and forth—into rotational motion
Typical gastropod anatomy
Typical gastropod anatomy: identifying the main parts of the shell of a common whelk
The half-life of caffeine
The half-life of caffeine illustration: showing the effect of caffeine rising then decreasing over time
Mapping emotions
Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions: a colourful wheel showing how emotions mix
The golden ratio
The golden ratio: equation and an example of it in action showing the classic beautiful nautilus spiral
Freeze lemons and limes
Freeze lemons and limes - Sketchplanations
Set your table in time-honoured positions.
Set your table in time-honoured positions. - Sketchplanations
Fix out of synch toilet paper.
Fix out of synch toilet paper. - Sketchplanations
Know your Greek alphabet
Know your Greek alphabet - Sketchplanations
The S-curve.
The S-curve. - Sketchplanations
Do horses legs leave the ground at a gallop?
Do horses legs leave the ground at a gallop? - Sketchplanations
2.5D
2.5D - Sketchplanations
The Union Jack
The Union Jack illustration of how it was constructed from the flags of Scotland, Ireland and England
Great Britain, the United Kingdom and the British Isles: what’s the difference?
What's the difference between Great Britain, the United Kingdom and the British Isles - explained in a sketch with maps
The potato radius
A lumpy asteroid at the centre of an expanding radius showing that it would get smoother and rounder as it gets larger
Information radiator
Information radiator - Sketchplanations
Direct and representative democracy
Direct vs representative democracy illustration: direct democracy shown with a direct connection to the people, and representative connected through an elected representative
Make a cork pourer.
Make a cork pourer. - Sketchplanations
Align windows level at the top.
Align windows level at the top. - Sketchplanations
Let your data speak for itself.
Let your data speak for itself. - Sketchplanations
The virtuous cycle of exercise and sleep
The virtuous cycle of exercise and sleep showing the loop of a tennis player exercising better, then sleeping better, then exercising better...
Swimrun
Swimrun - Sketchplanations
Compliments are gifts
Compliments are gifts sketch showing someone sharing a compliment and the receiver feeling like they're receiving a gift
Rewrite to avoid click here
Rewrite to avoid click here - Sketchplanations
Phoenix trees
Phoenix tree illustration with a toppled tree shown pencil-sketch style with its roots still connected at one end, side branches along the trunk becoming trees in their own right, and one putting down roots
The fresh start effect
The fresh start effect illustration: a brave person thinks challenge accepted on Monday 1st January thanks to the Fresh start effect from Katy Milkman
Stalactites, Stalagmites
Stalactites Cling tight to the Ceiling of a cave. Stalagmites Grow on the Ground
The IKEA effect
The IKEA effect: a person contemplates with affection their newly assembled, if slightly wobbly, table
Volunteer your own booking fee
Volunteer your own booking fee - Sketchplanations
The frequency illusion: we notice what’s top of mind
The frequency illusion explained in a sketch with an expecting couple suddenly seeing babies everywhere
Dirty thunderstorm
Dirty thunderstorm - Sketchplanations
The ice mile
The ice mile - Sketchplanations
Cognitive bias, heuristic, logical fallacy: hidden features of the mind
Cognitive bias, heuristic, logical fallacy: hidden features of the mind - Sketchplanations
The Monty Hall problem
The Monty Hall problem - Sketchplanations
An americano and a long black: the difference
What's the difference between an americano and a long black picture
Know your dashes: the hyphen, en dash and em dash
Know your dashes: the hyphen, en dash and em dash - Sketchplanations
Bloody marys
Bloody marys - Sketchplanations
Contranym
Contranym - Sketchplanations
Pace layers
Pace layers - Sketchplanations
Give gifts others can give
Give gifts others can give - Sketchplanations
Proprioception
Proprioception illustration: someone demonstrating to a police officer they aren't drunk as they can touch their nose with their eyes closed while standing on one leg
I bet this’ll get a lot of likes
I bet this’ll get a lot of likes - Sketchplanations
Don’t cut the nose off brie
Don’t cut the nose off brie - Sketchplanations
Asymmetry of returns
Asymmetry of returns - Sketchplanations
Venomous, poisonous - what’s the difference
Venomous, poisonous - what’s the difference - Sketchplanations
Bortle Scale
Bortle Scale - Sketchplanations
Approaches to asset valuation: Castles in the air and firm foundations
Approaches to asset valuation: the castles in the air approach and the firm foundations approach
Choose passwords that make you happy
Person typing their password and reliving a fond memory at the same time
Animals that regenerate
Animals that regenerate - Sketchplanations
Homo sapiens. Our place in the order of things
Homo sapiens. Our place in the order of things - Sketchplanations
Bycatch
Bycatch: a sea turtle caught in a net as bycatch
Ape index
Ape index - Sketchplanations
The Big Ideal ™
The Big Ideal ™ - Sketchplanations
Benefits to you from getting started
Benefits to you from getting started chart — put it off and stress about it = no benefit, start now with something = some benefit
How do barnacles move anyway?
How do barnacles move
Microlife: The unit of life
Microlife: 30 mins of TV soap, 2 cigarettes, 7 units of alcohol
Micromort: The unit of death
Micromort: 1 day of living, 20 miles by bike, 250 miles by car
The different faces of downhill
The different faces of downhill - Sketchplanations
Don’t make important decisions on an empty stomach
An energised person at 9 am closely contemplates a file while at noon they're down to 'whatever'
Camel identification: 1 hump dromedary, 2 humps bactrian
Camel identification: 1 hump dromedary, 2 humps bactrian - Sketchplanations
The Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone - Sketchplanations
Phases of the moon
Phases of the moon - Sketchplanations
Front load names to cue attention
Ed happily passes the salt when cued to listen to the question with his name upfront: "Ed, would you pass the salt?"
Koomey’s Law
Koomey’s Law - Sketchplanations
Moore’s Law
Moore’s Law - Sketchplanations
Crazy English: ghoti
ghoti illustration: how crazy the English language can be showing that ghoti could be pronounced fish
Fitts’ Law
Fitts’ Law - Sketchplanations
How to tell a centipede from a millipede
How to tell a centipede from a millipede - Sketchplanations
Everything is aiming
Everything is aiming - Sketchplanations
Cream tea: Cornwall vs Devon
Cream tea: Cornwall vs Devon - Sketchplanations
The Fifth Fuel: energy efficiency
The fifth fuel — energy efficiency — the cheapest of them all
Back sleepers, side sleepers
A back sleeper lying on 1 pillow, and a side sleeper enjoying 2 pillows
Quotiquette: The etiquette of quoting
Quotiquette: The etiquette of quoting - Sketchplanations
Counter-shading
Counter-shading - Sketchplanations
Asteroids, meteors and meteorites
Asteroids, meteors and meteorites - Sketchplanations
Rebalancing your portfolio
Rebalancing your portfolio - Sketchplanations
Tectonic plate interaction boundaries
Illustration of divergent, convergent and transform plates
Sales aren’t always the bargain they seem
Sales aren’t always the bargain they seem - Sketchplanations
Prospect theory
Prospect theory - Sketchplanations
Use the Southern Cross to find South
The Southern Cross to find South: Star chart showing how to find South in the Southern hemisphere using star groups called the Southern Cross and The Pointers
Find the North star
Find the North star - Sketchplanations
Pole star
Pole star - Sketchplanations
POSH: Port Out Starboard Home (apocryphal)
POSH: Port Out Starboard Home (apocryphal) - Sketchplanations
Scoville scale: chile heat via capsaicin content
Scoville scale: chile heat via capsaicin content - Sketchplanations
Heteronym: spell it the same, say it differently
Heteronym illustration with the examples: present, windy, read, and close
Sleepy foods
Sleepy foods - Sketchplanations
Vultures have bald heads to…
Vultures have bald heads to… - Sketchplanations
UK vs US date writing
UK vs US date writing - Sketchplanations
The importance/urgency matrix
The importance/urgency matrix - Sketchplanations
Prices written smaller seem more affordable
Prices written smaller seem more affordable - Sketchplanations
The decoy price
The decoy price - Sketchplanations
What’s the difference between mandarins, clementines, satsumas and tangerines?
What’s the difference between mandarins, clementines, satsumas and tangerines? - Sketchplanations
Origins of mandarins
Origins of mandarins world map: including Tangerine from Tangiers, Morocco, Mandarin from China, Clementine from Oman and Satsuma from Japan
Thoughtless acts
Thoughtless acts: The string of a teabag wrapped around the handle of a mug to stop it falling in shows that ways that we adapt to the world without thinking
Compose with the rule of thirds
Compose with the rule of thirds - Sketchplanations
Dracula sneeze
Dracula sneeze image: Dracula hooks round his cape to sneeze into his elbow and protect others from the germs of his sneeze
Approach buffets from both sides
Approach buffets from both sides - Sketchplanations
Stages of competence framework
A 2 x 2 grid for competence and consciousness showing the progression between them
Match your energy with the audience
Match your energy with the audience - Sketchplanations
Spoonerisms
Spoonerisms - Sketchplanations
The Lake Wobegon Effect
The Lake Wobegon Effect - Sketchplanations
What’s the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise
The difference between a dolphin and a porpoise illustrated
Cognitive overhead
Cognitive overhead - Sketchplanations
Bull market, bear market
Bull market, bear market - Sketchplanations
A mistake
A mistake - Sketchplanations
What’s the difference between a crocodile and an alligator
What’s the difference between a crocodile and an alligator - Sketchplanations
Know your poles
Know your poles - Sketchplanations
What’s the difference between a tortoise and a turtle
What’s the difference between a tortoise and a turtle - Sketchplanations
Fartlek
Fartlek - Sketchplanations
Treat your ideas with respect
Treat your ideas with respect - Sketchplanations
In tandem
In tandem - Sketchplanations
Figure and ground
Figure and ground illustration: faces or a candlestick/vase
Mental accounting
Mental accounting - Sketchplanations
Desire path
Desire path: the difference between design and use illustrated by a person crossing a corner of grass
Identify a Douglas fir
Identify a douglas fir: showing a douglas fir cone with it's 3 pointed mini-leaves named Dougie, Douglas and Doug
If you live ‘til you’re 90 you will have slept for 32 years
If you live ‘til you’re 90 you will have slept for 32 years - Sketchplanations
Easily draw expressions
Easily draw expressions - Sketchplanations
Watch out for barnacles
Watch out for barnacles illustration: One barnacle on the left seems like nothing, but if you have enough of them coating the back of a ship and its propeller then the cost of prevention, drag and removal will cost you
Sharing your work
Sharing your work - Sketchplanations
The Plimsoll line
The Plimsoll line - Sketchplanations
How to make Irish coffee
How to make Irish coffee - Sketchplanations
Thunder clouds
Thunder clouds - Sketchplanations
Measures of central tendency: mean, median, mode
Measures of central tendency: mean, median, mode - Sketchplanations
Darwin’s 5 principles of Natural Selection
Darwin's 5 principles of natural selection: Reproduction, Excess, Variation, Selection, Divergence, illustrated in a tree of variation of children
Surfing breaks: Beach, reef and point
Surfing breaks: Beach, reef and point - Sketchplanations
Learn kind words first in new countries
Learn kind words first in new countries: a backpacker says nice things to a local seller with a cart, no doubt gets smiles in return
Try a mindmap travel journal
Try a mindmap travel journal - Sketchplanations
Cafe consumption rates
Cafe consumption rates - Sketchplanations
De-seed pomegranates in a bowl of water
De-seed pomegranates in a bowl of water - Sketchplanations
Cuts of beef
Cuts of beef - Sketchplanations
The Firehouse Effect
The Firehouse Effect - Sketchplanations
Euphemisms for losing money
Euphemisms for losing money - Sketchplanations
Progressive enhancement
Progressive enhancement - Sketchplanations
Use of the car horn
Use of the car horn chart showing the uses in decreasing order of "Idiot!", "It's green!", "I'm outside!", and, lastly, the intended "Watch out!"
Less and Fewer
Less and fewer illustration showing when to use each. Less is measured by mass eg less sugar and fewer is countable eg fewer sugar cubes. Nouns for less don't go plural eg less furniture vs fewer eg fewer chairs
Always accept a mint when offered
Always accept a mint when offered - Sketchplanations
Mobile is snorkelling. Desktop is diving
Mobile is snorkelling. Desktop is diving - Sketchplanations
Sink a strawpedo
Sink a strawpedo - Sketchplanations
Best travel choices in London
Best travel choices in London - Sketchplanations
Cooking at altitude
Cooking at altitude - Sketchplanations
The one-hoss shay
The one-hoss shay - Sketchplanations
Use serrated knives for foods with a hard outside and soft inside
Use serrated knives for foods with a hard outside and soft inside - Sketchplanations
Smart little people
The Smart Little People problem-solving method from TRIZ: someone wonders how little people would solve a technical problem of fixing a leak
Only quote quotes
Only quote quotes - Sketchplanations
Core components of risk
Core components of risk - Sketchplanations
Travel and new foods
Travel and new foods - Sketchplanations
Think cradle to cradle
Think cradle to cradle - Sketchplanations
Think through the whole object
Drawings of a mug and bowl showing the difference of allowing for the thickness of the edge
How to load a dishwasher well
How to load a dishwasher well - Sketchplanations
Hedgehog a mango
Hedgehog a mango - Sketchplanations
Get more participation
A teacher gets more participation and minds whirring by asking "What else?" instead of "Anything else?"
Yesterday’s weather
Yesterday’s weather - Sketchplanations
Classical columns: doric, ionic, and corinthian
Classical columns: doric, ionic, and corinthian - Sketchplanations
Mapping
Mapping illustration: Don Norman's famous example of the controls for a stovetop
Survivorship bias
Survivorship Bias illustration: two onlookers enjoy the long-lasting, successful design of the fun, iconic Volkswagen Beetle car. One says to the other "They don't make them like they used to" - ignoring the fact that the product they see is undoubtedly the result of many failed prototype designs.
Draw what you see, not what you think
Draw what you see, not what you think - Sketchplanations
London running kit
London running kit - Sketchplanations
Open bananas like a monkey
Open bananas like a monkey - Sketchplanations
Three-point perspective
Three-point perspective illustration: showing three vanishing points and the angling of tall downtown buildings
Two-point perspective
Two-point perspective - Sketchplanations
One-point perspective
One-point perspective illustration: from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining
The Stroop test
The Stroop test - Sketchplanations
Circular breathing
Circular breathing - Sketchplanations
Debt’s vicious cycle
Debt's vicious cycle illustration: A flow diagram of a vicious cycle starting with needing cash, to taking a loan and then hitting a cycle of paying interest, lower cashflow, needing cash, increasing loan and so on.
Rule 1 of indoor games: Play until something gets broken
Rule 1 of indoor games: Play until something gets broken - Sketchplanations
Watch for the lie factor
The lie factor in data charts and graphics
Six thinking hats
Six thinking hats - Sketchplanations
The Betty Crocker Effect
The Betty Crocker Effect - Sketchplanations
Sneaky casinos
Sneaky casinos - Sketchplanations
Improve your front crawl
Improve your front crawl - Sketchplanations
Understanding the Chasm
Understanding the Chasm - Sketchplanations
Cut out some fluff
Cut out some fluff - Sketchplanations
Sneaky cognitive biases: hindsight bias, loss aversion, recency bias
Sneaky cognitive biases: hindsight bias, loss aversion, recency bias - Sketchplanations
Design for a Glance, a Look and a Read
Design for a Glance, a Look and a Read - Sketchplanations
Chindogu: unuseless inventions
Chindogu: unuseless inventions - Sketchplanations
Anchoring
Anchoring - Sketchplanations
How long to nap
How long to nap - Sketchplanations
Common distributions: normal, skewed, pareto
Common distributions: normal, skewed, pareto - Sketchplanations
Metaphors for ideas
Metaphors for ideas - Sketchplanations
Understanding gifs, bitmaps and jpegs
Understanding gifs, bitmaps and jpegs - Sketchplanations
Wealth inequality in America
Wealth inequality in America - Sketchplanations
Maximise data-ink
Maximise data-ink - Sketchplanations
Start three mindmaps at conferences and workshops
Examples of 3 mindmaps at an event, one for questions to ask, one for people to remember or say hello to, and one for ideas that come to mind
Understanding reliability and validity
Understanding reliability and validity - Sketchplanations
Remember your dreams
A sleeper practices will, still and fill to remember more of their dreams
Curly hair is oval
Curly hair is oval illustration showing the cross-section of a hair follicle from oval to round and labelling it with curly, wavy, and straight
Rain shadow
Rain shadow - Sketchplanations
Delete tracks you don’t like
Delete tracks you don’t like - Sketchplanations
Narrative bias
Narrative bias - Sketchplanations
Never say “I told you so.”
Never say “I told you so.” - Sketchplanations
Why camp 50 yards from water
A chilly camper circled by mosquitoes disturbing an animal come to drink
Lenticular clouds
Lenticular clouds - Sketchplanations
Framing
Framing - Sketchplanations
The content is the interface
The content is the interface - Sketchplanations
Tie a sheet bend
Tie A Sheet Bend illustration: the interaction between one red and one white length of rope is shown in the correct manner for tying a sheet bend knot. The knot is often used for joining two lengths of rope together.
Hyperbolic discounting
Hyperbolic discounting - Sketchplanations
Present bias
Present bias - Sketchplanations
Shapes of Valleys
Shapes of Valleys - Sketchplanations
The folk economics of ins and outs
The folk economics of ins and outs - Sketchplanations
9 Windows
9 Windows - Sketchplanations
Powers of 10
Powers of 10 - Sketchplanations
The sun rises Early in the East
The sun rises Early in the East - Sketchplanations
Zone of Possible Agreement
Zone of Possible Agreement - Sketchplanations
The law of diminishing brownies
The law of diminishing brownies - Sketchplanations
Bad internet is worse than no internet
Bad internet is worse than no internet - Sketchplanations
Remember days in a month
Remember days in a month - Sketchplanations
The Generalised Peter Principle
The Generalised Peter Principle illustration: an overloaded car shows that anything that works will be used in progressively more challenging situations until it fails
Draw a basic bike
Draw a basic bike - Sketchplanations
Addiction: an alternative definition
Addiction: an alternative definition - Sketchplanations
Hit a perfect high 5
Hit a perfect high 5 - Sketchplanations
Life is 3D. Give edges thickness
Life is 3D. Give edges thickness - Sketchplanations
The cost of doing nothing
The cost of doing nothing - Sketchplanations
The moon illusion
The moon illusion - Sketchplanations
Common button states
Common button states - Sketchplanations
Fold away keyboard feet
Fold away keyboard feet - Sketchplanations
Things get more complex before they get simple
Things get more complex before they get simple - Sketchplanations
Anti-aliasing
Anti-aliasing - Sketchplanations
Beaches: amazing for play
Why beaches are amazing for play showing a parent and child at the beach and listing out many aspects of what make beaches amazing
Roll limes before squeezing and you’ll get more juice
Roll limes before squeezing and you’ll get more juice - Sketchplanations
Spend time on activities with long-term value first
Spend time on activities with long-term value first - Sketchplanations
Core insect anatomy
Core insect anatomy - Sketchplanations
Ghost cooking
Ghost cooking illustration: the art of cooking leaving a sparkling, untouched kitchen
Film credits: the best source of baby name inspiration
Film credits: the best source of baby name inspiration - Sketchplanations
If its not good enough for bugs, it’s not good enough for you
If its not good enough for bugs, it’s not good enough for you - Sketchplanations
Common wood joints
Common wood joints - Sketchplanations
The offside rule
The offside rule - Sketchplanations
3 ways to listen better
3 ways to listen better - Sketchplanations
Gelato, sorbet and ice-cream
Gelato, sorbet and ice-cream - Sketchplanations
Use a compass with a map
Use a compass with a map - Sketchplanations
Useful mixtures and their proportions
Useful mixtures and their proportions - Sketchplanations
Know your clouds
Know your clouds - Sketchplanations
Putting it all together: Exposure
Putting it all together: Exposure - Sketchplanations
Understanding ISO
Understanding ISO - Sketchplanations
Understanding shutter speed
Understanding shutter speed - Sketchplanations
Understanding aperture
Understanding aperture - Sketchplanations
The expanding circle of attention
The expanding circle of attention - Sketchplanations
Often missed phobias
Often missed phobias - Sketchplanations
The improv attitude
The improv attitude - Sketchplanations
The magic of soap
The magic of soap - Sketchplanations
Cheap disposable objects
Cheap disposable objects - Sketchplanations
Make a wine glass sing
Make a wine glass sing - Sketchplanations
Rules of cute
Rules of cute - Sketchplanations
Laws of expansion
Sketches of the laws of expansion: a gantt chart shows Parkinson's Law — Work expands to fill the available time; two houses show Stuff expands to fill the available space; and a budget suitcase shows Cost expands to fill the available budget
Fast and slow thinking
Fast and slow thinking - Sketchplanations
Lateral thinking: 4. Lateral thinking changes perspective just to be provocative
Lateral thinking: 4. Lateral thinking changes perspective just to be provocative - Sketchplanations
Lateral thinking: 3. You don’t have to be right at every step
Lateral thinking: 3. You don’t have to be right at every step - Sketchplanations
Lateral thinking: 2. Labels are not collectors but signposts. They are not fixed
Lateral thinking: 2. Labels are not collectors but signposts. They are not fixed - Sketchplanations
Lateral thinking: 1. Lateral thinking is about increasing the breadth of options
Lateral thinking: 1. Lateral thinking is about increasing the breadth of options - Sketchplanations
Set an anchor
Set an anchor - Sketchplanations
Express - Test - Cycle
Express - Test - Cycle - Sketchplanations
Use crushed garlic and ginger in most of your cooking
Use crushed garlic and ginger in most of your cooking - Sketchplanations
T-shaped people need breadth and depth
T-shaped people need breadth and depth - Sketchplanations
There are 2.2 trillion combinations of an 8 character password
There are 2.2 trillion combinations of an 8 character password - Sketchplanations
Our atmosphere is as thick for the Earth a the skin on an apple
Our atmosphere is as thick for the Earth a the skin on an apple - Sketchplanations
Match challenge with skills for flow at work
Match challenge with skills illustration: a chart of skills and challenge shows flow in the center and anxiety and boredom at the edges
When facilitating, if you’re talking too much, or working too hard, you’re probably doing something wrong
When facilitating, if you’re talking too much, or working too hard, you’re probably doing something wrong - Sketchplanations
Dark and light are the keys to one-way mirrors
Dark and light are the keys to one-way mirrors - Sketchplanations
6 simple sketch people
6 simple ways to draw people
Stationary and Stationery
Stationary and Stationery - Sketchplanations
The position of a rainbow is predictable
The position of a rainbow is predictable - Sketchplanations
Make your idea sticky
Make your idea sticky - Sketchplanations
Ask for what you need
An office worker glumly thinks about their lack of window while a frustrated manager looks on which is transformed when the employee asks for a window
Our bodies can absorb 1 cup of water in 15 mins
Our bodies can absorb 1 cup of water in 15 mins - Sketchplanations
Take the stairs
Take the stairs - Sketchplanations
Make art like Duchamp
Make art like Duchamp - Sketchplanations
Make art like Warhol
Make art like Warhol - Sketchplanations
Make art like John Cage
Make art like John Cage
Make art like Mondrian
Make art like Mondrian - Sketchplanations
Glacial erratic
Glacial erratic - Sketchplanations
Clap the first talk at events
Clap the first talk at events - Sketchplanations
Rules of thumb for cooking steak
Rules of thumb for cooking steak - Sketchplanations
Pollution is highly localized: take the back streets
A busy street showing how the pollution varies in different locations compared to a back street which is much cleaner
Unlike most plants, grass grows from the base
Unlike most plants, grass grows from the base - Sketchplanations
Don’t fix the blame, fix the problem
Don’t fix the blame, fix the problem - Sketchplanations
Trim beans in one cut through the packet
Trim beans in one cut through the packet - Sketchplanations
Enrich your design process
Enrich your design process - Sketchplanations
Open a coconut
Open a coconut - Sketchplanations
The big data equation
The big data equation - Sketchplanations
Our senses are built to take in information at human pace
Our senses are built to take in information at human pace illustration showing more input as you go from cars and trains to bikes and walking
Give air a pathway to avoid glugging
Give air a pathway to avoid glugging - Sketchplanations
Patnaik’s Hierarchy of Needs
Patnaik’s Hierarchy of Needs - Sketchplanations
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs - Sketchplanations
Rules of thumb for remaining daylight
Rules of thumb for remaining daylight - Sketchplanations
Repair injured joints
Repair injured joints - Sketchplanations
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants - Sketchplanations
Why ice doesn’t sink
Why ice doesn’t sink - Sketchplanations
The making of the Med
3 illustrations showing Africa pushing into Europe, a giant rushing of the Atlantic filling the basin of the Mediterranean, and the map of how the Mediterranean sea appears today
Perform good social research
3 visuals explaining: Ask open-ended questions, Listen way more than you talk, and Stay focused to the very end
3 Miscellaneous cooking tips
3 Miscellaneous cooking tips - Sketchplanations
Be real on the internets
Be real on the internets - Sketchplanations
Why do birds migrate sooooo far?
Why do birds migrate sooooo far? - Sketchplanations
Ask a question early at conferences
A participant asks a question at a conference talk leading to chat with new people later
Share by Default
Share by Default - Sketchplanations
Win at Monopoly
Win at Monopoly - Sketchplanations
3 techniques to deter riff-raff
3 techniques to deter riff-raff - Sketchplanations
Topple-fit a sheet
Topple-fit a sheet - Sketchplanations
Hard things to do with your other hand
Hard things to do with your other hand - Sketchplanations
Sketchplanation statistics
Sketchplanation statistics - Sketchplanations
Some optical illusions
Some optical illusions - Sketchplanations
Clear the fog with a redeye
Clear the fog with a redeye - Sketchplanations
When visual recording
When visual recording - Sketchplanations
Lessons from Lewis
Lessons from Lewis - Sketchplanations
Portemanteau food
Portemanteau food - Sketchplanations
Save some landfill with reusable nappies/diapers
Save some landfill with reusable nappies/diapers - Sketchplanations
Consider starting at the next letter (when scanning address books)
Consider starting at the next letter (when scanning address books) - Sketchplanations
The most beautiful equation
The most beautiful equation - Sketchplanations
The four pillars of too much
The four pillars of too much - Sketchplanations
Zone of proximal development
Zone of proximal development - Sketchplanations
Store whiteboard pens with the nib down
Store whiteboard pens with the nib down - Sketchplanations
The law of lockers
The law of lockers - Sketchplanations
Plug computing
Plug computing - Sketchplanations
The number of ideas produced in an ideation session is proportional to the size of the stack of paper in front of you
The number of ideas produced in an ideation session is proportional to the size of the stack of paper in front of you - Sketchplanations
Designing for adoption
Designing for adoption - Sketchplanations
Release Boris Bikes with ease by pulling up on the saddle
Release Boris Bikes with ease by pulling up on the saddle - Sketchplanations
Supermoon
Supermoon illustration: showing the moon large at its perigee, when it is closet to Earth, and smaller at it's apogee, when it's furthest from Earth
Air-write before inking
Air-write before inking - Sketchplanations
Beware of local optimisation
Beware of local optimisation - Sketchplanations
Urge to underline? Use bold or italic instead
Urge to underline? Use bold or italic instead - Sketchplanations
If we plumbed in printers
If we plumbed in printers - Sketchplanations
Non-stacking Tupperware should be destroyed
Non-stacking Tupperware should be destroyed - Sketchplanations
The wedding bar goes up the more weddings you attend
The wedding bar goes up the more weddings you attend - Sketchplanations
The magnificent seven
The magnificent seven - Sketchplanations
Wrap cheese in paper towel to reduce mould
Wrap cheese in paper towel to reduce mould - Sketchplanations
London dog size is roughly proportional to the distance from central London
London dog size is roughly proportional to the distance from central London - Sketchplanations
Be nice to tourists
Be nice to tourists - Sketchplanations
5 user tests finds 85% problems
5 user tests finds 85% problems - Sketchplanations
When combining cereals, layer milk-resistant cereals at the bottom
When combining cereals, layer milk-resistant cereals at the bottom - Sketchplanations
One mug to rule them all
One mug to rule them all - Sketchplanations
Second rule of improv: Be spontaneous
Second rule of improv: Be spontaneous - Sketchplanations
Accept offers
Accept offers - Sketchplanations
Peel a Post-it so it doesn’t fall down
Peel a Post-it so it doesn’t fall down - Sketchplanations
The Long Nose of Innovation
The Long Nose of Innovation - Sketchplanations
Shop healthy
Shop healthy - Sketchplanations
Take photos of maps, to travel light and have backup before a hike
Take photos of maps, to travel light and have backup before a hike - Sketchplanations
Set up for pool
Set up for pool - Sketchplanations
The knowledge funnel
The knowledge funnel - Sketchplanations
Want to compose? Just sit down without any music
Want to compose? Just sit down without any music - Sketchplanations
Stand, don’t sit, in bars, if you’re there with a big group
Stand, don’t sit, in bars, if you’re there with a big group - Sketchplanations
The Third Place
The Third Place - Sketchplanations
Palindromes and Semordnilap
Palindromes and Semordnilap - Sketchplanations
Omit unnecessary words
Omit unnecessary words - Sketchplanations
Use styling instead of colons
Use styling instead of colons - Sketchplanations
More is different
More is different - Sketchplanations
ISAs are like buckets
ISAs are like buckets - Sketchplanations
The middle floors are the best
The middle floors are the best illustration: showing a tall apartment building and how the middle floors keep you distant but still connected to the world below
Fold shirts for better travel
Fold shirts for better travel - Sketchplanations
Spend better
Spend better - Sketchplanations
Urinal etiquette
Urinal etiquette - Sketchplanations
Be a type geek
Be a type geek - Sketchplanations
Drink porn fizz
Drink porn fizz - Sketchplanations
Trust your picture
Trust your picture - Sketchplanations
How to be a spoil sport
How to be a spoil sport - Sketchplanations
Alternate ibuprofen and paracetamol
Alternate ibuprofen and paracetamol - Sketchplanations
Make a portemanteau
How to make a portemanteau - by smashing words together inluding Oxbridge, brunch, and sketchplanations
PhD metaphors: a journey, product and quilt
PhD metaphors: a journey, product and quilt - Sketchplanations
Marshal frozen peas and such
Marshal frozen peas and such - Sketchplanations
Give good feedback
Give good feedback - Sketchplanations
Create a sketchplanation
Create a sketchplanation - Sketchplanations
Anatomy of a wave
Anatomy of a wave illustration showing the key features of crest, amplitude, trough, wavelength and when it starts to break on a beach
On microwaves
On microwaves - Sketchplanations
Remove text formatting
Remove text formatting - Sketchplanations
Draw iconic objects
Draw iconic objects - Sketchplanations
Cook rice like a pro
Cook rice like a pro - Sketchplanations
Two socks helps prevent blisters
Two socks helps prevent blisters - Sketchplanations
Adjust a photo’s levels to maximise your data
Adjust a photo’s levels to maximise your data - Sketchplanations
Run further by running far away
Run further by running far away - Sketchplanations
Incredibly, we only ever see one side of the moon
Incredibly, we only ever see one side of the moon - Sketchplanations
Iron less
Iron less - Sketchplanations
What gets measured gets better
What gets measured gets better - Sketchplanations
Enough molehills make a mountain
Enough molehills make a mountain - Sketchplanations
Draw a grey nurse shark
Draw a grey nurse shark - Sketchplanations
Buy half-price stilton after Christmas
Buy half-price stilton after Christmas - Sketchplanations
Rotate your elbow, not your hand
Rotate your elbow, not your hand - Sketchplanations
On bright days, use a polarizer
On bright days, use a polarizer - Sketchplanations
Change your main vowels into u’s and talk more Irish
Change your main vowels into u’s and talk more Irish - Sketchplanations
Tiredness can kill. Take a break
Illustration of a nappuccino and that tiredness can kill: Pull over, neck coffee, get 15 min shuteye for the caffeine to work then cruise on
Hofstadter’s Law
Hofstadter's Law illustration
Get to know your tech
Get to know your tech - Sketchplanations
the Angle of Incidence equals the Angle of Reflection
the Angle of Incidence equals the Angle of Reflection - Sketchplanations
A flat surface has unused potential
A flat surface has unused potential - Sketchplanations
Arrange kitchen storage to minimise excess travel
Arrange kitchen storage to minimise excess travel - Sketchplanations
A good teacher is a DJ for learning
A good teacher is a DJ for learning - Sketchplanations
It’s not so much the weather itself, it’s the unpredictability
It’s not so much the weather itself, it’s the unpredictability - Sketchplanations
Be fanatical about refuelling after exercise
Be fanatical about refuelling after exercise - Sketchplanations
Cycle with hats not hoods
Cycle with hats not hoods - Sketchplanations
Don’t let your thinking be limited by your tools
Don’t let your thinking be limited by your tools - Sketchplanations
Get satisfaction and a clear record of past to-dos with checkboxes
Get satisfaction and a clear record of past to-dos with checkboxes - Sketchplanations
Building a good framework is like cutting cubes out of fog — Larry Keeley
Building a good framework is like cutting cubes out of fog — Larry Keeley - Sketchplanations
Better to be interested than try to be interesting
It's better to be interested than try to be interesting — advice from Nigella Lawson
Don’t push your socks on. Pull them on instead
Don’t push your socks on. Pull them on instead - Sketchplanations
Prefer open-ended questions
Someone gets a much better response by asking 'How was your day?' instead of 'Good day?'
Try stair kickturns to preserve momentum
Try stair kickturns to preserve momentum - Sketchplanations
Everyone’s a geek about something
Everyone’s a geek about something - Sketchplanations
A portfolio can reduce your overall risk
A portfolio can reduce your overall risk - Sketchplanations
Investments are like building blocks
Investments are like building blocks - Sketchplanations
Don’t hold grudges
Don’t hold grudges - Sketchplanations
Live in the present
Live in the present - Sketchplanations
Read music
Read music - Sketchplanations
Twist your spaghetti
Twist your spaghetti - Sketchplanations
Compliment and Complement
Compliment and Complement - Sketchplanations
Use both sides of a towel
Use both sides of a towel: one to dry yourself and the other side to wrap yourself
Learn the Kano model
Learn the Kano model - Sketchplanations
Adjust your daily caffeine intake
Adjust your daily caffeine intake - Sketchplanations
Control a cue ball
Control a cue ball - Sketchplanations
Childhood is not a race
Childhood is not a race - Sketchplanations
Solve the 9-dot problem
Solve the 9-dot problem - Sketchplanations
Cut an onion into teeny pieces
Cut an onion into teeny pieces - Sketchplanations
Cook delicious, yummy, Thai curry
Cook delicious, yummy, Thai curry - Sketchplanations
Post-process a portrait
Post-process a portrait - Sketchplanations
Enjoy your hotel room more
Enjoy your hotel room more: bounce on the bed, take a long bath, walk around naked
Your ISA allowance is one-way
Your ISA allowance is one-way - Sketchplanations
Reframe your deposit
Reframe your deposit - Sketchplanations
ISAs are like wrappers
ISAs are like wrappers - Sketchplanations
Pound cost averaging
Pound cost averaging - Sketchplanations
Make Vietnamese coffee
Make Vietnamese coffee - Sketchplanations
Do a 2x2
Do a 2x2 - Sketchplanations
Some sensible interaction design
Some sensible interaction design - Sketchplanations
Use white space with care to make your point
Use white space with care to make your point - Sketchplanations
Sonar + Echolocation
Sonar or echolocation explained
Don’t let other people get you down
Don’t let other people get you down - Sketchplanations
Remove troublesome lids
Remove troublesome lids - Sketchplanations
Scan your Oyster card while walking to avoid angry Londoners
Scan your Oyster card while walking to avoid angry Londoners - Sketchplanations
Run better
Run better - Sketchplanations
Why we sometimes walk in circles
Why we sometimes walk in circles - Sketchplanations
Connect with a colleague through affinities
Connect with a colleague through affinities - Sketchplanations
The best writing is re-writing
The best writing is re-writing - Sketchplanations
Organise veg in the fridge
Organise veg in the fridge - Sketchplanations
Affect. Effect
Affect vs effect: one person affects another by pushing them into the water. The effect is a big splash.
Be stubborn on vision. Be flexible on details
Be stubborn on vision, be flexible on details quote from Jeff Bezos
Smaller plates help you eat less
Smaller plates help you eat less - Sketchplanations
Turn carrots while cutting
Turn carrots while cutting - Sketchplanations
Build a play tent
Build a play tent - Sketchplanations
For the amour of it
For the amour of it - Sketchplanations
Babies learn control from the top down
Babies learn control from the top down - Sketchplanations
Don’t stack letters vertically. Turn your words instead
Don’t stack letters vertically. Turn your words instead - Sketchplanations
On productivity and temperature
On productivity and temperature - Sketchplanations
Hit the product sweet spot
Hit the product sweet spot - Sketchplanations
Play your own Scattergories
Play your own Scattergories - Sketchplanations
Draw a chain
Draw a chain - Sketchplanations
Shut one eye to keep your night vision
Shut one eye to keep your night vision illustration
Bright light will free your sneeze
Bright light will free your sneeze illustration: showing the photic sneeze when a person has a sneeze stuck and releases it by looking at a bright light
Dry your hands with only one towel
Dry your hands with only one towel - Sketchplanations
Build a mindmap
Build a mindmap - Sketchplanations
Twice as much thought and half as much content
Twice as much thought and half as much content - Sketchplanations
Fold t-shirts vertically for visibility and easy access
Fold and store t-shirts vertically for visibility and easy access
A spectrum of feedback quality
A spectrum of feedback quality - Sketchplanations
Make a Wayne’s World pizza
The Wayne's World pizza of jalapeño, anchovy and banana
Mix big and little bumps for simple, effective thought bubbles
Mix big and little bumps for simple, effective thought bubbles - Sketchplanations
Close your mouth while brushing to avoid mirror spots
Close your mouth while brushing to avoid mirror spots - Sketchplanations
The steeper the slope the greater the lean forward
The steeper the slope the greater the lean forward - Sketchplanations
Pack food shopping effectively
Pack food shopping effectively - Sketchplanations
Make a Statue of Liberty sambuca
Make a Statue of Liberty sambuca - Sketchplanations
Resolve a contradiction through separation
Resolve a contradiction through separation - Sketchplanations
The tastes of victory and failure
The tastes of victory and failure - Sketchplanations
If you have something nice to say, make sure you say it
If you have something nice to say, make sure you say it - Sketchplanations
Make Terry’s Chocolate Orange drink
Make Terry’s Chocolate Orange drink - Sketchplanations
The best way to get fit
The best way to get fit - Sketchplanations
Pick a present
Pick a present - Sketchplanations
Get good ideas
Get good ideas - Sketchplanations
Win at Boggle
Win at Boggle - Sketchplanations
Steer a parakite
Steer a parakite - Sketchplanations
Take a photo with your iPhone
Take a photo with your iPhone - Sketchplanations
Poach an egg in the microwave
Visual recipe for poaching an egg in the microwave
Santa has special wrapping
Santa has special wrapping - Sketchplanations
Draw a unicorn, Ed Emberley style
Draw a unicorn, Ed Emberley style - Sketchplanations
Decorate a Christmas tree
Decorate a Christmas tree - Sketchplanations
Make a good HDR photograph
Make a good HDR photograph - Sketchplanations
Accept compliments
Accept compliments sketch
How to play reverse pool
How to play reverse pool - Sketchplanations
Either draw stick men or real people. Avoid halfway
Either draw stick men or real people. Avoid halfway - Sketchplanations
Doing an endo
Doing an endo - Sketchplanations
Folding a fitted sheet
Folding a fitted sheet - Sketchplanations
Visitors from other climates
Visitors from other climates - Sketchplanations
Cooking is bucket science
Cooking is bucket science - Sketchplanations
Dry your feet first
Dry your feet first - Sketchplanations
Buying a Christmas tree in London
Buying a Christmas tree in London - Sketchplanations
How to get off at Russell Square
How to get off at Russell Square - Sketchplanations
Pulling rabbits out of hats
Pulling rabbits out of hats - Sketchplanations
Buy Me A Coffee