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This is…","published":"2026-10-04T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-09-30T15:36:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/B47ZndSQYy6_zqUl_SP997-TheFree-riderProblem.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the free-rider problem? An economics illustration of collective action showing people benefiting from a shared effort without contributing, until everyone stops paddling and the group fails to reach its destination."},"categories":["economics","behavioral-economics","sociology","law","sustainability","psychology"]},{"uid":"false-needles-in-haystacks","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/false-needles-in-haystacks","title":"False Needles in Haystacks","summary":"Why rare events produce surprising numbers of false positives If you have a test designed to detect something, a false positive is when your test gives you a positive result when the thing isn’t…","published":"2026-09-27T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-09-24T15:10:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/_14DmkMBZC58Pedy_SP996-Mostneedleswillbehay-frames.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What are false positives? Sir David Spiegelhalter's needle-in-a-haystack analogy shows why searching for rare events can produce many false positives, even with good detection techniques."},"categories":["statistics","mathematics","psychology","science","data","quote","health","technology","metaphor"]},{"uid":"the-cloze-test","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-cloze-test","title":"The Cloze Test","summary":"If you take a sentence and remove a word from it, could your readers fill in the blank? This type of fill-in-the-blank test is called the cloze test. What are cloze tests useful for? If you’ve used a…","published":"2026-09-20T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-09-17T10:25:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/80PP1jYUwA26N5gr_SP995-TheClozeTest.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Cloze test example of fill in the blank, complete the sentence type quiz question. With a dog buries 'what?' in the garden example"},"categories":["education","learning","knowledge"]},{"uid":"beyond-mountains-there-are-mountains","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/beyond-mountains-there-are-mountains","title":"Beyond mountains, there are mountains","summary":"There’s a Haitian proverb, “Dèyè mòn, gen mòn.” It’s often translates as, \"Beyond mountains, there are mountains.\" The proverb captures the idea that we will always face challenges in life.…","published":"2026-09-13T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-09-10T14:20:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0UDWY3GpFrH_mH5n_SP994-Beyondmountains%2Ctherearemountains.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Beyond mountains, there are mountains — proverb from Haiti. Sometimes written as Beyond mountains, there are more mountains. Or Behind the mountain, more mountains."},"categories":["quote","wisdom","mountains","resilience"]},{"uid":"the-ordering-problem","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-ordering-problem","title":"The Ordering Problem: Reasonable decisions that lead to dumb outcomes","summary":"The Ordering Problem is when a series of individually reasonable decisions constrain later choices and result in dumb outcomes. Here are a few examples I’ve noticed time and again. Some examples of…","published":"2026-09-06T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-09-04T10:13:24+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1tNEgrwefwXBcKpq_SP993-TheOrderingProblem.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The ordering problem: reasonable decisions that lead to dumb outcomes. Illustrated with a parking example where a late arrival curses someone who parked blocking multiple parking spaces"},"categories":["economics","behavioral-economics","psychology"]},{"uid":"a-year-from-now-grateful-you-started-today","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/a-year-from-now-grateful-you-started-today","title":"A Year From Now, You'll be Grateful You Started Today","summary":"I know of few simpler thoughts that encourage me to stop dawdling, procrastinating and otherwise putting things off than this wonderful quote from author and journalist Karen Lamb. “A year from now…","published":"2026-08-30T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-08-29T08:04:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Kv5NJg72kwfielk4_SP992-AYearFromNowYou%27llbeGratefulYouStartedToday.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"A year from now, you'll be grateful you started today. Quote based on Karen Lamb's quote: \"A year from now, you will wish you had started today.\""},"categories":["motivation","psychology","entrepreneurship","writing","quote"]},{"uid":"petrichor","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/petrichor","title":"Petrichor: the smell of rain on dry ground","summary":"The smell of rain—I love it. Who doesn’t? And there’s a name for it: Petrichor. Petrichor is the earthy smell released when rain falls on dry ground, especially after a long warm spell. In 2026, here…","published":"2026-08-23T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-08-21T14:13:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/U6oHrSs9GdDW0Q3c_SP991-Petrichor.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Petrichor: the smell of rain on dry ground from petra - stone, and ichor - the blood of the gods, with a person enjoying the smell in Richmond Park as the rain comes down."},"categories":["words","weather","water","science"]},{"uid":"buridans-ass","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/buridans-ass","title":"Buridan's Ass","summary":"When every option is equal, how do you choose? It’s nice to think that we have a reason for what we do: It’s a good idea to do this, I really want to do that. But what if two choices are equally…","published":"2026-08-16T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-08-15T14:35:23+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b9k04dwmb3rfn_Jb_SP990-Buridan%27sAss.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Buridan's Ass philosophy puzzle: how does an ass choose between two equally tempting choices of piles of hay. How can we choose without a preference? Does it starve?"},"categories":["animals","thought-experiment","philosophy","psychology","paradox","parable","eponym"]},{"uid":"the-wisdom-paradox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-wisdom-paradox","title":"The Wisdom Paradox","summary":"Wisdom is a strange thing. The Wisdom Paradox is this: when we realise we are less wise than we thought, we become wiser. Anthony de Mello, in his book One-Minute Wisdom, relates a master’s thoughts…","published":"2026-08-09T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-08-06T12:14:24+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/gLZDehKK6HI6UcSh_SP989-TheWisdomParadox.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the wisdom paradox in a chart. Similar to the Dunning-Kruger effect, we are wiser when we realise we're not as wise as we thought. Inspired by the quote from Anthony de Mello"},"categories":["wisdom","quote","thinking","knowledge","education"]},{"uid":"thumbtrap","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/thumbtrap","title":"Thumbtrap","summary":"Thumbtrap is “When your thumb keeps scrolling after you've decided to stop.“ Perhaps you know the experience: Something triggers you to pick up your phone, perhaps a message you think of sending, the…","published":"2026-08-02T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-31T12:13:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/wGaT_d3FkmaH3QHF_SP988-Thumbtrap.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Thumbtrap: when your thumb keeps scrolling when you've decided to stop. Subway example with infinite scroll, variable rewards, and personalised algorithms"},"categories":["tech","technology","wellbeing","anxiety"]},{"uid":"night-owls-and-early-birds","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/night-owls-and-early-birds","title":"Night owls and early birds","summary":"As young kids, most of us were up at 6 am, raring to go on weekend mornings. As teenagers, many of us slept in until late morning or noon. But people are different. Some love Marmite, some hate it.…","published":"2026-07-26T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-24T08:54:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/wi6edOGghgNSiuav_SP987-Nightowlsandearlybirds.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Night owls and early birds couple trying to sleep and get on with things at the same time"},"categories":["relationships","observation","animals","wellbeing"]},{"uid":"the-rose-bush-rule","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-rose-bush-rule","title":"The Rose Bush Rule","summary":"Imagine your life is a rose bush. Each passion, interest, or piece of your attention at any time is a flower. To allow each bud to blossom, you give it your attention and care. At different times in…","published":"2026-07-19T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-16T07:28:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/witFEqUNx9iLSgDe_SP986-Lifeislikearosebush.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Rose Bush Rule with the life is like a rose bush metaphor: pruning roses to allow the others to bloom"},"categories":["wisdom","productivity","lifehack","wellbeing"]},{"uid":"endonym-and-exonym","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/endonym-and-exonym","title":"Endonym and exonym","summary":"When I was first learning French at school, I was confused to see that London was known as Londres. It already had a name that people in the UK use. Why did it need another? Then, of course, I…","published":"2026-07-12T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-24T10:04:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/iZkhuDvVOTfS48if_SP985-EndonymandExonym.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is an endonym and exonym with examples of countries Deutschland – Germany, Espana – Spain, Nederland – Netherlands, Ellada – Greece, Nihon – Japan"},"categories":["words","writing","geography","mountains","sport"]},{"uid":"melody-and-harmony","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/melody-and-harmony","title":"Melody and Harmony","summary":"Two simple ideas at the heart of music: melody and harmony. I had a general awareness of both of these, but came across this wonderful, clear distinction: Melody is the relation of successive notes.…","published":"2026-07-05T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-03T15:53:28+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/QFtNk75O24AlwJ18_SP984-MelodyandHarmony.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is melody and what is harmony? Definitions and example of the difference between melody and harmony with sheet music"},"categories":["music","education","creativity"]},{"uid":"fast-pool-slow-pool","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fast-pool-slow-pool","title":"Fast Pool, Slow Pool","summary":"Have you ever heard, maybe when watching a swimming event on TV during the Olympics, the commentators say that it’s a fast or slow pool? I was baffled! How can a bunch of water be fast or slow? But…","published":"2026-06-28T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-26T10:51:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aj5EK1bRV8_Qf6I6_SP983-FastPoolSlowPool.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What makes a swimming pool fast and how is a fast pool different from a slow pool? Physical and psychological factors in swimming pool design to help swimmers swim fast and compete at their best"},"categories":["sport","design","science","physics","psychology","architecture"]},{"uid":"woodens-8-laws-of-learning","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/woodens-8-laws-of-learning","title":"Wooden's 8 Laws of Learning","summary":"Legendary basketball coach John Wooden won 10 national championships in 12 years with the UCLA men’s team—a record yet to be bettered. His thoughts on coaching still provide insights and wisdom…","published":"2026-06-21T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-19T08:58:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ajUDIo1P9HI4Ut53_SP982-JohnWooden%E2%80%99s8LawsofLearning.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Coach John Wooden's 8 Laws of Learning: Explanation, Demonstration, Imitation, Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Repetition. With learning juggling analogy."},"categories":["learning","teaching","starting","law","innovation","education"]},{"uid":"einsteins-mirror","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/einsteins-mirror","title":"Einstein's Mirror","summary":"What would you see if you tried to travel alongside a light wave at the speed of light? And suppose you held a mirror in front of you as you zipped along. What would you see in the mirror? This and…","published":"2026-06-14T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-12T08:32:22+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aikr0weQX7-eXIWo_SP981-Einstein%E2%80%99sMirror.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Einstein's Mirror - a famous thought experiment about what would you see if you travelled at the speed of light alongside a light wave and what would you see in a mirror"},"categories":["science","physics","space","paradox","thought-experiment","eponym"]},{"uid":"trying-new-things","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/trying-new-things","title":"Trying New Things","summary":"Many things we encounter in life are self-reinforcing. Sometimes in a positive way, other times in a negative way. Trying new things and anxiety can run both ways. Trying new things can be daunting…","published":"2026-06-07T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-16T14:08:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aiFOxAeQX7-eWuan_SP980-TryNewThings.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The positive and negative reinforcing cycles of try new things and anxiety - with a boat sailing from the harbour"},"categories":["wellbeing","anxiety","education","motivation","travel","starting","psychology"]},{"uid":"little-openings","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/little-openings","title":"Little Openings","summary":"I’ve long been intrigued by the innocuous power of Little Openings. Say you are walking down a corridor with your hands full of papers and books. Before long, they start to slip. As you try to…","published":"2026-05-31T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-05-30T14:53:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ahr5TQeQX7-eWc5b_SP979-LittleOpenings.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Little openings: small moments that invite connection - sharing an umbrella, holding a door, carrying a suitcase, sneezing, borrowing eggs, directing someone lost, or picking up dropped papers"},"categories":["kindness","relationships","wellbeing"]},{"uid":"el-nino","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/el-nino","title":"Understanding El Niño","summary":"The 3 Phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation I expect you have heard of El Niño. Huge parts of the world, if not all of us in some way, are affected by El Niño, or, more completely, the El…","published":"2026-05-24T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-09T11:02:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ag2YqKYofJOwHbEz_SP978-ElNinoBasics-3PhasesofENSO.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Understanding El Niño, what it is, how it works and the 3 phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation including the Neutral Phase, El Niño and La Niña"},"categories":["weather","oceans","nature","earth"]},{"uid":"opening-stubborn-jars","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/opening-stubborn-jars","title":"Opening stubborn jars: an escalation of methods","summary":"It can be extremely frustrating to be separated from your pickles or jams by only a powerful twist of a jar top. Can’t open a jar? Here are my personally tried and tested methods of escalation: 1.…","published":"2026-05-17T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/agcJtqYofJOwHRZG_SP977-OpeningStubbornJars.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Methods for opening jars. A how to lifehack list of techniques for when you can't open stubborn lids"},"categories":["food-and-drink","lifehack","kitchen"]},{"uid":"study-and-get-ready-lincoln","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/study-and-get-ready-lincoln","title":"I will study and get ready and perhaps my chance will come — Abraham Lincoln","summary":"Abraham Lincoln stands among the most admired US presidents. Apart from his deeds and what he stood for, from what I’ve read, he also appears kind and wise. As a model for behaviour, Dale Carnegie…","published":"2026-05-10T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-05-10T15:24:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/af-uB6YofJOwHCPM_SP976-StudyAndGetReadyLincoln.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"“I will study and get ready and perhaps my chance will come” — Abraham Lincoln quote. Inspirational quote about preparation, patience, hard work, self-improvement and being ready for opportunity"},"categories":["quote","motivation","history","wisdom"]},{"uid":"thermocline","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/thermocline","title":"Thermocline","summary":"Perhaps, like me, you’ve tried diving down towards the bottom of a lake and noticed how after the first few metres, the water quickly drops in temperature. It has been a personal joy to test this in…","published":"2026-05-03T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-04-30T10:54:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/afMu9MBOoF08xfhA_SP975-Thermocline-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is a thermocline? The meaning of water temperature changing with depth with view of ocean layer and density of molecules and sea ice"},"categories":["oceans","science","geography","water","animals","nature"]},{"uid":"recursive-islands","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/recursive-islands","title":"Recursive Islands","summary":"What do you get if you have a lake on an island with an island on it? A recursive island. Visual recursion happens when something contains a smaller version of itself—a pattern within a pattern or a…","published":"2026-04-26T16:19:00+0000","updated":"2026-04-24T14:47:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aeej1sBOoF08xL1V_SP974-RecursiveIslands.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What are recursive islands and lakes? Drawing showing an island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island, illustrating higher-order nested islands and lakes"},"categories":["geography","sea","oceans","mountains"]},{"uid":"moravecs-paradox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/moravecs-paradox","title":"Moravec's Paradox","summary":"On the capabilities of machines and people In his 1988 book Mind Children, Austrian robotics researcher Hans Moravec, wrote: “…as the number of demonstrations has mounted, it has become clear that it…","published":"2026-04-19T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aeIORp1ZCF7ETSWw_SP973-Moravec%27sParadox.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Moravec's Paradox meaning for AI with examples"},"categories":["paradox","engineering","tech","technology","science","software-development","games"]},{"uid":"rhyme-with-orange","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rhyme-with-orange","title":"So Nothing Rhymes with Orange?","summary":"Maybe you, like me, heard that there are no words that rhyme with orange or chimney. From time to time, I've wondered at this. For orange, I got as far as lozenge, which I don't think is bad, but…","published":"2026-04-12T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-04-09T13:39:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/add5Yp1ZCF7ETA4y_SP972-Rhymewithorange.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Eminem rhyme with orange example: \"I put my orange four-inch door hinge in storage and ate porridge with George\" showing how \"nothing rhymes with orange\" is wrong"},"categories":["words","music","writing"]},{"uid":"the-mcnamara-fallacy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-mcnamara-fallacy","title":"The McNamara Fallacy","summary":"The McNamara Fallacy is a belief in easy-to-measure quantitative metrics at the expense of ignoring hard-to-measure qualitative factors. Robert McNamara was president of Ford Motor Company and later…","published":"2026-04-05T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-05T15:31:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/acUgspGXnQHGY_Zs_SP971-TheMcNamaraFallacy.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The McNamara Fallacy, also known as the quantitative fallacy, where we measure what is easy and ignore what is hard"},"categories":["eponym","measurement","strategy","leadership","data","analytics","war","politics"]},{"uid":"all-models-are-wrong-but-some-are-useful","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/all-models-are-wrong-but-some-are-useful","title":"All models are wrong, but some are useful — George Box quote","summary":"One of my favourite statisticians’ quotes is British statistician George Box’s point that: “All models are wrong, but some are useful.” — George Box His point, as I understand it, is simply that any…","published":"2026-03-29T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-13T08:23:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/acPdQpGXnQHGY86N_SP970-Allmodelsarewrongbutsomeareuseful.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"All models are wrong, but some are useful - George Box statistics quote example and meaning with a map and simple model"},"categories":["framework","statistics","quote","mathematics","transport"]},{"uid":"the-iceberg-model","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-iceberg-model","title":"The Iceberg Model","summary":"Icebergs make powerful metaphors because much of what matters is hidden. Despite knowing the maths, it’s still genuinely surprising and sometimes hard to believe that 90% of an iceberg is beneath the…","published":"2026-03-22T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-04-17T11:31:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aeIYnp1ZCF7ETSe0_SP969-TheIcebergModel.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Iceberg Model in psychology and systems thinking - above the surface and beneath the surface"},"categories":["framework","thinking","thinking-tool"]},{"uid":"uitwaaien","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/uitwaaien","title":"Uitwaaien: The Dutch Word for Walking in the Wind","summary":"Have you ever found something rather wonderful about a walk in a strong wind? You might appreciate the Dutch concept of Uitwaaien. What does “uitwaaien” mean? Uitwaaien is a Dutch word meaning to go…","published":"2026-03-15T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-03-13T12:13:25+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/abFOvVxvIZEnjkMm_SP968-Uitwaaien.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is uitwaaien: Dutch word meaning walking in the wind to clear your head, with worries blown away on a windy beach"},"categories":["nature","beach","wellbeing","walking","words"]},{"uid":"coffee-the-glorious-solution","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/coffee-the-glorious-solution","title":"Coffee: The Glorious Solution to The Coffee–Sleep Cycle","summary":"The genius of coffee: it’s the solution to a problem of its own making. Too much coffee leads to poor sleep, which leads to waking up tired, which leads to craving that glorious coffee fix to make…","published":"2026-03-08T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-03-06T10:04:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aal66VxvIZEnjW4x_SP967-Coffeetheglorioussolution.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Coffee: the glorious solution to the coffee sleep cycle with poor sleep caused by coffee, leading to tiredness, solved by coffee"},"categories":["coffee","framework","food-and-drink","wellbeing"]},{"uid":"pyrrhic-saving","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pyrrhic-saving","title":"Pyrrhic Saving: \"Saving\" money by spending more","summary":"Perhaps you've heard of a Pyrrhic victory: a victory so costly that it feels almost like a defeat. The name comes from the tale of King Pyrrhus of Epirus in 279 BCE. On defeating the Romans, yet…","published":"2026-03-01T10:01:00+0000","updated":"2026-02-27T10:45:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aaFrl8FoBIGEg6qV_SP966-Pyrrhicsaving.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Pyrrhic saving concept showing shoppers leaving a megastore with an overloaded trolley under deal signs, captioned “If we save any more money, we’ll be ruined” – spending more to save money example"},"categories":["money","happiness","psychology","behavioral-economics","products"]},{"uid":"volcanic-explosivity-index","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/volcanic-explosivity-index","title":"The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI): Comparing Eruptions","summary":"Volcanoes are big, so eruptions are big. But how big? And how would you compare one eruption with another? Well, like the Richter Scale for earthquakes, there’s a scale for eruptions. It’s called the…","published":"2026-02-22T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aY7z6FWLo0XkEe_8_SP965-VolcanicExplosivityIndex.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Volcanic Explosivity Index VEI 0 to 8 with examples Kilauea, Etna, Mt St Helens, Pinatubo, Tambora and Yellowstone, each level about 10 times more material"},"categories":["mountains","geography","science","weather","scale"]},{"uid":"mathematics-in-everyday-life","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/mathematics-in-everyday-life","title":"Mathematics in Everyday Life","summary":"At school, it’s easy to think that mathematics is a somewhat arcane and abstract subject and that we don’t need to learn it. But I was surprised when I thought about all the times that knowing maths…","published":"2026-02-15T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-02-13T13:27:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aY8Iw1WLo0XkEfTO_SP964-TheMathematicsofEverydayLife.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Mathematics of Everyday Life showing everyday maths examples including budgeting, shopping, splitting a bill, travel planning, buying a house, voting statistics, baking measurements and fitting furniture, created for the VERDI inclusive mathematics project."},"categories":["mathematics","education","inclusion"]},{"uid":"gold-rush-sell-shovels","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/gold-rush-sell-shovels","title":"When there's a gold rush, sell shovels","summary":"I love this age-old wisdom. It may be about the gold rush, but I see it everywhere to this day. When everyone is trying to get rich in the sensational way, the people who reliably do well are those…","published":"2026-02-08T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-02-06T13:35:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aYXrSN0YXLCxVf07_SP963-Whenthere%27sagoldrushsellshovels.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"When there’s a gold rush, sell shovels and picks, a classic business and entrepreneurship quote with prospectors chasing gold and suppliers lining the road"},"categories":["quote","wisdom","money","business","entrepreneurship","mountains"]},{"uid":"front-load-key-words","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/front-load-key-words","title":"Front-load Key Words","summary":"People don’t usually want to read online—they want to get something done. This means that when deciding whether a service is worth subscribing to, figuring out which plan is better, trying to…","published":"2026-02-01T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aXyUkwIvOtkhCHTb_SP962-Front-loadKeyWords.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Front-load key words in lists and when writing for the web for clearer communication with a conference features example"},"categories":["writing","design","ux","ui","marketing"]},{"uid":"laplaces-demon","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/laplaces-demon","title":"Laplace's Demon","summary":"For an all-seeing, all-knowing being, the future is as clear as the past Perhaps you, like me, have once considered a thought experiment: Given all the laws of nature and given the current state of…","published":"2026-01-25T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-01-21T11:10:23+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aXCuQAIvOtkhBxMk_SP961-Laplace%E2%80%99sDemon.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Laplace's Demon thought experiment quote by Pierre-Simon Laplace about determinism and predictability"},"categories":["physics","philosophy","thought-experiment","science","mathematics"]},{"uid":"dune-types","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dune-types","title":"Dune Types: Transverse, Linear, Barchan, Star Dunes","summary":"Sand dunes can be beautiful and awe-inspiring. And, though they come in infinite shapes and sizes, specific combinations of winds and sand together create common dune types. I find it interesting to…","published":"2026-01-18T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-01-16T12:46:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aWovaQIvOtkhBpcN_SP960-Dunetypes.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Common dune types showing how different wind patterns and sand availability shape transverse dunes, linear dunes, barchan dunes and star dunes."},"categories":["geography","science","nature","beach"]},{"uid":"contentment","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/contentment","title":"Contentment: What you Have Relative to What you Want","summary":"Morgan Housel, in his book The Art of Spending Money, says that contentment is what you have relative to what you want. If you have money for a life full of comforts but envy a more glamorous one,…","published":"2026-01-11T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-01T15:06:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aWEKlQIvOtkhBOcY_SP959-Contentment-havevswant2026-01-09-13.52.16-Cr.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is contentment? Happiness, wellbeing and contentment is what you have relative to what you want, from Morgan Housel’s The Art of Spending Money."},"categories":["happiness","wellbeing","money"]},{"uid":"smart-goals","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/smart-goals","title":"SMART Goals","summary":"If you’ve heard of one framework to help with goal-setting, it could well be this one: SMART Goals. SMART is an acronym to keep in mind a few ideas for setting better goals, ones you’re more likely…","published":"2026-01-04T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-09T08:53:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aVjTLnNYClf9ovx5_SP958-SMARTgoals.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Explanation of SMART goals meaning, showing that SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, and how setting SMART goals leads to clearer progress"},"categories":["goals","leadership","productivity","management","framework","product-management","business","habits"]},{"uid":"diagonal-billing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/diagonal-billing","title":"Diagonal Billing (or Staggered Billing)","summary":"A solution for equal movie star billing The 1974 disaster movie The Towering Inferno had the advantage of two huge stars: Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. Supposedly, neither of them wanted to be…","published":"2025-12-28T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aUlrdXNYClf9olIG_SP957-Diagonalbilling.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is diagonal billing in cinema, film credits, titles, and design? Example of Steve McQueen and Paul Newman from the Towering Inferno in a movie theatre. Also staggered billing."},"categories":["film","design"]},{"uid":"cream-tea-cream-or-jam-first","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cream-tea-cream-or-jam-first","title":"Cream Tea: Cream First or Jam First?","summary":"The classic cream tea is a simple and delicious affair: a freshly baked scone, clotted cream, jam, and a pot of tea to share. But there’s something brewing, and it’s not just the tea. It’s a question…","published":"2025-12-21T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aTrcGXNYClf9oEWE_SP956-Creamteacreamfirstjamfirst.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Cornwall vs Devon cream tea styles shown side by side: jam first for Cornwall, cream first for Devon."},"categories":["food-and-drink","geography","history","uk"]},{"uid":"10-contradictory-traits-of-creative-people","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/10-contradictory-traits-of-creative-people","title":"10 Contradictory Traits of Creative People","summary":"Creative people display contradictory personality traits. This finding has stuck with me since I read it over 20 years ago in psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book Creativity: Flow and the…","published":"2025-12-14T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-09-04T15:55:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/w1ahpYkd-6uLWRY6_SP955-10ContradictoryTraitsofCreativePeople.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What are the contradictory traits of creative people? Illustration of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s 10 paradoxical personality traits, showing each pair of opposites such as energetic and restful, smart and naive, and passionate and objective."},"categories":["creativity","psychology","framework"]},{"uid":"latitude-longitude","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/latitude-longitude","title":"Latitude and Longitude: How to Remember Which is Which","summary":"Latitude and longitude together give you your position on the globe. They are the two types of lines that wrap the planet on globes and our world maps. One set is the horizontal lines, and the other…","published":"2025-12-07T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-03-24T14:34:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aTGkgnNYClf9n1E8_SP954-LatitudeLongitude-howtoremember.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How to remember latitude and longitude on a world map, understand which is which, which is x or y, and how to read lat–long coordinates using an easy mnemonic: latitude is flat and longitude converges"},"categories":["geography","weather","maps","memory","earth","planet","navigation","lifehack"]},{"uid":"apples-and-ideas","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/apples-and-ideas","title":"Apples and Ideas","summary":"\"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange apples, then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of…","published":"2025-11-30T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-11-28T11:14:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aSlzKnNYClf9nkRH_SP953-Applesandideas.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Apples and ideas quote (not) from George Bernard Shaw illustrated as a concept - giving an apple vs sharing an idea"},"categories":["thinking","metaphor","design","language","psychology"]},{"uid":"spectrum-of-abstraction","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/spectrum-of-abstraction","title":"Spectrum of Abstraction","summary":"A fundamental act of art is choosing what to leave in and what to leave out. These choices express a point of view and what you communicate. I’ve long been intrigued by iconography for exactly this…","published":"2025-11-23T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-11-28T16:29:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aSnNu3NYClf9nlm1_SP952-SpectrumofAbstraction-Niemann.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Spectrum of abstraction for finding and the essence of a symbol for communication and design. From realistic to abstract: symbols for love, death, excellence, awareness, and growth, as examples. Abstract-o-meter concept and heart example from Christoph Niemann"},"categories":["drawing","communication","art","design"]},{"uid":"the-newsletter-paradox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-newsletter-paradox","title":"The Newsletter Paradox: Your newsletter grows when you do nothing","summary":"Here's a curious and unsettling paradox that you might experience if you choose to write a newsletter: When you do nothing, people join, and your list grows. When you send an email to your list, your…","published":"2025-11-16T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-11-13T11:42:32+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aRRXT7pReVYa4Xss_SP951-TheNewsletterParadox.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the newsletter paradox: your email newsletter subscriber list grows when you do nothing and people unsubscribe when you send"},"categories":["writing","marketing","paradox","motivation","art"]},{"uid":"mirage","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/mirage","title":"Mirage: why do we see a pool of water?","summary":"Walking through a baking desert, you see a distant pool of water towards the horizon. An oasis to save the day, perhaps? No—just a mirage. But what causes it, and why does it look like a pool of…","published":"2025-11-09T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-11-10T09:12:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aQ96HrpReVYa4Q8-_SP950-Mirage.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Mirage explained: what causes a mirage and why it looks like water, showing hot air bending light from the sky so it appears as a reflection on the ground."},"categories":["science","physics","waves"]},{"uid":"collective-nouns","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/collective-nouns","title":"Collective Nouns: Examples, meanings, and the best ones for animals","summary":"A tower of giraffes. A murder of crows. A shiver of sharks. Some of the most delightful words in English are collective nouns. A collective noun is a word used to describe a group of individuals or…","published":"2025-11-02T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-04-07T12:55:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aPijq7pReVYa3jfw_SP949-CollectiveNouns.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What are collective nouns for animals? Illustration of African animals showing examples of collective nouns: a tower of giraffes, a crash of rhinos, a pride of lions, a dazzle of zebra, a murder of crows, a bask of crocodiles, and others."},"categories":["writing","words","language","animals"]},{"uid":"rich-pictures","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rich-pictures","title":"Rich Pictures: Making Sense of Complex Problems","summary":"Sometimes, when faced with a new challenge, you just don't know where to start. One good way to get going is with a rich picture. What is a Rich Picture? A rich picture diagram is a systems thinking…","published":"2025-10-26T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aPdPDbpReVYa3gPX_SP948-RichPictures.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is a rich picture diagram — a group of people sketching a rich picture about planning a group holiday, showing connected ideas, icons, and notes on a large whiteboard to visualise a complex situation."},"categories":["thinking-tool","design","research","ux"]},{"uid":"systolic-and-diastolic-blood-pressure","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/systolic-and-diastolic-blood-pressure","title":"Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure","summary":"When a doctor or nurse takes your blood pressure, you’ll usually be told two numbers — for example, 120 over 80. But what do these numbers actually mean? Understanding Blood Pressure Readings A blood…","published":"2025-10-19T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aPJZm55xUNkB2GfX_SP947-SystolicDiastolicBloodpressure.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is systolic and diastolic blood pressure — diagram showing heart contraction (systolic) and relaxation (diastolic) with 120/80 example and pressure graph."},"categories":["health","science","measurement"]},{"uid":"and-above-all-never-give-up","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/and-above-all-never-give-up","title":"And, above all, never give up","summary":"I wanted to share not just a short tribute to Jane Goodall, but also a tribute to Jane’s mother. Parents, after all, play a part in remarkable children. Here Jane shares a lesson from her mother that…","published":"2025-10-12T10:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-10-09T10:16:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aOeChZ5xUNkB1x2g_SP946-Aboveall%2Cnevergiveup.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Quote and advice from Jane Goodall's mother: If there's something you really want, you're going to have to work really hard, take advantage of opportunity and, above all, never give up."},"categories":["quote","nature","wisdom"]},{"uid":"the-buttered-cat-paradox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-buttered-cat-paradox","title":"The Buttered Cat Paradox","summary":"The Buttered Cat Paradox goes like this: Cats always land on their feet Falling toast always lands butter side down So what will happen if you strap buttered toast to the back of a falling cat?…","published":"2025-10-05T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-02-25T15:49:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aN4RQ55xUNkB1Y7S_SP945-TheButteredCatParadox.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Buttered Cat Paradox meme explained with the buttered toast phenomenon and the cat righting reflex"},"categories":["paradox","animals","physics","thought-experiment"]},{"uid":"pace-layers","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pace-layers","title":"Pace Layers: Six layers of robust and adaptable civilisations","summary":"What makes a resilient system? It needs to be strong, but flexible. Pace Layers, sometimes called pace layering, is a framework created by Stewart Brand of the Long Now Foundation that explores how…","published":"2025-09-28T08:59:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aNpXJp5xUNkB1Nkj_SP944-Pacelayers.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Pace Layers diagram by Stewart Brand explained: fashion, commerce, infrastructure, governance,culture, nature. Fast layers innovate, slow layers stabilise."},"categories":["government","law","framework","nature","design","economics","technology","innovation"]},{"uid":"the-repeated-word-illusion","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-repeated-word-illusion","title":"The Repeated Word Illusion","summary":"I distinctly remember the first time I saw the “I love Paris in the the springtime” illusion. It definitely got me. My mind happily skipped past a 'the' without a second's notice. Why do our brains…","published":"2025-09-21T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aMKSt2GNHVfTPCOu_SP943-TheRepeatedWordIllusion.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Repeated Word Illusion using \"I love Paris in the the Springtime\" with a repeated \"the\" set in a pyramid layout"},"categories":["illusion","psychology","books","writing"]},{"uid":"science-and-engineering","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/science-and-engineering","title":"Science and Engineering: What’s the Difference?","summary":"People often ask, \"What's the difference between science and engineering?\" Having studied engineering but always loved science, I've come across a few perspectives I find useful to understand the…","published":"2025-09-14T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aL6uRmGNHVfTOwpd_SP942-ScienceandEngineering.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The difference between Science and Engineering: quote by Theodore von Kármán \"Scientists discover the world that exists; Engineers create the world that never was.\""},"categories":["science","engineering","quote","transport","animals"]},{"uid":"the-figure-skaters-spin","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-figure-skaters-spin","title":"The Figure Skater's Spin and the Conservation of Angular Momentum","summary":"Why figure skaters go slower with their arms outstretched When a figure skater pulls into one of those incredible spins, they provide one of the clearest examples of the conservation of angular…","published":"2025-09-07T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-09-05T14:12:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aLrnN2GNHVfTOtHT_SP941-Figureskater%E2%80%99sspinandConservationofAngularMomentum.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Figure Skater's Spin and Conservation of Angular Momentum Illustrated with equations"},"categories":["physics","sport","mathematics","science"]},{"uid":"chiasmus","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/chiasmus","title":"Chiasmus: What It Is and Famous Examples","summary":"When JFK, in his inaugural address, said: \"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,\" He wasn’t just delivering one of the most famous presidential lines ever—he…","published":"2025-08-31T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-10-20T15:28:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aLGYZmGNHVfTOcPQ_SP940-Chiasmus.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is chiasmus? Illustration showing JFK's quote \"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country\" arranged as A-B-B-A symmetry of thoughts."},"categories":["language","writing","words","quote","grammar","podcast"]},{"uid":"murphys-law","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/murphys-law","title":"Murphy's Law","summary":"When you're in a hurry and the light turns red. When your toast falls butter side down. When you visit the shop on the only day it's closed—all classic Murphy's Law. What is Murphy's Law Murphy's Law…","published":"2025-08-24T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-08-29T14:57:23+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aKcd1qTt2nPbakv6_SP939-Murphy%E2%80%99sLaw.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Murphy’s Law? Meaning and example shown by a giant box labeled “This Way Up” lying upside down showing \"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.\""},"categories":["eponym","law","psychology","design","planning","engineering"]},{"uid":"temperature-palindromes","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/temperature-palindromes","title":"Temperature Palindromes: Converting Between Fahrenheit and Celsius","summary":"As someone who’s spent time—and has friends—on both sides of the Atlantic, I’ve often needed to understand temperatures in both Fahrenheit and Celsius. Like learning a new language or switching…","published":"2025-08-17T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-08-19T13:00:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aJYP9KTt2nPbaE5z_SP938-TemperaturePalindromes.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Temperature palindromes: Handy reference points for converting fahrenheit to celsius - 82-28 and 61-16"},"categories":["temperature","science","weather","scale"]},{"uid":"grandmas-rule","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/grandmas-rule","title":"Grandma's Rule: First___, Then___","summary":"It's not clear to me whether the familiar childhood refrain of \"First eat your vegetables, and then you can have dessert,\" is borne out of desperation or generational experience. As a parent myself,…","published":"2025-08-10T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-08-15T14:13:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aJXWs6Tt2nPbaDnS_SP937-Grandma%27sRule.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Grandma’s Rule? Illustration of the Premack Principle showing a child told ‘Vegetables first, then dessert’ and the First, Then Rule"},"categories":["eponym","motivation","habits","psychology","food-and-drink","productivity"]},{"uid":"topography-and-bathymetry","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/topography-and-bathymetry","title":"Topography and Bathymetry","summary":"Most people are familiar with topography but lesser known is its underwater cousin, bathymetry. What is Topography? Topography is the study of land elevation, the ups and downs, forms and features,…","published":"2025-08-03T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-08-03T11:06:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aI8Yg6Tt2nPbZy_Q_SP936-TopgraphyBathymetry.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What are topography and bathmetry, and their meaning, shown as land elevation and ocean depth"},"categories":["geography","science","oceans","mountains","words"]},{"uid":"the-trolley-problem","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-trolley-problem","title":"The Trolley Problem","summary":"The famous moral dilemma: switch the tracks or not? (Here's a combined version of the Trolley Problem and 3 Variants) Imagine you’re the driver of a runaway trolley whose brakes have failed. Ahead on…","published":"2025-07-27T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-09-29T15:22:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aIOb9VGsbswqTQjY_SP935-TheTrolleyProblem.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Trolley Problem original variant with the runaway trolley and moral dilemma of switching the tracks"},"categories":["philosophy","psychology"]},{"uid":"looking-back-in-time","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/looking-back-in-time","title":"Looking Back in Time: The Speed of Light and the Night Sky","summary":"The speed of light is a mighty ~300,000 km/s. But even at that speed, because the distances in space are so vast, sometimes it has to settle in for the ride. When we see the light from a distant star…","published":"2025-07-20T13:32:00+0000","updated":"2025-07-21T14:17:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aH5LwEMqNJQqIJnG_SP934-Lookingbackintime.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Looking back in time as we look to the stars: A visual explanation of how light from the Moon, Sun, stars, and galaxies shows us the past because light takes time to travel."},"categories":["astronomy","physics","science","history","planet","earth","perspective","moon","space"]},{"uid":"going-out-john-muir-quote","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/going-out-john-muir-quote","title":"Going Out Was Really Going In — John Muir Quote","summary":"John Muir is one of my heroes. A Scotsman who moved to California, and through his writings and public engagement (in his later years), played a direct role in America's Greatest Idea: the creation…","published":"2025-07-13T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-07-15T13:32:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aHOozUMqNJQqH0f0_SP933-GoingOutwasReallyGoingIn-JohnMuir-fullwidth.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"John Muir quote illustration: I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in — John Muir quote"},"categories":["quote","nature","mountains","wellbeing","hiking","trees"]},{"uid":"halfpinion","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/halfpinion","title":"Halfpinion: considering only the benefits or the costs","summary":"Governing sometimes seems easy from afar. We should spend more on education. We should pay hospital staff more. We should fix the roads. More police. Everyone should work harder. These would all be…","published":"2025-07-06T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-07-04T11:34:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aGal13fc4bHWjBi9_SP932-Halfpinion.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is a halfpinion with example of someone arguing for the benefits and another arguing the costs are too high. It's not a real opinion unless it considers both. Term from Scott Adams."},"categories":["thinking","politics"]},{"uid":"congested-equilibrium","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/congested-equilibrium","title":"Congested Equilibrium","summary":"You, like me, probably dislike being stuck in traffic. If you live in a densely populated area, it's likely that for at least some of the day, a number of the major roads around you are congested,…","published":"2025-06-29T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aF1hw3fc4bHWiwZq_SP931-Congestedequilibrium.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Congested equilibrium and how suppressed journeys and latent demand build-up means you can't build your way out of congestion"},"categories":["transport","travel","planning"]},{"uid":"calm-like-a-duck","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/calm-like-a-duck","title":"Calm Like a Duck","summary":"Before our first child was born, we attended a series of classes with other expecting couples. The class aimed to prepare us for the joys and challenges of childbirth and the life changes that come…","published":"2025-06-22T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-06-19T16:31:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aFQZcHfc4bHWiivR_SP930-CalmLikeaDuck.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Calm like a duck quote showing a duck who's calm on the surface, but under the water, I'm paddling like hell. Also, a Michael Caine quote"},"categories":["quote","animals","wellbeing","anxiety","leadership","japan"]},{"uid":"do-things-that-dont-scale","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/do-things-that-dont-scale","title":"To Scale, First Do Things That Don't Scale","summary":"The startup paradox: grow big by starting small One of the seeming contradictions in a company's journey is that, as Paul Graham, founder of Y Combinator, points out in a well-known essay, to get…","published":"2025-06-15T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aEr55LNJEFaPX6lg_SP929-Dothingsthatdon%E2%80%99tscale.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"To scale, you first have to do things that don't scale, advice from Paul Graham and Brian Chesky of AirBnB for scaling companies shown with a founder packing boxes themselves like Jeff Bezos of Amazon"},"categories":["entrepreneurship","business","tech","software-development","product-management"]},{"uid":"types-of-sushi","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/types-of-sushi","title":"Types of Sushi: Decoding a Sushi Menu","summary":"I don't know about you, but I love sushi. We didn't have a Japanese restaurant in the town where I grew up until I hit my 20s. A conversation around sushi was always, \"You eat raw fish?!\" accompanied…","published":"2025-06-08T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-06-04T13:26:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aEA3Arh8WN-LVlKr_SP928-Typesofsushi-full.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"List of common sushi types, explained with names and pictures — a visual guide including nigiri, sashimi, maki rolls (hosomaki, futomaki, uramaki, temaki), inari, chirashi, and temari."},"categories":["food-and-drink","japan"]},{"uid":"cognitive-offloading","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cognitive-offloading","title":"Cognitive Offloading: Delegating Our Thinking","summary":"Thinking Feels Like Work I've often found myself wondering how thinking is hard work. If someone gives me a long list of arithmetic to do, it's tempting not to do it. If I have a tricky problem, it's…","published":"2025-06-01T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-04-22T13:52:21+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aDmNgydWJ-7kSu1M_SP927-Cognitiveoffloading.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the meaning of cognitive offloading? Shown by delegating our critical thinking to tools like calculators or AI chatbots"},"categories":["ai","thinking-tool","tech","technology","psychology","education"]},{"uid":"unknown-unknowns","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/unknown-unknowns","title":"Unknown Unknowns","summary":"In a 2002 Pentagon briefing, then U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld famously said: \"Reports that say something hasn't happened are interesting to me, because as we know, there are known…","published":"2025-05-25T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-08-20T08:34:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aDBh2ydWJ-7kSfhY_SP926-Unknownunknowns.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Unknown Unknowns or the Awareness-Understanding matrix, or the Rumsfeld Matrix illustrated with the example of having a baby"},"categories":["framework","knowledge","planning","parenting","business","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"dont-think-of-an-elephant","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dont-think-of-an-elephant","title":"Don't Think of an Elephant","summary":"When teaching framing at UC Berkeley, Professor George Lakoff would often begin with a simple test: \"Don't think of an elephant.\" Except everyone does. When he said elephant, like it or not, all…","published":"2025-05-18T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-03-12T13:49:33+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aCSqPydWJ-7kSGru_SP925-Don%E2%80%99tthinkofanelephant.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Don't think of an elephant framing example where even negating a frame activates it"},"categories":["reframe","language","thinking","politics","psychology"]},{"uid":"how-to-instantly-feel-better","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-to-instantly-feel-better","title":"How to Instantly Feel Better","summary":"When I first saw a version of How to instantly feel better I could immediately relate. I thought it could do with a Sketchplanations version. Maybe try some of the suggestions and let me know how it…","published":"2025-05-11T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aB3YPCdWJ-7kR0hp_SP924-HowtoInstantlyFeelBetter.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How to Instantly Feel Better — a visual guide pairing common feelings like anger, anxiety, or burnout with simple actions like singing, walking, or breathing to feel better, boost happiness, and improve wellbeing."},"categories":["wellbeing","happiness","anxiety","nature","health","lifehack","podcast"]},{"uid":"variable-rewards","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/variable-rewards","title":"Variable Rewards","summary":"Variable Rewards are remarkably powerful. Sometimes, you get something good. Sometimes, you get nothing. But every so often, it's something amazing. That unpredictability keeps us coming back. What…","published":"2025-05-04T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aBSgJvIqRLdaB0d6_SP923-VariableRewards.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Examples of variable rewards and their irresistible addictive power to get us hooked like the reward chest, email, and gambling"},"categories":["motivation","psychology","behavioral-economics"]},{"uid":"the-subscription-trap","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-subscription-trap","title":"The Subscription Trap","summary":"Subscription traps are contracts that are easy to sign up for and hard to cancel. Subscription traps are sneaky. Just like Hotel California, \"You can check out any time you like, but you can never…","published":"2025-04-27T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-05-06T10:56:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aApj6fIqRLdaBlcN_SP922-TheSubscriptionTrap.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the subscription trap? A picture example showing how canceling subscriptions is made difficult with delays, friction, and sludge."},"categories":["economics","business","money","anxiety"]},{"uid":"the-butcher-the-brewer-the-baker","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-butcher-the-brewer-the-baker","title":"The Butcher, the Brewer, the Baker — Adam Smith quote","summary":"One of the most famous lines from Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations is: \"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to…","published":"2025-04-20T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-04-20T15:12:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aAUNdFvg_A-GMrBC_SP921-Thebutcher%2Cthebrewerandthebaker.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Illustration of Adam Smith’s quote about trade: “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker…” showing how self-interest leads to mutual benefit in trade and a tipsy baker."},"categories":["quote","economics","money","design","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"base-jumping","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/base-jumping","title":"BASE Jumping — Building, Antenna, Span, Earth","summary":"BASE jumping is the hair-raising pastime of leaping off tall, fixed objects instead of out of planes, for example. It's a great name because it works as-is and is also an acronym—which I didn't…","published":"2025-04-13T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z_uZyOvxEdbNO-fl_SP920-BASEJumping.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"BASE jumping is an acronym for Building, Antenna (like a radio or communication tower), Span (such as a bridge), and Earth (a cliff or natural formation)—the four types of fixed objects people jump from"},"categories":["nature","flow","risk","words","sport"]},{"uid":"landlocked-states","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/landlocked-states","title":"Landlocked States","summary":"Landlocked typically means having no direct access to the oceans or open seas. Looking at the US, we find 27 States are landlocked—you need to pass through another state or country to reach the…","published":"2025-04-06T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-04-24T14:54:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aApPGPIqRLdaBlOD_SP919-Landlockedstates.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Landlocked states of the USA including the double-landlocked states and the one triple-landlocked state, Nebraska"},"categories":["geography","travel","coastline","maps"]},{"uid":"canal-locks","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/canal-locks","title":"Canal Locks","summary":"There's something remarkable about a boat travelling uphill. Canal locks are a simple yet ingenious system that has made it possible for centuries. How a Canal Lock Works The humble lock gate has…","published":"2025-03-30T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-01-14T09:05:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z-Pi5XdAxsiBv67Q_SP918-Canallocks.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How canal works to allow a boat to travel uphill"},"categories":["engineering","water","invention","physics","podcast"]},{"uid":"geek","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/geek","title":"Everyone's a Geek About Something — Revised and Expanded","summary":"Are you passionate about something? Do you know something inside out where others barely give it a glance? As a schoolboy, I thought I was into birds—until my dad and I stayed with some family…","published":"2025-03-23T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z91z7TxkOkZ2kIlK_SP917-Everyone%E2%80%99sageekaboutsomething-redux.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Everyone's a geek about something with people geeking out on many different activities"},"categories":["happiness","wellbeing","health","podcast","mindfulness"]},{"uid":"grow-not-in-each-others-shadow","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/grow-not-in-each-others-shadow","title":"Grow not in each other's shadow","summary":"The reading from our wedding I remember most clearly is a passage from Kahlil Gibran's beautiful book, The Prophet. We were drawn to it then, and I still am now. The end of the passage offers one of…","published":"2025-03-16T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-01-21T10:42:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z9QD3BsAHJWomibE_SP916-Standnotineachother%E2%80%99sshadow.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"An illustration for Kahlil Gibran’s On Marriage from The Prophet: an oak and a cypress tree with two figures holding hands, grow not in each other’s shadow."},"categories":["quote","happiness","wellbeing","relationships"]},{"uid":"f-shaped-reading","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/f-shaped-reading","title":"F-Shaped Reading","summary":"Many of us absorb and sift through huge quantities of information on the web daily. We've trained ourselves to quickly pull out the most important information and decide if the rest is worth our…","published":"2025-03-09T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z8q4NRsAHJWomN3N_SP915-F-ShapedReading.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"F-Shaped Reading of content on the web from eye-tracking"},"categories":["design","ux","writing"]},{"uid":"asking","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/asking","title":"Asking for What You Want","summary":"It took me a long time in my professional life to learn that my chances of getting what I wanted increased significantly if I asked for it. It seems obvious, but somehow, between politeness,…","published":"2025-03-02T08:53:00+0000","updated":"2025-03-10T14:58:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z8BEo57c43Q3gTVg_SP914-ChancesofGettingWhatYouWant.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Chart showing the chances of getting what you want if you ask for what you want vs if you don't"},"categories":["management","leadership","advice"]},{"uid":"the-blur-your-eyes-test","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-blur-your-eyes-test","title":"The Blur Your Eyes Test","summary":"The blur your eyes test is a way to evaluate the big picture and clarity of communication and designs by squinting to blur your eyes. Good designs give you a sense of the structure, even through a…","published":"2025-02-23T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z7iY8Z7c43Q3gExa_SP913-TheBlurYourEyesTest.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Blur Your Eyes Test for testing designs and communication for structure showing an example of little and clear structure"},"categories":["design","communication"]},{"uid":"one-in-a-row","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/one-in-a-row","title":"One in a Row","summary":"Any success takes one in a row. Do one thing well, then another. Once, then once more. Over and over until the end, then it's one in a row again. — Matthew McConaughey From the book Greenlights Big…","published":"2025-02-16T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-02-13T10:00:23+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z6tdRpbqstJ9-e1s_SP912-OneinaRow.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The One in a Row principle: the way it all starts - with a person pushing over the first bowling pin — wisdom from Matthew McConaughey"},"categories":["starting","productivity","motivation","quote","inspiration","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"one-buttock-playing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/one-buttock-playing","title":"One-buttock playing","summary":"This week, I released a short second collection of piano-based tracks called Deep Down and Not Forgotten. Listen on Spotify Listen on other Music platforms May I ask a favour? If you enjoy the music,…","published":"2025-02-09T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-02-10T15:00:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z6YgWpbqstJ9-Xcr_SP911-One-buttockplaying.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"One-Buttock Playing: Benjamin Zander's term for how the music moves us"},"categories":["music","flow","wellbeing","creativity"]},{"uid":"the-chinese-zodiac","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-chinese-zodiac","title":"Chinese Zodiac 2026: Year of the Horse, Animals, Years, and Meanings","summary":"Chinese Zodiac 2026: What Animal Year Is It? The Chinese zodiac year for 2026 is the Year of the Horse. People born in January and early February 2026 are still born in the Year of the Snake. The…","published":"2025-02-02T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aBxkDidWJ-7kRvXc_SP910-TheChineseZodiac-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Chinese zodiac calendar showing the 12 zodiac animals, their personality traits, and zodiac years from 2025 to 2036, with 2026 marked as the Year of the Horse and early-2026 births belonging to the Year of the Snake"},"categories":["time","travel","storytelling","animals","culture"]},{"uid":"snerdle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/snerdle","title":"Snerdle","summary":"How many things are much nicer than wrapping yourself snugly under the covers in bed and ignoring the world for a little longer? That's the meaning of the 18th-century dialect word Snerdle. Snerdle…","published":"2025-01-26T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-27T15:11:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z5NmcZbqstJ990F4_SP909-Snerdle.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Snerdle meaning in English: To wrap up snugly beneath the covers and ignore the world. 18th Century dialect. By Sketchplanations"},"categories":["words","wellbeing","anxiety","weather"]},{"uid":"skeuomorph","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/skeuomorph","title":"Skeuomorph","summary":"Why is the save icon in your software a floppy disk that no one has used for over 20 years? And that phone icon looks nothing like your mobile phone when making a call. These are both skeuomorphs.…","published":"2025-01-19T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z4f9b5bqstJ99gP7_SP908-Skeuomorph.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Skeuomorph meaning and examples with icons of floppy disks, phones and others for save and call"},"categories":["design","ui","ux","architecture","history"]},{"uid":"feedback-analysis","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/feedback-analysis","title":"Feedback Analysis","summary":"Feedback analysis is a technique to improve judgment and discover your strengths. It could hardly be more simple: Write down what you think will happen whenever you make a key decision. In 9–12…","published":"2025-01-12T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-04-21T10:16:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z35gFJbqstJ99Kni_SP907-Feedbackanalysis.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Feedback Analysis from Peter Drucker: Predict, Compare, Repeat shown with an example of getting a dog"},"categories":["thinking-tool","teaching","framework","feedback"]},{"uid":"yes-sayers-no-sayers","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/yes-sayers-no-sayers","title":"Yes Sayers are Rewarded by Adventure, No Sayers are Rewarded by Safety","summary":"Improv veteran Keith Johnstone shares: There are people who prefer to say \"Yes,\" and there are people who prefer to say \"No.\" Those who say \"Yes\" are rewarded by the adventures they have, and those…","published":"2025-01-05T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-07-03T16:17:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z3l_ypbqstJ99C1m_SP906-YessayersNosayers.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Yes Sayers are rewarded by adventure, No Sayers are rewarded by safety — wisdom from Keith Johnstone"},"categories":["wisdom","books","safety","improvisation","podcast"]},{"uid":"ruckenfigur","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ruckenfigur","title":"Rückenfigur","summary":"Ever taken a photo of a scene where someone is standing with their back to the camera, looking out at the view? That's Rückenfigur, a German word derived from Rücken (back) and Figur (figure), which…","published":"2024-12-29T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-03-11T08:41:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z3CJ55bqstJ983z__SP905-Ru%CC%88ckenfigur.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Rückenfigur example: a person looking out at a mountain scene"},"categories":["mountains","art","photography","perspective","nature","wellbeing","travel","words"]},{"uid":"the-three-bricklayers","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-three-bricklayers","title":"The Three Bricklayers Story","summary":"The Three Bricklayers’ story illustrates the power of purpose. What is the 3 Bricklayers Story? A simple version goes that a person walked past a building project and asked three workers the same…","published":"2024-12-22T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z2QwVpbqstJ98rsf_SP904-The3BricklayersParable.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C4631%2C4067&w=1200&h=4067","alt":"The Three Bricklayers story, or 3 Bricklayers Parable, is about the meaning, vision, leadership, and motivation of work. Originally about Sir Christopher Wren, the image shows three scenes: a brick layer laying bricks (Task), one building a wall (Goal), and one creating a cathedral on scaffolding (Vision) with a cathedral in the background."},"categories":["storytelling","purpose","motivation","architecture","leadership"]},{"uid":"panel-of-advisors","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/panel-of-advisors","title":"Build Your Panel of Advisors to Ask for Advice","summary":"Building your own panel of advisors is a simple technique to expand your perspectives and guide yourself through tough decisions. Think of people whose judgement and values you respect, add them to…","published":"2024-12-15T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-12-13T10:26:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z1sRmJbqstJ98bDW_SP903-Panelofadvisors.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Build your own panel of advisors and mentors example of the invisible counselors with Mum, Uncle Jim, your science teacher, Marcus Aurelius and Lincoln"},"categories":["advice","problem-solving","history","thinking-tool","thinking"]},{"uid":"eat-the-frog","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/eat-the-frog","title":"Eat the frog","summary":"Eat the Frog is a memorable, if rather gross, metaphor that means choosing the most important thing you must do today and doing that first. It derives from a variant of a quote that Mark Twain never…","published":"2024-12-08T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-09-29T15:18:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z03p9pbqstJ979dW_SP902-Eatthefrog.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Eat The Frog time management and productivity technique and its meaning with a person about to eat a frog and a to-do list"},"categories":["productivity","motivation","time","goals","animals","metaphor","management"]},{"uid":"5-gift-guide-for-christmas","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/5-gift-guide-for-christmas","title":"The 5 Gift Guide for Christmas","summary":"If you're a parent or buy presents for kids, perhaps Christmas brings mixed feelings. While we love spending time with family, playing together, and taking a break, Christmas gift-giving easily…","published":"2024-12-01T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z0naC5bqstJ9752F_SP901-5giftguideforChristmas.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The 5 Gift Guide for Christmas: for a meaningful Christmas with less stuff. Showing the 5 categories \"Something: I want, I need, to wear, to read, to do.\""},"categories":["christmas","travel","gift-giving","products","anxiety","wellbeing","parenting"]},{"uid":"truth-and-beauty","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/truth-and-beauty","title":"Discovering Truth and Beauty and Sharing it with others","summary":"This post is sketch 900 of Sketchplanations, according to my numbering. To mark that, I've been reflecting and wanted to share what I've learned from over a decade of this project. It's my longest…","published":"2024-11-24T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-02-04T10:02:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z0CkAa8jQArT1Nrx_SP899-Truthandbeauty.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Brenda Ueland quote: What is the purpose of existence but to discover truth and beauty and share it with others? showing a person finding a flower, painting it, and then enjoying seeing others experience the same emotions they did"},"categories":["quote","art","creativity","motivation","wellbeing","wisdom"]},{"uid":"naismiths-rule","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/naismiths-rule","title":"Naismith's Rule for mountain hiking time","summary":"Naismith's Rule provides a quick estimate for hiking time in the mountains, intended for \"easy expeditions.\" It suggests: 1 hour for every 3 miles (5km) walked +1 hour for every 2,000 ft (600m) of…","published":"2024-11-17T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZzYJxq8jQArT04Li_SP899-Naismith%E2%80%99sRule-smaller.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Naismith's Rule for calculating walking time in the mountains example explained with a mountain ridge with hikers and lines for the horizontal distance and time and ascent and time"},"categories":["hiking","nature","mountains","mathematics","time","eponym"]},{"uid":"the-paradise-paradox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-paradise-paradox","title":"The paradise paradox","summary":"The Paradise Paradox is the tempting but misguided belief that moving to a \"paradise\" will magically make everything better. It's the idea that a change of scene to somewhere beautiful or exciting…","published":"2024-11-10T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zy9mdq8jQArT0p7l_SP898-Theparadiseparadox.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the paradise paradox explained with a person on a city balcony dreaming of a beach where a person is dreaming of the city"},"categories":["travel","happiness","wellbeing","problem-solving","anxiety","paradox"]},{"uid":"isometric-projection","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/isometric-projection","title":"Isometric projection","summary":"What is Isometric Projection? Isometric projection is a simple way to draw 3D shapes. The meaning of isometric is \"equal measure,\" from the Greek words iso- for equal and metric for measure. So, in…","published":"2024-11-03T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZyTZVa8jQArT0HlP_SP897-Isometricprojection.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is isometric projection drawing technique explained with an example of the Bauhaus Dessau building"},"categories":["drawing","engineering","architecture","art"]},{"uid":"fight-or-flight","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fight-or-flight","title":"Fight or Flight","summary":"The fight-or-flight response is our body's automatic and ancient response to perceived threats or danger. This innate physiological response in animals and humans prepares us to either confront a…","published":"2024-10-27T16:48:00+0000","updated":"2024-11-13T09:48:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZxkcSYF3NbkBX8TM_SP896-FightorFlight.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Fight or Flight response example with someone deciding to fight, flight or freeze from a snake"},"categories":["psychology","emotions","anxiety"]},{"uid":"leading-from-any-chair","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/leading-from-any-chair","title":"Leading from Any Chair","summary":"Leading from Any Chair is the idea that we all have the opportunity to influence the action even when we're not standing at the front. It's a principle for effective leadership and teaching yourself…","published":"2024-10-20T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zw-NJoF3NbkBXf1s_SP895-Leadingfromanychair.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Leading from any chair, the fifth practice from The Art of Possibility by Benjamin and Rosamund Zander. From Eugene Lehner's story: What would I say should I suddenly be called upon to lead?"},"categories":["leadership","management","teaching","inspiration","storytelling","music","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"eponym","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/eponym","title":"Eponym","summary":"An eponym is a word named after somebody or someplace. An eponym, almost by definition, comes with a story, making them some of the most intriguing words. Knowing what an eponym is also allows you to…","published":"2024-10-13T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-15T13:05:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Iuw1SQ2s5msbBdA9_SP894-Eponym-corrected.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Eponym examples, explanation and etymology explained in a sketch with Erno Rubik of the Rubik's Cube, the Jacuzzi brothers, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, László Biró, Etienne de Silhouette and Rudolf Diesel and his diesel engine"},"categories":["words","products","design","history","creativity","eponym","podcast"]},{"uid":"vorfreude","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/vorfreude","title":"Vorfreude","summary":"Vorfreude is a delightful German word for the pleasure of anticipation. It combines vor, meaning \"before\" or \"in advance\", and freude, meaning \"happiness\". It's the joy from the anticipation of joy.…","published":"2024-10-06T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:28+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zv6FOLVsGrYSwVWb_SP893-Vorfreude.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Vorfreude explanation and example: what is vorfreude? the pleasure in anticipation shown by someone looking enjoying looking forward to their upcoming holiday"},"categories":["happiness","travel","wellbeing","words","beach","anxiety"]},{"uid":"the-writers-in-the-writing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-writers-in-the-writing","title":"The Writer's in the Writing. The Artist's in the Art.","summary":"Every creation is a mirror, reflecting something of its creator. If you and I were to paint the same subject, your painting would reflect some of you, and mine would reflect some of me. If we both…","published":"2024-09-29T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-02-04T10:01:37+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zvag57VsGrYSwEuI_SP892-Thewriter%E2%80%99sinthewriting.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The writer's in the writing, the artist's in the art visual showing a red writer writing red words in a book, and a blue painter painting a canvas of The Wave in blue"},"categories":["writing","art","wisdom","creativity"]},{"uid":"fauxtomation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fauxtomation","title":"Fauxtomation","summary":"Writer and filmmaker Astra Taylor explains fauxtomation as \"the process that renders invisible human labour to maintain the illusion that machines and systems are smarter than they are.\" (Faux means…","published":"2024-09-22T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zul70LVsGrYSvb3f_SP891-Fauxtomation.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Fauxtomation explained with claims of automation actually done by people, often across the world"},"categories":["ai","software-development","economics","productivity"]},{"uid":"zigzag-trenches","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/zigzag-trenches","title":"Zigzag trenches","summary":"Trench warfare dominated the fighting in WW1. After the initial hasty digging of trenches in the early days of the war, as each side dug in to defend their lines, trenches evolved to be more complex…","published":"2024-09-15T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-09-12T22:16:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZuG3ExoQrfVKl-xm_SP890-Zigzagtrenches.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Zigzag trenches in WWI: explaining why trenches were built in zigzags to protect against blasts from artillery and to slow enemies if a trench was attacked or captured"},"categories":["history","design","war"]},{"uid":"hanlons-razor","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hanlons-razor","title":"Hanlon's Razor","summary":"Hanlon's Razor is the adage: \"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.\" Or sometimes, \"Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to incompetence.\" It appears…","published":"2024-09-08T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-03-06T09:15:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZtmLxrzzk9ZrXCVi_SP889-Hanlon%E2%80%99srazor.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Hanlon's razor example explained: never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. Here, it's explained in a cartoon of someone getting mad at dropped litter when it accidentally was dropped out of the bin bag of another person around the corner"},"categories":["advice","law","philosophy","eponym","kindness","podcast"]},{"uid":"kawaii","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/kawaii","title":"Kawaii","summary":"Kawaii is the word for the Japanese culture of cute, adorable and childlike. When you see a sushi roll with a cute smiley face, that's Kawaii at work. You might also find it in an innocent, high…","published":"2024-09-01T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:09+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZtMr1UaF0TcGJn9J_SP888-Kawaii.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Kawaii examples - the Japanese culture of cute explained with lots of cute sushi with adorable faces"},"categories":["food-and-drink","words","japan"]},{"uid":"buoyancy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/buoyancy","title":"Buoyancy","summary":"It’s always been mind-boggling to me how some of the largest and heaviest things we build on Earth are ships that float on water. Cruise ships are like floating towns, some able to accommodate over…","published":"2024-08-25T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-08-22T05:59:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zr9ROEaF0TcGJAAt_SP887-Buoyancy.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Buoyancy and how ships float explained showing 1m3 of water displaced supporting a tonne of weight and the same principle floating a 50,000 tonne ship"},"categories":["oceans","water","physics","science"]},{"uid":"kitchen-table-survival-skills","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/kitchen-table-survival-skills","title":"Kitchen table survival skills","summary":"Kitchen table survival skills are survival skills you can put into practice from your kitchen table. I humbly submit my set of tried and tested (and at times learned from bitter experience)…","published":"2024-08-18T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-08-31T14:46:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zr3jT0aF0TcGI9J0_SP886-Kitchentablesurvivalskills.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Kitchen table survival skills — skills that keep you out of a scrape in the wild that you can practice at your kitchen table"},"categories":["nature","mountains","hiking","backpacking","endurance"]},{"uid":"gestalt-principles","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/gestalt-principles","title":"Gestalt principles","summary":"The Gestalt principles of visual perception describe how our brains make sense of what we see. For example, they explain how we associate a photo with the text of a newspaper article or understand a…","published":"2024-08-11T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZrTS9EaF0TcGIyec_SP885-Gestaltprinciples.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Gestalt principles of visual perception showing proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, figure and ground, symmetry and order, and common fate."},"categories":["design","illusion","psychology","thinking"]},{"uid":"the-olympic-flag","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-olympic-flag","title":"The Olympic Flag","summary":"The Olympic Flag, which consists of five interlocking coloured rings, was created by Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic games, and unveiled in 1914. Coubertin said that…","published":"2024-08-04T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-02-09T11:45:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zq6d4EaF0TcGIqoN_SP884-TheOlympicFlag.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Olympic Flag and the meaning of the ring colours, interlocking of the rings representing the union of the 5 continents competing against each other. and the 6 colours in each of the National flags. And a little flag bearer showing how it's done."},"categories":["sport","geography","history","games","podcast"]},{"uid":"open-air-kitchen","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/open-air-kitchen","title":"The street food open-air kitchen","summary":"While travelling in Southeast Asia, I was in awe of the open-air kitchens of street-food restaurants. Just by wheeling out a few carefully stocked trolleys and some prepared ingredients, one person…","published":"2024-07-28T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:09+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zp_H1h5LeNNTxbgC_SP883-Open-airkitchen.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C4316%2C3475&w=1200&h=3475","alt":"The magic of open-air kitchens for Asian street food shown calling out each aspect that makes it such an ingenious set up"},"categories":["food-and-drink","travel","design"]},{"uid":"the-automation-paradox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-automation-paradox","title":"The Automation Paradox","summary":"The Automation Paradox is that the better our machines get, the more we struggle when they fail. When heading out for a hike in the woods, it's tempting to skip the map and compass and rely on our…","published":"2024-07-21T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-09-29T20:01:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZpZ1gx5LeNNTxMu5_SP882-TheAutomationParadox.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["paradox","tech","skills","learning","nature","products","productivity","ai"]},{"uid":"point-nemo","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/point-nemo","title":"Point Nemo: The Most Remote Place on Earth and the Spacecraft Graveyard","summary":"Point Nemo is the furthest point in the ocean from any land. Imagine falling overboard and needing to swim to the nearest shore; the longest possible swim would start at Point Nemo. This puzzle,…","published":"2024-07-14T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-01-05T11:06:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zo7NKx5LeNNTxATI_SP881-PointNemo.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"A map showing where Point Nemo lies - the furthest point from land with distances to the nearest land. This would be a long swim"},"categories":["geography","oceans","nature","water","maps","earth"]},{"uid":"iceberg-orientation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/iceberg-orientation","title":"Iceberg orientation","summary":"Nearly every iceberg you see in a picture or diagram is probably floating the wrong way. This was what I learned (from Megan Thompson-Munson) after sketching Biz Stone's brilliant saying about the…","published":"2024-07-07T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZoVPkx5LeNNTwwZp_SP880-Icebergorientation.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Iceberg floating orientation explained: Icebergs are usually drawn floating vertically, while a stable iceberg orientation is usually on its side"},"categories":["ice","nature","science","geography","physics","mathematics"]},{"uid":"pillars-of-hope","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pillars-of-hope","title":"Pillars of hope","summary":"\"Pillars of Hope\" is a tongue-in-cheek name for steel starter bars, also known as starter rods or rebar extensions, that protrude from the roofs of houses after construction. Leaving starter bars…","published":"2024-06-30T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zn0oi5bWFbowe72t_SP879-PillarsofHope-smaller.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["design","software-development","architecture","culture"]},{"uid":"parallax","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/parallax","title":"Parallax","summary":"Parallax is the change in the apparent position of objects from different viewpoints. For example, from one viewpoint, a nearby house may appear in front of a hill, and from another, it may be in…","published":"2024-06-23T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZnVS1Jm069VX18kR_SP878-Parallax.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is parallax explanation - how parallax works showing different layers moving at different speeds"},"categories":["animation","perspective","drawing","physics","mathematics","science"]},{"uid":"word-spectrum","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/word-spectrum","title":"Word spectrum","summary":"A word spectrum highlights different aspects of a concept from one extreme to another. By arranging words on a spectrum, we can see their subtle differences and nuances. For example, a word spectrum…","published":"2024-06-16T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-06-24T13:51:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZnQy4Zm069VX165S_SP877-Wordspectrum-4-5crop.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["words","scale","language","culture","writing"]},{"uid":"detecting-prostate-cancer","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/detecting-prostate-cancer","title":"Detecting prostate cancer: old way, new way","summary":"1 in 8 men in the UK get prostate cancer, according to the charity Prostate Cancer UK, and the risk of prostate cancer doubles if you're black. It's also the second most common cause of death from…","published":"2024-06-09T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZmLIQ5m069VX1iji_SP876-Detectingprostatecancer.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["health","safety","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-village-venus-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-village-venus-effect","title":"The Village Venus Effect","summary":"The Village Venus effect describes the experience of someone living in an isolated village and knowing the most beautiful person there. Because the person is the most attractive person they've ever…","published":"2024-06-02T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZlsugqWtHYXtT_eI_SP875-TheVillageVenuseffect.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["thinking-tool","animals","thinking"]},{"uid":"hara-hachi-bu","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hara-hachi-bu","title":"Hara Hachi Bu","summary":"Hara Hachi Bu is a saying from Okinawa in Southern Japan that advises people to stop eating when they're 80% full. Okinawa is famous for the longevity of the people who live there. I learned it from…","published":"2024-05-26T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZlBWNCol0Zci9anY_SP874-Harahachibu.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Hara Hachi Bu meaning summary showing a person, perhaps in Okinawa Japan, declining food at 80% full"},"categories":["japan","food-and-drink","health","wellbeing","lifehack","words"]},{"uid":"equality-and-equity","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/equality-and-equity","title":"Equality and equity","summary":"Equality and equity are two important ideas that help us understand how to make things fair for everyone. Here's one way that helps me think about the difference between equity and equality: Equality…","published":"2024-05-19T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zkd6Syol0Zci9P5u_SP873-EqualityEquity.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["inclusion","cycling","equity"]},{"uid":"public-commitment-pledge","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/public-commitment-pledge","title":"Public commitment pledge","summary":"Public commitment pledges are surprisingly effective and free ways to help you reach your goals. A public commitment pledge is simply writing what you will or won't do, perhaps something you know you…","published":"2024-05-12T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zj8cjEFLKBtrWytU_SP872-PublicCommitmentpledge.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is a Public commitment pledge explanation - a soft commitment device shown by someone battling a desire to eat cookies with a public commitment"},"categories":["motivation","productivity","psychology","goals","starting"]},{"uid":"muddy-puddles-leaky-ceilings","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/muddy-puddles-leaky-ceilings","title":"Muddy puddles, leaky ceilings","summary":"What type of problem are you dealing with? James Clear shared a technique of splitting problems into two types: muddy puddles or leaky ceilings. A muddy puddle problem is one where leaving it alone…","published":"2024-04-29T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-04-30T08:53:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZjCtid3JpQ5PTQto_SP871-Muddypuddlesleakyceilings.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Muddy puddle leaky ceilings - James Clear's model of two types of problems"},"categories":["problem-solving","thinking","metaphor"]},{"uid":"rose-thorn-bud","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rose-thorn-bud","title":"Rose, Thorn, Bud","summary":"Rose, thorn, bud is a simple tool for reflection for yourself or your team. The basic idea is to look back at a recent project or how things are going and consider each aspect of a rose: Rose: what…","published":"2024-04-28T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zij9ePPdc1huKu86_SP870-Rosethornbud.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Rose Thorn Bud reflection technique summary showing a rose with thorn and bud highlighting successes, challenges and potential"},"categories":["product-management","products","productivity","software-development","learning","education"]},{"uid":"me-or-i","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/me-or-i","title":"Me or I? When to Use “Me” vs “I” in a Sentence","summary":"In a list of names, when should you use \"I\", and when should you use \"Me\"? I confess to having blundered my way through whether it should be \"Rob, Tom, and I on the podcast,\" or \"a podcast with Rob,…","published":"2024-04-21T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-03-23T11:00:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZiJU5vPdc1huKotO_SP869-MeandI.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Simple grammar rule for when to use me or I in a sentence with example"},"categories":["grammar","writing"]},{"uid":"winking","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/winking","title":"Winking in the dark","summary":"An often-quoted adage goes: Doing business without marketing is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you're doing, but no one else does. As someone with a background in product…","published":"2024-04-14T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-04-12T13:38:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zhk1nDjCgu4jzyMs_SP868-Businesswithoutmarketing-winkinginthedark.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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)"},"categories":["marketing","quote","business"]},{"uid":"rivers-and-buckets","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rivers-and-buckets","title":"Rivers and buckets","summary":"Too many interesting articles to read? Too many places to visit? Too many projects to work on? Too many podcasts to listen to? Too many interesting things to learn? Try thinking of each as rivers,…","published":"2024-04-07T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-03-28T12:49:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZhKIyRrFxhpPBWs3_SP867-RiversandBuckets-small.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["metaphor","wisdom","productivity","perspective"]},{"uid":"painkillers-and-vitamins","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/painkillers-and-vitamins","title":"Painkillers and vitamins","summary":"Sell painkillers, not vitamins, the classic business advice goes. The vitamin seller aims to help you stay healthy in the long run— to help you avoid future pain and trial by keeping you clear of…","published":"2024-03-31T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZgQ85Mt2UUcvBO1z_SP866-Painkillersandvitamins.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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!\""},"categories":["business","marketing","entrepreneurship","strategy","health","products"]},{"uid":"there-is-no-away","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/there-is-no-away","title":"There is no \"away\"","summary":"It's a phrase I always grew up with: you throw rubbish and trash \"away\" and take what you don't need to \"the dump\" or \"the tip.\" However, a comment in a nature documentary made me reevaluate: \"You…","published":"2024-03-24T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZfnEJQ4qyfNhFytw_SP865-Thereisnoaway.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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\""},"categories":["sustainability","economics"]},{"uid":"the-upward-spiral","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-upward-spiral","title":"The Upward Spiral","summary":"The upward spiral is Stephen R. Covey's simple model of personal growth and change, which repeats the three steps: Learn, Commit, and Do. Of course, we are all doing all of the time. The difference…","published":"2024-03-17T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-04-08T15:42:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZfSRNXYkiKrtlJ5P_SP864-TheUpwardSpiral.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["framework","learning","education"]},{"uid":"impossible-staircase","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/impossible-staircase","title":"Impossible staircase","summary":"The impossible staircase, also known as the Penrose stairs, is an optical illusion of never-ending stairs. Named after its inventor, the mathematician Roger Penrose, who first introduced this concept…","published":"2024-03-10T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-03-05T12:34:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/13f6a539-9bcd-4c16-89a5-0a4b2af6843d_SP+863+-+Impossible+staircase.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["illusion","drawing"]},{"uid":"fundamental-attribution-error","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fundamental-attribution-error","title":"The Fundamental Attribution Error","summary":"The fundamental attribution error is the attribution of the source of behaviour to the character and personality of a person above the consideration of context. It's sometimes described as…","published":"2024-03-03T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0009f4d6-3501-4133-9a36-5719a1b0623d_SP+862+-+Fundamental+Attribution+Error.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["psychology","bias","kindness"]},{"uid":"ras-syndrome","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ras-syndrome","title":"RAS Syndrome","summary":"RAS Syndrome is Redundant Acronym Syndrome Syndrome. It's when an acronym is followed by a word that's also part of the acronym. Some examples you may come across: ATM machine - Automated Teller…","published":"2024-02-25T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-02-26T12:13:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2bef4865-86ef-49da-8bdc-b2b7df95c68a_SP+861+-+RAS+Syndrome.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"RAS Syndrome illustration: Redundant Acronym Syndrome shown with a person using their PIN Number in an ATM Machine"},"categories":["words","grammar","writing"]},{"uid":"the-wheel-of-death","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-wheel-of-death","title":"The Wheel of Death","summary":"The Wheel of Death is a handy and simple tool to help prioritise issues and where to spend time fixing things. I learned it from the domain of customer service. It's used something like this: Keep…","published":"2024-02-18T07:34:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f8ccc691-fea5-47a2-87df-70bd7cdf4797_SP+860+-+The+wheel+of+death+-+revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["software-development","business","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"chickens-and-pigs","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/chickens-and-pigs","title":"Chickens and pigs","summary":"Chickens and pigs is a metaphor for who's got skin in the game. Or to leave metaphors behind, who's involved in a project vs who is fully committed. Also known as the bacon and eggs principle, it's…","published":"2024-02-11T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1f665377-bd12-4673-a1f5-5554bb3674f6_SP+859+-+Chickens+and+pigs.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["software-development","product-management","metaphor","animals","accountability"]},{"uid":"bellini-and-blini","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/bellini-and-blini","title":"Bellini — blini","summary":"While both are excellent starts to an evening, it's easy to mix up a bellini with a blini, if only because you might mishear one for the other. What's the difference between a bellini and a blini? A…","published":"2024-02-04T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-02-05T12:04:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ea9835c0-07ae-4bd7-9250-7dfd34bfeb32_SP+858+-+Bellini+blini.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"the-normalisation-of-deviance","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-normalisation-of-deviance","title":"The Normalisation of Deviance","summary":"Normalisation of deviance is the process where what was unacceptable gradually becomes acceptable over time in the absence of failures. So, the longer a period without incidents, a safety requirement…","published":"2024-01-21T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:38:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2d7da8cb-9e15-4ceb-aab5-75aa09d9c7db_SP+857+-+Normalisation+of+deviance.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Normalisation of deviance: A person looks dubiously on at a building site which seems to be ignoring all the safety signs.\n(Normalization of deviance)"},"categories":["safety","psychology","management"]},{"uid":"amphitheatre-and-theatre","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/amphitheatre-and-theatre","title":"Amphitheatre and theatre","summary":"Theatre and amphitheatre (or theater and amphitheater) have the distinction that a theatre is one-sided viewing of a central stage, and an amphitheatre has viewing all around. The word amphitheatre…","published":"2024-01-14T14:12:00+0000","updated":"2024-01-15T10:20:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/688744c4-70f6-4eaa-a09f-89be23c78de7_SP+856+-+Amphitheatre.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["words","architecture","history"]},{"uid":"the-xy-problem","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-xy-problem","title":"The XY Problem","summary":"The XY Problem (or X-Y Problem) often comes up in software development or customer support, where someone asks for help to achieve a solution (X) that they have chosen as a way to solve a different…","published":"2024-01-07T14:14:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/685157ae-ec27-4e9b-9749-eb689a8c65c5_SP+854+-+The+XY+problem.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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?"},"categories":["tech","software-development","business","product-management","questions","problem-solving"]},{"uid":"box-breathing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/box-breathing","title":"Box breathing","summary":"Box breathing can help us focus on the present, reduce stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol levels, and generally relax and be calm. Box breathing involves four steps repeated in sequence, each…","published":"2023-12-31T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T14:23:22+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aab82987-6303-470b-9527-11e23309b00e_SP+854+-+Box+breathing.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["wellbeing","anxiety","health","lifehack"]},{"uid":"jolabokaflod","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/jolabokaflod","title":"Jólabókaflóð","summary":"Jólabókaflóð, or Christmas Book Flood, is the charming Icelandic tradition of giving books as gifts, opening them on Christmas Eve, and settling in to read them together, ideally with hot chocolate…","published":"2023-12-24T14:15:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d44d6b5d-3f44-49f5-b9f2-e19efa0d8314_SP+853+-+Jolabokaflod+-+optimised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["books","christmas","travel"]},{"uid":"the-barnum-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-barnum-effect","title":"The Barnum effect","summary":"The Barnum effect is our tendency to apply personal meaning to statements that could apply to many people. For statements such as the results of a personality test, the effect is stronger if: we…","published":"2023-12-17T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/657b0e8d531ac2845a2669a0_SP852-TheBarnumEffect.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["bias","psychology","effect","eponym"]},{"uid":"birthday-creep","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/birthday-creep","title":"Birthday creep","summary":"Your birthday creeps one day of the week forward each year and two around leap years. Here's why: A common year has 365 days. 52 weeks is 364 days (52 x 7), so the year has 52 weeks plus one day as a…","published":"2023-12-10T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0100002b-dfcf-4d2b-a015-3f38b2f18443_SP+850+-+Birthday+creep.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["travel"]},{"uid":"phone-zombie","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/phone-zombie","title":"Phone zombie","summary":"A phone zombie is a regular pedestrian turned zombie walker because they’re busy staring at their phone. Sometimes it’s hard not to be a phone zombie—whether it’s a notification about where you’re…","published":"2023-12-03T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-15T09:19:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3a59b6d5-b432-4b49-a013-06966357975c_SP+849+-+Phone+zombie.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is a phone zombie example: pedestrians turned zombies staring into their phones run into danger and bump into each other while crossing a road"},"categories":["tech","mindfulness","safety","walking"]},{"uid":"overnight-success","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/overnight-success","title":"Overnight success","summary":"Twitter co-founder Biz Stone is fond of saying: \"Timing, perseverance and ten years of trying will eventually make you seem like an overnight success.\" Rarely have I heard someone so clearly…","published":"2023-11-26T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-05-06T07:15:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b87940fa-28ec-465c-88bf-0877206574e9_SP+849+-+Overnight+success+-+iceberg.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["quote","wisdom","entrepreneurship","business","starting"]},{"uid":"the-pyramid-principle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-pyramid-principle","title":"The Pyramid Principle","summary":"The Pyramid Principle is an approach to getting your message across by starting with the main idea supported by the relevant facts or arguments grouped by linking ideas. In this way, the writer…","published":"2023-11-19T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-12-09T11:02:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c5802b45-23e5-42dc-9ba3-2bc63666ed31_SP+848+-+The+Pyramid+Principle.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["writing","framework","leadership","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"greeble","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/greeble","title":"Greeble","summary":"A greeble, greeblie or greebly, is the name for the small elements that add detail and scale to models and, often, help make them look more advanced and realistic. Greeble can be both a verb and a…","published":"2023-11-12T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/40a5d30a-1f7e-4943-a477-548fcbc75c07_SP+847+-+Greeble.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["words","design","film"]},{"uid":"whose-job-is-it","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/whose-job-is-it","title":"Whose job is it?","summary":"There’s an old short story called “Whose job is it?” that goes like this: This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and…","published":"2023-11-05T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aa428cb0-d1e7-414b-9159-e1bc74108fa2_SP+846+-+Whose+job+is+it.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["leadership","accountability","management","poem","storytelling","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"affordance","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/affordance","title":"Affordance","summary":"An affordance is what someone can do with an object. When you see a well-designed everyday product, the perceived affordances should indicate how to use it. You shouldn't have to struggle to figure…","published":"2023-10-30T02:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/78e71b33-ad49-48d2-8fe5-c4cecba93621_SP+845+-+Affordance.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["design","usability"]},{"uid":"vuca","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/vuca","title":"VUCA","summary":"VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity. The VUCA framework is a reminder to consider how to lead and adapt to the challenges of living in a volatile, uncertain, complex and…","published":"2023-10-22T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6fdab71e-4cdf-41b3-8b5a-ddefe4265d76_SP+844+-+VUCA.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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)."},"categories":["software-development","leadership","framework","management","product-management","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"blending-buildings","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/blending-buildings","title":"Blending buildings","summary":"While historic buildings in an ancient city centre make tourist attractions, most people would prefer the giant distribution warehouses that power online commerce and our world of delivery-everything…","published":"2023-10-15T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:44+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f9020755-bbf4-4a7b-a6da-e5c7f6630a6d_SP+843+-+Blending+buildings.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["architecture","design","illusion","colour"]},{"uid":"anchors-and-tugboats","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/anchors-and-tugboats","title":"Anchors and tugboats","summary":"Anchors and tugboats. One holds you back, and one pulls you forward. Negativity can act like an anchor holding you back, narrowing your focus and restricting your potential. By contrast, positivity…","published":"2023-10-08T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-03-06T09:18:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e2f516e2-df29-4a63-a013-ed1acc896c17_SP+842+-+Anchors+and+tugboats.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["sport","endurance","wellbeing","mindfulness","swimming","resilience","podcast"]},{"uid":"three-types-of-no","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/three-types-of-no","title":"Three Types of \"No\"","summary":"Saying \"no\" isn't easy. But there are different ways to say \"no\" to someone's requests without feeling like you've let them down while being realistic and constructive and ensuring the requester…","published":"2023-10-01T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a23d8d13-7303-44e0-8c55-dd1b170f866f_Three+types+of+%E2%80%9Cno%E2%80%9D+animation.gif?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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)"},"categories":["business","software-development","product-management","parenting","management","animation"]},{"uid":"hotel-drying-technique","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hotel-drying-technique","title":"Hotel Drying Technique","summary":"Here's a helpful technique when you want to freshen-up some clothing at a hotel and need it to dry quickly. It's useful when you've packed one day short or need an extra day's wear out of something.…","published":"2023-09-24T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-04-13T14:19:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/09438d52-9af0-4be2-8502-9a62bc3dd34a_SP+840+-+Hotel+drying+technique.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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!"},"categories":["lifehack","travel"]},{"uid":"self-serving-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/self-serving-bias","title":"Self-serving bias","summary":"A self-serving bias is one where we attribute our failures to external factors and our successes to our own admirable qualities and efforts. So, a tennis player might internally credit their…","published":"2023-09-17T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/39563af9-b96a-4a55-921d-70ab2029f701_SP+839+-+Self-serving+bias.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Self-serving bias example explained: two tennis players think on their contrasting fortunes, the winner proud of their athleticism (character), and the loser blaming the umpire (the situation)."},"categories":["psychology","sport","kindness"]},{"uid":"the-overton-window","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-overton-window","title":"The Overton Window","summary":"The Overton window is a simple device to consider the full spectrum of policy ideas and identify the range of politically acceptable ones. Attitudes generally change slowly, as does policy to support…","published":"2023-09-10T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:15:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5e35511d-c92a-419b-800f-740df143d2a6_SP+838+-+The+Overton+Window.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The Overton Window illustration: with the example of two children lobbying their parents on bedtime policies and the range of politically acceptable ideas"},"categories":["politics","economics","metaphor","framework","eponym"]},{"uid":"design-by-committee","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/design-by-committee","title":"Design by committee","summary":"A camel is a horse designed by a committee, so the saying goes. It's not fair on camels, which are remarkable animals, but the idea that meeting everyone's requirements leads to a weaker product…","published":"2023-09-03T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/95f5088e-f556-4ccc-9f94-385bab4ffb7f_SP+837+-+Camel.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Design by committee illustration: A person demonstrates a camel as the solution to all the requirements for Horse 2.0"},"categories":["design"]},{"uid":"the-droste-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-droste-effect","title":"The Droste effect","summary":"The Droste effect is an endless picture-in-picture—a part of the picture contains the whole picture, which contains the picture, which contains the picture, and on. Most of us are likely familiar…","published":"2023-08-27T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:11:21+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7c6bcf87-702e-423f-a70e-785f2c4c3a04_SP+836+-+The+Droste+effect.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The Droste effect illustration: where the picture contains the picture which contains the picture which contains the picture..."},"categories":["illusion","art","psychology","eponym"]},{"uid":"chihuahua-syndrome","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/chihuahua-syndrome","title":"Chihuahua syndrome","summary":"Chihuahua syndrome refers to messy data from variations in spelling or input—Chihuahua is easy to misspell. The quality of your data matters—errors can creep in anywhere, particularly when people…","published":"2023-08-20T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-05-17T13:27:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7ed3c475-d55c-48ac-ac1c-c1f4c0d01d9b_SP+835+-+Chihuahua+syndrome.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Chihuahua syndrome illustration: an analyst wonders at the number of dog breeds when most of them are misspellings of chihuahua"},"categories":["data","analytics"]},{"uid":"dark-patterns","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dark-patterns","title":"Dark patterns","summary":"Dark patterns are when people design interfaces intending to deceive or trick. Sadly we are all familiar with these. They're everywhere. It could be the free trial that unexpectedly led to a…","published":"2023-08-13T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fbf936bc-4a65-4d47-95ed-b630c51a2fe9_SP+834+-+Dark+patterns.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["design","ux","psychology"]},{"uid":"the-isolation-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-isolation-effect","title":"The isolation effect","summary":"The isolation effect is our tendency to remember an item that stands out in some way from a set of otherwise similar items—you might easily guess, for example, which name we are more likely to…","published":"2023-08-06T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2e83818a-f5c8-48f4-8a3c-669d60cf248c_SP+833+-+The+isolation+effect.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["effect","design","psychology"]},{"uid":"point-positive","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/point-positive","title":"Point positive","summary":"Point positive is a rafting term for agreeing in advance to point towards the safe way out of danger rather than towards the dangers themselves. So, should a raft get stuck on a rock in a rapid,…","published":"2023-07-30T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-07-30T16:59:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fb9b76be-249f-4132-835b-23b30dc43c4a_SP+832+-+Point+positive.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Point positive illustration: Rafters pointing towards the safe way down a rapids for a swimmer in the water rather than pointing towards the dangers"},"categories":["nature","problem-solving","metaphor","advice"]},{"uid":"orbit","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/orbit","title":"Orbit","summary":"It's mindblowing to me to think at any moment, over 6,000 satellites are whipping around the Earth at terrific speeds and somehow not drifting off into space or crashing into Earth. How does this…","published":"2023-07-23T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-07-23T20:34:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e63f5aac-f397-42a5-843a-83e0e19d7bc7_SP+831+-+Orbit.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Orbit illustration: how a satellite stays in orbit - the balance between its velocity and gravity pulling it towards Earth"},"categories":["space","physics","science","engineering","moon","astronomy"]},{"uid":"mangroves","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/mangroves","title":"Mangroves","summary":"Mangroves are many species of tree adapted to living in salty water along coastlines and tidal rivers not far from the equator. They are remarkable in many ways and confer a host of benefits to their…","published":"2023-07-16T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ac22a1f6-9b96-430f-a0c1-6953318ecd07_SP+830+-+Mangroves.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Mangroves illustration: showing the coastal habitat and their benefits in protecting, stabilising, nurturing and sequestering"},"categories":["nature","sustainability","oceans","sea","fishing","climate","waves","resilience","forest"]},{"uid":"read-do-do-confirm-checklists","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/read-do-do-confirm-checklists","title":"Two types of checklists: Read-Do, Do-Confirm","summary":"I always considered a checklist, a checklist, so I was interested to learn the distinction between two types of checklists: Read-Do and Do-Confirm. A Read-Do checklist might be prepared in advance…","published":"2023-07-09T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8ea8eaee-b432-443c-b740-0030a0264e88_SP+829+-+Two+types+of+checklist+read-do_+do-confirm.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Read-Do and Do-Confirm checklists illustration: examples of a Dinner party fail and an Expedition checklist"},"categories":["design","safety","security","software-development","health"]},{"uid":"complaining-at-the-weather","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/complaining-at-the-weather","title":"Complaining at the weather","summary":"It's easy to want to complain at the weather. The trouble is, it doesn't have any effect on it. It's not only a question of maturity, of course. Farmers may love the rain that a couple on their…","published":"2023-07-02T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-02T10:43:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0f960932-e5b6-4b73-a91c-61f3662873ed_SP+828+-+Complaining+at+the+weather.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Complaining at the weather illustration: An adult complains about the rain, the sun and the snow while a child enjoy all three"},"categories":["advice","weather","wisdom"]},{"uid":"siphon","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/siphon","title":"Siphon","summary":"The siphon, or syphon, is a simple device that uses only a tube to seemingly pump water from a higher spot to a lower one. It's ingenious because once you start the siphon by filling the pipe to…","published":"2023-06-25T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-06-25T20:32:33+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5b274d1f-838c-4ac6-ac0c-c2acb31c7742_SP+827+-+Siphon.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Siphon illustration: how a siphon works draining a reservoir by running a water uphill, unaided, until it empties into a lower reservoir."},"categories":["design","invention","water","sustainability"]},{"uid":"cake-wreck","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cake-wreck","title":"Cake wreck","summary":"Cake Wrecks is the blog and book of when professional cakes go hilariously wrong, by Jen Yates. But a cake wreck is also a useful metaphor for how easy it can be to misinterpret instructions—often by…","published":"2023-06-18T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c617f1a8-7cad-4857-9147-ec13ad0078cb_SP+826+-+Cake+wreck.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["metaphor","design","food-and-drink","software-development","product-management","podcast"]},{"uid":"ring-segment-illusion","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ring-segment-illusion","title":"The ring-segment illusion","summary":"Yes, the two train track pieces are the same lengths. I know this because we have a basket of toy train tracks, and I took two identical curves and lined them up for the outline of this sketch. But…","published":"2023-06-11T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-06-10T10:08:44+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d9f24a7f-f6a8-43e1-84c4-101282d06a74_SP+825+-+Ring-segment+illusion.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["illusion","play"]},{"uid":"fortnightly","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fortnightly","title":"Fortnightly","summary":"What does biweekly mean to you? How about bimonthly or biannually? While each of us will have our own, perhaps unambiguous, reaction to it, the word biweekly is interpreted as \"twice a week\" or \"once…","published":"2023-06-04T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T14:53:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/58370dc2-9683-47bb-833e-f6cda6a1d704_SP+824+-+Fortnightly.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["words","writing","time","grammar","podcast"]},{"uid":"feynman-learning-technique","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/feynman-learning-technique","title":"The Feynman Learning Technique","summary":"Richard Feynman was one of the great scientists of the 20th century, making significant contributions to physics and other related fields. Part of what made him stand out was his gift for teaching.…","published":"2023-05-28T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-09-29T15:25:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d22f9a01-990e-4dcd-a7c4-14d4fcba0d53_SP+823+-+The+Feynman+learning+technique.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["teaching","education","learning","eponym"]},{"uid":"anadiplosis","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/anadiplosis","title":"Anadiplosis","summary":"Writing has power. Power grows through repetition. And repetition, should you reuse the last words of a sentence at the start of the next, is called anadiplosis. Like the amazing addition of…","published":"2023-05-21T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-05-01T09:04:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3e926987-c8dd-4712-a1f3-74b0f50fe1cb_SP+822+-+Anadiplosis+-+smaller.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["words","writing"]},{"uid":"frog-boil","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/frog-boil","title":"The frog boil metaphor","summary":"The frog boil metaphor illustrates how it's easy to miss small changes that build up over time until it's too late. The scenario, as told, is that of a poor frog who would leap away from hot water…","published":"2023-05-14T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d425ee4f-b1ed-4bb3-9786-a3fe369202f5_SP+821+-+Frog+boil.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["climate","metaphor","animals","products","product-management","software-development"]},{"uid":"feedback-fear","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/feedback-fear","title":"Feedback fear","summary":"Feedback is how we get better. It's how we find out what we couldn't see ourselves. But there are many reasons why it's more challenging to gather than we might hope. You might have a design…","published":"2023-05-07T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6bb61579-3b7a-4094-b4b8-f4f99892df93_SP+820+-+Feedback+fear.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["feedback","design","anxiety","productivity","reframe","motivation","starting","sharing"]},{"uid":"the-tomato-test","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-tomato-test","title":"The tomato test: how to tell if your knife needs sharpening","summary":"The tomato test, or tomato slicing test, is a handy way to see if your knives could do with sharpening. The idea is that a properly sharpened blade should slice through the taut skin of a tomato with…","published":"2023-04-30T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:38:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/619a683f-b273-4aaf-90d6-816dec1225a2_SP+818+-+The+tomato+slicing+test.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["food-and-drink","safety"]},{"uid":"collective-effervescence","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/collective-effervescence","title":"Collective effervescence","summary":"Collective effervescence is an eye-catching name for the magic of shared experience and moving in unison. As described by the French sociologist Émile Durkheim, it picks out those times when people…","published":"2023-04-23T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-04-23T06:58:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/00f79e4c-a5e6-4c54-b785-456c330f299e_SP+818+-+Collective+effervescence.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Collective effervescence illustration: two people hold their phones up as lights with 1000s of others in a stadium concert at night"},"categories":["happiness","wellbeing","purpose","music"]},{"uid":"temptation-bundling","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/temptation-bundling","title":"Temptation bundling","summary":"Temptation bundling is a self-enforced technique that combines something you want to do with something you find hard to do. If you find it hard to work out at the gym, you can make it more appealing…","published":"2023-04-16T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-09-02T07:42:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a1334c40-5253-48a6-bf2e-993ea5bca6b1_SP+817+-+Temptation+bundling.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Temptation bundling illustration: examples of running on a treadmill to watch your favourite shows or ordering your favourite in a cafe only while working"},"categories":["habits","motivation","exercise"]},{"uid":"hotel-hq","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hotel-hq","title":"Hotel HQ","summary":"Stay organised in your hotel room with this one weird tip. When arriving at a hotel room clear the desk and fold a bathroom towel or flannel to make a little square space and use it as a store for…","published":"2023-04-09T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-04-08T14:23:23+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e4680404-f38d-42eb-8bf2-9d233cb2d437_SP+816+-+Hotel+HQ.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Hotel HQ: using a folded flannel on a desk as a base for important bits like room keys and wallet"},"categories":["lifehack","travel"]},{"uid":"pyrrhic-victory","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pyrrhic-victory","title":"Pyrrhic victory","summary":"A Pyrrhic victory is one where your own losses or damage make it nearly as costly as defeat. Perhaps that business rival finally went out of business after you lowered prices so much that you can now…","published":"2023-04-02T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-02-27T10:53:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b5243183-325b-47da-ae9c-843e1546c6f6_SP+815+-+Pyrrhic+victory.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What does a Pyrrhic victory mean example: King Pyrrhus laments a victory that wasn't worth winning as he surveys the remains of his troops after a victory on the battlefield"},"categories":["quote","strategy","history","words","eponym","podcast"]},{"uid":"red-volcano-grey-volcano","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/red-volcano-grey-volcano","title":"Red volcano, grey volcano","summary":"While each volcano is unique they can largely be divided into red volcanoes and grey volcanoes. Red volcanoes typically have effusive eruptions dominated by the classic red-glowing lava flow or lava…","published":"2023-03-26T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-03-25T15:52:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ac1c8529-190a-4a7b-9e33-d1156a7c8cd7_SP+814+-+Red+volcano+grey+volcano+-+medium.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["geology","volcanoes","mountains","geography"]},{"uid":"braille","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/braille","title":"Braille","summary":"Braille is a tactile writing and reading system for the blind and visually impaired. It was invented by Louis Braille when just 15 in 1824. Respect! I don't know about you, but when I've tried…","published":"2023-03-19T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T12:54:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a34aef47-6800-458f-8751-a3365f87774a_SP+813+-+Braille.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Braille reading and writing system: the letters of the alphabet in english braille showing how it's constructed from 6 dots"},"categories":["language","writing","inclusion","eponym"]},{"uid":"ask-the-question","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ask-the-question","title":"Ask the question at talks","summary":"At times we've probably all been confused or struggled to understand a talk or a class. When I'm lost or confused my rule of thumb is to ask, even when it's not easy. The desire to understand what's…","published":"2023-03-12T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-03-07T16:50:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fb3760ac-2ec6-40d6-b47b-1e82eba17b0d_SP+812+-+Ask+the+question.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"A speaker is saved from confusing the listeners with a chart when one brave soul asks what on earth a TLA is"},"categories":["questions","advice","teaching","learning"]},{"uid":"apricity","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/apricity","title":"Apricity","summary":"It's hard to beat the feeling of the warmth of the winter sun on your face. There's a word for it too: apricity. Uplifting, hopeful, calming — even a few short moments to bask in an unexpected, weak…","published":"2023-03-05T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-09-26T15:09:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7618c016-4222-42b1-8a38-fe8c607ecbba_SP+811+-+Apricity+-+small.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Two people are loving soaking up the low winter rays of sun in a park"},"categories":["words","sun","wellbeing","temperature","nature"]},{"uid":"without-data","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/without-data","title":"Without data you're just another person with an opinion","summary":"Data avoids arguments. So does the willingness to seek out data. If none of us has data to share then we can't help but bring our own personal biases, preferences, and opinions to the table — anyone…","published":"2023-02-26T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-02-25T14:02:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/91a56409-7270-4693-a447-9f3c13522bdb_SP+810+-+Without+data.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"An employee is flummoxed by a set of opinions without data about how to proceed on a project"},"categories":["data","quote","business"]},{"uid":"attribution-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/attribution-bias","title":"Attribution bias","summary":"Attribution bias includes a set of more specific biases where we may attribute behaviour to fixed personality traits or characteristics of a person rather than specific circumstances or actions. For…","published":"2023-02-19T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c16fcc5d-8083-49ad-b216-b713faea8fdf_SP+809+-+Attribution+bias.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is attribution bias example explained: a parent consoling a child and correcting their attribution of winning and losing to the situation and actions not to personal traits"},"categories":["psychology","bias","parenting","kindness"]},{"uid":"advise-vs-advice","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/advise-vs-advice","title":"Advise vs advice and other s and c's","summary":"Is it advise or advice? Devise or device? And if you're using British English, license or licence, practise or practice? Verb vs noun Handily, the general practice is to use an 's' for the verb, and…","published":"2023-02-12T12:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-10-10T10:09:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7c9bc1d0-adc4-4e6d-ac60-9d2e38d84346_SP+808+-+Advise+Advice.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"When to use advise vs advice, licence vs license, practice or practice explained. 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"},"categories":["words","writing"]},{"uid":"fahrenheit-and-celsius","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fahrenheit-and-celsius","title":"Temperature Scales: Fahrenheit and Celsius","summary":"It's remarkable to think that for most of human history, there was no standard way to describe how hot or cold something was. The invention of temperature scales made it possible to quantify…","published":"2023-02-05T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-02-13T09:00:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5c1c9045-eedb-410e-a699-bcebeddf8d39_SP+807+-+Celsius+and+Fahrenheit.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The two primary temperature scales of Celsius and Fahrenheit side-by-side calling out water freezing, body temperature and water boiling"},"categories":["temperature","physics","ice","water","eponym","scale"]},{"uid":"redshift","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/redshift","title":"Redshift","summary":"Redshift refers to light being 'shifted' towards the redder end of the spectrum — longer wavelengths — as objects move away from each other. If a light source is moving towards us, then the light is…","published":"2023-01-29T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-09-29T09:41:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/dceb2e2d-eed5-4b46-95f0-04bbbc629cf4_SP+806+-+Redshift.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is redshift diagram: Astronomer watching the light of one star moving away being redshifted and one star moving towards being blueshifted"},"categories":["astronomy","physics","science","space","waves"]},{"uid":"optimism-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/optimism-bias","title":"Optimism bias","summary":"Optimism bias is believing things will turn out well despite past evidence or circumstances. It can be extremely helpful. It allows us to attempt things that many may deem impossible. It probably…","published":"2023-01-22T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/366f6a64-99fc-4bcf-9537-05e61b6349cd_SP+805+-+Optimism+bias.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Optimism bias example explained: A stunt rider overestimates their chance of leaping a canyon thanks to optimism bias. Various onlookers gasp. \"Huh\" says the rider"},"categories":["psychology","bias","entrepreneurship","endurance","kindness","podcast"]},{"uid":"ghost-grid","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ghost-grid","title":"Ghost grid","summary":"A ghost grid is a guide for organising thoughts, information and sketches, that doesn't compete with content. Content itself can also be the ghost grid to highlight changes and help draw comparisons…","published":"2023-01-15T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cd9fb633-ae78-478c-82d5-a32c06671e7e_SP+804+-+Ghost+grid.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Examples of a ghost grid: a lightly dotted grid, and a grid of ghostly houses so that extension options can clearly be seen"},"categories":["drawing","sketching","design","thinking-tool"]},{"uid":"phonetic-alphabet","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/phonetic-alphabet","title":"Phonetic alphabet","summary":"How do you avoid confusion when spelling things out verbally, particularly when the sound isn't clear or there may be background noise? So, for example, something like Y I V B D T doesn't…","published":"2023-01-08T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T15:14:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/046918f3-1a84-432b-9186-7bb83a565427_SP+803+-+Phonetic+alphabet.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What are the NATO phonetic alphabet words: helping two pilots correctly identify Y I V B D T which is easily misheard"},"categories":["communication","language","words","podcast"]},{"uid":"front-of-house-back-of-house","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/front-of-house-back-of-house","title":"Front of house, back of house","summary":"Don't compare your back-of-house with others' front-of-house. Usually, we only see others' front-of-house, and because we know all about our own house, it's easy to find ourselves comparing how we're…","published":"2023-01-01T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-10-01T09:23:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a1fc71cf-5567-48a2-86ce-6a5658e7b300_SP+802+-+Front+of+house+back+of+house.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"A parent and child entering an immaculate living room with perfectly behaved children unwisely find themselves comparing with their own chaotic house."},"categories":["parenting","wellbeing","anxiety","happiness"]},{"uid":"plan-ahead","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/plan-ahead","title":"Plan ahead","summary":"Plan ahead and avoid mistakes like this. Writing a card? Try air-writing first. 'Plan ahead' is also a nice example of a pleonasm. And I've lost count of how many times I've found this technique…","published":"2022-12-25T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-03-22T10:17:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/46d1d45e-7940-4f2c-a140-d981e34e5681_SP+801+-+Plan+Ahead+-+smaller.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["planning","strategy"]},{"uid":"phubbing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/phubbing","title":"Phubbing: What It Means and Why It Matters","summary":"Phubbing is snubbing people for your phone. We've probably all experienced it—heck, we've probably all done it at one point or another—or at least it's likely familiar. It could involve someone in a…","published":"2022-12-18T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-11-27T11:28:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bddb887e-917a-40b8-bfdf-959a5f90aeec_SP+800+-+Phubbing.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is phubbing - snubbing someone or ignoring them for your phone - example: 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"},"categories":["words","tech","relationships","podcast"]},{"uid":"parts-of-a-circle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/parts-of-a-circle","title":"Parts of a circle","summary":"A recap of some of the fundamental parts of a circle, including some that are easy to forget: Diameter — a line crossing the circle through its centre. Also the longest straight line you can draw in…","published":"2022-12-11T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/81940056-49a7-401d-9374-1ab229197aa0_SP+799+-+Parts+of+a+circle.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"A circle with a number of its mathematical parts labelled. And someone trying to climb up the tangent."},"categories":["mathematics","refresher"]},{"uid":"sharpen-the-saw","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sharpen-the-saw","title":"Sharpen the saw","summary":"Sharpen the saw is a metaphor and story to remind us to refresh and recharge ourselves. When you're deep in, it may feel like you have no time to pause. No time to take a break, there's too much to…","published":"2022-12-04T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-05-09T22:34:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/af-1KqYofJOwHCP1_SP798-Sharpenthesaw.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Sharpen the Saw principle by Stephen Covey from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People about not having time to stop and sharpen the saw because you are too busy cutting, and the importance of rest, renewal and self-improvement"},"categories":["advice","productivity","wellbeing","metaphor","habits","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-metrics-onion","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-metrics-onion","title":"The metrics onion","summary":"Metrics are like an onion: full of layers. A simple question to ask can often be complicated to answer. Or we may find that we need to ask a different question. While it'd be lovely to have one…","published":"2022-11-27T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c5d73c3c-d340-4bc3-8319-8aec31e806f0_SP+797+-+The+metrics+onion.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Peeling away the intent and subtlety behind what seems a simple metric. Next to an onion."},"categories":["data","analytics","food-and-drink","metaphor","statistics"]},{"uid":"bus-factor","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/bus-factor","title":"Bus factor","summary":"The bus factor is how exposed you are if key people, perhaps with critical knowledge or skills, were hit by a bus. Examples might include the only people able to keep a company running, restore a…","published":"2022-11-20T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/67a14065-777b-458e-9161-6a5e706d8ab1_SP+796+-+Bus+factor.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The bus factor summary - A poor soul squashed by a bus lamented because they were the only one who knew the password"},"categories":["software-development","risk","business","design","management","product-management"]},{"uid":"ma","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ma","title":"Ma","summary":"Ma is the negative space — the space that makes the whole. Formed by the rather beautiful Chinese characters of 'Door' and 'Sun', like the sun gleaming through a doorway, it represents what isn't…","published":"2022-11-13T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-11-28T16:55:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/addcc7a2-5b81-4786-b495-2dcd8ee31e8d_Ma+-+reflection+-+kayaker.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Ma sketch: a kayaker glides through a calm lake with a shoreline reflection on a moody grey day"},"categories":["japan","art","drawing","music"]},{"uid":"heating-people-heating-spaces","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/heating-people-heating-spaces","title":"Heating people, heating spaces","summary":"With well-insulated houses and central heating as standard, I always grew up with heating the space as how you stay warm in the winter. A colleague once shared with me that where he'd lived, they…","published":"2022-11-06T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2022-11-15T17:42:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ee655b49-63de-4ccc-ab41-30dd3b7ea820_SP+794+-+Heating+people+heating+spaces.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Two houses showing different approaches to heating: heating people and heating spaces"},"categories":["sustainability","energy","framework","design","japan"]},{"uid":"orb-spider-web","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/orb-spider-web","title":"A common orb spider web","summary":"I've always been fascinated by how a tiny spider can create a web spanning a gap where climbing and dragging a thread across the floor would be impossible, maybe between trees, from a building to a…","published":"2022-10-30T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:33:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3d1b0f78-24b0-445f-893f-78a309108150_SP+793+-+Orb+spider+web+-+animation.gif?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"A spider constructing a common orb spider web"},"categories":["nature","design","animation","animals"]},{"uid":"in-theory","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/in-theory","title":"In theory, practice is the same as theory, but not in practice","summary":"Anyone who's tried their hand at research, built some software, or even run a kid's birthday party may relate to this idea: In theory, practice is the same as theory, but not in practice. (Or in…","published":"2022-10-23T15:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f5c75dfa-53a0-46a7-8ae4-4c840af97c6d_SP+792+-+In+theory+practice+is+the+same+as+theory.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"In theory practice is the same as theory, but not in practice, or In theory practise is the same as theory, but not in practise - confused parents wondering at babies not sleeping"},"categories":["quote","advice","software-development"]},{"uid":"groupthink","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/groupthink","title":"Groupthink","summary":"Groupthink arises from the desire of a group to maintain harmony and consensus. Groupthink can reduce the diversity of ideas and opinions — people can seek to avoid conflict, or avoid expressing…","published":"2022-10-16T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/643ae602-7e71-453e-9c0c-7fe132c5b78e_SP+791+-+Groupthink.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Groupthink: People acquiescing to the manager's and what they see as others' views during a meeting"},"categories":["psychology","creativity","business","sociology","management","product-management","podcast"]},{"uid":"halfalogue","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/halfalogue","title":"Halfalogue","summary":"You know that time when you couldn't concentrate at all because of someone having a phone conversation right next to you? It's the trouble with a halfalogue. Hearing only one side of a conversation,…","published":"2022-10-09T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2022-10-04T15:14:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a24eac1c-e08d-4b9d-88b6-78133e6696dd_SP+790+-+Dialogue+Monologue+Halfalogue.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Two people enjoying a dialogue, one falling asleep to a monologue, and one being distracted from their book by a halfalogue"},"categories":["words","psychology","communication","technology"]},{"uid":"pleonasm","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pleonasm","title":"Pleonasm","summary":"A pleonasm is using redundant words, often in established phrases or idioms. I tried to write something to explain it, but it's hard to beat this excellent excerpt by the comedian George Carlin from…","published":"2022-10-02T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-04-13T15:54:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/949b7b1f-cb27-4878-bbaa-c6a8ac1452c8_SP+789+-+Pleonasm.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What does pleonasm mean? An unexpected surprise seeing a personal friend in a museum with exact replicas and free gifts"},"categories":["words","writing","grammar","podcast"]},{"uid":"give-privacy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/give-privacy","title":"It's easier to give privacy than to find it","summary":"Often, it's easier to give privacy than it is to find it. This is often true in the great outdoors. If you can't easily find privacy then it's good to have an attitude among your group to give…","published":"2022-09-25T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2022-09-22T20:19:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aa28c324-20a1-4d41-8dd2-04d6d4e44916_SP+788+-+Easier+to+give+privacy.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Two people on a desert island trying to find some privacy"},"categories":["privacy","nature","hiking"]},{"uid":"clear-is-kind","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/clear-is-kind","title":"Clear is kind","summary":"Being clear is not just being helpful. It's actually being kind. Being unclear about expectations, fuzzy on what you really need, or skirting around an issue, is actually unkind — it sets people up…","published":"2022-09-18T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-12-09T11:04:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ad962647-27eb-4abf-8609-3a833d10f862_SP+787+-+Clear+is+kind.gif?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What Clear is Kind means example with someone explaining clear is kind and not being clear along the way"},"categories":["leadership","management","relationships","kindness","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"veblen-goods","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/veblen-goods","title":"Veblen goods","summary":"Most things increase in demand as they get cheaper — as the price of electric cars comes down we can expect more people to buy more of them. Veblen goods are the opposite. They thrive on exclusivity.…","published":"2022-09-11T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:21:22+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/14bdf205-0234-48e4-99ff-f2a2e4c7a76d_SP+786+-+Veblen+good.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["economics","eponym"]},{"uid":"maslows-hierarchy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/maslows-hierarchy","title":"Maslow's hierarchy of needs","summary":"Maslow's hierarchy of needs, or Maslow's pyramid of needs, was created as the basis for a theory of human motivation by the psychologist Abraham Maslow shared in a 1943 paper. He was interested in…","published":"2022-09-04T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9757b79c-724f-4faf-8ffd-306b3540748d_SP+785+-+Maslow%E2%80%99s+hierarchy.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The side of a pyramid of needs: physiological, safety, love-belonging, esteem, self-actualization"},"categories":["psychology","framework","eponym"]},{"uid":"fungible-non-fungible","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fungible-non-fungible","title":"Fungible - non-fungible","summary":"What are Fungible Goods? Fungible goods are mutually interchangeable in that, in principle, you could swap in any unit for any other unit of the same type or kind, and it would be equivalent. Money…","published":"2022-08-28T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T15:30:27+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e8812903-27c2-4ddf-ad59-d3dda0bde0ff_SP+784+-+Fungible+non-fungible.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is the meaning of fungible and non-fungible goods with examples"},"categories":["economics","money","podcast"]},{"uid":"first-draft","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/first-draft","title":"The first draft is always perfect","summary":"The magic of a first draft is that the first draft is always perfect. It doesn't matter if it's rubbish, if it's messy, if it doesn't flow, if it lacks personality, or if it won't work. The job of a…","published":"2022-08-21T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-08-05T14:31:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a2708ef1-c897-4287-8758-f48e6811037a_SP+783+-+The+first+draft+is+always+perfect.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The first draft is always perfect: A person creating multiple drafts of a sketch before reaching the one that hangs on the wall"},"categories":["creativity","writing","design","innovation","inspiration","starting","motivation","reframe"]},{"uid":"ponderosa-pine-fire-protections","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ponderosa-pine-fire-protections","title":"Ponderosa pine fire protections","summary":"Many trees and forests were built to live with fire and in many cases, fire is essential for a healthy ecosystem. Giant sequoias, for example, have cones that dry out during surface fires releasing…","published":"2022-08-14T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2022-08-15T00:02:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1c525b74-995b-40bc-912e-82b0d1330b2a_SP+782+-+Ponderosa+fire+protections.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Ponderosa pine and its bark listing out some of the fire protections it has"},"categories":["trees","forest","nature"]},{"uid":"kintsugi","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/kintsugi","title":"Kintsugi","summary":"Kintsugi is the repair of a ceramic item, perhaps a bowl or vase, with a bright gold seam. Like wabi sabi, kintsugi reflects a view that wear and use of an object adds value rather than detracts.…","published":"2022-08-07T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-03-13T13:56:28+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/afc30a9d-1d4d-47fa-b73e-36dc27c3b14f_SP+781+-+Kintsugi.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Kintsugi: A bowl repaired with kintsugi with bright gold seams visible next to a flower"},"categories":["words","mindfulness","beauty","japan"]},{"uid":"the-flash-to-bang-method","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-flash-to-bang-method","title":"Flash-to-bang method","summary":"How far away is the storm? The flash-to-bang method can help. When lightning is made by a storm the rapid heating and expansion of the air create the thunderclap. But because sound travels slower…","published":"2022-07-31T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:28+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/35040311-932b-42d4-b769-5bdb4904e7e3_SP+780+-+Flash-to-bang+method.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Two hikers look at distant lightning and count how long it takes to hear the thunder to estimate how far the lightning is away"},"categories":["weather","physics","geography"]},{"uid":"heat-islands","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/heat-islands","title":"Urban heat islands","summary":"The urban heat island effect is the phenomenon where urban areas have higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas with more greenery. What causes heat islands? Urban heat islands are caused by…","published":"2022-07-24T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-13T09:48:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/802780b3-a8ed-43c1-9bb0-57431fb4bdfc_SP+779+-+Heat+islands.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"An urban area next to a more natural rural area showing how the urban area gets hotter than the surrounding land"},"categories":["climate","weather","geography","nature","temperature","trees","podcast"]},{"uid":"happy-talk-must-die","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/happy-talk-must-die","title":"Happy talk must die","summary":"Happy talk is fluff and often self-congratulatory promotional talk, usually intended to be friendly but generally just getting in the way of people trying to get a job done. On the web, and to be…","published":"2022-07-17T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-15T10:55:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c81c3a83-8e63-4cd6-8897-5db5cff7b85f_SP+778+-+Happy+talk+must+die.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Happy Talk Must Die example: explained with an example web page with lots of useless happy talk and a person thinking blah blah as they look for the payments button"},"categories":["writing","design","usability"]},{"uid":"black-swan","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/black-swan","title":"Black swan events","summary":"A swan in Europe was a white swan. So, naturally, swans were thought of as only white by Europeans until news came from travelers to Australia in the late 1600s where black swans are in fact…","published":"2022-07-10T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/652a891d-3887-4fe2-b62e-3c3d66b07faf_SP+777+-+Black+swan.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Two people walk through many white swans before bumping into a black swan. One claims it was obvious all along."},"categories":["economics","behavioral-economics","animals"]},{"uid":"only-dead-fish","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/only-dead-fish","title":"Only dead fish go with the flow","summary":"Only dead fish go with the flow. To me, this is a nice reminder to swim your path in life and be true to yourself. I heard about this from Patricia Ryan Madson in her book Improv Wisdom, and she, in…","published":"2022-07-03T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-01-26T15:41:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/45419b91-30d0-4b62-86bb-0f1ea5c4ab4f_SP+776+-+Only+dead+fish+-+smaller.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Only dead fish go with the flow quote. 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."},"categories":["nature","inspiration","wisdom","podcast"]},{"uid":"fixing-bugs","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fixing-bugs","title":"The cost of fixing bugs","summary":"Just as mistakes and the unexpected are part of life, bugs are part of software development. In general, the longer the time between when a bug was first introduced and when the bug is identified and…","published":"2022-06-26T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/61eb251d-ae49-46f0-8887-30e9b081c4de_SP+775+-+The+cost+to+fix+bugs.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The cost of fixing bugs: Chart showing how the cost to fix bugs rises the longer you leave before fixing them"},"categories":["software-development","product-management"]},{"uid":"stand-sit-lie","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/stand-sit-lie","title":"Stand sit lie","summary":"It's an old cycling mantra for recovery: If you're standing, sit down. If you're sitting, lie down. It's something I like to keep in mind after a big workout, particularly on the legs — get the…","published":"2022-06-19T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2022-06-19T22:57:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e6582ed2-ed48-41ad-b73e-937b243e28c6_SP+774+-+Stand+sit+lie.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"A drawing of 3 people resting on a cycle, one standing, one sitting, one lying down"},"categories":["health","cycling","endurance","sport"]},{"uid":"extrinsic-motivation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/extrinsic-motivation","title":"Extrinsic motivation","summary":"Extrinsic motivation is the carrot or the stick — when the motivation for doing something is an IF/THEN reward or punishment. We use extrinsic motivation all the time like paying people to come into…","published":"2022-06-12T11:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b3c548b0-71ab-48c5-8c6e-e14bf07d6ac5_SP+773+-+Extrinsic+motivation.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["motivation","psychology","productivity","management","business","leadership","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"hybrid-meetings","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hybrid-meetings","title":"Hybrid meetings","summary":"A hybrid meeting is when some participants are in-person, using shared equipment, and some are remote using their own. Generally speaking, hybrid meetings have a number of disadvantages you may have…","published":"2022-06-05T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:07:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1821e36d-722b-41c6-98ce-ab53c466b40d_SP+772+-+Hybrid+meetings.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"A meeting with some in-person participants and one remote participant showing the disadvantages of each"},"categories":["productivity","business","management"]},{"uid":"because","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/because","title":"Because","summary":"It's an old study now known as the photocopier study. The experiment had the experimenter try to cut in line at a copy machine at a University campus. The researchers found that when the ask was…","published":"2022-05-29T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:44+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4c8e497a-17c1-454b-a5b4-f54ec51229e2_SP+771+-+Because.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Someone asks to cut in line at the photocopier with a lame reason - but the favour and reason combo mean the person mindlessly complies"},"categories":["psychology"]},{"uid":"the-tyranny-of-small-decisions","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-tyranny-of-small-decisions","title":"The tyranny of small decisions","summary":"The tyranny of small decisions is the challenge we face when many individual decisions, when taken together, result in an outcome that is suboptimal or that the group as a whole doesn’t want. Say…","published":"2022-05-22T19:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-03-13T14:12:27+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/eb443c45-f2f2-44d3-ae29-5cdf3ee5e380_SP+770+-+The+tyranny+of+small+decisions.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["behavioral-economics","behavioral-economics"]},{"uid":"banner-cloud","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/banner-cloud","title":"Banner cloud","summary":"Banner clouds can form on the side of a high or exposed peak and seem to stick to the mountain face like a banner, even on an otherwise cloudless day. There are several theories for how they form but…","published":"2022-05-15T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fd005286-a295-48e5-b8e2-5854ce653241_SP+769+-+Banner+cloud.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["weather","mountains","physics"]},{"uid":"sneaky-averages","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sneaky-averages","title":"Sneaky averages","summary":"There's an old story about the statistician who drowned after seeing that the average depth was 3ft. Averages, or in this case the mean, necessarily hide some data, but very often they also hide…","published":"2022-05-08T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c6e801bc-c87d-449c-bbae-c3a0621939ea_SP+768+-+Sneaky+averages.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Sneaky averages: A statistician sinking in the deep part of a pond by a sign saying the average depth is 3ft"},"categories":["mathematics","statistics","analytics","data","product-management","podcast"]},{"uid":"chaos-monkey","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/chaos-monkey","title":"Chaos monkey","summary":"The chaos monkey is a smart piece of software and a brilliant idea from engineers at Netflix. The chaos monkey deliberately switches off servers in live environments at random. It takes the pain of…","published":"2022-05-01T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a5370906-c352-4ab8-a9b3-4a96a7b2e302_SP+767+-+Chaos+monkey.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["software-development","animals"]},{"uid":"challenge-questions","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/challenge-questions","title":"Challenge questions","summary":"Two types of questions you might face when presenting are Clarification questions and Challenge questions. Clarification questions are usually pretty simple — someone is curious or didn't understand…","published":"2022-04-24T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:28+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/97dd4243-cf07-4ac0-a900-9d4a2ea5888b_SP+766+-+Challenge+questions.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C3508%2C3507&w=1200&h=3507","alt":"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"},"categories":["leadership","questions","listening"]},{"uid":"reasons-stop-mattering","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/reasons-stop-mattering","title":"Reasons stop mattering","summary":"I've read that Steve Jobs used to tell a story to new VPs about a janitor and a CEO. If you were the janitor and were asked to clean an office, it's reasonable to have not cleaned it if you found the…","published":"2022-04-17T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-12-09T11:12:32+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cd2e9481-bcc6-4620-a9a1-f134112bdacf_SP+765+-+The+janitor+and+the+CEO.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The janitor and the CEO story inspired by Steve Jobs illustrating how reasons stop mattering somewhere between the janitor and the CEO"},"categories":["wisdom","quote","leadership","management","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"one-size-fits-men","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/one-size-fits-men","title":"One-size-fits-men","summary":"We're all different sizes, and there is no one-size-fits-all, but when it comes to the chosen size it turns out that that size mostly fits men better. Caroline Criado Perez in her book Invisible…","published":"2022-04-10T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-05-17T15:13:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0e665922-0c23-4627-a336-4ccd011ef6ed_SP+764+-+One+size+fits+men.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"One-size-fits-men summary: Piano keyboard showing different handspan widths and that standard keyboards advantage larger handspans"},"categories":["bias","music","design","inclusion","equity"]},{"uid":"chestertons-fence","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/chestertons-fence","title":"Chesterton's fence","summary":"Chesterton's fence put simply is: Don't take a fence down unless you know why it was put up. It is tempting, in a spirit of progress, to want to do away with old designs, laws, policies, or…","published":"2022-04-03T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-11-12T16:16:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4ad84bfb-f64d-4d8f-b726-6f2dabde2d19_SP+563+-+Chesterton%E2%80%99s+fence.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is Chesterton's fence example explained: the meaning of Chesterton's Fence shown by two people contemplating a barbed wire fence stretching through rolling hills and wondering why on earth someone put a fence there, unaware of the large animal down the slope"},"categories":["innovation","law","business","wisdom","eponym","kindness"]},{"uid":"correlation-is-not-causation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/correlation-is-not-causation","title":"Correlation is not causation","summary":"When we notice two things change with each other — sunny days and ice cream sales, or player height and goals scored — it's natural to think that one thing is the cause of the other. And it's only a…","published":"2022-03-27T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f1f6cafb-6444-453f-a5c5-8f603ab41a23_SP+562+-+Correlation+is+not+causation.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["statistics","data","animals"]},{"uid":"short-words","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/short-words","title":"Short words are best","summary":"Whenever I find that I've accidentally written 'proceed' instead of 'carry on', 'affirmative' instead of 'yes', or 'convene' instead of 'meet' I try to remember Churchill's wise words: \"Short words…","published":"2022-03-20T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-02-28T22:07:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6787297d-2f64-40a9-9f2c-1a31826097f1_SP+561+-+Short+words.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["quote","writing"]},{"uid":"for-want-of-a-nail","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/for-want-of-a-nail","title":"For want of a nail","summary":"An ode to the importance of little things. This classic poem memorably paints a picture of how small details can matter, and how small changes can make a difference. Taking that extra bit of care,…","published":"2022-03-13T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e454ac73-6163-4b74-bf80-9e934de35b64_SP+560+-+For+want+of+a+nail.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["poem","design","animals","entrepreneurship","productivity"]},{"uid":"mobius-strip","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/mobius-strip","title":"Möbius strip","summary":"Möbius strip: the mindbending shape with only one side. It's very simple to create: take a long piece of paper, give one end a 180-degree twist and then stick the ends together. The simple shape just…","published":"2022-03-06T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a93d784d-dd12-4ab5-b603-0401c96520a7_SP+759+Mobius+strip+-+animation.gif?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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.  "},"categories":["mathematics","animation","eponym"]},{"uid":"dont-fill-the-silence","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dont-fill-the-silence","title":"Don't fill the silence","summary":"It's easy to want to fill an awkward silence. However, a pause in conversation is often a time for reflection. When conducting research, and maybe even in normal conversations, try to trust your…","published":"2022-02-27T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/777f7298-a8b5-4aad-b778-ff70d8c14a54_SP+758+-+Don%E2%80%99t+fill+the+silence.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["research","questions","listening","podcast"]},{"uid":"short-speeches","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/short-speeches","title":"Short speeches","summary":"Supposedly when asked how long it took to prepare his speeches, President Woodrow Wilson said: “That depends on the length of the speech. If it is a 10-minute speech, it takes me all of two weeks to…","published":"2022-02-20T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1b0493f5-1b80-423e-bd80-f2fe6385bdff_SP+757+-+Short+speeches.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["quote","charts"]},{"uid":"physics-envy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/physics-envy","title":"Physics Envy","summary":"Physics envy refers to the wish that a field of study would turn out to be as precise, as predictable, as repeatable, and as amenable to modeling and theory that replicates practice as physics is. As…","published":"2022-02-13T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-03-13T15:07:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3d549825-c4c3-4cb6-8572-067d9f1e5fee_SP+756+-+Physics+envy.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Physics envy: a football coach looks on exasperated as none of his young team play according to the plan"},"categories":["physics","economics","behavioral-economics","psychology","science","sport"]},{"uid":"features-are-like-pets","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/features-are-like-pets","title":"Features are like pets","summary":"When adding features to a software product it's easy to underestimate the overall time and cost they may take up. To keep the full impact in mind it can be helpful to think of Features As Pets. When…","published":"2022-02-06T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6d28a3ad-c54d-417d-aaf0-efeea6b0f2e1_SP+755+-+Features+are+like+pets.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["design","software-development","business"]},{"uid":"dont-ask-the-barber-if-you-need-a-haircut","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dont-ask-the-barber-if-you-need-a-haircut","title":"Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut","summary":"\"Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut\" is a simple reminder that asking someone with a vested interest in the outcome isn't likely to lead to an unbiased answer—\"Do you need a haircut? Of…","published":"2022-01-30T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a52bbd70-a51d-4a5a-84f3-79c672152e3d_SP+754+-+Don%E2%80%99t+ask+the+barber+if+you+need+a+haircut.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut - quote from Warren Buffet and others"},"categories":["quote","advice","bias","money"]},{"uid":"sankey-diagram","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sankey-diagram","title":"Sankey diagram","summary":"Sankey diagrams are handy ways to visualise material or energy flows through usage and time. They are excellent for displaying energy source and usage, for example the UK government publishes a…","published":"2022-01-23T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:04:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6cbf3cc2-1913-4bc5-8f6c-b54ce2bd7905_SP+753+-+Sankey+diagram.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["data","infographics","charts","eponym"]},{"uid":"rhyme-as-reason-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rhyme-as-reason-effect","title":"The Rhyme As Reason Effect","summary":"The Rhyme As Reason Effect suggests that we're more likely to consider something as accurate or truthful when it rhymes. In a lovely study that asked people to consider the accuracy of both rhyming…","published":"2022-01-16T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f839ab7d-5a81-47a7-b5db-d345e0e355ff_SP+752+-+Rhyme+as+reason+effect.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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.  "},"categories":["effect","writing","psychology"]},{"uid":"reef-knot-and-clove-hitch","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/reef-knot-and-clove-hitch","title":"Reef knot and clove hitch","summary":"A refresh for basic guiding and scouting skills — two satisfying and simple, but not secure, knots: the reef knot, or square knot, and the clove hitch. The reef knot was also known to the ancient…","published":"2022-01-09T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-03-01T11:20:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4c338cb9-d290-4568-8d75-8a5dfc20ad88_SP+751+-+Reef+knot+and+clove+hitch.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["knots"]},{"uid":"kitty-hawk-moment","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/kitty-hawk-moment","title":"Kitty Hawk moment","summary":"On 17 December 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright brothers took the first short flights in their Wright Flyer. It's the original Kitty Hawk moment: when the impossible becomes possible.…","published":"2022-01-02T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/afb1b5b6-2a5b-483e-9bf9-822f847c4d4d_SP+750+-+Kitty+Hawk+moment.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["innovation","transport","creativity","inspiration"]},{"uid":"redundant-words","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/redundant-words","title":"Micro-editing redundant words","summary":"When writing for the web every word counts. We scan pages, instructions, and emails, sometimes skipping reading completely. So it's key to make sure that every word is doing a job. Over the years I…","published":"2021-12-26T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-03-01T11:19:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5bb2493a-bca5-4a01-aaa8-ada1a748c0d8_SP+749+-+Micro-editing+redundant+words.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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! "},"categories":["writing","words","ux"]},{"uid":"the-cave-you-fear-to-enter","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-cave-you-fear-to-enter","title":"The cave you fear to enter","summary":"There's a lot of wisdom in this thought from Joseph Campbell: The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. After all, if it was the easy path, if it wasn't the place we hadn't yet looked…","published":"2021-12-19T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2022-10-10T12:03:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2a694262-e9b0-4f11-9536-592bddefc7be_SP+748+-+The+cave+you+fear+to+enter+-+smaller.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Someone exploring the mouth of a large, dark cave where they can see a mysterious light"},"categories":["wisdom","quote"]},{"uid":"leading-lagging-metrics","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/leading-lagging-metrics","title":"Leading and lagging metrics","summary":"Lagging metrics are usually the ones we care about most. In business, they're things like revenue, sales, or profit. The trouble is, we can't act always act on those directly. By the time we assess…","published":"2021-12-12T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-03-26T15:10:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e7398d3d-67d3-4f91-8fb2-afe5991257ef_SP+747+-+Leading+lagging+metrics.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Leading metrics and lagging metrics: illustrated by diet and exercise as a leading metric with weight loss as the lagging metric"},"categories":["data","business","analytics","product-management","business"]},{"uid":"joy-and-vulnerability","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/joy-and-vulnerability","title":"Joy and vulnerability","summary":"To feel great joy we have to be ready to feel vulnerable. I found this counterintuitive. As Brené Brown shares, if we can't tolerate joy, if we're not open to being vulnerable, we can find ourselves…","published":"2021-12-05T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-15T10:51:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/82fb0b0d-2b7a-4244-bc34-98e6975907c7_SP+746+-+Joy+the+most+vulnerable+emotion.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["emotions","happiness","parenting"]},{"uid":"hump-back-stations","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hump-back-stations","title":"Hump-back stations","summary":"A rather clever way of capturing energy as vehicles slow down is to store the energy you'd use in braking as gravitational energy. This way of storing energy is used on a number of central London…","published":"2021-11-28T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-03-01T11:34:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bbfa71cc-2012-4978-82f3-72bf806e7c9e_SP+745+-+Hump-back+stations.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["energy","sustainability","transport","london"]},{"uid":"time-hierarchy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/time-hierarchy","title":"Time hierarchy","summary":"A time hierarchy example is how durable dynamic systems have elements, or layers, that change at different rates. Just like for pace layers, the fast layers that change quickly provide innovation,…","published":"2021-11-21T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-11-14T14:35:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5193ea12-dccf-41a7-93dd-4db473b0f1ed_SP+744+-+Time+hierarchy.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is a time Hierarchy example explained: 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. "},"categories":["time","nature","mountains","trees","innovation","technology","forest"]},{"uid":"flotsam-jetsam","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/flotsam-jetsam","title":"Flotsam and jetsam","summary":"I'd never heard the words flotsam and jetsam used in any way but together so had always assumed it was a term to mean general debris floating in the water or washed up. It turns out they have…","published":"2021-11-14T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T15:15:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cd6bbca3-95df-449a-828c-5f32a95c9345_SP+473+-+Flotsam+and+jetsam.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is the meaning of 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). "},"categories":["sea","words","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-rule-of-7","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-rule-of-7","title":"The rule of 7","summary":"The rule of 7 is an idea in marketing that it can take hearing a message 7 times before we might take action. Apparently the rule is from early movie marketing and while I don't know if I'd rely on…","published":"2021-11-07T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bba61026-cf3b-417c-8157-34d37ae37262_SP+742+-+The+Rule+of+7.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["marketing","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"sonic-boom","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sonic-boom","title":"Sonic boom","summary":"Sonic booms are the noise heard when an object travels at or faster than the speed of sound. As an object travels through the air it pushes air out of the way creating a shockwave — like the wake of…","published":"2021-10-31T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/120542e6-2f5e-4aec-98be-5aa862bfd88c_SP+741+-+Sonic+boom.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["transport","sound","physics"]},{"uid":"primary-metaphor","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/primary-metaphor","title":"Primary metaphor","summary":"One of the few books I've read all in one sitting is Metaphors We Live By, by George Lakoff. It was so fascinating learning how some of the most fundamental concepts we use to govern our lives are…","published":"2021-10-24T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-11-28T11:38:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/190ad72f-b0d5-4201-9d28-72219db16b5c_SP+740+-+Primary+metaphor+animation+-+long.gif?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["metaphor","language","thinking"]},{"uid":"settlement-patterns","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/settlement-patterns","title":"Settlement patterns","summary":"I like these common settlement patterns — look out for them. Nucleated settlements, or clustered settlements, gather around one or more central hubs like a church or a square. Linear settlements form…","published":"2021-10-17T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-03-01T12:28:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8947543e-7ff2-4872-8018-3abb7d54ce3f_SP+739+-+Settlement+patterns.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["geography"]},{"uid":"be-open-to-be-changed","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/be-open-to-be-changed","title":"Be open to be changed","summary":"It's all too easy. Someone's talking with you and you make a connection to a story to share or a solution to give. From that point on it's so easy to switch off from what they're sharing with you and…","published":"2021-10-10T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-03-01T12:34:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aea8982f-dff5-4ef3-9e1a-791382afafba_SP+738+-+Be+open+to+be+changed.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["advice","improvisation"]},{"uid":"brilliance-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/brilliance-bias","title":"Brilliance bias","summary":"Brilliance bias is the tendency for people to think of 'brilliance' as generally a male trait. With fewer women generally recorded in the history books, the brilliant people that come to mind from a…","published":"2021-10-03T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:56:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c6d76358-2b01-46ce-9bcd-da0e3431f6f6_SP+737+-+Brilliance+bias.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Brilliance bias: A group of people in a gallery of portraits of famous people lament that the brilliant women were forgotten again"},"categories":["psychology","education","science","mathematics","inclusion","equity"]},{"uid":"front-stage-back-stage","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/front-stage-back-stage","title":"Front stage, back stage","summary":"Most of us behave differently in a flashy restaurant than we do in a job interview or at a funeral. We naturally tune our behaviour to our audience and environment. As part of the metaphor of Life As…","published":"2021-09-26T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T15:23:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1e79de97-746f-4dbb-a9d0-1d6656cfef08_SP+736+-+Front+stage+back+stage.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is the Front stage back stage metaphor example: the Irving Goffman metaphor of life as theater illustrated with a couple and a waiter at a fancy restaurant"},"categories":["metaphor","sociology","podcast"]},{"uid":"russells-teapot","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/russells-teapot","title":"Russell's Teapot","summary":"Russell's teapot is a memorable example illustrating how, if you are going to make claims that are difficult to verify, the burden of proof lies on the one making a claim — not on any skeptics to…","published":"2021-09-19T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:03:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cad9eef9-c37d-47c4-83c2-29a01e8318c5_SP+735+-+Russell%E2%80%99s+teapot.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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.\""},"categories":["philosophy","religion","space","astronomy","eponym"]},{"uid":"content-drift","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/content-drift","title":"Content drift","summary":"Content drift is how a piece of linked content may change over time such that what was once linked may in fact now be very different. An article you link to may be corrected, opinions may be changed,…","published":"2021-09-12T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:33+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d98583a7-864b-44b3-a9e4-36a63653671f_SP+734+-+Content+drift.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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! "},"categories":["animals","data"]},{"uid":"altruism-and-ambition","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/altruism-and-ambition","title":"Altruism and ambition","summary":"The twin engines of altruism and ambition are a powerful force for positive change in the world. They need to be balanced. Ambition without altruism and change may not be positive and altruism…","published":"2021-09-05T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-05-14T15:04:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/db66dc39-cdc9-481d-9a18-274a06f53144_SP+733+-+Altruism+and+ambition.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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\". "},"categories":["entrepreneurship","business","wisdom"]},{"uid":"blooms-taxonomy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/blooms-taxonomy","title":"Bloom's Taxonomy","summary":"Bloom's taxonomy has 6 levels of increasingly sophisticated thinking skills. It was originally developed in a slightly different form to here for classifying educational objectives and with…","published":"2021-08-29T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-10-09T15:52:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6786d6c5-fa04-467a-9d11-601ffe9caf82_SP+732+-+Bloom%E2%80%99s+Taxonomy+%28revised%29.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Blooms Taxonomy explanation: 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. "},"categories":["learning","education","framework","eponym"]},{"uid":"bodmas","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/bodmas","title":"BODMAS","summary":"School mathematics refresher: when faced with a calculation that looks like it could be tackled multiple ways, use BODMAS to help clear it up (See PEMDAS at the end). BODMAS is an acronym (as opposed…","published":"2021-08-22T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/74d7f90a-9ef3-409c-bad8-311b60818419_SP+731+-+BODMAS.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Figuring out the order of operations in a calculation using BODMAS (or PEMDAS)"},"categories":["mathematics","refresher"]},{"uid":"prints-and-performances","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/prints-and-performances","title":"Prints and performances","summary":"\"This negative is the score. The print is the performance.\" This memorable analogy is from Ansel Adams, one of the foremost American photographers. From the negative captured by the camera, Ansel…","published":"2021-08-15T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-05-19T07:34:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/91078df3-7f50-4c8e-b133-09e8ebda7e7b_SP+730+-+Ansel+Adams+-+smaller.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["quote","mountains","nature","photography","music"]},{"uid":"gini-coefficient","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/gini-coefficient","title":"The Gini coefficient","summary":"The Gini coefficient, or Gini index, is a common way to gauge income or wealth inequality within a population. The coefficient gives a single number showing how equal a distribution is. For example,…","published":"2021-08-08T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:12:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/497b6c0b-09ee-4478-9620-facd994bd05c_SP+729+-+Gini+coefficient.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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! "},"categories":["economics","eponym","money","inclusion"]},{"uid":"ablaut-reduplication","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ablaut-reduplication","title":"Ablaut reduplication","summary":"English speakers will almost always find: a flip-flop is more natural than a flop-flip a pitter-patter of tiny feet is more natural than a patter-pitter of tiny feet and a tick-tock is more natural…","published":"2021-08-01T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-08T10:41:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7bc7e8f7-8e37-45f2-86b9-28bca16d75f5_SP+728+-+Ablaut+reduplication.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is Ablaut reduplication example explained: showing zig-zag, hip-hop, and splish-splash-splosh"},"categories":["words","writing","language"]},{"uid":"the-front-page-test","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-front-page-test","title":"The front page test","summary":"The front page test is a handy thought experiment for your decision-making ethics: how would you feel if your actions were on the front page of a major newspaper? Would you squirm or would you stand…","published":"2021-07-25T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-07-01T11:24:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2adda655-88ab-4de3-b077-0c35a3e00336_SP+727+-+The+front+page+test.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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? "},"categories":[]},{"uid":"yak-shaving","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/yak-shaving","title":"Yak shaving","summary":"Yak shaving describes how when setting out to do something, you found you had to first do something else, which needed you to finish this other thing, and so on until you found yourself shaving a…","published":"2021-07-18T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZtWTjEaF0TcGJqtO_SP726-Yakshaving-revised-smaller.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is yak shaving and what does it mean example: someone looks on confused as another explains the convoluted story which led to them sitting there shaving a yak, just like solving problems in software development"},"categories":["productivity","product-management","software-development","podcast","animals"]},{"uid":"context-is-king","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/context-is-king","title":"Context is king","summary":"It's been called the expectation effect. Is it a B or a 13? It appears that how we see depends on the context and what we expect to see. This neat example is from a 1955 experiment by Jerome Bruner…","published":"2021-07-11T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-03-01T13:34:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/54aaa859-b561-49fc-8e1c-9b6ef0338eb7_SP+725+-+Context+is+king.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["psychology","illusion"]},{"uid":"authority-to-information","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/authority-to-information","title":"Push authority to information","summary":"Bosses push information up to authority. Leaders push authority down to information. This little gem is from ex-submarine captain turned leadership guru, David Marquet. We had the absolute pleasure…","published":"2021-07-04T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-04-15T12:40:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9fefef29-e309-42fa-accb-e66476c1e302_SP+724+-+Information+and+authority.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Push Authority to Information principle from David Marquet example explained: 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. "},"categories":["leadership","quote","management","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"sampling-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sampling-bias","title":"Sampling bias","summary":"If you wanted to know who would win an election, then the only reliable (most of the time) way to do that is to ask everyone to vote for real and count them all. Short of doing that, if you want to…","published":"2021-06-27T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f2fdb7cb-f126-4897-ad78-4fd11c743172_SP+723+-+Sampling+bias.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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'."},"categories":["statistics","science","marketing","mathematics","data","analytics"]},{"uid":"by-monkeys","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/by-monkeys","title":"By monkeys","summary":"Compare if you please: Sentences that have been written in a passive voice are generally less powerful than sentences that have been written in an active voice. Active writing hits harder than…","published":"2021-06-17T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d9bcd263-15da-481c-9d5b-cb802b807662_SP+722+-+By+monkeys.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"By Monkeys writing principle explained: 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. "},"categories":["writing","design","product-management","software-development","accountability"]},{"uid":"t-shirts-make-a-team","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/t-shirts-make-a-team","title":"T-shirts make a team","summary":"\"Whatever your current T-shirt budget is, double it,\" said Tom Kelley in his book The Art of Innovation. He was talking about what makes 'hot teams' through his experience leading the global design…","published":"2021-06-13T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/599692da-2b02-475c-ac08-355239962ceb_SP+721+-+T-shirts+make+a+team.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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! "},"categories":["psychology"]},{"uid":"overtaking","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/overtaking","title":"Passing on an inside bend","summary":"We all know that racing drivers overtake on the inside — it's the shorter, faster route. It was only relatively recently that I found how useful it can be on a long drive, too, not for racing but for…","published":"2021-06-06T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T14:56:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9321160b-d08b-4a92-9a4f-b0d0b14f1156_SP+720+-+Passing+on+an+inside+bend.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["lifehack","safety","travel","podcast"]},{"uid":"umbrella-funnel","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/umbrella-funnel","title":"Umbrellas and funnels","summary":"A manager or leader can be an umbrella or a funnel. An umbrella shields the team from distractions, last-minute changes, and conflicting priorities, creating a protective space where they can focus…","published":"2021-05-30T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-12-09T11:30:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3ba5136b-de89-438b-aa1d-fe3fb8bb2cab_SP+719+-+Umbrellas+and+funnels.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Umbrella and Funnel management style example explained: Todd Jackson's shit umbrella or shit funnel metaphor shown with 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. "},"categories":["management","product-management","leadership","metaphor","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"the-curb-cut-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-curb-cut-effect","title":"The curb-cut effect","summary":"The curb-cut effect illustrates how when we design to benefit disadvantaged or vulnerable groups we end up helping society as a whole. Angela Glover Blackwell explains how campaigning by students…","published":"2021-05-23T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-05-17T15:12:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f103d71e-0ecb-4e78-bc02-e6dce18d0ed8_SP+718+-+The+curb-cut+effect.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["usability","design","effect","law","inclusion","equity"]},{"uid":"when-drinking-tea-just-drink-tea","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/when-drinking-tea-just-drink-tea","title":"When drinking tea, just drink tea","summary":"When drinking tea, just drink tea. While I sometimes find myself drinking coffee and reading a book with a little background music, the basic idea of this Zen proverb seems sound. Stay in the moment.…","published":"2021-05-16T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-03-03T19:19:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f0ae9327-1788-4d3d-9fb1-ee930b87de0f_SP+717+-+When+drinking+tea+just+drink+tea.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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.."},"categories":["mindfulness","wellbeing","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"languishing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/languishing","title":"Languishing","summary":"Meh. Blah. Can't be bothered? Not excited about the future? Perhaps you're languishing. Adam Grant's NYT article, There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing, resonated with…","published":"2021-05-09T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3fbc8cd3-ba72-4dd3-937a-45ee9e3f4488_SP+716+-+Languishing.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["wellbeing","health","happiness","psychology","anxiety"]},{"uid":"confirmation-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/confirmation-bias","title":"Confirmation bias","summary":"Confirmation bias is the big one. The bias that leads us to live in a world of our own choosing, finding the information that already fits with our beliefs and ignoring or discounting what doesn't.…","published":"2021-05-02T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1ebcea55-8f8d-48d3-8360-dce84f43acd2_SP+715+-+Confirmation+bias.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Confirmation bias: people dressed in blue buy the blue newspapers at a newsstand while some reds are buying the red papers."},"categories":["psychology","bias","politics","kindness"]},{"uid":"herd-immunity","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/herd-immunity","title":"Herd immunity","summary":"When studying rates of infections, notably with measles, researchers have seen that in cases where a sufficiently large proportion of a population has been immunised or developed protection against a…","published":"2021-04-25T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e63015d6-0f6b-470a-96aa-9248a7f70fb2_SP+714+-+Herd+immunity.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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). "},"categories":["health"]},{"uid":"the-dilution-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-dilution-effect","title":"The dilution effect","summary":"In much of life we're used to things adding up — got one scoop of ice cream? Two is likely to be better. Buying one thing? Getting another free is probably a good thing. The dilution effect, however,…","published":"2021-04-18T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e8343ab5-b92f-4dc5-8e0c-ad90c185d951_SP+713+-+The+dilution+effect.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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!"},"categories":["effect","psychology","risk"]},{"uid":"replicate-then-innovate","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/replicate-then-innovate","title":"Replicate then innovate","summary":"When it comes to innovating, counterintuitively, I think the surest way to produce something new and noteworthy is to start by replicating the work you admire. If you're making music, first play the…","published":"2021-04-11T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/34fd8152-70aa-41ac-8fe1-370ec31411e7_SP+712+-+Replicate+then+innovate.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["innovation","creativity","learning","starting","design"]},{"uid":"looking-under-the-lamppost","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/looking-under-the-lamppost","title":"Looking under the lamppost: the Streetlight Effect or the Drunkard's Search","summary":"It's an old economists' joke: A person out walking at night comes across a man scrabbling on the floor under a lamppost. The man on the floor says he lost his keys. When asked when he dropped them,…","published":"2021-04-04T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-01-20T15:30:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/54100eae-1fee-40b7-b3d7-c0b9e309da1c_SP+711+-+Looking+under+the+lamppost.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["behavioral-economics","metaphor","parable","management","leadership","product-management"]},{"uid":"the-blind-and-the-elephant","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-blind-and-the-elephant","title":"The blind and the elephant","summary":"It's an old, old Eastern story about some blind men who encounter an elephant. As the blind make sense of what each feels it's also a memorable illustration of how our own views are shaped by our…","published":"2021-03-28T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/163a7d82-ead0-43c0-8cc7-521534483e0a_SP+710+-+The+blind+and+the+elephant.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["wisdom","animals","storytelling","parable"]},{"uid":"maze-labyrinth","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/maze-labyrinth","title":"Labyrinths and mazes","summary":"There's a crucial, and wonderful, distinction between mazes and labyrinths. A maze is a multi-branching, complex structure with twists, turns, choices, dead-ends and treasure or Triwizard cups in the…","published":"2021-03-21T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/37d9b43d-a87f-44af-a968-f8a5b61c1eda_SP+709+-+Maze+labyrinth.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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 "},"categories":["words","whats-the-difference-between","wellbeing","anxiety","health","problem-solving"]},{"uid":"biceps-triceps-quadriceps","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/biceps-triceps-quadriceps","title":"Biceps, Triceps, Quadriceps: Meaning and Difference","summary":"One day after swimming front crawl — which works the triceps nicely — it all became clear. The triceps muscle has a curious shape at the top because it has three heads or points of origin. Its name…","published":"2021-03-14T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-10-17T16:01:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aPJmBp5xUNkB2Gs-_SP708-Biceps%2Ctriceps%2Cquadriceps-instagram.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the meaning and difference between biceps, triceps, and quadriceps - all about ceps meaning heads"},"categories":["biology","anatomy","science","health"]},{"uid":"the-learning-pit","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-learning-pit","title":"The Learning Pit","summary":"James Nottingham's metaphor of The Learning Pit illustrates the struggle before \"getting it.\" It's the learning journey of approaching a new concept, uncovering conflicts or contradictions with your…","published":"2021-03-07T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-03-29T10:06:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f638ba04-dc17-44d4-8885-49e7bd33323b_SP+707+-+The+Learning+Pit+-+James+Nottingham+-+challenginglearning.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["learning","education","metaphor"]},{"uid":"climate-anxiety","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/climate-anxiety","title":"Climate anxiety","summary":"While talking on a walk with our 9-year-old, he suddenly said, \"Well, what does it matter anyway? We've messed up our planet, and it's filling up with plastic.\" This is a mighty burden to bear for a…","published":"2021-02-28T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/021089d5-0699-487e-be7b-109b0c725fcd_SP+706+-+Climate+anxiety.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is 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. "},"categories":["climate","emotions","anxiety"]},{"uid":"fact-tennis","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fact-tennis","title":"Fact tennis","summary":"There are both constructive and unproductive ways to argue. One classic unproductive style is what Philippa Perry, in The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read, calls fact tennis. With fact tennis, the…","published":"2021-02-21T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/178971be-d1ca-4b35-b05e-cf2ceeaf2761_SP+705+-+Fact+tennis.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Fact Tennis illustration: two individuals with tennis racquets knock unproductive, point-scoring arguments back and forth over a pile of laundry. "},"categories":["relationships","conflict","emotions","parenting","psychology"]},{"uid":"wabi-sabi","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/wabi-sabi","title":"Wabi sabi","summary":"Wabi sabi is a beautiful Japanese idea and worldview of appreciating the small traits of imperfection, the changes in things as they age, and that nothing is wholly complete. Nothing lasts, Nothing…","published":"2021-02-14T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-09-29T08:48:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0dbcde9b-b54e-4631-b2c9-fbfec928d5ac_SP+704+-+Wabi+sabi.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is wabi sabi Japanese wisdom meaning and definition with an old bonsai tree in a bowl and some fallen leaves in wabi-sabi style"},"categories":["words","wellbeing","mindfulness","beauty","japan"]},{"uid":"the-bandwagon-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-bandwagon-effect","title":"The bandwagon effect","summary":"There are a lot of reasons why it can make sense to go with the majority. Going with the popular view is a shortcut for taking the time and effort to make our own decisions from scratch. We might…","published":"2021-02-07T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:44+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/42f5c453-6ad5-4e66-a19d-e95ec3e00200_SP+703+-+The+bandwagon+effect.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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'"},"categories":["effect","psychology","bias"]},{"uid":"the-bystander-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-bystander-effect","title":"The Bystander Effect","summary":"The essence of the bystander effect is that in a situation where someone needs help, if others are around who could help, then it discourages us as individuals from stepping in. While there may be…","published":"2021-01-30T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/599ae032-0dd6-4d70-bda2-3bb559d2196c_SP+702+-+The+bystander+effect.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["effect","psychology","podcast"]},{"uid":"dikw","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dikw","title":"Data Information Knowledge Wisdom","summary":"In his poem The Rock, T.S. Eliot wrote: Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information? In these short…","published":"2021-01-24T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:20:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e97aed8c-e243-4256-9849-f462b1207bec_SP+701+-+Data+information+knowledge+wisdom.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"A funnel of dots of information emerge as a shining ball of wisdom at the bottom — the DIKW chain"},"categories":["framework","data","knowledge","wisdom"]},{"uid":"wishcycling","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/wishcycling","title":"Wishcycling","summary":"I've been there. I'm holding some packaging that kind of looks like it ought to be recyclable but isn't one of the standard products that are asked for. I could put it in the bin and then it'll head…","published":"2021-01-17T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:28+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/98444b2f-4621-4713-bbc3-33787aa42d20_SP+700+-+Wishcycling.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Wishcycling: someone wonders about whether something can go in the recycling — followed by the effect on each part of the recycling chain after"},"categories":["sustainability","products","economics"]},{"uid":"binary","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/binary","title":"Binary","summary":"We find it handy to count in the decimal system using 10 numbers from 0,9, known as base 10, before we have to put two together to make 10 to keep counting further — 10 fingers and toes and all. But…","published":"2021-01-10T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:09+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/dae3fb94-be49-47b5-b4ba-9781dd910b9c_SP+699+-+Binary.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"A breakdown of constructing the number 13 in the decimal system of base 10 next to 13 written in the base 2 of binary"},"categories":["mathematics","software-development","refresher"]},{"uid":"microadventure","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/microadventure","title":"Microadventure","summary":"Not all of us can ditch jobs, families and responsibilities and choose to spend the next few months trekking across some tundra or cycling to China. Those are adventures, sure, but, argues Alastair…","published":"2021-01-03T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T14:25:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a6219f8b-c157-45c4-923d-638e4c862126_SP+698+-+Microadventure.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is a microadventure: short, simple, local, and cheap adventures / like camping on a school night"},"categories":["camping","nature","wellbeing","podcast"]},{"uid":"starting-a-company","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/starting-a-company","title":"Starting a company","summary":"Starting a company isn't easy. Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn, says: \"Starting a company is like jumping off a cliff and assembling the plane on the way down.\" But just because it's hard doesn't…","published":"2020-12-27T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e2df14ed-52a9-45ae-9bbc-1435b39165b7_SP+697+-+Starting+a+company.PNG?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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.\""},"categories":["quote","entrepreneurship","transport","podcast"]},{"uid":"days-of-the-week","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/days-of-the-week","title":"Days of the week","summary":"The Norse Gods are still among us in the names of the days of the week. Tuesday — from Old English Tiw, for Tyr the Norse god of combat Wednesday — from Old English Woden, for Odin the one-eyed king…","published":"2020-12-20T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7c802f67-3bb8-411e-a0be-8a2a48ab1d5a_SP+696+-+Days+of+the+week.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["time","history","words"]},{"uid":"the-spectrum-policy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-spectrum-policy","title":"The spectrum policy","summary":"One of my favourite books is a rather dog-eared 1970 edition of The Practice of Creativity by George Prince. The book gives wonderful examples and tools for having successful creative discussions in…","published":"2020-12-13T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/29befe0d-2f4b-4c83-ac95-4346318d8132_SP+695+-+The+spectrum+policy.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the spectrum policy from the practice of creativity by George M. Prince"},"categories":["ideas","metaphor","reframe","creativity","management"]},{"uid":"the-paradox-of-choice","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-paradox-of-choice","title":"The paradox of choice","summary":"There's an all you can eat buffet with all the flavours of the world, you can have whatever you want. This is going to be amazing! You love lasagna, but look at those fajitas. You go for the fajitas,…","published":"2020-12-06T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2a283de2-2249-4fb0-8de8-0f550a7fdefe_SP+694+-+The+paradox+of+choice.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["psychology","behavioral-economics","business","paradox"]},{"uid":"forcing-function-for-productivity","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/forcing-function-for-productivity","title":"Forcing function","summary":"A forcing function is an external stimulus that makes you get to where you want to be. One of the simplest and most effective behaviours that you can try to help you level up is to keep creating…","published":"2020-11-29T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/df1b3ab4-02ba-4a04-a55f-dcd7cfdc4e06_SP+693+-+Forcing+function+2.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Forcing function: a person is forced into getting into shape after signing up to a marathon"},"categories":["lifehack","psychology","running","productivity"]},{"uid":"you-get-what-you-measure","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/you-get-what-you-measure","title":"You get what you measure","summary":"Sir Arthur Eddington, an English astrophysicist, told a short story involving a scientist studying fish by pulling them up with nets. After checking all the fish hauled up, the scientist concludes…","published":"2020-11-22T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-03-26T08:34:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/391d6aec-df76-4ee9-8243-fa6bf9bab40a_SP+692+-+You+get+what+you+measure.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["quote","measurement","science","data","education","teaching","metrics","parable"]},{"uid":"flow","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/flow","title":"Flow","summary":"Ever since I came across Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi's concept of Flow it has stayed with me as a simple framework and beacon for finding joy, creativity, and total involvement with life. When…","published":"2020-11-15T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z-auVHdAxsiBwDXh_Flow-square.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Flow: the psychology of optimal experience illustrated with climbing, clear goals, feedback and matched challenge"},"categories":["flow","happiness","wellbeing","psychology","feedback","goals","time","sport","mountains","nature"]},{"uid":"hitched-to-everything-else","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hitched-to-everything-else","title":"Hitched to everything else in the universe","summary":"It all matters. Be it one person, one bird, or one tree. We are all connected. As John Muir wrote in My First Summer in the Sierra: \"As soon as we take one thing by itself, we find it hitched to…","published":"2020-11-08T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/793bc71e-d4c1-48d9-9759-37ebd05ba5fb_SP+690+-+Hitched+to+everything+else+in+the+universe+John+Muir.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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.\""},"categories":["quote","mountains","nature","animals","kindness"]},{"uid":"halloween","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/halloween","title":"Halloween","summary":"Perhaps when you first dressed up as a ghost and went round the houses asking for sweets you thought to also ask what the meaning of Halloween was? In case, like me, you didn't, I can share for you…","published":"2020-10-31T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8e203512-ce8d-40e0-be18-c525d560d8b6_SP+689+-+Halloween.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"A graveyard with the timeline of Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls day after"},"categories":["travel","religion"]},{"uid":"idling","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/idling","title":"Idling","summary":"An average car, sitting idling, can produce exhaust emissions to fill 150 balloons. That's a lot of balloons to imagine puffing away out of the cars idling outside a school for a pickup, say. Other…","published":"2020-10-26T14:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aFvA6nfc4bHWitIA_SP688-Idling-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C3682%2C3354&w=1200&h=3354","alt":"Pollution from idling cars exhaust - 150 balloons filled by the exhaust of an idling car in a minute"},"categories":["transport","climate","travel","sustainability","air-quality","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-haversine-formula","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-haversine-formula","title":"The haversine formula","summary":"It might seem straightforward to pull out a map and measure the distance between two distant points, however, the larger the distance the bigger the distortion caused by traveling on the curved…","published":"2020-10-18T20:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e1e45776-aa40-4806-820e-b5c5b8050f4b_SP+687+-+The+haversine+formula.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["navigation","geography","mathematics","earth","maps"]},{"uid":"goal-gradient-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/goal-gradient-effect","title":"The goal-gradient effect","summary":"Have you ever noticed the pull of completing the last few pieces of a jigsaw puzzle? Or maybe it’s the last clue of a murder mystery, the final chapter of your book or the ultimate mile of a…","published":"2020-10-10T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2025-03-28T14:35:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z-aza3dAxsiBwDjS_SP686-Thegoal-gradienteffect-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Goal-Gradient Effect: the closer we get to a goal the harder we try - coffee stamps example"},"categories":["effect","goals","coffee","marketing","motivation","psychology"]},{"uid":"the-swiss-cheese-model","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-swiss-cheese-model","title":"The Swiss Cheese Model","summary":"The Swiss Cheese Model helps explain why, despite all our best intentions, accidents happen. Analysis of accidents in large complex systems such as power stations or plane crashes led to an…","published":"2020-10-03T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:56:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aScxX2GnmrmGqXP3_SP685-TheSwissCheeseModel-revised.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is James Reason’s Swiss Cheese Model showing layered defences with holes to explain human error and accident causation with a covid coronavirus pandemic example. A core safety model used in healthcare, NHS patient safety, and aviation, illustrating how aligned weaknesses can lead to failure."},"categories":["safety","engineering","framework","health","washing","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"the-4-horsemen-of-relationship-apocalypse","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-4-horsemen-of-relationship-apocalypse","title":"The 4 horsemen of relationship apocalypse","summary":"John Gottman and colleagues identified what he calls the four horsemen of the apocalypse for relationships. They are called this as, left unchecked, they can spell the death knell to a once healthy…","published":"2020-09-27T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9a61e730-d441-4b1a-9914-a48d828da626_SP+684+-+4+horsemen+of+relationship+apocalypse.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Examples of the 4 horsemen of relationship apocalypse from John Gottman: criticism, defensiveness, contempt, stonewalling"},"categories":["relationships","love","parenting","conflict","emotions","kindness"]},{"uid":"if-this-isnt-nice-i-dont-know-what-is","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/if-this-isnt-nice-i-dont-know-what-is","title":"Notice when you're happy: If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is - Kurt Vonnegut","summary":"Some simple wisdom from Kurt Vonnegut: notice when you’re happy. “My uncle Alex Vonnegut, a Harvard-educated life insurance salesman who lived at 5033 North Pennsylvania Street, taught me something…","published":"2020-09-19T20:35:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-02T14:19:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/df06f5a4-2053-4827-a121-8c2fb119a4f8_SP+683+-+If+this+isn_t+nice+I+don_t+know+what+is.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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.\""},"categories":["advice","happiness","wellbeing","nature","wisdom","quote","mindfulness"]},{"uid":"states-of-matter","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/states-of-matter","title":"States of matter","summary":"A school science refresher: the 3 primary states of matter, solids, liquids and gases and the transitions between each one. If you’re like me you probably forget about the more obscure sublimation…","published":"2020-09-13T15:25:00+0000","updated":"2023-03-07T17:24:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4a878e62-ae26-4210-99ab-971d5899da4e_SP+682+-+States+of+matter.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Diagram of the states of matter showing a solid, liquid, and gas, showing all the transitions between each state"},"categories":["physics","chemistry","science","ice","water","refresher"]},{"uid":"solvitur-ambulando","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/solvitur-ambulando","title":"Solvitur ambulando","summary":"Solvitur ambulando: This phrase from the Greek philosopher Diogenes translates more or less to ‘it is solved by walking’. And, indeed, there is something about walking that helps both clear the mind…","published":"2020-09-05T19:26:00+0000","updated":"2025-09-26T17:17:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0347a06f-9e40-4ee4-9963-95ad13e68993_SP+681+-+Solvitur+ambulando.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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\"."},"categories":["thinking","problem-solving","walking","creativity"]},{"uid":"nurse-log","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/nurse-log","title":"Nurse log","summary":"In some forests where the trees grow tall and straight, like those in the US Pacific Northwest, when a giant tree falls it creates an opening in the forest canopy that lets in light for new growth to…","published":"2020-08-30T08:50:00+0000","updated":"2025-05-09T10:17:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z-aoBndAxsiBwDMS_SP680-Nurselog-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is a nurse log - a fallen giant tree providing a linear nursery for young trees"},"categories":["nature","trees","forest","podcast"]},{"uid":"manager-time-maker-time","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/manager-time-maker-time","title":"Manager time, maker time","summary":"Manager Time and Maker Time explain how managers or makers need to manage time differently. In Manager Time, a day is neatly sliced up into hourly chunks according to the calendar. Meeting someone is…","published":"2020-08-22T21:49:00+0000","updated":"2025-09-17T12:25:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0cadd9fa-9f5e-428d-a47f-eed1b34e3b8d_SP+679+-+Manager+time+Maker+time.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is Manager Time Maker Time example explained: Paul Graham's manager schedule maker schedule illustrated with Manager Time, on the left 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.  "},"categories":["business","time","productivity","management","motivation","leadership","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"forcing-function","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/forcing-function","title":"Forcing function — design","summary":"Forcing functions are a super way to help make things foolproof, or better, errorproof — as all of us make mistakes with designed things without being fools. You may have used your own forcing…","published":"2020-08-16T11:10:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c3e8aeff-44a9-4fb5-9a66-15dfbfa6ec98_SP+678+-+Forcing+function+1.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["design","safety","lifehack"]},{"uid":"the-bs-asymmetry-principle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-bs-asymmetry-principle","title":"The BS asymmetry principle","summary":"Also known as Brandolini’s Law, this is the simple observation that it’s far easier to produce and spread BS, misinformation and nonsense than it is to refute it. In fact, the iSchool at University…","published":"2020-08-09T13:53:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:21:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/71d30e66-9038-498d-8d8c-6bf45cd53760_SP+677+-+The+BS+asymmetry+principle+-+large.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["law","science","politics","social-media","data"]},{"uid":"raci","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/raci","title":"RACI","summary":"This acronym acts as a handy checklist to consider and clarify roles and responsibilities for projects. You could even build a table — a Responsibility Assignment Matrix — with what needs to happen…","published":"2020-08-01T07:02:00+0000","updated":"2025-07-14T14:07:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ad49f6ca-5c66-433f-a0a5-03787f158f09_SP+676+-+RACI.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"RACI framework illustration: A family making a sandcastle highlights who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed"},"categories":["management","framework","business","beach","accountability"]},{"uid":"schadenfreude","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/schadenfreude","title":"Schadenfreude","summary":"That satisfying, superior, and slightly sinful feeling you get when you see the police pull over the aggressive driver who just sped past you? That’s Schadenfreude. What is Schadenfreude?…","published":"2020-07-26T19:55:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T14:55:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/dfc04bde-ac02-4fdd-bc98-a0153f4d24ac_SP+675+-+Schadenfreude+-+revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the meaning of Schadenfreude with an example: a double layer of schadenfreude as an onlooker laughing at someone tripping is about to fall into a hole and get their comeuppance"},"categories":["emotions","happiness","words","podcast"]},{"uid":"survivorship-bias-silent-evidence","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/survivorship-bias-silent-evidence","title":"Survivorship bias","summary":"So the story goes, as told by Stephen Sigler, Nature May 1989: \"The US military studied fighter planes returning from missions to try to improve their survival rate and were considering adding heavy…","published":"2020-07-19T13:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:56:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ce000ac3-b8f1-4612-8c86-28f5d65442f7_SP+674+-+Survivorship+bias.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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? "},"categories":["bias","psychology","war","transport"]},{"uid":"finishing-lines","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/finishing-lines","title":"Finishing lines","summary":"“Just remember that finishing lines are good, but their most important role is to get you over the start line in the first place.” This little piece of wisdom is from Stevie Smith (not the poet).…","published":"2020-07-11T14:49:04+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T14:29:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7564dc12-b652-489c-93f4-679a194743de_623356353771110400.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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.\"  "},"categories":["quote","advice","travel","starting","podcast"]},{"uid":"hope","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hope","title":"Hope: A Cognitive Model for Hope","summary":"Think about when you feel hopeful and when you don't. What distinguishes the two? I hadn’t given much thought to hope, beyond it being a nice feeling to have, until I heard of Professor Charles R.…","published":"2020-07-04T21:55:47+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ahKbjrK9tuLqEGY6_SP672-Hope-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Hope, elements of hope, cognitive model of hope from psychology from Professor CR Snyder requiring Goals, Pathways and Willpower or agency"},"categories":["emotions","psychology","mountains","goals","framework","research"]},{"uid":"sexy-value","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sexy-value","title":"Sexy value","summary":"Sexy Value is what you get when someone can launch something that is not only cheaper but also better. It’s a near irresistible proposition. Most new things that are better don’t tend to also be…","published":"2020-06-26T21:53:20+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2beebd49-5eaf-437b-bb49-85004c6dd9f1_622024092229500928.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Sexy value illustration: the Venn diagram overlap of better and cheaper"},"categories":["framework","marketing","strategy","business","venn-diagram"]},{"uid":"solstice","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/solstice","title":"Solstice","summary":"From the combination of sol (sun) and sistere (cause to stand or stop) the solstice marks the highest or lowest points of the sun’s path in the sky each year. In summer, for instance, the sun’s arc…","published":"2020-06-20T21:31:18+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6828a223-fcb4-4662-be5d-500c42a74391_SP+670+-+Solstice+-+revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Solstice: illustration showing the paths of the sun in winter, summer and on the equinoxes"},"categories":["sun","weather","astronomy","seasons"]},{"uid":"analytics-maturity","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/analytics-maturity","title":"Analytics maturity","summary":"There are lots of questions you can ask of data. I like this model as it gives a framework for the different types of questions you might ask. It was introduced to me as the data science pyramid with…","published":"2020-06-14T21:20:22+0000","updated":"2024-03-03T22:38:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/439c9e57-1a8a-4a8f-888f-b1be913e1fd1_620934854164480000.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["framework","data","analytics","business","measurement","metrics"]},{"uid":"net-promoter-score","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/net-promoter-score","title":"Net Promoter Score","summary":"Pitched as the one number you need to grow your business, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a way to find out from your customers how many love what you’re doing enough to tell their friends vs how…","published":"2020-06-06T20:01:55+0000","updated":"2023-04-11T10:30:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8feb249a-3f4a-4b1b-a08b-3a6858683b53_620205142251388928.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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?\""},"categories":["business","research","entrepreneurship","data","measurement","metrics"]},{"uid":"submarine-shower","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/submarine-shower","title":"Submarine shower","summary":"Life on a nuclear submarine is life under some pretty intense constraints. For one, there’s not naturally any fresh water and any time you use it the waste water builds up in the tanks and then has…","published":"2020-05-30T08:32:45+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/860fa0fb-1c09-4ae2-b4f6-3258c90e82a5_619527605457125376.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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.  "},"categories":["water","sustainability","health"]},{"uid":"find-your-why-not","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/find-your-why-not","title":"Find your why not","summary":"Many of us feel the desire to discover a singular purpose—the one true mission that defines what we should do and where we fit—our ikigai. But perhaps it doesn't have to be that way. Priya Singh…","published":"2020-05-24T13:46:16+0000","updated":"2024-12-20T14:00:22+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z2V0pJbqstJ98u4u_SP666-Findyourwhynot-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Find Your Why Not model by Priya Singh - A Venn diagram of Work that feeds me, Work that feeds the world, and Work that feeds my soul. One project doesn't have to meet all these requirements."},"categories":["advice","framework","purpose","venn-diagram","wellbeing"]},{"uid":"the-keeling-curve","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-keeling-curve","title":"The Keeling curve","summary":"Perhaps the most important curve of our times, Charles Keeling’s curve shows the change in concentration of CO2 in the air with measurements taken every year for over 60 years. Taken at the top of…","published":"2020-05-16T19:54:46+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2052b9b2-3d51-4f44-ba0b-7794dc24dc72_618302156733284352.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["science","climate","sustainability","physics","volcanoes","charts","eponym"]},{"uid":"lego-faces","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/lego-faces","title":"LEGO faces","summary":"When I look back at the LEGO sets of my youth compared to the LEGO sets of today, a few things are striking. Today’s is much cooler: the colours are better, the pieces are more interesting, and the…","published":"2020-05-10T14:16:36+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b51cce95-1613-4494-beb2-6a88a11d76c0_617737298931580928.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Lego faces are awesome: a comparison of the expressions on Lego faces from the Lego Movie 2 with one from the 1980s"},"categories":["drawing","emotions","play","parenting","design","storytelling"]},{"uid":"the-law-of-unintended-consequences","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-law-of-unintended-consequences","title":"The law of unintended consequences","summary":"People are complicated. Life is complicated. Ecosystems are complicated. And despite our best efforts or intentions, we have a remarkable history of messing things up in unexpected ways. One simple…","published":"2020-05-03T19:59:31+0000","updated":"2025-01-06T17:20:24+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z3wOn5bqstJ99Fti_SP663-Unintendedconsequences-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Law of Unintended Consequences example explained - when a simple system regulates a complex system"},"categories":["law","nature","government"]},{"uid":"listen-with-passion","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/listen-with-passion","title":"Listen with passion","summary":"So often do we talk about speaking with passion, much rarer do we think about listening with passion. Conversations are two-sided, they only work if one person is listening while the other is…","published":"2020-04-26T11:00:26+0000","updated":"2024-03-03T22:57:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/34e543db-96e2-4455-a2f1-18e6daae7ae1_616456599629905920.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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\". "},"categories":["advice","quote","listening"]},{"uid":"3500-lifetime-reads","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/3500-lifetime-reads","title":"3,500 Lifetime reads","summary":"How many books will you read in a lifetime? If you’re a pretty dedicated reader, you may be able to get through one book a week, so roughly 50 books a year. Over 70 years of reading at that pace,…","published":"2020-04-19T09:47:33+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/61e15961-9c0a-4916-ba43-29852334d814_615817835997020160.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"3,500 lifetime reads: how many books will you read in a lifetime if you read 1 book a week, 50 books a year"},"categories":["books","knowledge"]},{"uid":"the-liar-paradox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-liar-paradox","title":"The liar paradox","summary":"A favourite of our kids is to play opposites day. It usually starts with something simple like where we say “No, they can’t have chocolate for breakfast,” and they then announce that it’s opposites…","published":"2020-04-11T15:17:43+0000","updated":"2024-09-26T20:10:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/db8fc235-eb94-44a9-9cc9-a67e1da0390c_615113832106442752.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The liar paradox: one soul gets in a muddle trying to interpret when another says simple \"I am lying\""},"categories":["paradox"]},{"uid":"the-bullwhip-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-bullwhip-effect","title":"The Bullwhip Effect","summary":"How small changes in customer demand can produce considerable disruption upstream in the supply chain. For instance, a sudden surge in the buying of toilet paper may cause retailers to put in larger…","published":"2020-04-05T12:00:20+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0c6b9287-76a8-4703-a818-e072fab33fae_SP+659+-+The+Bullwhip+Effect+full+size.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The bullwhip effect: A person whipping a bullwhip showing how the amplitude of shocks increases through retailers, manufacturers and suppliers"},"categories":["economics","behavioral-economics","health"]},{"uid":"solar-system-planets-distances-to-scale","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/solar-system-planets-distances-to-scale","title":"Solar system planets: how big is the solar system?","summary":"It’s pretty hard to get to grips with the scale of the solar system. It's really, really, really big. To help process the vast distances within our system, astronomers use Astronomical Units where 1…","published":"2020-03-28T21:09:50+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z1BbhZbqstJ98Bug_Solarsystemsizes-inverted.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the scale of solar system distances explained: show how big is the solar system, what is an astronomical unit and the distances between planets"},"categories":["astronomy","planet","sun","scale","perspective","science","physics","measurement"]},{"uid":"equinox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/equinox","title":"Equinox","summary":"On the equinox there is nearly exactly 12 hours of daylight and night — the day and night are perfectly balanced. On these days the sun rises almost due East and sets due West. The Spring equinox and…","published":"2020-03-21T15:47:03+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3efc6e82-c92d-4c96-a8a7-060d8c0eb58c_613216916450000896.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["seasons","weather","sun"]},{"uid":"flatten-the-curve-of-an-outbreak","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/flatten-the-curve-of-an-outbreak","title":"Flatten the curve of an outbreak","summary":"Writing this in the middle(?) of the coronavirus outbreak I thought it might be interesting to share these charts, created from the simulations in the excellent Washington Post article “Why outbreaks…","published":"2020-03-15T20:55:37+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2e772f55-1753-4260-a06f-cb1474213e76_612692748142886912.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["health"]},{"uid":"chindogu","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/chindogu","title":"Chindogu","summary":"Chindogu are inventions that are not really useful yet are not completely without use. They make sense, but you’d never use them. They are also, as a result, often really funny. This chindogu article…","published":"2020-03-07T20:01:26+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2af8f1a7-b145-466f-8546-2c15f8bc57dd_SP+655+-+Chindogu.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["words","invention","design","japan","products"]},{"uid":"how-to-wash-your-hands","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-to-wash-your-hands","title":"How to wash your hands","summary":"In these times, and to be honest, most times, washing your hands well is one of the very best things you can do to keep yourself healthy and free from infections. You should use soap if you have it;…","published":"2020-02-29T08:54:30+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a751c6f7-6c68-4229-9246-81c90863708e_611288424379449344.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["health","washing"]},{"uid":"types-of-phishing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/types-of-phishing","title":"Types of phishing","summary":"Phishing is tricking people into sharing personal details and logins by pretending to be someone else, and it's surprisingly effective. Some of the smartest people I know have been taken in by it and…","published":"2020-02-23T12:08:50+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZoKVHx5LeNNTwrK5_SP653-Typesofphishing.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["security","tech","fishing"]},{"uid":"the-dangers-of-just-this-once","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-dangers-of-just-this-once","title":"The dangers of just this once","summary":"Clayton Christensen, in his book and article ’How will you measure your life?’, discusses what he learned about how to live a life of integrity. Among other things he says: It’s easier to hold to…","published":"2020-02-16T07:27:18+0000","updated":"2025-05-22T13:03:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f61df2a9-5d10-4a26-aefb-16d87506595c_190854197236.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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.  "},"categories":["advice","quote","habits"]},{"uid":"thunderclap-or-rumble","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/thunderclap-or-rumble","title":"Thunderclap or rumble","summary":"If you’ve ever been close enough to lightning when it strikes you may be familiar with the startling high frequency thunderclap or crack it makes. But the high frequency soundwaves of the clap are…","published":"2020-02-09T10:05:32+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/098ee1bd-088b-40d5-9bcf-8ca15ca8a2cb_190732828106.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["weather","sound"]},{"uid":"commitment-device","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/commitment-device","title":"Commitment device","summary":"Sometimes we’re smart enough to know that we’ll have trouble doing something we want to get done. That might be going to the gym, finishing that essay instead of goofing around, quitting smoking,…","published":"2020-02-02T06:51:17+0000","updated":"2024-09-26T19:54:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8d24ea52-c726-4605-bd56-2f614da95734_190601601401.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["motivation","psychology","lifehack","goals","productivity"]},{"uid":"the-travelling-salesman-problem","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-travelling-salesman-problem","title":"The travelling salesman problem","summary":"You have to drop off 2 things after school, get to the shops and back home — which route should you take? You drive an Amazon delivery van and you have 145 parcels to deliver across London — what’s…","published":"2020-01-25T21:21:45+0000","updated":"2023-03-21T17:08:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/611d51e9-25b7-4d00-a800-ccde2e672a39_190464809359.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["mathematics"]},{"uid":"the-transparency-paradox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-transparency-paradox","title":"The transparency paradox","summary":"The more transparent your workplace the less transparent your employees. In an age of trackers, wearables, online monitoring, workplace chat and always-on devices it turns out that not only does a…","published":"2020-01-19T20:54:08+0000","updated":"2023-03-13T13:58:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/adb6acb4-5d9b-478c-8ba3-54c4f6fb127a_190351031631.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The transparency paradox: In an open classroom one student secretly passes a note to the other illustrating the transparency paradox"},"categories":["productivity","privacy","management","business","paradox"]},{"uid":"the-boaty-mcboatface-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-boaty-mcboatface-effect","title":"The Boaty McBoatface effect","summary":"In 2016 the British Government had plans to launch a new polar research vessel. To decide on a name for it, they put it out to a public vote. Despite a number of serious, meaningful or historic names…","published":"2020-01-11T20:56:21+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:38:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0273154a-b2df-4c0f-9286-56750d695ecb_190203192386.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["psychology","eponym"]},{"uid":"the-data-prison","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-data-prison","title":"The data prison","summary":"The data prison is the default table where the bars of the cells crowd out your data with non-data-ink and lock your data into a prison. When data is locked into cells, their relationships with other…","published":"2020-01-04T20:55:15+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a37c3451-b698-4d79-a378-a2545058f99a_190065273051.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["data","design","infographics"]},{"uid":"the-peter-principle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-peter-principle","title":"The Peter Principle","summary":"The Peter Principle is that “every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” The logic of the Peter Principle of management Someone good at their job is likely to get promoted. However,…","published":"2019-12-28T20:03:43+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/147b8eb5-31f2-4d8c-b66c-093f1a206032_SP+646+-+The+Peter+Principle.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Peter Principle explanation: 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. "},"categories":["management","business","productivity","eponym","equity","kindness","podcast"]},{"uid":"thesis-antithesis-synthesis","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/thesis-antithesis-synthesis","title":"Thesis, antithesis, synthesis","summary":"This simple model for the progression of ideas is sometimes called a dialectic. It has many philosophical roots, but regardless, it’s a nice way to think of how ideas and perhaps society can…","published":"2019-12-21T21:21:18+0000","updated":"2025-12-10T17:32:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aTms9nNYClf9oBmD_SP645-Thesis%2Cantithesis%2Csynthesis-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the thesis–antithesis–synthesis model, sometimes erroneously called Hegel’s dialectic? A sketch showing an example for a new idea (thesis), an opposing reaction (antithesis), and the tension resolving into a synthesis that becomes the start of a new idea."},"categories":["philosophy","ideas","design","economics"]},{"uid":"the-two-generals-problem","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-two-generals-problem","title":"The two generals problem","summary":"The Two Generals Problem is a fun thought experiment highlighting the challenges of communicating over an unreliable channel. Your message may or may not get through, and how will you know if it…","published":"2019-12-14T23:42:28+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/75272020-86d4-4f04-816d-08e99a42df13_189674486091.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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.   "},"categories":["software-development","war","communication"]},{"uid":"the-cost-of-being-late","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-cost-of-being-late","title":"The cost of being late","summary":"It’s easy to think “it’s just a few minutes.” But as the number of people that you hold up increases, the true cost of being late scales rapidly. Being 10 mins late to a meeting with 10 others is 100…","published":"2019-12-07T20:31:51+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/01135135-6bf2-4d51-8a5f-55687cc2fb7f_189537010576.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["management","time","business","productivity","podcast"]},{"uid":"law-of-diminishing-returns","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/law-of-diminishing-returns","title":"Law of diminishing returns","summary":"The law of diminishing returns: at some point, doing more of the same stops paying off like it used to. You might think that adding more of a good thing would make things better. And, yes, that’s…","published":"2019-11-30T21:58:05+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6b64ffe3-b891-4838-989c-a5e0f6d66bce_SP+642+-+Law+of+diminishing+returns+-+revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["economics","law","charts","food-and-drink","business","podcast"]},{"uid":"autumn-leaves","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/autumn-leaves","title":"Autumn leaves and the compounds that cause their colours","summary":"What a lovely time of year—when the leaves of deciduous trees in many forests change from the deep greens of summer to the yellows, oranges and reds of autumn. But what makes the leaves change…","published":"2019-11-23T22:24:42+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZuqqCbVsGrYSvgqm_SP641-Autumnleaves.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Why do leaves change colour in fall and Autumn and what compounds make the colours?"},"categories":["nature","colour","trees","seasons","beauty","forest","wellbeing"]},{"uid":"stock-broth-jus","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/stock-broth-jus","title":"Stock, Broth, Jus","summary":"What is the difference between traditional, meat-based stock, broth and jus? Traditionally, stocks have the flavour and gelatinous collagen-y thickness that comes from cooking bones. Broth was cooked…","published":"2019-11-16T14:16:46+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:38:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z0nQzJbqstJ975wP_SP640-Stockbrothjus-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the difference between traditional Stock, Broth and Jus explained: 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. "},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"who-cut-down-the-last-tree","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/who-cut-down-the-last-tree","title":"Who cut down the last tree?","summary":"If you lived on Easter Island, would you really cut down the last mighty tree knowing that would be it? It seems either foolhardy or desperate to knowingly cut down the last of a kind and your last…","published":"2019-11-10T10:20:42+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fc523634-9b26-43e8-b398-9886efc239e0_188946505806.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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? "},"categories":["sustainability","forest","trees"]},{"uid":"the-doppler-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-doppler-effect","title":"The Doppler Effect","summary":"The Doppler effect is the change in frequency of a wave as its source moves relative to the observer. The same effect that causes a siren's pitch to change as it drives past is also used to estimate…","published":"2019-11-02T21:43:53+0000","updated":"2026-06-10T09:10:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aikc-weQX7-eXHqL_SP638-TheDopplereffect-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Doppler Effect? Example of relative motion changes perceived frequency, with sound waves compressed ahead of a passing siren and stretched behind it."},"categories":["sound","physics","waves","eponym","podcast"]},{"uid":"apophenia","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/apophenia","title":"Apophenia","summary":"Apophenia is finding meaning and connections in unrelated things. This might be faces in pieces of toast, or the man in the moon, or clouds making incredible shapes. Seeking patterns and meaning in…","published":"2019-10-26T19:59:16+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/770ca3b3-4128-484b-8d95-ecf7f1cce5bf_188611704726.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Apophenia example: two hikers look up into the sky with surprise to see a cloud in the form of Godzilla!"},"categories":["weather","nature","words","psychology"]},{"uid":"ordering-adjectives","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ordering-adjectives","title":"Ordering adjectives","summary":"How do we order our adjectives when speaking English? Remarkably, when we describe a noun, we almost always unconsciously arrange adjectives in this order: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin,…","published":"2019-10-19T16:15:25+0000","updated":"2025-09-29T20:11:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z3wSkpbqstJ99FuU_SP636-Orderingadjectives-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Ordering adjectives in English example - opinion, size, age, shape / colour, origin, material, purpose"},"categories":["words","grammar","writing","language"]},{"uid":"5-ways-to-wellbeing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/5-ways-to-wellbeing","title":"5 Ways to Wellbeing","summary":"The five ways to wellbeing are five simple, evidence-based ways to improve mental capital and mental wellbeing throughout life. What are the 5 ways to wellbeing? Developed by the New Economics…","published":"2019-10-13T09:07:05+0000","updated":"2026-08-17T11:12:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0add8608-c840-469b-9433-78c4528baad2_188316826736.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What are the 5 Ways to Wellbeing poster: 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. "},"categories":["wellbeing","health","play","exercise","nature","mindfulness","anxiety","podcast"]},{"uid":"continuous-partial-attention","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/continuous-partial-attention","title":"Continuous partial attention","summary":"Continuous partial attention describes the state many of us find ourselves in as we try to stay connected to all the different areas of life that are now possible — as a result, we pay only partial…","published":"2019-10-05T14:49:27+0000","updated":"2026-06-26T07:48:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0b334c11-c31c-454f-b7bf-736251db4858_188148581056.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["wellbeing","tech","technology","mindfulness","anxiety","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-tragedy-of-the-commons","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-tragedy-of-the-commons","title":"The tragedy of the commons","summary":"The tragedy of the commons is the all too common outcome of individuals making use of a shared resource and one of the true challenges of our times. The original scenario referred to commons land…","published":"2019-09-28T21:00:11+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/29dc1fc1-a63b-4b47-9068-35e8ac99309f_188008521657.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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.  "},"categories":["climate","earth","behavioral-economics","water","fishing","air-quality"]},{"uid":"bactrian-or-dromedary-camel","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/bactrian-or-dromedary-camel","title":"Bactrian or dromedary camel? Never be confused again","summary":"How do you know which is a Bactrian or a Dromedary camel? Which camel has 1 hump and which camel has two? And how can you remember it? After sharing my original camel identification sketch a reader…","published":"2019-09-21T20:33:37+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0fecda19-09ea-43b7-bc47-54b576e9a680_187865301761.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the difference between a Bactrian or Dromedary Camel: how many humps do each have and how to remember it with letters B and D"},"categories":["animals","whats-the-difference-between","memory","mnemonic"]},{"uid":"the-shirky-principle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-shirky-principle","title":"The Shirky Principle","summary":"Named after the brilliant Clay Shirky his principle broadly states that: Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution. Sometimes this may manifest itself as blindness…","published":"2019-09-14T15:02:29+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T14:30:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1420301f-444d-41af-a8bb-8b830a42baba_187710050511.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["theory","business","management","eponym","podcast"]},{"uid":"does-this-spark-joy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/does-this-spark-joy","title":"Does this spark joy?","summary":"Japan’s — if not the world’s — tidying guru, Marie Kondo, proposes this simple and rather beautiful criteria for deciding which of your possessions to keep and which to discard: does it spark joy? If…","published":"2019-09-08T09:30:11+0000","updated":"2024-03-09T09:59:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b45769f6-97c1-48d3-9dc3-3259875a4eae_187572911031.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["tidying","wellbeing"]},{"uid":"capitonym","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/capitonym","title":"Capitonym","summary":"A capitonym is a word that changes meaning and sometimes pronunciation when capitalised. You'll be familiar with many examples: turkey/Turkey may/May march/March august/August lent/Lent…","published":"2019-08-31T22:55:09+0000","updated":"2024-05-02T09:01:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6776673d-c527-4704-b4ca-98a7baa1b2a9_187405420621.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Capitonym illustration: a large turkey and a map of the country Turkey shows how adding a capital changes the meaning"},"categories":["words","writing","grammar"]},{"uid":"strand-line","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/strand-line","title":"Strand line","summary":"The strand line is the often lovely line of interesting seaweed, driftwood and things to find left behind by the waves at the top of high tide. Hopefully, with not too much plastic. More lines:…","published":"2019-08-24T20:51:42+0000","updated":"2024-09-26T20:25:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/595bc7bb-84dc-48ba-bef8-1e234e7728ff_187242024181.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Strand line illustration: a beach showing the line where debris is stranded by high tide"},"categories":["coastline","beach","sea","oceans","waves"]},{"uid":"weather-and-climate-an-analogy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/weather-and-climate-an-analogy","title":"Weather and climate: an analogy","summary":"If weather is like the money in your pocket on any one day, climate is like your net financial worth over time. I liked this simple analogy to distinguish between weather and climate in a New York…","published":"2019-08-18T08:44:39+0000","updated":"2024-03-09T10:02:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/12e7898c-bf86-4978-803d-735cb42a1f92_187091284016.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["weather","climate"]},{"uid":"the-overview-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-overview-effect","title":"The Overview Effect A Profound Shift in Perspective","summary":"The overview effect is the ultimate example of \"seeing the forest for the trees.\" It’s the realisation that we live on a fragile planet, that we are all connected, and that this is all we’ve got—our…","published":"2019-08-11T20:01:32+0000","updated":"2025-03-28T12:47:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z1BQoZbqstJ98Bmp_SP626-Theovervieweffect-revised-stars.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is The Overview Effect example explained: the classic moonrise photo from the Apollo 11 moon missions with 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."},"categories":["moon","effect","space","astronomy","psychology","sustainability","perspective","beauty","wellbeing"]},{"uid":"deseed-a-pomegranate","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/deseed-a-pomegranate","title":"Deseed a pomegranate","summary":"If you like pomegranate but are put off by the prospect of the effort of pulling out each individual seed and spraying pomegranate juice across the kitchen, then this is a fun and handy tip. It…","published":"2019-08-04T03:39:04+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d359f97f-a196-4409-915c-899aeb38b5f4_186759179861.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["food-and-drink","lifehack"]},{"uid":"proxemics","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/proxemics","title":"Proxemics","summary":"I love this concept of the study of social distance, or how humans use space. Distinct from ergonomics, which is more about how people fit into their environment, proxemics focuses on the social…","published":"2019-07-28T04:53:33+0000","updated":"2024-03-09T10:09:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/86f8083b-3487-40ea-9c21-0fc39f8457d2_186599365806.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["social-engineering","design","architecture","culture"]},{"uid":"campbells-law","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/campbells-law","title":"Campbell’s law","summary":"Campbell’s law, rather pessimistically suggests: \"The more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision-making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt…","published":"2019-07-20T17:54:00+0000","updated":"2025-12-19T15:01:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/447964f5-0a42-4886-8e0c-51b58d85de41_186426290506.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["metrics","measurement","law","behavioral-economics","eponym","politics"]},{"uid":"human-risk","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/human-risk","title":"Human risk","summary":"In Don Norman’s classic book The Design of Everyday Things, Don gives an example of how to break into an office: just turn up at the door with a bunch of unwieldy computer equipment that looks…","published":"2019-07-13T17:00:35+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ef0c5666-beea-442a-9f67-98f29d18221b_186260630138.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Human Risk example: 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. "},"categories":["risk","psychology","money","design","security","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-cobra-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-cobra-effect","title":"The Cobra Effect","summary":"The cobra effect is when well-intentioned actions to achieve an aim backfire and sometimes produce the opposite effect. The story goes something like this: Back in colonial India, the top Brit in…","published":"2019-07-07T06:34:56+0000","updated":"2025-12-19T15:04:32+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aBNh8_IqRLdaByQ1_SP621-TheCobraEffect-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Cobra Effect? A visual explanation showing how a plan to pay for dead cobras in India backfired when people began breeding cobras to claim the reward."},"categories":["effect","behavioral-economics","economics","animals","measurement","metrics"]},{"uid":"15-billion-heartbeats-in-a-lifetime","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/15-billion-heartbeats-in-a-lifetime","title":"1.5 billion heartbeats in a lifetime","summary":"For almost all mammals, 1.5 billion heartbeats, more or less, is how much you’ve got. Over the course of its expected life, from the teeniest, tiniest shrew weighing just a few grams to the largest…","published":"2019-06-29T19:00:39+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/agcccaYofJOwHRhe_SP620-1.5billionheartbeats-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Mammals share 1.5 billion heartbeats in a lifetime from a mouse to an elephant. From Kleiber's Law and Geoffrey West's book Scale"},"categories":["scale","biology","animals","charts"]},{"uid":"the-continental-axis-hypothesis","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-continental-axis-hypothesis","title":"The continental axis hypothesis","summary":"Jared Diamond’s classic book Guns, Germs and Steel, proposes some remarkable hypotheses about how the pattern of history played out, notably trying to answer the question of why it was generally the…","published":"2019-06-23T06:22:41+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9c4e0004-7e2f-49b0-96d9-5a66128721cb_185787123841.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The continental axis hypothesis: from Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel, illustrating how the llama didn't manage to travel North-South"},"categories":["geography","history","animals","technology","maps","climate"]},{"uid":"stop-chopping-board-slip","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/stop-chopping-board-slip","title":"Stop chopping board slip","summary":"Before getting started in your kitchen both Thomas Keller and Gordon Ramsay picked out this safety tip to stop your chopping board slipping while cutting. Just lightly wet a piece of kitchen towel or…","published":"2019-06-15T21:00:39+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:38:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b3cd0e01-d296-4fff-a2a8-a5408d59a751_185616185407.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"the-accountability-ladder","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-accountability-ladder","title":"The accountability ladder","summary":"The accountability ladder is a framework for taking accountability for a situation in which we can move from a powerless victim mindset to a powerful, accountable mindset. There are many ways to…","published":"2019-06-08T16:35:15+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T15:25:21+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZvGN0LVsGrYSvt8b_SP617-TheAccountabilityLadder-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the accountability ladder example explained: A child explains to a parent why homework wasn't done, illustrating each rung of increasing accountability on the accountability ladder from a victim mindset to a powerful accountable one"},"categories":["framework","accountability","management","product-management","leadership","starting","entrepreneurship","podcast"]},{"uid":"fading-affect-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fading-affect-bias","title":"Fading affect bias","summary":"Fading affect bias is the name given to the fact that the intensity of emotion, or the affect, of our bad memories seems to fade faster than for our good memories. This means that, say, our happy…","published":"2019-06-02T12:04:43+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0f50a29f-c07d-4d9b-a8ae-b3caac44eccd_185313845246.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Fading affect bias illustration: showing that the emotional intensity of negative memories, like dropping your ice cream, fades faster than for positive memories"},"categories":["bias","psychology","emotions"]},{"uid":"the-finger-dip-test-to-not-overwater-houseplants","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-finger-dip-test-to-not-overwater-houseplants","title":"The finger-dip test to not overwater houseplants","summary":"The finger-dip test helps solve probably the biggest killer of houseplants: overwatering. I love this simple tip known as the finger-dip test, or the knuckle test, to determine if your plant needs…","published":"2019-05-25T18:00:11+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/agcaHKYofJOwHRgc_SP615-TheFinger-diptestforwateringplants-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How to avoid overwatering houseplants using the finger-dip test"},"categories":["nature","water","tip","lifehack"]},{"uid":"the-trust-battery","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-trust-battery","title":"The trust battery: A handy metaphor to think about trust","summary":"We know it intuitively: We consider some people a safe pair of hands, while with others we feel the need to watch over their shoulders. The trust battery is a metaphor that helps think about and…","published":"2019-05-18T16:00:32+0000","updated":"2026-07-16T09:12:25+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Y9V60jAfJvE2mCIP_SP610-Thetrustbattery-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the trust battery example, from Tobias Lütke at Shopify, explained with a manager considering how interactions fill or deplete the trust battery"},"categories":["trust","metaphor","management","leadership","relationships","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"the-3-day-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-3-day-effect","title":"The 3-day effect","summary":"The three-day effect is the name given to what happens after we spend three days or more in nature. Spending three days or more in nature appears to reset our attention and improve mood, wellbeing,…","published":"2019-05-11T20:24:31+0000","updated":"2026-03-11T12:03:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/abFaG1xvIZEnjkV9_SP614-The3-Dayeffect-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The three-day effect: spending three days in nature improves creativity, clarity and wellbeing"},"categories":["nature","backpacking","wellbeing","hiking","camping","mountains","effect","psychology","mindfulness","anxiety"]},{"uid":"the-9-times-table-on-your-fingers","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-9-times-table-on-your-fingers","title":"The 9 times table on your fingers","summary":"You may remember this little trick from school. If you’ve not seen it before, give it a quick try 🙂","published":"2019-05-05T09:22:38+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c89ba646-e61d-4895-a70e-45104849bfd6_184662424416.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["mathematics","refresher"]},{"uid":"the-story-spine","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-story-spine","title":"The story spine","summary":"Kenn Adams’s story spine is a wonderfully simple and flexible backbone for creating or analysing stories. I learned it from Dan Klein at Stanford as a fun improvising game: standing in a circle each…","published":"2019-04-27T16:07:24+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6d5b6778-3f25-46eb-8752-8fb0a7f2bdb0_184482944121.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the story spine and example: showing a common pattern of storytelling with a small example"},"categories":["improvisation","storytelling"]},{"uid":"the-egg-float-test","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-egg-float-test","title":"The Egg Float Test","summary":"Together, and with the help of a small bowl of water, let’s save millions of perfectly good eggs from being thrown away using the egg float test. Egg shells are very slightly porous. Over time, air…","published":"2019-04-20T20:00:48+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3977552c-5739-4462-b1dc-89a0a50dca3a_184324792123.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Egg test: how to use the egg float test to know if an egg has gone bad by checking it's floating behavior underwater"},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"fruit-vs-vegetable","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fruit-vs-vegetable","title":"Fruit vs vegetable","summary":"What's the difference between a fruit and a vegetable? There's that classic thing: tomatoes are really a fruit — well, a whole lot of other vegetables are technically fruit too. I do find this way of…","published":"2019-04-13T19:00:40+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:38:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/830b4519-24f4-465a-914c-12f05a200767_184160745832.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Fruit vs vegetable drawing: showing the elements of a plant that are fruit or vegetable and a 2x2 matrix for which are commonly miscategorised"},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"the-business-flywheel","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-business-flywheel","title":"The business flywheel","summary":"Perhaps, like me, you’re used to thinking about bringing customers onboard as a funnel. It’s a very natural metaphor for thinking about customer acquisition. For example, you market to 10,000 people,…","published":"2019-04-07T09:19:22+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a8f43f82-3ea3-48cb-80e2-53ebfe2c62ab_184006651836.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Business Flywheel example explained: 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. "},"categories":["marketing","business","framework","products","product-management","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"proportionality-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/proportionality-bias","title":"Proportionality bias","summary":"We have a natural tendency to think that big events must have big causes. For instance, in one study, participants who were told that a plane had crashed and everyone died were more likely to believe…","published":"2019-03-30T20:18:19+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/288899a7-7301-4327-aea5-0befd3cb2368_183825991136.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Proportionality Bias illustration: a dice has landed on a six and the person who rolled it gave it a really good shake beforehand. "},"categories":["psychology"]},{"uid":"tsundoku","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/tsundoku","title":"Tsundoku","summary":"Have a pile of books by the bed or on the shelf that you haven't gotten to, yet? Congratulations, that's tsundoku. What is Tsundoku? Tsundoku is a beautiful Japanese word that means buying and piling…","published":"2019-03-23T20:00:41+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aWpTGAIvOtkhBp0E_SP606-Tsundoku-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Tsundoku meaning and example: the act of collecting books without reading them shown by a person snoozing happily on their bed surrounded by books, books and books"},"categories":["books","words","knowledge","sleep","japan","happiness","wellbeing","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-abilene-paradox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-abilene-paradox","title":"The Abilene paradox","summary":"The Abiliene paradox is the paradox of how groups of people can take actions that no one in the group actually thinks is a good idea. Though individually, we each may think that an idea is a bad one,…","published":"2019-03-16T19:50:30+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/571090a6-84bf-4ad7-ba66-05a37e3afbb6_183501747461.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["paradox","psychology","eponym","management"]},{"uid":"choose-the-fast-line","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/choose-the-fast-line","title":"Choose the fast line","summary":"You’re at the supermarket. There are 8 self-checkouts and 15 people in line, there are 3 servers scanning baskets only with 5 people in line and 4 checkouts for trolleys each with 2 trolleys at each.…","published":"2019-03-10T09:18:37+0000","updated":"2024-03-10T21:22:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a6024849-6a20-4bf3-ae09-b986d4e731a2_183354031941.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["lifehack"]},{"uid":"the-coastline-paradox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-coastline-paradox","title":"The Coastline Paradox","summary":"How long is the coastline of Britain? The surprising answer is: it depends. This is the essence of the coastline paradox. What is the Coastline Paradox? The coastline paradox, sometimes called the…","published":"2019-03-02T19:29:58+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aN5DEZ5xUNkB1ZeL_SP603-TheCoastlineParadox-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the coastline paradox explained - meaning the length changes depending on the size of your ruler, with Great Britain's coastline as an example"},"categories":["paradox","coastline","geography","mathematics","scale","uk","maps","measurement"]},{"uid":"imposter-syndrome","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/imposter-syndrome","title":"Imposter syndrome","summary":"Ever had that feeling when people said \"well done\" or \"thank you\" for what you did, that you didn’t deserve it? It’s called imposter syndrome. It’s a pernicious and pervasive feeling of doubting your…","published":"2019-02-23T19:00:33+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b55b1881-4d0c-423c-b4dc-a114e11a0f26_183007553766.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Imposter Syndrome illustration: even as an appreciative audience applaud, an award recipient at the rostrum on stage questions whether they actually deserve this recognition. "},"categories":["psychology","starting","motivation","podcast"]},{"uid":"plogging","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/plogging","title":"Plogging","summary":"Plogging—from the Swedish plocka upp (pick up)—is the simple combo of picking up litter while out jogging. Litter in our environment is all our responsibility, and I’m still surprised by how much…","published":"2019-02-16T16:39:08+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fc8893b3-b47b-46c5-820d-7083180610c2_182849323921.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["exercise","running","sport","health"]},{"uid":"the-trust-equation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-trust-equation","title":"The trust equation","summary":"This simple equation from Charles Green considers what makes someone trustworthy. It breaks down trustworthiness as the sum of a person’s credibility, reliability and how intimate or safe they help…","published":"2019-02-09T21:16:59+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ahKccrK9tuLqEGY7_SP601-TheTrustequation-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C3652%2C3458&w=1200&h=3458","alt":"What makes people trust you? How to be trustworthy? The Trust Equation: Credibility, Reliability, Intimacy over Self-orientation from Charles Green at Trusted Advisors"},"categories":["trust","mathematics","psychology","sociology"]},{"uid":"tax-freedom-day","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/tax-freedom-day","title":"Tax freedom day","summary":"If you took all the taxes a country pays each year on one hand, and all the money that people earn on the other, tax freedom day represents the day after which the country’s taxes would be paid by…","published":"2019-02-03T09:53:22+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8b0e51c9-1b20-49f5-8469-8a19f2e6b558_182521881166.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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.  "},"categories":["charts"]},{"uid":"a-world-of-4-income-levels","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/a-world-of-4-income-levels","title":"A world of 4 income levels","summary":"I grew up with the idea that there are developed countries and developing countries, the “rich” world and the “poor” world. I didn’t actively consider this teaching. It’s just always been there. And…","published":"2019-01-26T19:41:57+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z79Bpp7c43Q3gRZL_SP598-Aworldof4incomelevels-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Beyond developing and developed world views: a world of 4 income levels from Sketchplanations, Factfulness and Gapminder"},"categories":["geography","sociology","earth","statistics","data","charts","economics"]},{"uid":"the-3-tallest-mountains","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-3-tallest-mountains","title":"The 3 tallest mountains","summary":"Everyone knows Everest is the highest mountain at a colossal 8,848m above sea level. But, depending on how you’re measuring, there are two other candidates for tallest mountain. Mauna Kea is a…","published":"2019-01-20T12:55:20+0000","updated":"2024-03-10T21:48:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/424ced71-093e-4ae8-b2bd-4070c65c9e1a_182162096951.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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)."},"categories":["geography","mountains","volcanoes","earth","planet"]},{"uid":"the-hungry-gap","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-hungry-gap","title":"The Hungry Gap","summary":"In the UK and certain temperate latitudes there’s a period where the weather gets warmer and the season late for the winter crops, while the temperatures can still be too low for the Summer crops to…","published":"2019-01-12T14:54:37+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8d648acb-34b5-4cbd-aab9-6731ec82d368_181952094301.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the hungry gap explained 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"},"categories":["food-and-drink","nature","geography","podcast"]},{"uid":"anamorphosis","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/anamorphosis","title":"Anamorphosis","summary":"Anamorphosis is a type of projection that looks distorted when viewed from a standard vantage point or means but can reveal itself spectacularly from the right point or using the right tool. This is…","published":"2019-01-05T21:43:07+0000","updated":"2024-05-02T08:31:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d9122df5-859f-4123-a835-f57cd11d4a84_181751584211.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["art","drawing","perspective"]},{"uid":"the-destiny-instinct","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-destiny-instinct","title":"The Destiny Instinct","summary":"The destiny instinct is the mistaken belief that people, countries, cultures, or religions can't change. But even slow change can lead to large changes over time. Change tends to happen slowly in…","published":"2018-12-29T22:17:55+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:56:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f2f2c867-5e93-4ab0-8c32-e441b293b0cd_181531848981.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is The Destiny Instinct example explained: the meaning of the destiny instinct shown by an individual, bent over on hands and knees, inspecting a line of ants through their magnifying glass. At some point later in time, they return to find an enormous anthill that towers overhead. "},"categories":["culture","religion","country","psychology","kindness","parenting"]},{"uid":"compose-a-cheeseboard","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/compose-a-cheeseboard","title":"Compose a cheeseboard","summary":"A cheeseboard is a highlight of the holidays for me. Here are some simple guidelines on how to create a winning one that looks and tastes the part. I think the key really is the range of textures in…","published":"2018-12-22T21:28:40+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:56:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a44e3ee7-9afb-4e8e-ac02-1c64e8da4874_181330508021.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["food-and-drink","colour"]},{"uid":"the-classic-twit-twoo-is-actually-a-duet","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-classic-twit-twoo-is-actually-a-duet","title":"The classic twit-twoo is actually a duet","summary":"Funny how it can take nearly 40 years to learn that something as commonplace as the stereotypical owl sound is made, not by one owl, but as a duet between the male and female tawny owls. Also see:…","published":"2018-12-15T20:00:44+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5b182d44-97e3-41c6-a4af-312173ced098_181147120754.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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\""},"categories":["animals","nature","trees","sound"]},{"uid":"the-power-of-streaks","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-power-of-streaks","title":"The power of streaks","summary":"The power of streaks — achieving something on a schedule without missing a slot — have a remarkable pull over us when it comes to helping us get things done. As Seth Godin points out, streaks turn an…","published":"2018-12-08T21:28:51+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d38ba3c9-126a-4006-a4d1-42a71d04dcd4_180933192571.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The power of streaks illustration: a task schedule is shown as a daily grid where all but the final 2 squares have been completed. "},"categories":["habits","motivation","productivity","psychology","starting"]},{"uid":"jevons-paradox","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/jevons-paradox","title":"Jevons' Paradox","summary":"What is the Jevons Paradox? Jevons' Paradox is the counterintuitive idea that improvements in fuel efficiency tend to increase, rather than decrease, overall fuel use. In 1865, William Stanley…","published":"2018-12-02T11:23:29+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/afIp9cBOoF08xbSS_SP590-Jevons%E2%80%99Paradox-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Jevons' paradox in economics: fuel use tends to increase, not decrease, despite efficiency gains, with definition and example. Observation from William Stanley Jevons"},"categories":["economics","paradox","sustainability","transport","engineering","energy","ai","eponym","productivity","podcast"]},{"uid":"marchettis-constant","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/marchettis-constant","title":"Marchetti’s constant","summary":"Marchetti's constant is the idea that people throughout history have budgeted, on average, about an hour a day for travelling. Originally observed by Yacov Zahavi, it came from the observation that…","published":"2018-11-25T07:46:30+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d9cae19f-2377-422c-be8e-4a580789bb04_180474637321.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Marchetti's constant example explained: chart showing how Berlin increased in size with new means of travelling faster through walking, electric trams, and subways, to cars"},"categories":["planning","history","scale","walking","transport","time","eponym","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-availability-heuristic-and-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-availability-heuristic-and-bias","title":"The availability heuristic (and bias)","summary":"The availability heuristic is a deceptively simple, almost too simple to notice, heuristic where we consider the likelihood of events by the ease with which relevant instances come to mind. In simple…","published":"2018-11-17T16:00:25+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/11c296bb-1530-41f3-87d9-db76a4972b45_180208941114.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["psychology"]},{"uid":"the-pomodoro-technique","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-pomodoro-technique","title":"The Pomodoro Technique: Stay Focused and Get More Done","summary":"The Pomodoro Technique® is a simple and effective time management method that helps you stay focused and get your tasks done. It's named after a kitchen timer shaped like a pomodoro (Italian for…","published":"2018-11-10T19:34:17+0000","updated":"2026-01-14T09:07:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/62e61034-b66a-4ede-a5db-a5cbc39d55e7_SP+587+-+The+Pomodoro+technique.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is the Pomodoro Technique in 3 steps: plan your tasks, complete one 25-minute pomodoro with a 5-minute break, and repeat for four pomodoros before taking a longer break."},"categories":["productivity","time","eponym","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-mercator-projection","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-mercator-projection","title":"The Mercator projection","summary":"All maps involve decisions. Whenever you compress real life onto something smaller and less detailed you have to choose what to keep in and what to leave out. And in the case of printing a map of the…","published":"2018-11-03T21:51:45+0000","updated":"2026-01-22T14:47:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aXI4YAIvOtkhB0kf_SP586-Mercatorprojection-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Mercator projection world map explaining how projecting a curved Earth onto a flat map distorts size, with Greenland appearing much larger than Africa"},"categories":["geography","maps","politics","navigation","eponym"]},{"uid":"the-diderot-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-diderot-effect","title":"The Diderot Effect","summary":"The Diderot effect describes how new purchases can lead to a negative spiral of replacing possessions that no longer live up to the new standard. In a capitalist or consumerist society, it highlights…","published":"2018-10-28T07:04:39+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zzsp1a8jQArT093X_SP585-Dideroteffect-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Diderot Effect example explained: showing two people discussing their new sofa and deciding they have to change the room, or even move"},"categories":["effect","money","eponym","habits","economics","behavioral-economics","psychology"]},{"uid":"implementation-intentions","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/implementation-intentions","title":"Implementation intentions","summary":"These are a super useful trick to increase the chances of action, be it your own others. Essentially, a vague intention of “I plan to do that,” is much less likely to be followed-through on than if…","published":"2018-10-19T13:24:25+0000","updated":"2024-03-10T22:25:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/36a42cd3-cc3a-442c-97ba-cc471084aed9_179211036376.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["productivity","habits","books"]},{"uid":"the-doorstep-mile","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-doorstep-mile","title":"The doorstep mile","summary":"The Doorstep Mile is a brilliant Norwegian concept that shows how the most challenging part of a journey can be just getting out of the door. So, sometimes, as Seth Godin would say, the most…","published":"2018-10-14T10:52:17+0000","updated":"2025-07-04T14:21:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1a3c4832-beb8-4575-8608-7e499f176200_179040063731.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is the Doorstep Mile example about getting started: 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\"."},"categories":["motivation","lifehack","productivity","endurance","running","starting","habits"]},{"uid":"the-fun-scale","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-fun-scale","title":"The fun scale: understanding the types of fun","summary":"The Fun Scale categorizes different types of fun experiences into distinct levels. It consists of three main types of fun: Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3. The concept behind the Fun Scale is that not all…","published":"2018-10-07T08:56:22+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/281df432-3a48-4e78-ac58-1ff835091f99_SP+582+-+The+fun+scale+-+revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Fun scale explained showing Type 1 fun as skiing, Type 2 fun as mountaineering and Type 3 fun as surviving a bear encounter (the best story)"},"categories":["hiking","backpacking","sport","nature","endurance","scale","framework","happiness","podcast"]},{"uid":"accuracy-and-precision","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/accuracy-and-precision","title":"Accuracy and precision","summary":"In my everyday life I’d have been hard pushed to put my finger on the difference between accuracy and precision but, in engineering at least, you learn that there is a clear difference between the…","published":"2018-09-29T21:00:36+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/acG4jJGXnQHGY4KO_SP581-Accuracyandprecision-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C3417%2C2930&w=1200&h=2930","alt":"What's the difference between Accuracy and Precision illustrated with examples from shooting at targets"},"categories":["engineering","statistics","mathematics"]},{"uid":"dunbars-number-150","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dunbars-number-150","title":"Dunbar’s number: 150","summary":"The evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar identified that an average person’s social network appears to follow simple scaling laws. Our networks grow from our closest friends—whom we would seek…","published":"2018-09-22T21:00:40+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bcccdd2e-95e6-4023-9c93-9b72b9a0c26b_178356259078.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Dunbar's number example explained: a person can't remember the name of the one person outside their circles of closer friends, super family, clan and tribe behind them"},"categories":["psychology","mathematics","sociology","relationships","eponym","podcast"]},{"uid":"fix-wobbly-tables-by-rotating","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fix-wobbly-tables-by-rotating","title":"Fix wobbly tables by rotating","summary":"Since I learned this trick, I almost look forward to getting a wobbly table at a cafe if only for the chance to retest this simple, yet still remarkable, fix. A number of smart people have spent…","published":"2018-09-15T21:00:26+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/agcb9KYofJOwHRhP_SP579-Fixwobblytables-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C3684%2C3139&w=1200&h=3139","alt":"How to fix a wobbly table by rotating it"},"categories":["lifehack","mathematics"]},{"uid":"the-square-cube-law","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-square-cube-law","title":"The Square-Cube law","summary":"For years, I’ve wondered at how as a kid I found the monkey bars in a playground (often a jungle gym in the US) so much easier to swing on than I do as an adult. And I see our kids swinging around…","published":"2018-09-09T11:00:54+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:56:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/591fafbd-99fa-4ca4-ab4d-b96e19e7c685_177900065356.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["scale","physics","biology","parenting","animals","law"]},{"uid":"pour-dont-dip-when-sharing-snacks","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pour-dont-dip-when-sharing-snacks","title":"Pour, don’t dip when sharing snacks","summary":"Pour, don't dip when sharing snacks was something I learned for backpacking but it really always makes sense once you think about it. Pouring onto a hand keeps dirty hands out of the rest of the…","published":"2018-09-01T20:35:07+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e67fec7d-3186-452b-b444-bc1d56cd6daa_177632137426.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["sharing","food-and-drink","backpacking","lifehack","health","camping"]},{"uid":"a-little-bit-of-slope-makes-up-for-a-lot-of-y-intercept","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/a-little-bit-of-slope-makes-up-for-a-lot-of-y-intercept","title":"A little bit of slope makes up for a lot of y-intercept.","summary":"— John Ousterhout I like this simple idea that evidently illustrates that anything that is able to improve, learn, and grow at a faster rate than something else stands a decent chance of making up…","published":"2018-08-25T21:00:28+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b623dc8e-4e1a-4318-afe4-4b5e224732d9_177387106997.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["framework","charts","learning"]},{"uid":"the-implicit-association-test","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-implicit-association-test","title":"The Implicit Association Test","summary":"The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is an amazingly simple way to uncover if and how strong your implicit biases may be. For example, you could test if you have a bias on gender roles (as in the…","published":"2018-08-18T19:00:23+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fcfe56bb-ae44-4a3d-a41e-4bfef25b5e93_177136877498.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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.   "},"categories":["testing","bias","psychology","research"]},{"uid":"forest-bathing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/forest-bathing","title":"Forest bathing","summary":"I love this term. From the Japanese shinrin-yoku, it means to soak in the atmosphere of a forest. And I think it’s not too far of an overstatement to say that a walk in Nature is about the closest to…","published":"2018-08-11T20:34:39+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:10:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b5978316-099a-4fa5-8c0d-c822eb234100_176888280671.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Forest bathing illustration — shinrin-yoku"},"categories":["nature","health","wellbeing","forest","anxiety","happiness","trees"]},{"uid":"autonomy-mastery-purpose","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/autonomy-mastery-purpose","title":"What drives us: autonomy, mastery, purpose","summary":"In Dan Pink’s book Drive, he looks at scientific studies showing that the all too common approach to motivating people involving rewards and punishments, or the carrot and stick approach, ultimately…","published":"2018-08-03T21:35:18+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/847ef2a0-ebe2-43fb-8a1f-95907a68a42e_176600863626.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Autonomy Mastery Purpose summary of Dan Pink's book Drive"},"categories":["motivation","psychology","business","management","skills","purpose","flow","leadership","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"second-cousins-once-removed","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/second-cousins-once-removed","title":"Understanding Second Cousins Once Removed: A Simple Family Tree Guide","summary":"Even when you’ve figured out the basics of family relations, families, in just a few generations, can get surprisingly complex. I won’t pretend this sketch doesn’t require a little study. What Are…","published":"2018-07-28T20:53:06+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aVKe73NYClf9orS7_SP572-Secondcousinstwiceremoved-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Family tree explained chart showing the meaning of second cousins, once removed and twice removed, and how cousin relationships work across generations"},"categories":["parenting","framework","trees","podcast"]},{"uid":"acronyms-and-initialisms","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/acronyms-and-initialisms","title":"Acronyms and initialisms","summary":"We all know that you make an acronym by taking the initial letters of a set of words and putting them together. So Random Access Memory becomes RAM, or the United States becomes the US. But I only…","published":"2018-07-21T21:07:28+0000","updated":"2024-02-20T18:37:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/06a3d1b1-577a-4f63-84cd-b74f1786d61d_SP+571+-+Acronym+Initialism+-+revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Acronym vs initialism illustration: comparing the acronym laser—pronounced as a word— and the initialism FBI—pronounced by saying the letters"},"categories":["words","grammar","writing"]},{"uid":"2fa","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/2fa","title":"What is Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)?","summary":"Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring two different types of proof to verify your identity. Unlike using a single password, which could be guessed or stolen,…","published":"2018-07-15T12:42:47+0000","updated":"2025-01-16T12:14:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z4jz_pbqstJ99hqI_SP570-2factorauthentication-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is 2 factor authentication (2FA) and its meaning: using something you know, something you are, and something you have"},"categories":["security","tech","design","framework"]},{"uid":"the-rashomon-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-rashomon-effect","title":"The Rashomon effect","summary":"The Rashomon effect is the name given to situations where people give mutually contradictory versions of the same event. Named after the 1950’s Japanese film Rashomon—widely seen as a…","published":"2018-07-07T20:46:31+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:17:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/09d7d3fe-f7c6-40df-908f-b062dd745eef_175651482511.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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.  "},"categories":["effect","film","perspective","storytelling","eponym"]},{"uid":"how-owls-necks-turn-so-far-round","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-owls-necks-turn-so-far-round","title":"How owls’ necks turn so far round","summary":"Owls are famous for being able to turn their heads seemingly full circle. It turns out some owls can turn their necks an amazing 270 degrees whereas our necks turn a measly 180 or so — see if you can…","published":"2018-06-30T21:53:44+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a3b63876-739c-414f-b8de-2d6f879c802b_175416370891.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How owls' necks turn so far round illustration: showing the amazing neck vertebrae they have"},"categories":["animals"]},{"uid":"conways-law","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/conways-law","title":"Conway’s Law","summary":"Conway's law is, paraphrased, that the structure of software will mirror the structure of the organisation that built it. Conway was mostly observing software development, but I would think it has…","published":"2018-06-23T16:00:25+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6fb270e5-9fc4-4506-b78f-8e4db9aec175_175174474143.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["software-development","law","design","social-engineering","management","business","eponym"]},{"uid":"the-kitchen-working-triangle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-kitchen-working-triangle","title":"The kitchen working triangle","summary":"The kitchen working triangle is the triangle between the most key parts of a kitchen — the sink, the hob and the fridge. The idea is that, when planning the layout of a kitchen, you should consider…","published":"2018-06-16T18:57:51+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:22+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/397721b2-47a4-4598-83f6-a1497d803600_174951459161.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Kitchen Working Triangle illustration: a plan view of a kitchen is shown with the distances between commonly related appliances and storage highlighted. "},"categories":["design","food-and-drink","architecture","social-engineering","kitchen","relationships"]},{"uid":"the-spotlight-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-spotlight-effect","title":"The spotlight effect","summary":"I like the spotlight effect because it basically shows that most of us can just relax a bit and not stress about what other people think — because they’re probably not thinking about us, they’re…","published":"2018-06-09T13:57:25+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/55eae519-e2de-4c88-94f6-61a6df3d683b_174722980811.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["psychology","effect"]},{"uid":"the-effect-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-effect-effect","title":"The Effect Effect","summary":"The effect effect is the undoubted extra stickiness and shareability of an idea by calling it an effect. There’s something about summing up a piece of research or an observation with the name effect…","published":"2018-06-02T19:06:43+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/52a297e3-152b-4a42-a8d0-687db7a6b00b_174506169061.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is The Effect Effect explained: 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. "},"categories":["effect","research","marketing","psychology"]},{"uid":"the-third-teacher","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-third-teacher","title":"The Environment as the Third Teacher in Early Childhood and Beyond","summary":"I love Reggio Emilia’s concept of the environment as the third teacher. This idea works just as well in early childhood education as it does in a primary school classroom—or even an office. A…","published":"2018-05-25T20:46:34+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z4jpEZbqstJ99hlO_SP563-Thethirdteacher-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The meaning of the third teacher as the environment from Reggio Emilia together with teachers/parents and peers"},"categories":["learning","teaching","architecture","design","parenting","education"]},{"uid":"homonyms-homographs-homophones-heteronyms","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/homonyms-homographs-homophones-heteronyms","title":"Homonyms, homographs, homophones, heteronyms… ","summary":"This one rewards a little close attention—looking at each of the words and figuring out their different meanings or sounds. I’ve always loved heteronyms and how we can have a single word spelt the…","published":"2018-05-19T21:50:44+0000","updated":"2024-02-28T11:57:37+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c8f7c08a-1630-43b0-af4a-4776eeec8fb8_174060811266.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Matrix of spelling and sound showing the place of homonyms, homographs, homophones, heteronyms, synonyms and antonyms"},"categories":["words","framework","language","writing","grammar"]},{"uid":"how-a-lip-stops-drips","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-a-lip-stops-drips","title":"How a lip stops drips.","summary":"I’d never really thought this through before, but just a tiny lip makes a massive difference. Should be a standard feature on pretty much every saucepan.","published":"2018-05-12T16:06:35+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/94c4865c-62ce-4387-a3c4-7e127e2f7c96_173830986926.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["physics","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"the-misattribution-of-arousal","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-misattribution-of-arousal","title":"The misattribution of arousal","summary":"It turns out when our body gets excited about something, we can’t reliably tell what caused the excitement. In David McRaney’s brilliant article, he explains how we routinely misattribute…","published":"2018-05-05T16:22:25+0000","updated":"2026-07-02T14:11:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fa384416-6e18-4ee2-acc4-37763b5bd0f0_173609830686.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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? "},"categories":["psychology","love"]},{"uid":"recession-vs-depression","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/recession-vs-depression","title":"Recession vs depression","summary":"There don’t seem to perfect definitions for either recessions or depressions. A recession is commonly defined as two successive declining quarters of GDP, but it’s not gospel. And a depression is a…","published":"2018-04-28T08:15:58+0000","updated":"2024-03-11T12:03:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0f6d878b-fa13-4fd4-86c4-cffc63f55dd1_173379052296.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["quote","economics"]},{"uid":"virtuous-cycle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/virtuous-cycle","title":"The ‘Virtuous Cycles’ of Amazon and Uber","summary":"Networks effects can lead to massive, rapid growth especially if you manage to get a virtuous cycle turning. Amazon leveraged this model by Jeff Bezos in 2001 for mega growth. Amazon calls it a…","published":"2018-04-21T21:53:18+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6a93439c-6b99-42ae-847e-0622d2a6212c_173170554411.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["business","framework","entrepreneurship","cycling"]},{"uid":"ooda-loop","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ooda-loop","title":"OODA Loop","summary":"The OODA loop is military strategist John Boyd’s framework for combat operations that also turns out to apply quite well to businesses and learning in general. It emphasizes a rapid cycle of…","published":"2018-04-14T20:16:33+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZuLE_BoQrfVKmAxq_SP557-OODAloop-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the OODA Loop example explained: 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. "},"categories":["framework","learning","strategy","business","war","design","leadership","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"blue-moon","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/blue-moon","title":"What is a blue moon?","summary":"What is a blue moon? A blue moon is a full moon that hits twice in a calendar month. Given the cycle from full moon to full moon is about 29.5 days and months are generally 30 or 31 days a full moon…","published":"2018-04-07T21:00:59+0000","updated":"2024-05-02T08:53:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e96223e4-9072-41e0-89e2-914dad5567d9_172700064866.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["science","moon","astronomy","seasons"]},{"uid":"rival-and-non-rival-goods","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rival-and-non-rival-goods","title":"Rival and non-rival goods","summary":"This is surely at least part of the reason that “software is eating the world.” But I’m sure coffee will stick around for a bit too.","published":"2018-03-31T19:17:50+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a3bd24fd-da14-483f-86f8-a8c7e63aecec_172454984341.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["economics","coffee","road","transport","software-development"]},{"uid":"crossmodal-perception","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/crossmodal-perception","title":"Crossmodal perception","summary":"Crossmodal perception is when senses interact in sometimes surprising ways. Some fun examples: Coffee tastes better when you don’t have a loud coffee machine near you, and it also tastes more intense…","published":"2018-03-24T16:00:28+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/264ef953-17db-4d31-8132-c7af6ecdb7f3_172207063076.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is crossmodal perception example showing that coffee tastes better when the machine is quiet and why plane food is less tasty"},"categories":["food-and-drink","coffee","senses","psychology","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-lucretius-problem","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-lucretius-problem","title":"The Lucretius problem","summary":"The Lucretius problem is our tendency to believe that the worst possible thing that can happen is the worst possible thing we know has happened. The name was given by Nicolas Taleb in his book…","published":"2018-03-17T21:00:25+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ae711f86-b054-4a23-bfc9-17361f8a458e_171975845992.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["psychology","eponym"]},{"uid":"seasons","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/seasons","title":"Seasons","summary":"The Earth’s tilt causes the changing seasons. As the Earth revolves around the sun, the tilt of its axis—23.5 degrees—causes the two hemispheres, North and South, to be either tilted towards the sun…","published":"2018-03-10T21:00:28+0000","updated":"2024-10-16T14:59:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/56a01266-a93d-4a4e-b587-a67e3202024b_SP+552+-+Seasons+2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What causes seasons showing how it is caused by the earths tilt and light hitting differently in the north and south hemispheres"},"categories":["weather","astronomy","earth","planet","geography","seasons","temperature","time"]},{"uid":"lake-effect-snow","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/lake-effect-snow","title":"Lake-effect snow","summary":"Lake Effect Snow is a phenomenon where crazy amounts of snow can fall in massive storms on a lake’s downwind—leeward—side. Where the effect is pronounced, to the east of some of the Great Lakes in…","published":"2018-03-03T13:00:19+0000","updated":"2026-08-19T11:40:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z9NTBBsAHJWomhQf_SP551-Lakeeffectsnow-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1756%2C1491&w=1200&h=1491","alt":"What is Lake effect snow explained including the snow belt"},"categories":["weather","water","geography","effect"]},{"uid":"gaslighting","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/gaslighting","title":"Gaslighting","summary":"Manipulating someone psychologically such that they start to doubt their own sanity. Lying or deceiving persistently can plant seeds of self-doubt in the minds of someone else. At first, it is likely…","published":"2018-02-24T21:24:02+0000","updated":"2024-03-11T12:37:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/58a63eae-4307-4851-ba35-faf51275e9ce_171248141436.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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.   "},"categories":["psychology"]},{"uid":"oxford-comma","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/oxford-comma","title":"The Oxford comma","summary":"The Oxford comma is the comma after the penultimate item in a list. It’s normally a matter of style — you can happily choose to leave it out — though in some cases it can clarify what would otherwise…","published":"2018-02-17T21:08:37+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:15:22+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0a05aa65-dc6c-4232-83c7-369a9e585c8f_170990724031.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["grammar","words","eponym"]},{"uid":"how-to-grow-your-own-fresh-air","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-to-grow-your-own-fresh-air","title":"How to grow your own fresh air","summary":"UPDATE: Since releasing this sketch, which is a fair summary of Kamal Meattle's TED talk, it's been made clear that, though plants do improve air quality, the improvement doesn't compare with a…","published":"2018-02-10T13:04:50+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1b36cdf1-3040-4638-941d-80058f52215b_170719231731.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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.  "},"categories":["climate","productivity","sustainability","air-quality","podcast"]},{"uid":"tame-unruly-crisp-packets","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/tame-unruly-crisp-packets","title":"Tame unruly crisp packets","summary":"So, you finish a packet of crisps, or chips, and scrumple the packet up, but in just keeps uncrumpling and tries to blow away. No longer. This handy little bit of origami creates a neat and tidy…","published":"2018-02-03T21:00:43+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/12e545d8-0a80-4a35-87f3-f56125551d1d_170469393504.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["lifehack","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"the-streisand-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-streisand-effect","title":"The Streisand Effect explained","summary":"The Streisand effect describes what happens when you try to censor or suppress information—and in doing so, you draw far more attention to it than it ever had before. The name comes from an incident…","published":"2018-01-28T14:43:20+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/16f07758-4fe6-4371-afde-c78f77762a01_170228270351.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Streisand Effect explained and its meaning: the attention of two passers by is drawn by a glut of warning and security signs mounted on a high security perimeter wall. "},"categories":["effect","eponym","data"]},{"uid":"zip-backpacks-to-the-side","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/zip-backpacks-to-the-side","title":"Zip backpacks to the side","summary":"So maybe this was always obvious to you, but someone showed me this when I was in my 30s and it was hard for me to believe that it took 30 years for me to learn it. So, now you know. A simple tip to…","published":"2018-01-20T09:00:25+0000","updated":"2024-04-09T14:19:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b42d2e6f-e462-41c3-90a9-b592008f04d2_169916851063.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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)..  "},"categories":["lifehack","walking"]},{"uid":"9-enders","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/9-enders","title":"9-Enders (nine-enders)","summary":"Nine-enders are people in the last year of a decade, say, 29, 39, 49, 59. Adam Alter and Hal Hershfield, who introduced the term, propose that as we approach the end of a decade we are more likely to…","published":"2018-01-13T09:32:22+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/152612a6-e634-4ac9-bcc5-2ceca5c21698_169650516411.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["psychology","time","wellbeing","risk","sport","happiness"]},{"uid":"metcalfes-law","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/metcalfes-law","title":"Metcalfe’s Law","summary":"Metcalfe's Law is: \"The value of a telecommunications network is proportional to the square of the number of users of the system.\" — Robert Metcalfe This law explains a little of the remarkable power…","published":"2018-01-07T12:55:04+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bf86594c-4432-40cd-a364-038a9f131b2f_169423351706.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Metcalfe's Law diagram the value of a network and its users"},"categories":["charts","law","tech","technology","entrepreneurship","quote","eponym"]},{"uid":"the-windscreen-phenomenon","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-windscreen-phenomenon","title":"The Windscreen Phenomenon","summary":"The name for the troubling observation that where windscreens used to be covered in squashed bugs after a long drive, these days you’ll tend to see your windscreen remains squashed-bug free. It’s…","published":"2017-12-30T21:25:09+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:09+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ab6d600b-70fd-4054-b183-99e35059c57c_SP+541+-+The+windscreen+phenomenon.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the windscreen phenomenon explanation: 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"},"categories":["biology","nature","animals","podcast"]},{"uid":"boxing-day","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/boxing-day","title":"Origins of Boxing Day","summary":"I’d idly wondered all my life, but never bothered to look it up. Turns out there doesn’t seem to be one clear accepted origin of Boxing Day, but the general premise goes that on or before Christmas…","published":"2017-12-26T01:00:38+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a10217ba-0b7b-4d90-b3fa-acefe23f0e4d_SP+541+-+Origins+of+Boxing+day.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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).  "},"categories":["gift-giving","travel"]},{"uid":"kaffikok","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/kaffikok","title":"Kaffikok","summary":"Kaffikok is a delightful unit of distance—the distance you can go before needing a cup of coffee. The word comes from the Sámi people of northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland, combining the words for…","published":"2017-12-23T09:00:32+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z8rr7xsAHJWomOnf_SP540-Kaffikok-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Kaffikok meaning - what is a kaffikok - the distance you can go before needing a cup of coffee"},"categories":["words","hiking","coffee","food-and-drink","podcast"]},{"uid":"rubberducking","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rubberducking","title":"What is Rubberducking? An Explanation of the Rubber Duck Debugging Technique","summary":"Rubberducking is a problem-solving technique where you explain your code or task to a rubber duck—or any inanimate object—and discover the solution yourself through the act of explaining. It's…","published":"2017-12-17T13:42:30+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z1m9PJbqstJ98Vry_SP539-Rubberducking-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Rubberducking? Example explanation: a developer talks through their problem with the “therapist” rubber duck on their desk, only to discover the insight they need. Often useful for debugging."},"categories":["tech","software-development","engineering","problem-solving","thinking-tool","product-management"]},{"uid":"know-your-flying-fabrics","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/know-your-flying-fabrics","title":"Know your flying fabrics","summary":"What's the difference between parachutes, paragliders, hang gliders, kitesurfs, parasails or parakites and wingsuits? They're all fun ways to get around and all very easy to mix up with each other.…","published":"2017-12-09T18:50:03+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z79R-p7c43Q3gRlv_SP538-Flyingfabrics-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Know your flying fabrics: what is parachuting, wing suiting, paragliding, hang gliding, kitesurfing, parasailing/parakiting — the difference between them "},"categories":["transport","whats-the-difference-between","sport"]},{"uid":"catch-drilling-dust-with-a-post-it","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/catch-drilling-dust-with-a-post-it","title":"Catch drilling dust with a Post it","summary":"For a super simple way to avoid making a mess when drilling into walls. Louise, sent me this to try as another method: So my Dad has half a tennis ball with a hole through it. Drill bit goes through…","published":"2017-12-02T18:18:13+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:44+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/32b3177d-28d8-48bb-b2ba-2f77dbf5c13e_168120197011.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["lifehack"]},{"uid":"inverted-pyramid-writing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/inverted-pyramid-writing","title":"Inverted pyramid writing","summary":"A handy journalist technique whereby you write in such a way that even a cursory glance at an article gives the key facts, and the further you read down you increase your knowledge with the next most…","published":"2017-11-25T19:41:43+0000","updated":"2023-11-06T17:15:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c5355c5f-d33b-4c13-b9ad-975ca212b527_167878660556.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Inverted pyramid writing illustration: giving a rowing sports example from the most important at the start to the details later"},"categories":["writing","framework"]},{"uid":"buyers-remorse","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/buyers-remorse","title":"Buyer’s remorse","summary":"That annoying feeling after you’ve bought something where you’re just not sure if you did the right thing. Darn it.","published":"2017-11-18T21:34:35+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5a547589-0f99-4f88-bdd8-46eaaaf95d72_167637724491.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["psychology"]},{"uid":"goodharts-law","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/goodharts-law","title":"Goodhart’s Law: when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.","summary":"Goodhart's law states that when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. In other words, if you pick a measure to assess performance, people find a way to game it. To illustrate, I…","published":"2017-11-11T09:00:20+0000","updated":"2025-12-19T15:08:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/68405664-64fc-4f4d-841b-fa27305c38bf_SP+535+-+Goodhart%27s+law+-+revised+-+large.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["law","measurement","behavioral-economics","business","metrics","eponym","data","podcast","politics"]},{"uid":"kayak-vs-canoe","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/kayak-vs-canoe","title":"Kayak vs Canoe: What's the difference?","summary":"OK, this is not rocket science, but growing up, I tended to use kayak and canoe interchangeably out of ignorance. There are so many neat hybrid ways to get on the water now that nothing is as…","published":"2017-11-04T20:54:04+0000","updated":"2025-12-18T12:36:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z-agNndAxsiBwC30_SP533-Kayakcanoe-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Kayak vs Canoe: what's the difference"},"categories":["whats-the-difference-between","sport","water","nature","words"]},{"uid":"double-landlocked-countries","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/double-landlocked-countries","title":"Double-landlocked countries","summary":"Growing up on the island of Great Britain, I took for granted that after a few hours of travel in most directions, I'd be looking out to sea. But that's not the case for many people. If you were born…","published":"2017-10-28T10:46:32+0000","updated":"2026-05-20T11:34:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/agswtaYofJOwHVn-_SP532-Double-landlockedcountries-revisedcorrected.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What are double-landlocked countries? Map showing a landlocked country and the meaning of double-landlocked countries with Liechtenstein surrounded only by landlocked countries. The other double-landlocked country is Uzbekistan."},"categories":["geography","country","oceans"]},{"uid":"the-singularity-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-singularity-effect","title":"The singularity effect","summary":"The singularity effect is the name for how we care disproportionately about an individual as compared to a group. Think Saving Private Ryan, where an enormous effort is launched to save a single…","published":"2017-10-21T09:00:14+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ac9d32eb-6e54-4e40-b38f-f8b3abadd6b2_166632635886.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is The Singularity Effect explained: a line graph shows how the value of and compassion for saving a life quickly diminishes as the number of lives at risk increases. "},"categories":["psychology","effect"]},{"uid":"isochrones","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/isochrones","title":"Isochrones","summary":"From the prefix iso meaning equal and khronos meaning time it literally means equal times. And whereas maps are usually put together with lines of equal distance you can either construct maps, or…","published":"2017-10-14T17:03:09+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:21+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5688b39e-b9b5-4c97-8200-a08122335f00_166397333421.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["time","maps","geography","charts"]},{"uid":"the-golden-circle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-golden-circle","title":"The golden circle","summary":"Simon Sinek’s simple idea to start with why. To get a better feel, watch his 18min TED talk: How great leaders inspire action. I found his concrete example of “It was the ‘I have a dream’ speech, not…","published":"2017-10-07T09:00:29+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ad18f372-1917-4f23-af69-9f6c73c0429d_SP+530+-+The+golden+circle.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is The golden circle from Simon Sinek example explained: illustrated with the start with why circles, and Martin Luther King and the \"I have a dream,\" not the \"I have a plan,\" speech"},"categories":["design","leadership","framework","quote","entrepreneurship","podcast"]},{"uid":"emotional-hot-potato","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/emotional-hot-potato","title":"Emotional hot potato","summary":"The boss yells at the employee, the employee yells at their spouse, the spouse yells at the child, the child yells at their younger sibling, the sibling yells at the dog, and the dog pees on the rug.…","published":"2017-09-30T20:57:56+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z4j7JpbqstJ99ht9_SP529-Emotionalhotpotato-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Emotional hot potato cartoon: spreading a bad mood through a family to the dog who pees on the floor"},"categories":["emotions","psychology","parenting","conflict","relationships"]},{"uid":"atmospheric-perspective","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/atmospheric-perspective","title":"Atmospheric perspective","summary":"Standing in front of a grand view, you may have noticed that the colours of the objects, hills or mountains in the distance seem less vivid than those nearby. Details become less sharp, too. This is…","published":"2017-09-23T10:00:23+0000","updated":"2026-09-10T14:14:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/R3965TTuKSWeJ7se_SP528-Atmosphericperspective-revised.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is atmospheric perspective explained in a mountain scene and why do distant objects fade and lose contrast and saturation"},"categories":["mountains","drawing","physics","colour","perspective","air-quality"]},{"uid":"psychic-numbing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/psychic-numbing","title":"Psychic numbing","summary":"Psychic numbing is the phenomenon where we find it increasingly hard to empathise with the plight of larger numbers of people. A story about a family who needs help is much easier for us to relate to…","published":"2017-09-16T20:44:38+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ae6b673c-1fa8-494f-ba23-49a2ed8239f0_165411287891.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["psychology"]},{"uid":"party-bottle-sizes","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/party-bottle-sizes","title":"Party bottle sizes","summary":"These large bottles are seriously impressive to see. They also have neat names from biblical kings for reasons I don’t know. There are a few more gradations, and some sizes and names are only for…","published":"2017-09-10T18:40:45+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/64a91228-32ca-4ead-8096-90df963b099a_165194649146.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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). "},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"mean-world-syndrome","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/mean-world-syndrome","title":"Mean world syndrome","summary":"Mean world syndrome is the name given to the observation that people who watch more TV seem to believe the world is a more dangerous place than people who watch less. It's likely due to the…","published":"2017-09-02T22:13:48+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:38:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f3c2a6d7-88a9-4e29-8105-0e01ac30f475_164909380386.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1751%2C1484&w=1200&h=1484","alt":"Mean world syndrome illustration: showing how those who watch more believe the world is a meaner place"},"categories":["psychology","research","social-media"]},{"uid":"the-10-essentials","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-10-essentials","title":"The 10 Essentials","summary":"What should you make sure you have with you when you head out to the wilderness? A lot of stuff may prove handy, but perhaps the best checklist to start from for stuff that may get you out of a fix…","published":"2017-08-26T21:28:22+0000","updated":"2024-04-09T15:56:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b5d94fc6-6298-474e-9669-fb5e30a6d656_164647725976.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["hiking","camping","backpacking","nature"]},{"uid":"how-to-remember-if-you-did-something","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-to-remember-if-you-did-something","title":"How to remember if you did something","summary":"A simple way to remember if you locked your car, turned the gas off, watered the plants or whatever, is to do something unusual around the time that you do it. When you find yourself thinking back to…","published":"2017-08-19T19:57:38+0000","updated":"2024-04-09T15:58:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0e2197ae-360a-4e97-8576-fba23aa0c4bc_164377441471.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["advice","tip","lifehack"]},{"uid":"johari-window","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/johari-window","title":"Johari Window — A Model for Self-Awareness, Feedback, and Personal Growth","summary":"The Johari Window is a model for understanding self-awareness and improving relationships through feedback and sharing. It divides what we know about ourselves—and what others know about us—into four…","published":"2017-08-12T09:00:21+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z9mBgjiBA97GimZX_SP521-Johariwindow-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Johari Window model illustrating self-awareness through feedback and disclosure in four quadrants: Open Self, Blind Spot, Hidden Self, and Unknown Self."},"categories":["framework","research","psychology","feedback","eponym"]},{"uid":"santo-libre-cuba-libre","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/santo-libre-cuba-libre","title":"Santo libre, cuba libre","summary":"I first had a santo libre in Belize and, given how popular cuba libres are, I was surprised I’d never heard of it. Basically, it’s rum + Sprite or lemonade + a little lime juice. I am hereby…","published":"2017-08-07T00:43:04+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/da5cbb1f-8869-4fd7-a5e4-016acf49627e_163886600611.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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)"},"categories":["food-and-drink","travel"]},{"uid":"the-gartner-hype-cycle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-gartner-hype-cycle","title":"The Gartner Hype cycle","summary":"How the expectations of new technologies often evolves. More at Gartner’s Hype cycle page.","published":"2017-07-30T05:42:53+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:37+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fdc3350f-3207-433a-bd09-d1c9b12655ec_163588116851.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Gartner Hype Cycle illustration: a line graph shows the typical curvy evolution of expectations from new technologies over time. "},"categories":["charts","framework","technology","tech","eponym"]},{"uid":"wrap-up-your-keys-for-running","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/wrap-up-your-keys-for-running","title":"Wrap up your keys for running","summary":"You often need to take a house key with you when you go running, yet if you pop the keys in your pockets, they often jingle as you run. I've often thought it would be nice if they were quiet. How do…","published":"2017-07-22T21:45:59+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2440905a-cc58-4884-950c-b7a5736614ee_163302094546.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["running","exercise","tip","sport","health"]},{"uid":"nominative-determinism","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/nominative-determinism","title":"Nominative determinism","summary":"Nominative determinism is the idea that people might inadvertently be drawn to careers related to their names. It suggests that if you are called Baker, you might unknowingly gravitate towards a…","published":"2017-07-15T09:00:14+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2720b7ab-e919-48f8-b030-2a3314c01d4d_163010760374.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Nominative determinism examples — or an aptronym — with 3 books and their nominatively deterministic authors"},"categories":["psychology","words","eponym"]},{"uid":"the-peak-end-rule","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-peak-end-rule","title":"The peak-end rule","summary":"It turns out that, when considering how enjoyable, or indeed how painful something was, we don’t mentally do an average enjoyment check to decide if it was good or bad. Instead, our minds are swayed…","published":"2017-07-08T09:00:39+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/535ccd66-4262-452e-bf3e-a440e2fa7c3d_162739671069.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Peak-end rule example: 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"},"categories":["psychology","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-beard-cycle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-beard-cycle","title":"The beard cycle","summary":"These days beards are in. There will come a day when beards are out. And a day when beards are back in again. That’s how it seems to go. Turns out there is a name for this kind of thing: negative…","published":"2017-07-01T16:00:48+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a5f05f4a-fc4f-4e36-b09d-071abfe386b5_162475945336.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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...   "},"categories":["cycling","framework","biology","science"]},{"uid":"strahler-stream-order","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/strahler-stream-order","title":"Strahler stream order: Streams, rivers, the Amazon and how to organise them.","summary":"Strahler stream order is a smart way of categorizing the size of rivers by tracking where tributaries join. Each time two tributaries of the same order join together, the river rises in order. So,…","published":"2017-06-24T19:27:52+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:07:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d25073a8-eb85-41b4-a876-77e2aed1236f_162209392476.gif?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["geography","water","framework","animation","eponym"]},{"uid":"60-30-10-colour-rule","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/60-30-10-colour-rule","title":"60-30-10 Colour rule","summary":"This formula is a lovely start for most simple branding and can help in other areas of your life, whether you’re a design professional or just seeking a few color combos for your home. Think of the…","published":"2017-06-17T22:21:58+0000","updated":"2026-10-09T09:30:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/sp49xr3ERo9ziLSH_SP514-60-30-10colourrule-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The 60-30-10 color rule for a simple and effective color scheme using accent (10%) supporting (30%) and base (60%) — like a suit with a tie."},"categories":["colour","design","drawing"]},{"uid":"the-real-shape-of-a-crossing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-real-shape-of-a-crossing","title":"The real shape of a crossing","summary":"I think it would be interesting if we could see the real shape of your favourite crossing marked on the road. It’d probably help more people cross and traffic get stopped less. And, hopefully, no…","published":"2017-06-10T20:31:18+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/16adb94d-567c-43f2-9cca-1d49bb792c49_161669075246.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["walking","road","planning","transport","cycling","travel","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-customer-value-chain","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-customer-value-chain","title":"The customer value chain","summary":"I’ve found this model useful in my thinking so many times. Also known as the Buying Hierarchy, it’s a model that illustrates a common evolution — though not perfect nor universal — in products and…","published":"2017-06-03T20:56:47+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:56:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4c5e559d-40c6-45e0-9c5b-3bcfbb57795f_161400892651.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["business","framework","design","products"]},{"uid":"the-browse-line","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-browse-line","title":"The browse line","summary":"The browse line is a distinctive line below which you don’t tend to see leaves or branches in places with ground animals, like deer, that enjoy eating leaves or branches. Browse lines are basically…","published":"2017-05-26T13:22:02+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cf1555ea-620c-4901-907e-3bbc54eea528_161092784281.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["animals","nature","trees","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-basic-colour-wheel","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-basic-colour-wheel","title":"The basic colour wheel","summary":"With primary colours - red, blue and yellow - secondary colours, made by mixing the primaries - orange, purple and green - and complementary colours - from the opposites on the colour wheel - red and…","published":"2017-05-20T07:42:31+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/39efd149-7dbf-4c28-bb10-6f420fb8b6e0_160866277111.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["colour","drawing","podcast"]},{"uid":"draw-smooth-lines","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/draw-smooth-lines","title":"Draw smooth lines","summary":"…by using the natural geometry of your joints. It took me a while to figure out that it’s easy to draw lines in some directions and hard in others. And most of the time it’s simply down to respecting…","published":"2017-05-13T17:21:58+0000","updated":"2024-04-09T16:57:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/75b924c8-8051-4935-aa43-dd1d3533649e_160625385381.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["drawing"]},{"uid":"antipodes","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/antipodes","title":"Antipodes","summary":"If you were to dig straight down from where you’re standing and pass straight through the centre of the Earth and keep on digging — you’d now be tunnelling up I guess — where you come out would be…","published":"2017-05-06T22:42:44+0000","updated":"2026-02-25T08:25:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/258869f4-24c4-4192-969b-df866b674d9e_160383697001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["earth","geography","oceans"]},{"uid":"moon-pool","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/moon-pool","title":"Moon pool","summary":"Moon pools are protected entrances to water that can even give the remarkable ability to enter from under the water. First created to support drilling operations on offshore platforms, moon pools can…","published":"2017-04-29T22:55:48+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z0XjbZbqstJ97yLF_SP508-Moonpool-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is an underwater moon pool explained example: showing how a moon pool works with a neat underwater base with divers entering the water underwater, like it was a pool"},"categories":["research","oceans","water","science","tech","swimming","biology"]},{"uid":"bugs-and-releases","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/bugs-and-releases","title":"Bugs and releases","summary":"Smaller software releases generally means fewer bugs, and bugs that are easier to fix. The number of bugs created typically increases with the complexity of interactions of code, which in turn…","published":"2017-04-22T21:26:27+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9583cd63-b17b-413d-85d8-297d3e3327d3_159875218691.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1765%2C1496&w=1200&h=1496","alt":"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. "},"categories":["software-development","charts","management","product-management"]},{"uid":"sea-jelly-sea-star","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sea-jelly-sea-star","title":"Sea jelly, sea star","summary":"Not the easiest switch to make but given that jellyfish and starfish are not at all fish there is a move to call them sea jelly and sea star. As long as we all work to help protect them clearly it…","published":"2017-04-14T12:00:50+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c318b75a-fea7-4a8b-8a05-d52387dfa837_159562455949.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Sea horse, sea jelly rather than jellyfish or jelly fish, sea star rather than starfish or star fish"},"categories":["animals","words","oceans","biology"]},{"uid":"orthographic-projection","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/orthographic-projection","title":"Orthographic projection","summary":"Orthographic projection is a handy technique for communicating much of what you need about something. In an orthographic drawing, you draw a face-on, side-on, and top-down view of an object, allowing…","published":"2017-04-08T18:53:39+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/eda7b58e-70a4-44be-a605-4daf33b167b3_159345600861.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is orthographic projection example and explanation showing the different views of a building in orthographic view"},"categories":["drawing","architecture","perspective","engineering"]},{"uid":"release-strategy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/release-strategy","title":"A release strategy for happier customers, sooner","summary":"I love this diagram by Henrik Kniberg for determining what to release to your customers and when. The idea is that a standard approach of having your grand plan of what you think people want at the…","published":"2017-04-01T19:55:50+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f5ef20d6-f2fd-442f-ad72-42c104f20b23_159084136101.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Henrik Kniberg's release strategy for happier customers, sooner showing a car built piece-by-piece and a car built skateboard, to scooter, to bike, motorcycle then car."},"categories":["software-development","theory","product-management","strategy","ux","starting"]},{"uid":"the-goldilocks-zone","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-goldilocks-zone","title":"The Goldilocks Zone","summary":"The Goldilocks Zone is the range around a star that’s not too hot or too cold to support liquid water. Liquid water is vital to sustaining life like we have on Earth, so fortunately for us, Earth…","published":"2017-03-25T22:30:21+0000","updated":"2024-10-16T16:24:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zw_RbYF3NbkBXiX-_SP504-TheGoldilocksZone-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Goldilocks Zone: the range that supports life and distance from a star which supports liquid water"},"categories":["astronomy","earth","temperature","eponym"]},{"uid":"goldilocks-tasks","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/goldilocks-tasks","title":"Goldilocks tasks","summary":"The sweet spot for flow and mastery where the task is not too easy, not too hard — it’s just right. Also, just the right spot for learning similar to Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. In that…","published":"2017-03-16T20:35:09+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/16c57819-c98b-497d-9a07-e54b33029691_158487161561.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Goldilocks Tasks: a spectrum where the challenge is not too easy, not too hard, but just right for flow and mastery"},"categories":["flow","psychology","framework","learning","productivity","education","anxiety","eponym","podcast"]},{"uid":"muphrys-law","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/muphrys-law","title":"Muphry’s Law","summary":"Muphry's law states that when criticizing spelling or grammar, you’ll make a mistake yourself. Or should that be criticising? Muphry's Law is a variation of Murphy’s law which is: \"If anything can go…","published":"2017-03-11T21:51:44+0000","updated":"2024-11-12T16:19:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c52a4af1-0085-4441-803f-a088621a07bc_158285348596.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is Muphry's Law example explained: a reviewer of a manuscript makes a spelling mistake in their review"},"categories":["grammar","words","law","writing","eponym","kindness"]},{"uid":"ghost-fishing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ghost-fishing","title":"Ghost fishing","summary":"Ghost fishing is a sad reality of the fishing industry, where abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear continues to fish. It can be particularly troublesome as smaller trapped animals entice larger…","published":"2017-03-01T19:22:13+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z79LQZ7c43Q3gRiH_SP501-Ghostfishing-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is ghost fishing showing a discarded fishing net catching fish and other predators"},"categories":["fishing","oceans","animals","biology","nature"]},{"uid":"stages-of-grief","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/stages-of-grief","title":"Stages of grief","summary":"This is an adapted version of the Kubler-Ross model for the stages of grief from her work with terminally ill patients. I should caveat that this is overly simplified in several respects and people…","published":"2017-02-24T13:55:05+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/51d0bec5-76b3-448f-88b3-b20aaa766a09_157652752506.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Kübler-Ross Stages of Grief Model in a chart with stages: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance"},"categories":["framework","psychology","emotions","charts"]},{"uid":"how-to-speak-plainly-by-pooh-bear","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-to-speak-plainly-by-pooh-bear","title":"How to speak plainly, by Pooh Bear","summary":"Winnie the Pooh teaches us how to speak plainly and avoid Owl Speak. There’s a surprising amount of wisdom in A. A. Milne’s classic stories of Winnie-the-Pooh. If you haven’t read them for a long…","published":"2017-02-17T15:16:18+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zvaxn7VsGrYSwE8b_SP497-Howtospeakplainly-revisedevensmaller.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How to speak plainly illustrated by Owl-speak and Pooh-speak from Winnie-the-Pooh"},"categories":["books","words","writing","storytelling","parenting"]},{"uid":"the-prisoners-dilemma","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-prisoners-dilemma","title":"The prisoner’s dilemma","summary":"The classic game theory dilemma where two prisoners are individually offered a deal if they’ll betray the other prisoner. But if they both betray each other then it’s bad news for both of them. What…","published":"2017-02-09T19:48:24+0000","updated":"2025-07-01T10:02:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1af967de-2e64-4ca4-a3ac-afde01ae53d9_157030947481.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is The Prisoner's Dilemma shown in an example - When following self-interest can be a worse outcome for all"},"categories":["games","psychology"]},{"uid":"sneezes-and-coughs","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sneezes-and-coughs","title":"Sneezes and coughs","summary":"‘Tis the season for these powerful things. Turns out sneezes can travel up to 8 m, coughs up to 6m and they can linger in the air for up to 10 minutes. All the more important to make sure you’re…","published":"2017-02-01T19:29:01+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f183bcec-4531-4c65-a8d2-717a22464eab_156682827856.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Sneezes can travel up to 8 metres and coughs up to 6m. Cover your coughs and sneezes."},"categories":["health","sneeze"]},{"uid":"idempotence","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/idempotence","title":"Idempotence","summary":"Idempotence is essentially an operation that, no matter how many times you do it, you’ll still get the same result, at least without doing other operations in between. A classic example would be…","published":"2017-01-27T17:29:52+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/71255621-84bb-464d-ac49-2d09e90d39ab_156451100996.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["words","mathematics","software-development"]},{"uid":"stand-diagonally-on-transport","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/stand-diagonally-on-transport","title":"Stand diagonally on transport","summary":"It took me many years to figure out that if you stand diagonally you brace yourself better for both front-back jolts and side-to-side jostles.","published":"2017-01-20T20:14:59+0000","updated":"2025-07-01T10:06:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9c84ffda-f474-4d16-8092-0b08d06f2183_156137564706.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Stand diagonally on transport to brace yourself for forward-backwards and sideways jolts and avoid falling over"},"categories":["transport","tip","lifehack"]},{"uid":"the-nocebo-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-nocebo-effect","title":"The nocebo effect","summary":"The nocebo effect is how the expectation of pain or negative effects of a treatment increases the chances people will feel them — even if they're aren't any. So, tell someone that a treatment will…","published":"2017-01-12T22:21:52+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:56:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/156f659d-0bdc-4f06-9a8c-78515b963e70_155781893521.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Nocebo Effect with example: expectation of negative consequences of a treatment increases the chances people will feel them"},"categories":["psychology","health","effect"]},{"uid":"the-placebo-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-placebo-effect","title":"The placebo effect","summary":"The placebo effect is the remarkable yet commonplace phenomenon that when people expect a treatment to be effective, it can be, even if the treatment itself doesn't actually have any therapeutic…","published":"2017-01-05T19:17:27+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:04:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7bceee66-1da8-4c63-ad1c-580283f1f16c_155448043121.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Placebo Effect example where receiving treatment helps people feel better even if the treatment does nothing."},"categories":["psychology","health","effect"]},{"uid":"earth-is-a-big-magnet","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/earth-is-a-big-magnet","title":"Earth is a big magnet","summary":"Which is kind of amazing. The magnetic field is produced by some remarkable result of the convection of molten hot iron alloys in the core of the Earth. Kind of hard to really get your head round if…","published":"2016-12-29T19:32:40+0000","updated":"2026-04-22T08:30:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ec6b9a6d-475a-47bf-b671-a15a1090ee2b_155130276556.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Earth is a big magnet"},"categories":["science","earth","physics","geology"]},{"uid":"moscow-prioritisation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/moscow-prioritisation","title":"MOSCOW Prioritisation","summary":"A way of helping decide what to do next based on Must do, Should do, Could do and Would do. Strangely, so many of the things you’d really like to do when put in this organisation end up in the Would…","published":"2016-12-20T09:00:35+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e9bf17a8-4b8a-4730-8f3e-117cf6abaadc_154715779162.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is MOSCOW Prioritisation with example: Must, Should, Could, Would"},"categories":["framework","design","management","engineering","software-development"]},{"uid":"the-piston","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-piston","title":"The piston","summary":"The piston is an amazingly simple, ridiculously useful and successful mechanism that, together with a connecting rod and crankshaft, converts linear motion to rotational motion. This simple system is…","published":"2016-12-09T06:12:42+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3077da4c-5e7b-4881-b145-a19267e49732_SP+489+-+The+piston+animated.gif?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C951%2C812&w=1200&h=812","alt":"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"},"categories":["engineering","transport","animation"]},{"uid":"typical-gastropod-anatomy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/typical-gastropod-anatomy","title":"Typical gastropod anatomy","summary":"For a closer look next time you’re at the beach. Pay close attention to whether you find one with a dextral or sinistral aperture. Gastropods are the largest class of molluscs which includes limpets,…","published":"2016-11-29T20:05:55+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/25381d28-859e-4cb8-9c14-aeccc9e711fc_153832127956.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Typical gastropod anatomy: identifying the main parts of the shell of a common whelk"},"categories":["animals","biology","anatomy"]},{"uid":"the-half-life-of-caffeine","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-half-life-of-caffeine","title":"The half-life of caffeine","summary":"The half-life of caffeine is about 4 hours. The data vary, but for a medium-sized adult, you can probably expect half of the caffeine from that 3 pm cup of coffee to still be doing half of its thing…","published":"2016-11-22T09:00:15+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ec7c46c4-3de7-4a91-87a6-7b1647a9ccd6_153511487793.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1765%2C1496&w=1200&h=1496","alt":"The half-life of caffeine illustration: showing the effect of caffeine rising then decreasing over time"},"categories":["coffee","food-and-drink","charts","data"]},{"uid":"mapping-emotions","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/mapping-emotions","title":"Mapping emotions","summary":"This is Robert Plutchik’s wheel of emotions. I like it because it tries to make sense out of the range of emotions we have by relating his 8 primary emotions to related ones where two primary…","published":"2016-11-16T20:53:05+0000","updated":"2023-11-02T16:36:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/414de145-a23b-4b64-95e1-2fe897fd7071_153273656556.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions: a colourful wheel showing how emotions mix"},"categories":["emotions","psychology","framework","theory","maps"]},{"uid":"the-golden-ratio","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-golden-ratio","title":"The Golden Ratio: Nature's Perfect Proportions","summary":"The golden ratio is a mathematical proportion in nature, art, architecture, and design. It's a shortcut to proportions we seem to find innately pleasing. What Is the Golden Ratio? The golden ratio…","published":"2016-11-07T20:20:38+0000","updated":"2025-05-15T09:56:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zx9_Yq8jQArTz4sD_SP484-Goldenratio-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the golden ratio explained and the golden spiral and the golden ratio in faces, art, nature, architecture and how to calculate it"},"categories":["art","drawing","design","mathematics"]},{"uid":"freeze-lemons-and-limes","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/freeze-lemons-and-limes","title":"Freeze lemons and limes","summary":"There always seems to be more than we need in a bag. This is a nice end for them.","published":"2016-11-01T20:57:27+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3850bb37-d19f-4aa2-b883-50060e6ace17_152613266331.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Cut then freeze lemons and limes for handy ice cubes that add flavour and don't dilute your drink."},"categories":["food-and-drink","lifehack"]},{"uid":"set-your-table-in-time-honoured-positions","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/set-your-table-in-time-honoured-positions","title":"Set your table in time-honoured positions","summary":"The classic “use cutlery from the outside-in” still holds, but I realised there’s a little more to it than that. And I learned what a charger is. Amalgamation of tips from the cookbook I use most,…","published":"2016-10-24T08:05:51+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0749a62f-e18b-4c00-9daf-0c84658924e5_152240637931.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How to set a table and where to put all the knives, forks, spoons and glasses"},"categories":["food-and-drink","lifehack"]},{"uid":"fix-out-of-sync-toilet-paper","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fix-out-of-sync-toilet-paper","title":"Fix out-of-sync toilet paper","summary":"Usually the layers are just out of synch and taking the top layer over the top will put all back in order. Randomly, I remember seeing this explained on a kids TV show possibly decades ago.","published":"2016-10-16T18:28:12+0000","updated":"2025-07-01T10:15:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cd2c3cf9-34f1-4ae0-bbf5-a2ad37400cd8_151893291011.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"How to fix toilet paper that is out-of-sync"},"categories":["lifehack"]},{"uid":"know-your-greek-alphabet","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/know-your-greek-alphabet","title":"Know your Greek alphabet","summary":"Unless you were a maths, physics or Greek major, chances are your knowledge, like mine, may not have gone much farther than epsilon. I like how the letter names and shapes map or don’t to the Roman…","published":"2016-10-10T11:23:24+0000","updated":"2025-07-01T10:17:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8aaa963f-ed0b-458a-a0b6-7b8f9233e1c1_151607069421.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"A visual guide to the Greek alphabet against the Roman alphabet used in English"},"categories":["language","words"]},{"uid":"the-s-curve","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-s-curve","title":"The S-curve","summary":"A remarkably common pattern for the evolution of many things. You see it all the time in the evolution of technical things, but also many systems in general. When you start to reach the top of the…","published":"2016-09-30T19:45:55+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b13b3d99-f6f6-4c3e-84fd-7948482692e0_151156770816.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is a technology S Curve with an example explained in a sketch"},"categories":["framework","innovation","strategy","technology","tech","design"]},{"uid":"do-horses-legs-leave-the-ground-at-a-gallop","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/do-horses-legs-leave-the-ground-at-a-gallop","title":"Do horses' legs leave the ground at a gallop?","summary":"There’s a famous photo series by Eadweard Muybridge that shows, unequivocally, that while galloping, all four of a horse’s legs leave the ground. I’d always heard that’s what they were trying to find…","published":"2016-09-23T11:20:30+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/209d4d10-d902-4323-b1a3-2749fd3041ce_150813801616.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"A cheetah vs a horse showing the legs leaving the ground in the tucked position from famous photos by Eadweard Muybridge"},"categories":["data","infographics","design","animals","photography"]},{"uid":"two-and-a-half-dimensions","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/two-and-a-half-dimensions","title":"2.5D","summary":"A 2.5D shape is three-dimensional, but the use of the third dimension, usually height, is limited to simple top-down operations. I learned about 2.5D, or two and a half dimensions, from my…","published":"2016-09-12T21:23:08+0000","updated":"2024-11-01T14:33:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5ce6c6a5-ab6d-460b-b9c5-0f94bad04b10_150325915961.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is a 2.5D object showing a 2D, 2.5D and true 3D object"},"categories":["engineering","design","drawing","architecture"]},{"uid":"the-union-jack","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-union-jack","title":"The Union Jack","summary":"The Origins of the Union Jack The Union Jack, one of the most recognizable flags in the world, is a combination of three historic flags. It represents the union of nations within the United Kingdom…","published":"2016-09-01T12:54:32+0000","updated":"2024-10-15T09:34:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZrCYwkaF0TcGIrcZ_SP476-TheUnionJack-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Union Jack flag and how it is constructed explained showing the three flags that make it up of Scotland, Ireland and England"},"categories":["geography","history","uk"]},{"uid":"great-britain-the-united-kingdom-whats-the-difference","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/great-britain-the-united-kingdom-whats-the-difference","title":"Great Britain and the United Kingdom: What’s the difference?","summary":"This is generally the source of much confusion, even amongst those who live over here. If you look carefully at the description of the United Kingdom (on a passport say), you’ll see it’s the \"United…","published":"2016-08-20T20:20:39+0000","updated":"2025-08-29T15:54:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b8255a3a-0b5b-465b-a80c-c00feaca71a8_SP+475+-+Great+Britain+United+Kingdom+British+Isles+-+larger.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What's the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom - explained in a sketch with maps"},"categories":["geography","history","uk","maps","coastline","government"]},{"uid":"the-potato-radius","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-potato-radius","title":"The Potato Radius: When Asteroids Turn Spherical","summary":"Asteroids are often considered irregular, lumpy, potato-shaped rocks, while planets seem smooth and spherical. The “potato radius” is the fascinating threshold where this transformation begins—a…","published":"2016-08-14T18:35:48+0000","updated":"2024-11-21T10:50:32+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zz8LZa8jQArT1HB2_SP474-Thepotatoradius-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the potato radius example explained: showing a bumpy potato-like asteroid at the centre of an expanding circle and how it becomes rounder and more planet like as it gets larger"},"categories":["science","physics","astronomy","mathematics"]},{"uid":"information-radiator","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/information-radiator","title":"Information radiator","summary":"An information radiator shares information passively in a space. Information radiators have a neat effect: having a good one in an office can go a long way toward getting people on the same page…","published":"2016-08-04T12:14:44+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/dc6eacf3-f4d0-4274-bc21-d8c843345801_148444971766.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1814%2C1546&w=1200&h=1546","alt":"What is an information radiator in agile and software development sharing information passively in an office"},"categories":["software-development","design","social-engineering","productivity","product-management"]},{"uid":"direct-and-representative-democracy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/direct-and-representative-democracy","title":"Direct and representative democracy","summary":"In direct democracy the people vote directly to create the laws, rules and regulations and such. In representative democracy, the people instead vote to elect a representative, who will then either…","published":"2016-07-29T14:33:47+0000","updated":"2023-05-20T13:22:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/60d75e0e-03f6-4cbb-af1f-a448a016f3b0_148150419096.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Direct vs representative democracy illustration: direct democracy shown with a direct connection to the people, and representative connected through an elected representative"},"categories":["politics","country","government"]},{"uid":"make-a-cork-pourer","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-a-cork-pourer","title":"Make a cork pourer.","summary":"With just a few deft cuts of a cork, you too can make a nifty pourer perfect for a straight pour while mixing your drink with air. A speciality to use with sidra from the Asturian region of Spain.…","published":"2016-07-21T11:08:35+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/522cfc61-9e79-44f4-bdfd-21cff7d3fcfe_147744091701.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"align-windows-level-at-the-top","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/align-windows-level-at-the-top","title":"Align windows level at the top.","summary":"Not always, but it’s a decent rule of thumb. Check it out on the houses you walk past.","published":"2016-07-14T19:34:23+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/80495349-1e4b-4a54-8e58-8b56dbea93ce_147407265201.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1784%2C1512&w=1200&h=1512","alt":""},"categories":["architecture"]},{"uid":"let-your-data-speak-for-itself","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/let-your-data-speak-for-itself","title":"Let your data speak for itself.","summary":"Often, the form of the data is obvious enough for what it is that you might consider simplifying by removing the label.","published":"2016-07-07T22:45:54+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:33:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0d402f52-8e0c-4320-b5bb-9ab7a17f6ad7_147064124731.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","ux"]},{"uid":"exercise-and-sleep","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/exercise-and-sleep","title":"The Virtuous Cycle of Exercise and Sleep","summary":"Better sleep — Better exercise. One of the best virtuous circles. Regular exercise can help you sleep better, and better sleep can help you exercise better — a simple but powerful cycle that boosts…","published":"2016-06-30T21:23:32+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0d8af641-db51-4d9a-b92e-a00018ba3e17_146720668266.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the virtuous cycle of exercise and sleep? Illustration showing a loop where exercising better leads to sleeping better, and sleeping better leads to exercising better."},"categories":["sleep","exercise","sport","health","framework","cycling"]},{"uid":"swimrun","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/swimrun","title":"Swimrun","summary":"Swimrun is basically navigating from start to finish through water and over land carrying only the gear you need. What you start with you have to finish with. You will run in your wetsuit and swim in…","published":"2016-06-26T20:53:07+0000","updated":"2022-10-11T11:11:28+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8c1ad1b3-8518-4e62-b27f-c40a78d4cc24_146517892186.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["sport","endurance","travel","swimming","running"]},{"uid":"compliments-are-gifts","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/compliments-are-gifts","title":"Compliments are gifts","summary":"Compliments Are Gifts is a lovely metaphor for making the world brighter. Though I've lost where, I once read: “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it” -…","published":"2016-06-17T20:02:25+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z1hHC5bqstJ98Qu7_SP466-Complimentsaregifts-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Compliments are gifts - not sharing one is like keeping a gift in your pocket: with one person complimenting another and it feeling like receiving a gift"},"categories":["kindness","wellbeing","gift-giving","sharing","advice","metaphor","podcast"]},{"uid":"click-here","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/click-here","title":"Rewrite to avoid click here","summary":"I find myself linking to this article about why your links should never say click here for links on the web that I thought I should just get it down for easy reference. The solution, generally, is to…","published":"2016-06-02T23:01:34+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:33:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/063e3007-ea63-4d46-9038-7cf8b055e2ba_145326922161.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["writing","design","ui","ux","click-here"]},{"uid":"phoenix-trees","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/phoenix-trees","title":"Phoenix trees","summary":"Phoenix trees are trees that live on after toppling and that can create new trees from branches of the original with their own roots and everything. They are named after the mythical phoenix, a bird…","published":"2016-05-25T22:01:19+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T14:34:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d5a57377-30b1-4ec7-914b-912d71777db9_144925251348.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"what is a Phoenix tree explained 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"},"categories":["nature","trees","biology","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-fresh-start-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-fresh-start-effect","title":"The fresh start effect","summary":"The Fresh Start Effect explains why we’re more likely to tackle meaningful goals or form new habits at the start of a day, week, month, or year. These fresh beginnings—like a birthday, moving to a…","published":"2016-05-19T21:17:41+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/416447e0-3957-4d9d-897a-ec9995923c3c_144619804411.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Fresh Start Effect example explained: a brave person thinks challenge accepted on Monday 1st January thanks to the Fresh start effect from Katy Milkman"},"categories":["behavioral-economics","psychology","effect","motivation","goals","productivity","lifehack","habits","podcast"]},{"uid":"stalactites-stalagmites","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/stalactites-stalagmites","title":"Stalactites, Stalagmites","summary":"How do you remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites in a cave? And how do you spell them? A simple mnemonic that’s helped me is this: Stalactites cling tight to the ceiling.…","published":"2016-05-12T12:53:28+0000","updated":"2025-12-08T10:53:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/78967cde-3965-436a-8326-5a1514a68f17_144246629161.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"How to remember if it's a Stalactite or Stalagmite (or stalagtite or stalacmite): Stalactites Cling tight to the Ceiling of a cave. Stalagmites Grow on the Ground"},"categories":["geology","science","words","whats-the-difference-between","geography","memory","mnemonic"]},{"uid":"the-ikea-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-ikea-effect","title":"The IKEA effect","summary":"The IKEA effect is the increase in value we feel towards self-made products—products that required our effort to create them. Or, less formally, we love it more if we made it. The effect is named…","published":"2016-05-05T19:34:28+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z3wKC5bqstJ99Fqz_SP460-TheIKEAeffect-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the IKEA effect example explained - sketch shows a person that put an IKEA table together by themselves, and although it's not a perfect build they still love it, because they put it together"},"categories":["psychology","bias","effect","eponym"]},{"uid":"volunteer-your-own-booking-fee","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/volunteer-your-own-booking-fee","title":"Volunteer your own booking fee","summary":"Whenever I think of the convenience of someone doing something for me I usually conclude it’s easily worth a tip. So I have taken to adding one. Then hopefully they’ll be happy to do it again in the…","published":"2016-04-27T22:01:13+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/70a0bf7a-45fa-4410-9cb4-1efcb1ccf8ac_143500193461.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["advice","money","kindness","relationships"]},{"uid":"the-frequency-illusion","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-frequency-illusion","title":"The frequency illusion: we notice what’s top of mind","summary":"The frequency illusion is the phenomenon where, when we become aware of something, we are more likely to notice it, and it appears to be more frequent. The reason may simply be that previously, we…","published":"2016-04-21T19:40:26+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c611d428-9e4f-476b-9146-f7477e3119aa_143177835521.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The frequency illusion explained in a sketch with an expecting couple suddenly seeing babies everywhere"},"categories":["psychology","bias","illusion"]},{"uid":"dirty-thunderstorm","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dirty-thunderstorm","title":"Dirty thunderstorm","summary":"A dirty thunderstorm is caused by ash and rock interacting inside a cloud instead of ice particles. As you can imagine, you can get this with volcanoes, which can be pretty spectacular. See more…","published":"2016-04-14T21:16:28+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:21+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b23eb9b5-b8ce-4673-a27a-8e0a9d0fa4cf_142810329201.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Dirty thunderstorm definition, explanation and example"},"categories":["weather","volcanoes","physics"]},{"uid":"the-ice-mile","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-ice-mile","title":"The ice mile","summary":"Swim a mile in water 5C or less. The ice mile is hardcore. Respect for crazy, amazing people like Lewis Pugh. Or if you’re in London, check out The Swimmer.","published":"2016-04-06T22:01:03+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:41:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9671bf14-a4b1-4d5c-9c54-ea11d419b2f4_142370580372.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The ice mile"},"categories":["sport","endurance"]},{"uid":"cognitive-bias-heuristic-logical-fallacy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cognitive-bias-heuristic-logical-fallacy","title":"Cognitive bias, heuristic, logical fallacy: hidden features of the mind","summary":"These terms come around a bit, and I wanted to get them clear in my head so I understood the difference. Cognitive bias Cognitive biases are predictable patterns of thought and behaviour leading to…","published":"2016-03-31T20:49:16+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0c215a53-7463-4e25-88a9-704e4635eca2_142030351636.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["psychology"]},{"uid":"the-monty-hall-problem","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-monty-hall-problem","title":"The Monty Hall problem","summary":"Loosely based on the game show Let’s Make a Deal, hosted by Monty Hall, what’s known as the Monty Hall problem is a simply constructed puzzle. Imagine in a game show contestants saw 3 doors, and…","published":"2016-03-23T21:15:28+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b5a8d808-ccd2-47cf-8efd-1c38759aea16_141568304901.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["mathematics","eponym"]},{"uid":"americano-long-black","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/americano-long-black","title":"An americano and a long black: the difference","summary":"What's the difference between an americano and a long black coffee? I'd often wondered. Both seemed to be espresso and water. Not everyone will give you the same answer in a coffee shop if you ask…","published":"2016-03-17T20:18:01+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f1c7fb1a-d674-4444-bd85-39566c7a3e10_141219272261.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What's the difference between an americano and a long black picture"},"categories":["coffee","food-and-drink","whats-the-difference-between"]},{"uid":"know-your-dashes","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/know-your-dashes","title":"Know your dashes: the hyphen, en dash and em dash","summary":"What is an em dash? And when should you use one? And how is that different from a hyphen? And what's an en dash? It's all here for you to know your dashes. OK, so you can get a little over the top…","published":"2016-03-09T22:00:52+0000","updated":"2026-03-23T10:47:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aa_pZVxvIZEnjhGC_SP452-KnowYourDashes-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is an Em dash, En Dash, Hyphen - and when and how to use them table with examples"},"categories":["grammar","writing"]},{"uid":"bloody-marys","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/bloody-marys","title":"Bloody marys","summary":"The bloody mary (vodka), ruddy mary (gin), virgin mary (alcohol-free) and the bull shot (beef broth instead of tomato). Has the added advantage of almost seeming like it’s something healthy to get. I…","published":"2016-03-02T22:01:03+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b8294d6c-d402-4b64-bb1f-5722d2333ffd_140355045517.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"contranym","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/contranym","title":"Contranym","summary":"A contranym is a word that can be its own opposite. Contranyms — like a heteronym, portemanteau, palindrome and semordnilap — are neat things to look out for. Like how you can dust something to pick…","published":"2016-02-25T19:54:57+0000","updated":"2026-06-16T14:09:23+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1dad074e-7b52-4b7f-bc5d-5b243af226b2_139987157986.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Contranym explained"},"categories":["words","grammar","writing"]},{"uid":"pace-layers-original-sketch","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pace-layers-original-sketch","title":"Pace layers original sketch","summary":"I updated this sketch with a newer version and more extensive description see: Pace Layers Original: Pace Layers is the brilliant observation of Stewart Brand that different aspects of the world…","published":"2016-02-17T20:50:55+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ea7d5405-627b-459d-a962-6e44e6876e70_139504385781.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1774%2C1504&w=1200&h=1504","alt":"Pace Layers drawing showing the layers of Nature, Culture, Governance, Infrastructure, Commerce and Fashion/Art changing at different speeds"},"categories":["framework","innovation","culture","nature","government","tech","technology","design"]},{"uid":"give-gifts-others-can-give","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/give-gifts-others-can-give","title":"Give gifts others can give","summary":"As giving makes people happy, what better way to make someone happy than to give something they can give to others. Not all the time maybe, but I reckon it’ll be a hit.","published":"2016-02-11T22:11:29+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1e9fb28e-2a11-4f36-86cb-06462c6202da_139136749591.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["kindness","gift-giving","psychology"]},{"uid":"proprioception","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/proprioception","title":"Proprioception","summary":"Our ability to sense position and movement of joints and limbs. It’s how you can tell where your right foot is now even without looking. Alcohol screws with it and touching your nose with your eyes…","published":"2016-02-03T17:00:57+0000","updated":"2023-06-06T19:36:09+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ca18e997-9bf1-4061-b671-97ac6c45bd62_138615545939.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["biology","senses"]},{"uid":"i-bet-thisll-get-a-lot-of-likes","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/i-bet-thisll-get-a-lot-of-likes","title":"I bet this’ll get a lot of likes","summary":"Homage to bring Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes classic up to date.","published":"2016-01-28T20:18:44+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b8b5d569-4065-461b-9f73-572642a43511_138235720416.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"I bet this'll get a lot of likes"},"categories":["social-media","nature","weather","hiking","photography","anxiety","wellbeing"]},{"uid":"dont-cut-the-nose-off-brie","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dont-cut-the-nose-off-brie","title":"Don’t cut the nose off brie","summary":"Sacré bleu! Don't cut the nose off brie. Or camembert cheese, for that matter. Share the ripe middle by cutting strips.","published":"2016-01-20T22:01:01+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/852694a6-2e2a-42f4-93ea-e14dee9d354e_137711781591.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","sharing"]},{"uid":"asymmetry-of-returns","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/asymmetry-of-returns","title":"Asymmetry of returns","summary":"It’s a funny thing, when you think about it, that if you owned a stock in the market and the value went up 50%, and then went down 50%, that it wouldn’t end up at what it started. Another way to look…","published":"2016-01-13T21:01:30+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7caf0589-42f1-485d-a84b-2e21392dd577_137242090267.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["money","mathematics","charts"]},{"uid":"venomous-poisonous","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/venomous-poisonous","title":"Venomous, poisonous - what’s the difference?","summary":"What is the difference between venomous and poisonous? Venomous animals inject venom through bites, stings and the like, though they often avoid it—think snakes, spiders, stingrays, wasps, etc.…","published":"2016-01-07T19:00:46+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZuqdjLVsGrYSvgec_SP443-Venomouspoisonous-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Venomous vs Poisonous the difference explained: Venomous animals inject venom through bites, stings and the like.  Poisonous animals poison you if you absorb, consume, or inhale."},"categories":["nature","animals","whats-the-difference-between","health","biology"]},{"uid":"bortle-scale","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/bortle-scale","title":"Bortle Scale","summary":"The clarity of the night sky. A low number means clear, black and amazing stars. Higher numbers mean gradually more urban environments with increasing light pollution. At 9 you’ll barely spot a star…","published":"2015-12-30T21:03:22+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0d8a611e-41e0-4828-affa-b1afe4a3bfa4_136281518801.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["scale","measurement","astronomy","science","physics","framework","air-quality","eponym"]},{"uid":"approaches-to-asset-valuation-castles-in-the-air-and-firm-foundations","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/approaches-to-asset-valuation-castles-in-the-air-and-firm-foundations","title":"Approaches to asset valuation: Castles in the air and firm foundations","summary":"How do we decide what something is worth? How might a new pair of sneakers be worth $1,000 while the pair next to them, perhaps better made, longer lasting and just as comfortable, be less than $100?…","published":"2015-12-23T22:01:16+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9fb665e3-a1d3-49b1-b045-64abc77f0350_135805912193.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Approaches to asset valuation: the castles in the air approach and the firm foundations approach"},"categories":["money","framework"]},{"uid":"choose-passwords-that-make-you-happy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/choose-passwords-that-make-you-happy","title":"Choose passwords that make you happy","summary":"Update: for times when you really need to remember a password I still like this technique, for all other times — which is to say, ideally every time — I suggest using a password manager. Use a…","published":"2015-12-17T17:36:05+0000","updated":"2025-01-16T12:17:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6607448a-ae62-4c92-9a74-dc7e08a9d440_135392545731.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Person typing their password and reliving a fond memory at the same time"},"categories":["tech","technology","security","happiness"]},{"uid":"animals-that-regenerate","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/animals-that-regenerate","title":"Animals that regenerate","summary":"While our bodies will generally make light work of repairing a cut in our skin or even healing a bone, some animals are able to go much further. Deer and moose antlers are grown and shed each year at…","published":"2015-12-09T22:01:17+0000","updated":"2025-03-28T13:22:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z-ahkndAxsiBwC8U_SP439-Animalsthatregenerate-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Animals that regenerate - flatworm head, axolotl legs, lizard tail, sea star, moose, deer..."},"categories":["animals","nature","biology","science"]},{"uid":"homo-sapiens-our-place-in-the-order-of-things","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/homo-sapiens-our-place-in-the-order-of-things","title":"Homo sapiens. Our place in the order of things","summary":"animalia not a plant chordata backbone of sorts mammalia warm blood, fur, milk, birth primates humans, monkeys, apes hominidae great apes homo man sapiens wise","published":"2015-12-02T22:01:04+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/50f8e27e-26ae-44be-9e12-034a69b859c3_134424473492.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework","nature","biology"]},{"uid":"bycatch","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/bycatch","title":"Bycatch","summary":"Bycatch is other stuff you caught when trying to catch something else. Bycatch makes me sad. Any fish or sea creatures can be caught unintentionally during fishing, and it also affects larger animals…","published":"2015-11-25T22:01:13+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:09+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fa648161-4ca6-4741-a716-727d074c72be_133956463619.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Bycatch: a sea turtle caught in a net as bycatch"},"categories":["animals","nature","fishing","biology"]},{"uid":"ape-index","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ape-index","title":"Ape index","summary":"The length of your arms relative to your height. Typically: ape index = arm span / height Da Vinci’s classic Vitruvian man has an arm span equal to his height and therefore an ape index of 1. An ape…","published":"2015-11-18T12:06:47+0000","updated":"2023-01-22T17:19:32+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ee7feb25-7067-46c2-a6a4-5de4767d310d_133462890881.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["animals","measurement"]},{"uid":"the-big-ideal","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-big-ideal","title":"The Big Ideal ™","summary":"A model from Ogilvy and Mather that’s a really interesting way to get to the heart of what could make your brand thrive. The intersection between what people care about (a cultural tension) and what…","published":"2015-11-12T10:57:02+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:09+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4e0ab356-da35-497f-a3cb-3fbfcc214c6d_133063104001.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework","marketing","business","venn-diagram"]},{"uid":"benefits-to-you-from-getting-started","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/benefits-to-you-from-getting-started","title":"Benefits to you from getting started","summary":"Alternatives researched, well qualified, books bought and read, desk clean, no disruptions, sitting comfortably, inbox cleared, coffee in hand, ready to get started? It’s easy to be paralyzed by…","published":"2015-11-04T22:00:58+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Zk9ZgSol0Zci9Zc4_SP434-Benefitstoyoufromgettingstarted-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Benefits to you from getting started chart — put it off and stress about it = no benefit, start now with something = some benefit"},"categories":["behavioral-economics","psychology","charts","money","starting","productivity"]},{"uid":"how-do-barnacles-move","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-do-barnacles-move","title":"How do barnacles move anyway?","summary":"How do barnacles move? Well, the barnacles we see don’t move. But when they’re little, they do swim, and once they’ve found their spot they basically cement themselves in place. They’re what’s known…","published":"2015-10-28T20:20:55+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/65828d5f-e629-4616-ac5e-bd150171f747_132104714016.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How do barnacles move"},"categories":["nature","animals","biology","beach","sea"]},{"uid":"microlife-the-unit-of-life","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/microlife-the-unit-of-life","title":"Microlife: The unit of life","summary":"A microlife is thirty minutes of your life expectancy. You can use it up by chilling for 30 minutes, or you could start to speed through them by smoking a few cigarettes or having a few drinks. A…","published":"2015-10-21T22:01:14+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f1f48618-26f8-43e3-a248-672b12e9d156_131644777480.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Microlife: 30 mins of TV soap, 2 cigarettes, 7 units of alcohol"},"categories":["measurement","risk","coffee","food-and-drink","podcast"]},{"uid":"micromort-the-unit-of-death","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/micromort-the-unit-of-death","title":"Micromort: The unit of death","summary":"A micromort is a one in one million chance of sudden death during the activity. You get a day of regular living for one micromort (though clearly that probably depends on what your average day is).…","published":"2015-10-14T22:01:22+0000","updated":"2026-01-14T09:07:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/693a3e25-b405-4801-8f04-11d38c9d9fcb_131180149365.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Micromort: 1 day of living, 20 miles by bike, 250 miles by car"},"categories":["transport","measurement","cycling","risk","podcast"]},{"uid":"the-different-faces-of-downhill","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-different-faces-of-downhill","title":"The different faces of downhill","summary":"It’s curious how going downhill seems to have two opposite meanings.","published":"2015-10-07T22:01:18+0000","updated":"2020-10-22T22:59:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c97ceb26-c452-4f68-9155-84a54d1396bf_130708334184.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["words"]},{"uid":"dont-make-important-decisions-on-an-empty-stomach","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dont-make-important-decisions-on-an-empty-stomach","title":"Don’t make important decisions on an empty stomach","summary":"Update: More recent research has brought into question the captivating notion of ego depletion with difficulties reproducing some key experiments and suggesting other factors may be at work. In his…","published":"2015-09-30T21:00:50+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ec8cae7c-97b1-4a0c-bfdd-9b770c09a3b1_130222892246.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"An energised person at 9 am closely contemplates a file while at noon they're down to 'whatever'"},"categories":["bias","psychology","law","sleep"]},{"uid":"camel-identification","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/camel-identification","title":"Camel identification: 1 hump dromedary, 2 humps bactrian","summary":"And, let’s face it, most of us are more likely to encounter camels in the Middle East and Africa than trekking around the Gobi Desert. The wild bactrian camel is sadly on the critically endangered…","published":"2015-09-23T22:01:13+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5adb6cfb-d0e0-47b2-b155-306d37620cc0_129736531219.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["animals","nature","geography"]},{"uid":"the-rosetta-stone","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-rosetta-stone","title":"The Rosetta Stone","summary":"The Rosetta Stone is the sort of artefact that makes history fascinating. It is amazing to behold, has a fascinating story and a controversial past, and is the key to the mystery of hieroglyphics.…","published":"2015-09-16T22:01:23+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:18:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ec6046c3-6ec9-46ae-9625-53f2c12376bc_129239825802.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is the Rosetta Stone explained"},"categories":["history","language","eponym"]},{"uid":"phases-of-the-moon","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/phases-of-the-moon","title":"Phases of the moon","summary":"Everyone knows a crescent and a full moon, but it’s also good to know that a gibbous moon is when a crescent of shadow eats into the bright circle and that the hardest moon to see is a new one. When…","published":"2015-09-09T19:01:15+0000","updated":"2026-04-08T07:25:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/adYCPp1ZCF7ES8je_SP426-Phasesofthemoon-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Phases of the Moon showing the lunar cycle around Earth: new moon, waxing crescent, first quarter (half), waxing gibbous, full moon, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent"},"categories":["moon","astronomy","science","space"]},{"uid":"front-load-names-to-cue-attention","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/front-load-names-to-cue-attention","title":"Front load names to cue attention","summary":"A helpful observation from not following this many times in my life.","published":"2015-09-02T20:02:02+0000","updated":"2023-03-07T17:02:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c0e992da-0b00-47b1-ae2b-357e0b455cde_128206108370.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Ed happily passes the salt when cued to listen to the question with his name upfront: \"Ed, would you pass the salt?\""},"categories":["observation","advice","questions"]},{"uid":"koomeys-law","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/koomeys-law","title":"Koomey’s Law","summary":"Koomey's law roughly translates to: The energy efficiency of computers doubles roughly every 18 months. In a new twist beyond Moore’s Law, which shows signs of reaching it’s limits, there’s Koomey’s…","published":"2015-08-26T22:27:50+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ef657f37-3486-4fa8-94b1-45b9d397e693_127665798451.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Koomey's Law"},"categories":["software-development","law","charts","physics","energy","eponym"]},{"uid":"moores-law","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/moores-law","title":"Moore’s Law","summary":"This chart is from the original he published - just the five data points. Pretty simple huh? The “observation, originally made in 1965, that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit would…","published":"2015-08-19T20:02:05+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4659baa9-580b-4377-8bd3-f91b074a69c4_127098166143.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["software-development","law","tech","technology","science","physics","charts","eponym"]},{"uid":"ghoti","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ghoti","title":"Crazy English: ghoti","summary":"Ghoti is a constructed word intended to illustrate some of the craziness in English punctuation, in that, taking the sounds of its parts from different places, it could be said as fish. Said as: fish…","published":"2015-08-13T06:32:37+0000","updated":"2026-07-14T10:29:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f4dbc9b4-2bac-4aa7-9d71-74439a04e6ef_126571242006.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"How to say ghoti as fish from George Bernard Shaw"},"categories":["words","language"]},{"uid":"fitts-law","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fitts-law","title":"Fitts’ Law","summary":"The time to a target depends on the ratio of distance to the target over it’s size. So clicking on a small target close by might take a similar time to clicking on a large target further away. It’s a…","published":"2015-08-05T20:02:21+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4e76c8ad-c9c0-4908-8f71-98eabdc7c17d_125950885996.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["ux","law","software-development","mathematics","observation","design","eponym"]},{"uid":"centipede-millipede","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/centipede-millipede","title":"How to tell a centipede from a millipede","summary":"A centipede has 1 pair of legs on each body ring, and a millipede has two on most body segments. Hence millipedes will generally have plenty more legs to go round. As far as I know this is fairly…","published":"2015-07-29T22:04:08+0000","updated":"2021-03-11T15:51:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e98320d3-b948-41f9-a8b5-ba169f068328_125376035406.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["biology","nature","science","animals","whats-the-difference-between","anatomy"]},{"uid":"everything-is-aiming","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/everything-is-aiming","title":"Everything is aiming","summary":"In his post on Zanshin, a state of relaxed alertness, James Clear writes: Great archery masters often teach that “everything is aiming.” Where you place your feet, how you hold the bow, the way you…","published":"2015-07-22T19:38:38+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:42:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/05cc1345-d09a-4a59-a50f-1dfb0543dae1_124770496456.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Everything is aiming, Zanshin"},"categories":["inspiration","quote","sport"]},{"uid":"cream-tea-cornwall-vs-devon","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cream-tea-cornwall-vs-devon","title":"Cream tea: Cornwall vs Devon","summary":"There’s stiff competition for the original and the most authentic British cream teas between Devon and Cornwall and the Southwest of England. And you may have, like me, wondered if when having scones…","published":"2015-07-15T21:57:07+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9718d101-792d-4c1a-bfa5-7e3fa5042c8c_124186641121.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1758%2C1490&w=1200&h=1490","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","geography"]},{"uid":"the-fifth-fuel-energy-efficiency","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-fifth-fuel-energy-efficiency","title":"The Fifth Fuel: energy efficiency","summary":"The fifth fuel is energy efficiency—the cheapest of all. Also see: Jevons paradox Heating people, heating spaces","published":"2015-07-09T09:34:39+0000","updated":"2024-09-26T21:26:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c2b64bb4-9653-4b86-bbb4-49d450128f63_123628390491.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The fifth fuel — energy efficiency — the cheapest of them all"},"categories":["energy","sustainability"]},{"uid":"back-sleepers-side-sleepers","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/back-sleepers-side-sleepers","title":"Back sleepers, side sleepers","summary":"This may have been obvious from day one, but despite the basic geometry of our necks it took me many years to figure out that back sleepers generally need just the one pillow and side sleepers are…","published":"2015-07-01T20:01:59+0000","updated":"2023-02-28T13:25:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b91f2935-1ee2-4c5c-a20e-c48f93cbe61c_122966713118.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"A back sleeper lying on 1 pillow, and a side sleeper enjoying 2 pillows"},"categories":["observation","sleep","products"]},{"uid":"quotiquette","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/quotiquette","title":"Quotiquette: The etiquette of quoting","summary":"The best reference I found on quotations was the quotation section in Larry Trask’s Guide to Punctuation. Alongside clarifications [ ] and suspensions … it contains rules on fun things like quotes in…","published":"2015-06-24T20:02:16+0000","updated":"2021-06-17T16:12:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/96f430a3-8e83-460c-a4dc-a9a752b753d8_122359453568.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["words","grammar","writing","quote"]},{"uid":"counter-shading","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/counter-shading","title":"Counter-shading","summary":"Nifty water camouflage practised by dolphins, porpoises, some fish and other neat sea creatures. The simple strategy: look light like the sky for anyone below, and look dark like the sea for anyone…","published":"2015-06-17T20:02:17+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/736b3529-2770-4014-adc6-ea10af5281b2_121777755464.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1728%2C1465&w=1200&h=1465","alt":""},"categories":["animals","nature","ideas","innovation","strategy","biology"]},{"uid":"asteroids-meteors-and-meteorites","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/asteroids-meteors-and-meteorites","title":"Asteroids, meteors and meteorites","summary":"Asteroid: Big rock flying through space Meteor: A rock burning up as it enters the atmosphere. Also known as a shooting star. Meteorite: Parts of a meteor that made it all the way to the ground. Look…","published":"2015-06-10T20:02:04+0000","updated":"2021-01-12T21:27:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cf9c71bd-6e19-40ea-b548-ba4cc46ee457_121211095839.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["astronomy","space","science","geology"]},{"uid":"rebalancing-your-portfolio","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rebalancing-your-portfolio","title":"Rebalancing your portfolio","summary":"I work at Nutmeg and it’s one of the benefits we offer as standard whose importance is least understood. Perhaps this goes a little way to explaining it. It’s essentially about maintaining your risk…","published":"2015-06-03T19:01:21+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:21+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/08051a8a-6b73-4eb8-b367-8acd1ce56f34_120628865517.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1925%2C3265&w=1200&h=3265","alt":""},"categories":["money"]},{"uid":"tectonic-plate-interaction-boundaries","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/tectonic-plate-interaction-boundaries","title":"Tectonic plate interaction boundaries: Divergent, Convergent, and Transform","summary":"These are the main types of tectonic plate interaction boundaries: Divergent, for example the Mid-Atlantic ridge, the Great Rift Valley Convergent, for example the Andes, the Himalayas) Transform,…","published":"2015-05-27T21:01:10+0000","updated":"2026-01-16T14:51:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aWpQQwIvOtkhBpxw_SP411-Tectonicplateboundaries-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Tectonic Plate Interaction Boundary Types: Divergent, Convergent, and Transform with examples"},"categories":["geography","geology","volcanoes","mountains"]},{"uid":"sales-arent-always-the-bargain-they-seem","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sales-arent-always-the-bargain-they-seem","title":"Sales aren’t always the bargain they seem","summary":"This could happen to you. HT: Avraham Byers","published":"2015-05-20T21:01:16+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3d14ab9c-33b0-425c-b82e-86c187f5314e_119468602382.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["money"]},{"uid":"prospect-theory","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/prospect-theory","title":"Prospect theory","summary":"Dan Kahneman and Amos Tversky’s behavioural economics theory modeling how we make decisions. It illustrates, among other things, some of the non-rational decisions we make as we are guided by emotion…","published":"2015-05-14T22:01:59+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a91c962d-ad54-4295-b3fb-355c79299068_118976026701.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["psychology","behavioral-economics","bias","theory","framework"]},{"uid":"use-the-southern-cross-to-find-south","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/use-the-southern-cross-to-find-south","title":"Use the Southern Cross to find South (Southern Hemisphere)","summary":"Navigating by the stars is both lovely and handy. Unlike the Northern Hemisphere, where you can find Polaris, the North Star, to know which way is north, there's no obvious star that indicates south…","published":"2015-05-07T07:30:26+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aHqFJUMqNJQqIHC3_SP407-FindSouthwiththeSouthernCross-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How to find south using the Southern Cross and The Pointers in the Southern hemisphere using the stars and the night sky"},"categories":["astronomy","geography","hiking","navigation","space"]},{"uid":"find-the-north-star","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/find-the-north-star","title":"How to Find the North Star to Find North (Northern Hemisphere)","summary":"The Pole Star or North Star (Polaris) is a navigator’s best friend as it is always due North. To find it, follow the two stars on the end of the cup in the Big Dipper (or the Plough in the UK)—part…","published":"2015-04-30T12:02:19+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:37+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aHqE_0MqNJQqIHC1_SP406-FindtheNorthStar-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How to find the North Star in the northern hemisphere and find north using the stars and the night sky"},"categories":["astronomy","space","nature"]},{"uid":"pole-star","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pole-star","title":"Pole star","summary":"Aligned with Earth’s axis of rotation. Appears largely fixed above the poles. The Northern Hemisphere has a Pole Star that will point you North, and the Southern hemisphere’s Pole Star will point you…","published":"2015-04-23T19:41:05+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:28+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d8fd09b5-5e30-4c55-a21c-408a7e7e0270_117190164996.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["astronomy"]},{"uid":"posh-port-out-starboard-home","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/posh-port-out-starboard-home","title":"POSH: Port Out Starboard Home (apocryphal)","summary":"Sadly it turns out that there is not reliable evidence for this derivation of the word POSH, but it’s so nice I’d finished the sketchplanation before I knew it. The story went that if you were…","published":"2015-04-16T13:26:35+0000","updated":"2020-10-22T23:02:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5ea4272e-0637-4217-aff8-6be2f41369da_116553868961.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["travel","words","history"]},{"uid":"scoville-scale","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/scoville-scale","title":"Scoville scale: chile heat via capsaicin content","summary":"The scale of spicy.","published":"2015-04-09T18:20:47+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5907794e-50d9-4e77-b826-4659525db07a_115956438571.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1739%2C1474&w=1200&h=1474","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","scale","eponym"]},{"uid":"heteronym","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/heteronym","title":"Heteronym: spell it the same, say it differently","summary":"For a long time, I’ve kept my ear (and eye) out for heteronyms: words that are written the same but said differently. Homonyms are easy to spot - things like chip (food, processor), or bark (dog,…","published":"2015-04-02T13:00:58+0000","updated":"2023-03-07T17:52:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e7c3d0e5-a9a1-4256-8540-41ef01df8ec4_115293623198.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Heteronym illustration with the examples: present, windy, read, and close "},"categories":["words","writing"]},{"uid":"sleepy-foods","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sleepy-foods","title":"Sleepy foods","summary":"Turns out a bunch of substances have the power to make you sleepy - tryptophan, vitamin B6, calcium, glycine, lactucarium and carbohydrates are some of the major ones. Some even interact with each…","published":"2015-03-26T12:01:19+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3e47c939-768f-4cb9-bbbf-eb71aaa769b2_114666053486.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["chemistry","biology","food-and-drink","sleep","science"]},{"uid":"vultures-have-bald-heads-to-regulate-temperature","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/vultures-have-bald-heads-to-regulate-temperature","title":"Vultures have bald heads to…","summary":"…regulate temperature and (maybe) to keep feathers clean while eating. Keeping the feathers clean was my inspiration for this sketchplanation - there’s something about the cold practicality of not…","published":"2015-03-19T12:01:14+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ad03a996-3e49-4c77-ac94-c8434779f2b5_114042053156.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["animals","temperature","nature"]},{"uid":"uk-vs-us-date-writing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/uk-vs-us-date-writing","title":"UK vs US date writing","summary":"It was only relatively recently that I realised that the transposition of day and month that each does, also translates to the written out form. So in the US it’s common to say April 1st, whereas in…","published":"2015-03-12T12:00:49+0000","updated":"2022-06-08T16:45:44+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3c1809b5-dbb0-4188-8420-b898bbe25545_113424191761.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["words","time"]},{"uid":"the-importance-urgency-matrix","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-importance-urgency-matrix","title":"The importance/urgency matrix","summary":"James Clear (Jamesclear.com) has a host of ways to help make sure you focus on the importants like starting every day with the most important activities, and ruthless focus. I spent a year organising…","published":"2015-03-05T09:54:23+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/71c61816-d643-40a4-a5a4-49614a7ee781_112776018666.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["planning","framework","strategy","productivity"]},{"uid":"prices-written-smaller-seem-more-affordable","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/prices-written-smaller-seem-more-affordable","title":"Prices written smaller seem more affordable","summary":"Unfortunately, there are studies to show that this is generally true, and prices written smaller are seen as more affordable than those written larger. What with decoy prices, anchoring, the age-old…","published":"2015-02-26T12:01:24+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/393fcece-03e3-4c80-a92f-fdb5b5539903_112130463979.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Prices written smaller seem more affordable example"},"categories":["bias","psychology","money"]},{"uid":"the-decoy-price","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-decoy-price","title":"The decoy price","summary":"The technique of adding a significantly more expensive option in order to instantly make the other options look reasonable by comparison. These kinds of manipulations have been shown to be scarily…","published":"2015-02-19T12:01:23+0000","updated":"2026-07-13T08:22:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ef65c217-d7f3-41f0-b443-b6dc1e5c20f3_111464586171.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The decoy price"},"categories":["marketing","bias","psychology"]},{"uid":"whats-the-difference-between-mandarins-clementines-satsumas-and-tangerines","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/whats-the-difference-between-mandarins-clementines-satsumas-and-tangerines","title":"What’s the difference between mandarins, clementines, satsumas and tangerines?","summary":"I’ll understand if this hasn’t been a burning question for you. But I’ve always struggled to identify correctly when one is put in front of me. Turns out, after sleuthing, they do have separating…","published":"2015-02-12T12:01:41+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e9b66bdb-8415-453a-a575-cd6d0f838ac3_110806506127.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","charts","framework","christmas"]},{"uid":"origins-of-mandarins","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/origins-of-mandarins","title":"Origins of mandarins","summary":"From various sources I have learned that mandarins are the original, from China, and were rather fancy and therefore only suitable for high society, which included mandarins (bureaucrats). Satsumas…","published":"2015-02-06T18:58:28+0000","updated":"2023-11-20T09:57:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fc619405-5229-4284-91a5-fbd51b7bfb34_110271894736.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Origins of mandarins world map: including Tangerine from Tangiers, Morocco, Mandarin from China, Clementine from Oman and Satsuma from Japan"},"categories":["food-and-drink","geography","words","christmas","japan"]},{"uid":"thoughtless-acts","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/thoughtless-acts","title":"Thoughtless acts","summary":"Thoughtless Acts are ways that we adapt to the world without thinking. Coined by human factors researcher Jane Fulton Suri of IDEO, she gives a ton of examples in her nifty book of the same name.…","published":"2015-01-30T09:01:10+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2fbfb073-7d79-4921-b877-83b09746798f_109568870175.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is a Thoughtless Act example of a teabag wrapped around a handle of a mug"},"categories":["design","podcast"]},{"uid":"compose-with-the-rule-of-thirds","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/compose-with-the-rule-of-thirds","title":"Compose with the rule of thirds","summary":"Basics to consider for your photo and drawing composition. It has a long history.","published":"2015-01-23T16:02:01+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9aa4624a-5b5d-43a6-8291-78ba52988218_108924582235.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1765%2C1496&w=1200&h=1496","alt":""},"categories":["drawing","photography","design"]},{"uid":"dracula-sneeze","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dracula-sneeze","title":"Dracula sneeze","summary":"A Dracula sneeze is sneezing into your sleeve at your elbow rather than sneezing into your hands. The dramatic full Dracula pose is a fun reminder of a more hygienic way to sneeze should you be…","published":"2015-01-17T21:01:03+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aa0e7f2b-4415-420d-bc2f-dafe710fae96_108381471438.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Dracula sneeze image: Dracula hooks round his cape to sneeze into his elbow and protect others from the germs of his sneeze"},"categories":["advice","health","sneeze","eponym"]},{"uid":"approach-buffets-from-both-sides","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/approach-buffets-from-both-sides","title":"Approach buffets from both sides","summary":"Ever been at a conference or event and had to wait an inordinate amount of time in a queue to get food at a buffet? When a buffet has both sides, I like to take the initiative and approach the buffet…","published":"2015-01-10T21:01:05+0000","updated":"2026-03-23T11:13:25+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/247d41fb-432f-4bf8-9283-c46b03eb4fd8_107725512205.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Approach buffets from both sides"},"categories":["observation","social-engineering"]},{"uid":"stages-of-competence-framework","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/stages-of-competence-framework","title":"Stages of competence framework","summary":"The conscious competence learning model is handy to have in mind when you are learning or teaching a skill. We are rarely competent at any new skill at first. If we continue working at it, it's…","published":"2015-01-03T19:30:53+0000","updated":"2026-06-19T15:06:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ajVUJo1P9HI4UvuN_SP389-Consciouscompetencelearningmodel-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Conscious competence learning model matrix framework, plotting competence (incompetent to competent) against consciousness (unconscious to conscious), showing the four learning stages: conscious incompetence, conscious competence, unconscious incompetence, and unconscious competence."},"categories":["framework","psychology","learning"]},{"uid":"match-your-energy-with-the-audience","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/match-your-energy-with-the-audience","title":"Match your energy with the audience","summary":"A lesson from clown school. Starting out with wild energy on a gloomy audience is not likely to start well. You have to get people there gradually. Also applicable to, well, almost every situation…","published":"2014-12-27T20:43:27+0000","updated":"2020-09-14T23:17:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5821e4f3-8d1d-4af5-96eb-75a90c199334_106349247896.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["social-engineering"]},{"uid":"spoonerisms","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/spoonerisms","title":"Spoonerisms","summary":"Named after a Reverend remarkably enough.","published":"2014-12-20T21:01:20+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:04:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/20ff5835-63f1-4160-9960-b82c06108d40_105719386456.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["words","eponym"]},{"uid":"the-lake-wobegon-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-lake-wobegon-effect","title":"The Lake Wobegon Effect","summary":"Where “all the children are above average.” From the intro by Garrison Keillor to the News from Lake Wobegon on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion. Also known as illusory superiority. From the…","published":"2014-12-13T09:00:49+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c31632d5-d8f6-4198-ae99-1c17be7faea6_105077817994.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["psychology","bias","effect","eponym"]},{"uid":"dolphin-porpoise","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dolphin-porpoise","title":"What’s the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise","summary":"What's the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise? It's not always straightforward. It’s not fullproof (there are a few exceptions) but pretty much these’ll do it for you.","published":"2014-12-06T09:00:30+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3be4bced-a9ed-4b72-b126-1447a35abef4_104480293317.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The difference between a dolphin and a porpoise illustrated"},"categories":["whats-the-difference-between","animals","biology"]},{"uid":"cognitive-overhead","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cognitive-overhead","title":"Cognitive overhead","summary":"The number of connections that your brain has to make to figure something out. It seems like David Demaree may be the reference for this.","published":"2014-11-29T07:10:34+0000","updated":"2021-06-24T05:19:25+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d4bc0d1d-0b3a-438d-bca8-c28752b6c038_103874767436.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["psychology","usability","design","click-here"]},{"uid":"bull-market-bear-market","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/bull-market-bear-market","title":"Bull market, bear market","summary":"I could never remember which was which and here is the way to remember it: when bulls attack they swipe up, and when bears attack they swipe down — just like their respective markets.","published":"2014-11-22T09:00:45+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a7cba7ae-56e0-43e7-adc2-ff2355873cf4_103270521023.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1774%2C1504&w=1200&h=1504","alt":""},"categories":["money","animals"]},{"uid":"mistakes","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/mistakes","title":"A mistake","summary":"A mistake is not something to be determined after the fact, but in the light of information until that point Nassim Taleb","published":"2014-11-15T09:00:44+0000","updated":"2020-09-14T23:20:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/33dddd93-0200-46e3-b7e7-a264d615c3fe_102680867220.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["quote"]},{"uid":"crocodile-alligator","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/crocodile-alligator","title":"What’s the difference between a crocodile and an alligator","summary":"But perhaps the most obvious difference as someone pointed out to me, is that one will see you later, and the other will see you in a while. Pay attention to the jaw, teeth, habitat and location and…","published":"2014-11-08T21:01:20+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5c4569d1-6681-47ac-91cf-c6dc697eb78b_102124859821.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1765%2C1496&w=1200&h=1496","alt":""},"categories":["whats-the-difference-between","animals","nature","biology"]},{"uid":"know-your-poles","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/know-your-poles","title":"Know your poles","summary":"Ever mix up where you'd find polar bears and penguins? Arctic: Frozen sea ice, polar bears. Antarctic: Frozen land, penguins. Perhaps this will help too: Arktos (ἄρκτος) means bear in Greek. It's…","published":"2014-11-01T13:00:50+0000","updated":"2025-12-08T10:40:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d941adde-d30c-4cfe-b694-0ed2902764df_101489855670.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Know your poles: Arctic polar bears, frozen sea, and Antarctic, penguins, frozen land"},"categories":["geography","nature","animals"]},{"uid":"tortoise-turtle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/tortoise-turtle","title":"What’s the difference between a tortoise and a turtle","summary":"If you remember nothing else, remember that tortoises are on land, and turtles are found swimming. So, unless they do a lot of swimming, perhaps it should really be Teenage Mutant Ninja Tortoises?","published":"2014-10-25T21:01:05+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ef64afc9-f415-4e17-a5ea-619f9ee058c0_100937411868.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How to know the difference between a tortoise and turtle"},"categories":["animals","whats-the-difference-between","nature"]},{"uid":"fartlek","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fartlek","title":"Fartlek","summary":"Somewhat improbable name for a simple training technique alternating fast and slower sections. Great if you’re short on time.","published":"2014-10-18T19:29:26+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:43:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5a299165-3435-4063-915c-33f6bb181881_100342863016.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is Fartlek"},"categories":["sport","running","exercise"]},{"uid":"treat-your-ideas-with-respect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/treat-your-ideas-with-respect","title":"Treat your ideas with respect","summary":"Scribbling on a post-it doesn’t give your ideas they respect they deserve. Change the way you and others consider them by using a simple format that makes people think twice before dismissing and…","published":"2014-10-04T21:47:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2963dcc1-5600-4ec4-9d62-0150e77c7b9d_99169141401.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1758%2C1490&w=1200&h=1490","alt":""},"categories":["ideas","drawing"]},{"uid":"in-tandem","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/in-tandem","title":"In tandem","summary":"Means one in front of another, as opposed to side-by-side. It comes from a tandem harness with two horses pulling with one in front of the other. So technically no matter how many people you put on a…","published":"2014-09-24T21:40:02+0000","updated":"2020-09-14T23:24:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f91e40da-02d1-4ea9-acae-ba76a3f8a1b0_98335806636.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["sport"]},{"uid":"figure-and-ground","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/figure-and-ground","title":"Figure and ground","summary":"How we choose to separate objects from the background. Also see FedEx. Travel is good for resetting our figures and grounds. The classic vase/faces illustration is an example of an ambiguous…","published":"2014-09-04T09:00:32+0000","updated":"2023-06-10T09:43:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ee16b0bf-2309-4fa7-88c8-1c19c22d0634_96607832653.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Figure and ground illustration: faces or a candlestick/vase"},"categories":["psychology","illusion"]},{"uid":"mental-accounting","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/mental-accounting","title":"Mental accounting","summary":"Dividing up money in your head. Nutmeg, where I work, is, among other things, designed to help out with this. PS It’s been a long absence. A new child, moving house and all sorts of fun has happened.…","published":"2014-08-31T09:00:25+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:09+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aa4c565f-6448-4f8d-83dd-b9c5dded6283_96248362751.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["money","psychology"]},{"uid":"desire-path","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/desire-path","title":"Desire path","summary":"Desire paths: created by desire and use. Sometimes I find myself walking on the traces of one as a statement that ‘there ought to be a path here’ - voting with my feet. There’s the classic, perhaps…","published":"2014-05-01T22:02:34+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/65706ef4-c4bf-4326-b647-9c8756e97f69_84459196217.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1758%2C1490&w=1200&h=1490","alt":"Desire path: the difference between design and use illustrated by a person crossing a corner of grass"},"categories":["design","architecture","planning","ux","software-development","tech"]},{"uid":"identify-a-douglas-fir","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/identify-a-douglas-fir","title":"Identify a Douglas fir","summary":"How to identify a douglas fir? I find identifying the sometimes subtle differences of tall evergreens rather difficult, but fortunately, that's not the case for the douglas fir. Identifying a douglas…","published":"2014-04-29T22:02:32+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T12:59:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3728477c-5a66-45ac-960a-c37886d70993_84260696426.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Identify a douglas fir: showing a douglas fir cone with it's 3 pointed mini-leaves named Dougie, Douglas and Doug"},"categories":["nature","trees","eponym","biology"]},{"uid":"if-you-live-til-youre-90-you-will-have-slept-for-32-years","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/if-you-live-til-youre-90-you-will-have-slept-for-32-years","title":"If you live ‘til you’re 90 you will have slept for 32 years","summary":"We sleep for around one third of our lives. If you live until you're 90 years old you will have slept for a remarkable 32 years.","published":"2014-04-27T22:02:36+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ccd2fc7b-9214-4081-b4dc-32680a7c783f_84062684213.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["charts","sleep"]},{"uid":"easily-draw-expressions","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/easily-draw-expressions","title":"Easily draw expressions","summary":"Not my invention. Most recently spotted via the excellent Eva-lotta Lamm.","published":"2014-04-25T22:02:19+0000","updated":"2020-09-14T23:27:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/db05dd1f-2b6f-4ec2-9a00-27b60025ca98_83851753122.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["drawing"]},{"uid":"watch-out-for-barnacles","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/watch-out-for-barnacles","title":"Watch out for barnacles","summary":"More value will likely be found through analogy than the shipping situation. Watch out for barnacles on your project. One by itself is nothing, but enough of them can cost you.","published":"2014-04-23T22:03:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f6193e0a-1684-4ba1-af9e-4f1442614804_83655583120.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["productivity","animals","business","biology","product-management","products"]},{"uid":"sharing-your-work","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sharing-your-work","title":"Sharing your work","summary":"Sharing your work: …is taking a risk. …but it increases quality because your name is attached to it. …and it almost always provides unexpected benefits, because you never know what others will do. I…","published":"2014-04-21T22:02:45+0000","updated":"2024-08-05T14:56:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1c394290-5f9c-45ed-8cbd-6ffea3bfbd67_83450471103.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The benefits of sharing your work in public showing the risk you take and that it increase quality and provides unexpected benefits"},"categories":["sharing","motivation","starting","motivation"]},{"uid":"the-plimsoll-line","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-plimsoll-line","title":"The Plimsoll line","summary":"The International Load Line, formerly called the Plimsoll Line, is an internationally adopted system for ensuring ships aren’t overloaded. Safe loading levels vary depending on the salinity—how salty…","published":"2014-04-08T23:30:55+0000","updated":"2024-10-11T13:15:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/523acc20-6c53-418a-bdd1-b71ccd5560ec_82138039497.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"An explanation of the plimsoll line, the international load line, for how high a ship sits in the water"},"categories":["water","oceans","physics","science","engineering","eponym"]},{"uid":"how-to-make-irish-coffee","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-to-make-irish-coffee","title":"How to make Irish coffee","summary":"","published":"2014-04-07T23:31:01+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/66c34b0d-377e-463a-9d5e-ea6f5f7419d8_82037377930.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1952%2C3311&w=1200&h=3311","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","coffee"]},{"uid":"thunder-clouds","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/thunder-clouds","title":"Thunder clouds","summary":"Thunder clouds are so impressive. Lightning forms due to air currents in the cloud as warm moist air rises up quickly. All the collisions between particles cause different charges to develop between…","published":"2014-04-06T23:30:57+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:21+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1fadb0d4-1dcb-45a7-8b3b-07facd85bd9e_81935185381.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["weather","physics","science","nature"]},{"uid":"measures-of-central-tendency-mean-median-mode","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/measures-of-central-tendency-mean-median-mode","title":"Measures of central tendency: mean, median, mode","summary":"Very easy to forget the difference between the mean, the median and the mode. Mean: the average value. Median: the middle value of a list in ranked order. Mode: The most frequent value.","published":"2014-04-05T23:31:03+0000","updated":"2020-09-14T23:31:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6ba54e4b-f936-4cf6-bc4e-a889a439c454_81825142840.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["mathematics","statistics","charts"]},{"uid":"darwins-5-principles-of-natural-selection","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/darwins-5-principles-of-natural-selection","title":"Darwin’s 5 principles of Natural Selection","summary":"Reproduction. Excess. Variation. Selection. Divergence.","published":"2014-04-04T23:31:11+0000","updated":"2023-05-20T13:21:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/15ca88db-7171-4089-9e82-b4a74cbc7ca5_81722763064.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Darwin's 5 principles of natural selection: Reproduction, Excess, Variation, Selection, Divergence, illustrated in a tree of variation of children"},"categories":["science","biology"]},{"uid":"surfing-breaks","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/surfing-breaks","title":"The 3 Main Types of Surf Breaks Explained","summary":"Surfing is all about catching the perfect wave, and the type of surf break plays a big role in shaping those waves. Surf breaks are influenced by the seabed, coastline, and water depth. While no two…","published":"2014-04-03T23:33:19+0000","updated":"2025-01-16T13:03:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z4j_kpbqstJ99hwj_SP360-Surfingbreaks-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The different types of surfing breaks: beach break, reef break, and point break"},"categories":["sport","nature","waves","beach","geography"]},{"uid":"learn-kind-words-first","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/learn-kind-words-first","title":"Learn kind words first in new countries","summary":"Learning and using kind words first when traveling will take you further than others. Before I enter a country with a new language, I write a list of these words and find out how to say them. It has…","published":"2014-04-02T23:31:08+0000","updated":"2023-11-06T16:55:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/066dc63f-720d-434a-95fc-bfdb0a947f27_81531693526.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["kindness","travel","language","words"]},{"uid":"try-a-mindmap-travel-journal","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/try-a-mindmap-travel-journal","title":"Try a mindmap travel journal","summary":"One of the best things we did when on a significant traveling trip was to make our journal as a mindmap. There are all sorts of reasons why we found it better and more enjoyable to do at the time and…","published":"2014-04-01T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c9b5790a-e30b-4dd6-8f03-bdb024f6221b_81433703063.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Try a mindmap travel journal"},"categories":["drawing","writing","travel","sketching","thinking-tool"]},{"uid":"cafe-consumption-rates","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cafe-consumption-rates","title":"Cafe consumption rates","summary":"Vary significantly depending on context and can tend to zero if you really have a lot of stuff to get through.","published":"2014-03-31T23:31:25+0000","updated":"2020-09-14T23:34:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bbbc3dd9-5632-4fec-82d8-2ec9c059ddb5_81335481099.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["observation","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"de-seed-pomegranates-in-a-bowl-of-water","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/de-seed-pomegranates-in-a-bowl-of-water","title":"De-seed pomegranates in a bowl of water","summary":"The fluff floats to the top and the seeds will sink to the bottom. And no squirting. HT Alex Maiereanu","published":"2014-03-30T23:31:12+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8410750a-5b63-4726-b0c4-343a91037683_81234325239.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","lifehack"]},{"uid":"cuts-of-beef","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cuts-of-beef","title":"Cuts of beef","summary":"A visual map. Educational.","published":"2014-03-29T23:30:57+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6e6eedd0-0117-42f1-baec-2e86ad380cb5_81127752772.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"the-firehouse-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-firehouse-effect","title":"The Firehouse Effect","summary":"When cliques, of people, with a lot of time to chat, start to believe in things that would seem crazy to the wider population. So named after an observation of firemen who would spend a lot of time…","published":"2014-03-28T23:31:05+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/825b78cc-682d-4557-807a-b6464f887057_81024117141.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["psychology","effect"]},{"uid":"euphemisms-for-losing-money","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/euphemisms-for-losing-money","title":"Euphemisms for losing money","summary":"Turns out there are a lot of ways not to say the market is down and your investments have lost value. Try also: quieter or choppy.","published":"2014-03-27T23:30:59+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6e1957e8-023c-46cb-a044-a014f32efb87_80928004043.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["money","words"]},{"uid":"progressive-enhancement","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/progressive-enhancement","title":"Progressive enhancement","summary":"A shift in the way we develop for digital devices. The mantra used to be ‘graceful degradation’ - design for what you expect people to use, then let your application gracefully degrade for older…","published":"2014-03-26T23:30:50+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:33:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/422578b9-2c02-41f8-9278-8215305fc9e7_80829524020.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","ui","ux"]},{"uid":"use-of-the-car-horn","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/use-of-the-car-horn","title":"Use of the car horn","summary":"I often find myself reflecting on what ought to be an improvement to the caveman-esque communication method, which is the car horn. My theory generally goes that the vast majority of use of a car…","published":"2014-03-25T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a7b57ed7-7639-42e1-9ec0-902713981002_80728663529.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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!\""},"categories":["infographics","charts","observation","design","podcast"]},{"uid":"less-and-fewer","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/less-and-fewer","title":"Less and Fewer","summary":"Two properties distinguish when to use less and fewer in English. Use less if it's measured by mass, for example, less sugar, and fewer if the nouns are countable, for example, fewer sugar cubes. Use…","published":"2014-03-24T23:30:39+0000","updated":"2023-11-06T16:52:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ff5c036b-fca3-4ad3-b337-d656afecbe4e_80627780137.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["words","grammar"]},{"uid":"always-accept-a-mint-when-offered","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/always-accept-a-mint-when-offered","title":"Always accept a mint when offered","summary":"They could be trying politely to tell you something.","published":"2014-03-24T22:24:56+0000","updated":"2021-06-17T15:38:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f79b79aa-e2d3-4d01-a194-d979f21c89a4_80621579194.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["advice"]},{"uid":"mobile-is-snorkelling-desktop-is-diving","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/mobile-is-snorkelling-desktop-is-diving","title":"Mobile is snorkelling. Desktop is diving","summary":"Metaphors for interface design from Rachel Hinman via Mobile First.","published":"2014-03-23T23:31:08+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f15af6df-a884-441f-a2fe-909cf4278e28_80525301819.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["metaphor","ux","ui","design"]},{"uid":"sink-a-strawpedo","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sink-a-strawpedo","title":"Sink a strawpedo","summary":"Technique for draining a bottle quickly. Binge responsibly. Also see: Give air a pathway Statue of Liberty sambuca Make a cork pourer","published":"2014-03-22T23:31:01+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b8fcb380-e09e-487a-8005-cd65d031fafe_80412424478.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Sink a strawpedo"},"categories":["food-and-drink","physics"]},{"uid":"best-travel-choices-in-london","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/best-travel-choices-in-london","title":"Best travel choices in London","summary":"Debated with Harvey balls. It depends.","published":"2014-03-21T23:30:37+0000","updated":"2024-06-27T19:44:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/369c3287-f8ab-459b-a42a-38448f131722_80309191354.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework","transport","travel","london","data"]},{"uid":"cooking-at-altitude","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cooking-at-altitude","title":"Cooking at altitude","summary":"Boiling point of water vs altitude in ft.","published":"2014-03-20T23:31:02+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/132ffa45-9b94-4fdf-b61f-b2e653d46911_80213623152.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"the-one-hoss-shay","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-one-hoss-shay","title":"The one-hoss shay","summary":"Refers to a poem about a cart that worked perfectly for years and then collapses without warning. Useful parallels in engineering and design. For example, torch lights would generally benefit from…","published":"2014-03-19T23:31:27+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:37+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/07889e1c-2617-4848-81ae-2e7850b41ed8_80117003391.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","poem"]},{"uid":"use-serrated-knives-for-foods-with-a-hard-outside-and-soft-inside","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/use-serrated-knives-for-foods-with-a-hard-outside-and-soft-inside","title":"Use serrated knives for foods with a hard outside and soft inside","summary":"Seems so simple now, but I swear I was in my 20s before I figured this out.","published":"2014-03-18T23:30:53+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a9d2b23f-49d9-41e3-bcb5-8a120de24001_80018867366.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"smart-little-people","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/smart-little-people","title":"Smart little people","summary":"I love the Smart Little People problem-solving tool from TRIZ that invites you to compose your problem of smart little people and ask, “What would they do?” Smart Little People is one of a suite of…","published":"2014-03-17T23:30:54+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/272cac1d-1cdf-47cd-b4d0-34dcfcb2dcbb_79920729926.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Smart Little People problem-solving method from TRIZ: someone wonders how little people would solve a technical problem of fixing a leak"},"categories":["problem-solving","ideas","triz","podcast"]},{"uid":"only-quote-quotes","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/only-quote-quotes","title":"Only quote quotes","summary":"And, ideally, only exclaim exclamations. Woah!","published":"2014-03-16T23:30:43+0000","updated":"2021-06-17T16:13:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/93bde726-65ad-4699-acc9-886424277ef6_79818535353.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["writing"]},{"uid":"core-components-of-risk","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/core-components-of-risk","title":"Core components of risk","summary":"Your preference for risk - a psychological measure that changes slowly throughout our lifetime except for sudden shifts with big life events (eg losing a family member, having a baby). Your capacity…","published":"2014-03-15T23:30:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/71091bf9-c25d-4c10-88b9-e382fefbd681_79706407375.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["money","risk","psychology"]},{"uid":"travel-and-new-foods","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/travel-and-new-foods","title":"Travel and new foods","summary":"A pattern I have observed.","published":"2014-03-14T23:31:09+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:28+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9d920bbb-05d0-4603-8d09-6d6241d188c6_79603172723.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["observation","charts","framework"]},{"uid":"cradle-to-cradle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cradle-to-cradle","title":"Think cradle to cradle","summary":"Production and use need not be a straight line. It has to be a loop. Often known as the circular economy. Related Ideas to Cradle to Cradle There is no \"away\" From Michael Braungart and William…","published":"2014-03-13T23:31:01+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ef3859f4-daea-417b-8fd2-4d1735c18f34_79507636455.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Cradle to Cradle or circular economy sketch. Production has to be a loop. Known often as the circular economy. Sketch of a loop/production loop"},"categories":["design","sustainability"]},{"uid":"think-through-the-whole-object","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/think-through-the-whole-object","title":"Think through the whole object","summary":"The little things like these make all the difference. Comic artists can only draw realistic bulging muscles because they know what muscles are actually where. Thinking through an object carefully,…","published":"2014-03-12T23:30:44+0000","updated":"2022-11-15T13:20:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5f50eeeb-1584-4313-8fe9-1745b4e20bd2_79410604029.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Drawings of a mug and bowl showing the difference of allowing for the thickness of the edge"},"categories":["drawing","sketching"]},{"uid":"how-to-load-a-dishwasher-well","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-to-load-a-dishwasher-well","title":"How to load a dishwasher well","summary":"Not everyone has the same ideas about dishwashers, particularly ones you might share at work.","published":"2014-03-11T23:31:07+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/96143768-3dbb-41ac-acf6-a034fcaefd54_79311814328.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["kitchen","relationships"]},{"uid":"hedgehog-a-mango","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hedgehog-a-mango","title":"Hedgehog a mango","summary":"The most fun and satisfying way to prepare a mango. If you haven’t already, try it.","published":"2014-03-10T23:30:49+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bcb2064e-2be2-4d40-898c-d9e8a66520ca_79214083329.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"get-more-participation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/get-more-participation","title":"Get more participation","summary":"Instead of ‘Anything else?’ ask 'What else?’. The slight shift in frame makes all the difference.","published":"2014-03-09T23:31:31+0000","updated":"2023-03-07T16:51:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/92497b6c-05a6-4ed8-9773-572a3a550fa3_79113336372.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"A teacher gets more participation and minds whirring by asking \"What else?\" instead of \"Anything else?\""},"categories":["learning","teaching","facilitation","questions"]},{"uid":"yesterdays-weather","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/yesterdays-weather","title":"Yesterday’s weather","summary":"I learned about this nice principle from agile software development. Basically, that when thinking about how much you’ll get done next week, what you got done this week is a good proxy. Sure this…","published":"2014-03-08T23:30:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/79a840d4-3cf3-4d82-b408-1b783d39d108_79001008517.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["software-development","advice","weather","product-management"]},{"uid":"classical-columns","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/classical-columns","title":"Classical columns: doric, ionic, and corinthian","summary":"Always good to share with friends and family your knowledge of doric columns, ionic columns or corinthian style classical columns when you spot them in the wild.","published":"2014-03-07T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2020-12-31T12:13:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b8c5823e-eb2c-4814-9c84-0abb2819e8c8_78895791742.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["architecture","history"]},{"uid":"mapping","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/mapping","title":"Mapping","summary":"The standard reference for this is The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman where he discusses stovetops and their controls in some detail(!). In this case it should be clear, unlike for our…","published":"2014-03-06T23:30:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/07b55cb0-19bf-464d-9236-6bbe54527218_78796834168.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Mapping illustration: Don Norman's famous example of the controls for a stovetop"},"categories":["design"]},{"uid":"survivorship-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/survivorship-bias","title":"Survivorship bias","summary":"We usually only see the winners. The losers tend to disappear from the record. Which is why all the fund managers in the papers seem to be giving great returns, or starting the next Whatsapp or…","published":"2014-03-05T23:31:50+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c24b9624-d973-4bf4-9c29-b248005ab56e_78697608699.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["tech","bias","psychology","money"]},{"uid":"draw-what-you-see-not-what-you-think","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/draw-what-you-see-not-what-you-think","title":"Draw what you see, not what you think","summary":"It’s very easy to draw what we think something looks like, rather than what we’re actually seeing. One of the things art classes teach you is to measure what you’re seeing to not let your eyes be…","published":"2014-03-04T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-14T23:51:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4514f0d4-5873-4685-a7e2-5648c7e29a11_78596080110.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["drawing","sketching","perspective"]},{"uid":"london-running-kit","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/london-running-kit","title":"London running kit","summary":"This lot will have you set: house key, Boris bike key, Oyster card, Credit card, a fiver, and a phone for maps and photos. Now you can go anywhere.","published":"2014-03-03T23:31:14+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5e335d22-2ecc-4dde-982e-a8be4ea3ba18_78492318323.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["sport","exercise","running","health"]},{"uid":"open-bananas-like-a-monkey","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/open-bananas-like-a-monkey","title":"Open bananas like a monkey","summary":"How the pros do it.","published":"2014-03-02T23:31:25+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d12466c0-ffa6-45f0-853b-ced478f74411_78379466113.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1758%2C1490&w=1200&h=1490","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"three-point-perspective","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/three-point-perspective","title":"Three-point perspective","summary":"In two-point perspective, we draw our vertical lines, vertical. In three-point perspective, our vertical lines are at an angle, converging on our third vanishing point above or below. The simplest…","published":"2014-03-01T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2024-09-26T20:07:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c753d174-1d55-4a34-9edf-8b13a7194484_78263678758.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Three-point perspective illustration: showing three vanishing points and the angling of tall downtown buildings"},"categories":["drawing","sketching","perspective"]},{"uid":"two-point-perspective","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/two-point-perspective","title":"Two-point perspective","summary":"Two-point perspective has lines that converge to two points on a horizon. Also see: One-point perspective Three-point perspective","published":"2014-02-28T23:31:10+0000","updated":"2024-09-26T20:08:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1a96571b-31dd-4c15-b13a-e6bc4c9f2a19_78156152172.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Two-point perspective"},"categories":["drawing","sketching","perspective"]},{"uid":"one-point-perspective","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/one-point-perspective","title":"One-point perspective","summary":"Perspective can be tricky to get your head around. In drawing and art, using perspective creates the illusion of three-dimensional space on a flat surface. The simplest form to understand is…","published":"2014-02-27T23:31:17+0000","updated":"2023-05-22T11:15:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/969ea18f-5736-48ca-a3fb-6f15f7c46a84_78056259988.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"One-point perspective illustration: from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining"},"categories":["drawing","sketching","perspective"]},{"uid":"stroop-test","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/stroop-test","title":"The Stroop test","summary":"The Stroop test is one of my favourite psychological tests. Definitely worth taking 2 mins right now to give it a go. Time yourself to say the colour of the word (not what the word says) for the…","published":"2014-02-26T23:31:14+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/580d2e53-62e4-454a-94f0-0283f3bd8e12_77955695292.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["psychology","testing","colour","eponym"]},{"uid":"circular-breathing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/circular-breathing","title":"Circular breathing","summary":"Hard.","published":"2014-02-25T23:31:28+0000","updated":"2022-04-21T15:34:23+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fcd2d572-50ed-4dd4-b357-765f78396936_77854317490.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":[]},{"uid":"debts-vicious-cycle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/debts-vicious-cycle","title":"Debt’s vicious cycle","summary":"Debt's vicious cyle—a flow chart that illustrates how those in need, who needed to borrow, can be hamstrung by the interest they need to pay back, giving them less money to work with, needing more…","published":"2014-02-24T23:31:22+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9bd5e8ea-5f37-4afe-9dc8-bec610411d52_77752098636.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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."},"categories":["money"]},{"uid":"play-until-something-gets-broken","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/play-until-something-gets-broken","title":"Rule 1 of indoor games: Play until something gets broken","summary":"I'm not advocating it. It just seems to always be the case. We discussed this fun rule in the podcast. Have a listen.","published":"2014-02-23T23:31:25+0000","updated":"2026-04-29T09:18:09+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ba6d113d-7d86-4bf5-916e-1a9c7f814892_77647201112.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Rule number 1 of indoor games: Play until something gets broken"},"categories":["games","observation","sport","podcast"]},{"uid":"watch-for-the-lie-factor","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/watch-for-the-lie-factor","title":"Watch for the lie factor","summary":"Data graphics can lie in many ways, but the most common, I expect, is the error of using area or volume objects to represent one-dimensional data. More data visualisation principles from Edward…","published":"2014-02-22T23:31:27+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c37674e1-b799-4383-a251-4db3ad350a9b_77530634099.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1923%2C3261&w=1200&h=3261","alt":"The lie factor in data charts and graphics"},"categories":["data","design","charts","infographics"]},{"uid":"six-thinking-hats","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/six-thinking-hats","title":"Six thinking hats","summary":"The classic 6 Thinking Hats framework from Edward De Bono. Though I’m yet to be in a meeting where everyone’s familiar enough with it that it wouldn’t sound a bit strange to propose it. Ah well. Also…","published":"2014-02-21T23:31:29+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d562992b-d29a-4fe3-8986-385bfd89da66_77427840367.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1954%2C3314&w=1200&h=3314","alt":"Edward De Bono's Six thinking hats framework with the 6 thinking hats: White, Red, Black, Yellow, Green and Blue"},"categories":["thinking","framework","thinking-tool","design","problem-solving","creativity"]},{"uid":"the-betty-crocker-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-betty-crocker-effect","title":"The Betty Crocker Effect","summary":"The Betty Crocker effect refers to how, in the world of instant cake mixes, when something is too easy, it reduces the value. The legend goes that instant cake mixture that just needed water didn't…","published":"2014-02-20T23:31:14+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d37ba45a-065e-4f7f-b7dc-8aefdf5a8ca6_77326146743.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is the Betty Crocker effect explained with an illustration about adding an egg"},"categories":["psychology","design","products","food-and-drink","effect","eponym"]},{"uid":"sneaky-casinos","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sneaky-casinos","title":"Sneaky casinos","summary":"Of course they’re just businesses like any others.","published":"2014-02-19T23:31:27+0000","updated":"2022-04-27T16:03:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/93a1335c-bd25-4094-ad19-5e066b1a0a99_77223850203.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["psychology","design"]},{"uid":"improve-your-front-crawl","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/improve-your-front-crawl","title":"Improve your front crawl","summary":"Unfortunately, a site I really respect, Swim Smooth, recommends avoiding glide, though I do think that a good 80% of the swimmers I see could do with extending the reach of and calming down their…","published":"2014-02-18T23:31:24+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:44:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8b6c68d6-7d54-45a9-b794-c040783ed4d8_77119500515.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Improve your front crawl"},"categories":["swimming","sport"]},{"uid":"understanding-the-chasm","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/understanding-the-chasm","title":"Understanding the Chasm","summary":"Cheat sheet for Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore","published":"2014-02-17T23:31:41+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4d430906-63f6-4484-a864-b90108cf76d2_77012640423.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["business","strategy","innovation","tech","technology"]},{"uid":"cut-out-some-fluff","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cut-out-some-fluff","title":"Cut out some fluff","summary":"And spend more time and attention on ‘the point’. </rant>","published":"2014-02-16T23:31:10+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:33:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/42c40f85-dc42-4f22-b7eb-1829b8f6d6f2_76900209407.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1930%2C3273&w=1200&h=3273","alt":""},"categories":["design"]},{"uid":"sneaky-cognitive-biases-hindsight-bias-loss-aversion-recency-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sneaky-cognitive-biases-hindsight-bias-loss-aversion-recency-bias","title":"Sneaky cognitive biases: hindsight bias, loss aversion, recency bias","summary":"Hindsight bias, Loss aversion and Recency bias. Parents in particular frustratingly seem to suffer from hindsight bias where everything becomes blindingly obvious as soon as a child has dropped the…","published":"2014-02-15T23:31:41+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:09+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/82257b0f-ac71-43fe-aa19-aa871fc45d57_76785606400.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["bias","psychology","money"]},{"uid":"design-for-a-glance-a-look-and-a-read","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/design-for-a-glance-a-look-and-a-read","title":"Design for a Glance, a Look and a Read","summary":"You can design almost any information with this in mind (even an email for example). Probably not ideal for a novel, but if you’re competing for attention, as most things are, it’s not bad to keep in…","published":"2014-02-14T23:31:23+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:33:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/38e7197e-b7e9-4e32-a65e-812b8f6e64b3_76679696367.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design"]},{"uid":"chindogu-unuseless-inventions","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/chindogu-unuseless-inventions","title":"Chindogu: unuseless inventions","summary":"Unuseless inventions. Invented by the Japanese. Worth a quick chindogu search.","published":"2014-02-14T12:30:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/024aac5f-d193-4fce-a887-e058c58bd85f_SP+307+-+Chindogu+unuseless+inventions.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1937%2C3285&w=1200&h=3285","alt":""},"categories":["invention","ideas","design","products","japan"]},{"uid":"anchoring","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/anchoring","title":"Anchoring","summary":"Hard to avoid and easy to manipulate.","published":"2014-02-12T23:31:01+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a06a5fd1-cd59-4fdc-b9ef-e40708548d3f_76474796508.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1945%2C3299&w=1200&h=3299","alt":"The Anchoring bias"},"categories":["bias","psychology"]},{"uid":"how-long-to-nap","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-long-to-nap","title":"How long to nap","summary":"Via The Wall Street Journal: The Perfect Nap and @jessmnhey.","published":"2014-02-11T23:31:23+0000","updated":"2021-02-19T06:28:25+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/91e286e6-5a1a-4079-86a3-72045076eb6f_76373911475.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["sleep","lifehack"]},{"uid":"common-distributions-normal-skewed-pareto","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/common-distributions-normal-skewed-pareto","title":"Common distributions: normal, skewed, pareto","summary":"Normal (the weight of apples, measurement errors, IQ…), skewed (Number of children in a household, age at retirement…) and Pareto (80/20 rules, long-tails, size of meteorites).","published":"2014-02-10T23:31:34+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/db8da712-c425-4979-a10c-b5cecdc3904f_76271826191.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["charts","mathematics","framework","statistics"]},{"uid":"metaphors-for-ideas","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/metaphors-for-ideas","title":"Metaphors for ideas","summary":"Ideas are: Locations Objects Food There are others too. But these are big ones. Curious? Read Metaphors We Live By was a frame-changing easy read for me. PS Accidentally, mixed my metaphors in the…","published":"2014-02-09T23:31:10+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b14ddf33-03b7-49de-abcc-2097b5b83cb1_76167838624.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1942%2C3294&w=1200&h=3294","alt":"Metaphors for Ideas: Ideas Are Locations, Ideas Are Objects, Ideas Are Food"},"categories":["metaphor","words","language","thinking","ideas","philosophy","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"understanding-gifs-bitmaps-and-jpegs","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/understanding-gifs-bitmaps-and-jpegs","title":"Understanding gifs, bitmaps and jpegs","summary":"Knowing a little of the fundamentals really helps you appreciate why people always create such giant PowerPoint files all the time by mistake (hint: the standard screen capture pastes as a bitmap)…","published":"2014-02-08T23:31:08+0000","updated":"2023-01-22T17:17:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cb957225-ce65-478d-be1a-4511b22f5ba4_76053245354.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["tech"]},{"uid":"wealth-inequality-in-america","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/wealth-inequality-in-america","title":"Wealth inequality in America","summary":"From the video Wealth Inequality in America","published":"2014-02-07T23:31:18+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:33+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f73dc733-06f4-4591-a13d-83c0d9b76fbb_75945554820.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["charts","data"]},{"uid":"maximise-data-ink","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/maximise-data-ink","title":"Maximise data-ink","summary":"Principles from Edward Tufte. Remove chart junk. Erase redundant and non-data-ink. Above all else show the data. Of course the present infographic trend laughs in the face of these principles in the…","published":"2014-02-06T23:31:06+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7c5f3d8b-4b61-4d6a-a8a0-c649bd2e659d_75845566978.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1952%2C3310&w=1200&h=3310","alt":""},"categories":["infographics","data","charts","drawing"]},{"uid":"start-three-mindmaps-at-conferences-and-workshops","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/start-three-mindmaps-at-conferences-and-workshops","title":"Start three mindmaps at conferences and workshops","summary":"When you're next at a conference try starting 3 mindmaps: one for Questions, one for People and one for Ideas. I have found this technique helps me with both getting the most out of the event at the…","published":"2014-02-05T23:31:24+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b8109b13-7e8f-4375-8dc7-570fda4bcf11_75743952694.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["thinking-tool","questions"]},{"uid":"understanding-reliability-and-validity","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/understanding-reliability-and-validity","title":"Understanding reliability and validity","summary":"Tricky topics - validity trickier than reliability. At it’s core I believe reliability is about getting the same results given the same conditions and validity is about measuring what you intend to…","published":"2014-02-05T12:08:02+0000","updated":"2020-11-22T12:59:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1c0ea6b6-49f7-49ee-9a2e-118e87cecab9_75686457328.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework","research","measurement","data","metrics"]},{"uid":"remember-your-dreams","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/remember-your-dreams","title":"Remember your dreams","summary":"Have a hard time remembering your dreams after waking up from sleep? Here's a little technique to try and remember a little more from your dreams: Will, Still and Fill. HT G Penney","published":"2014-02-03T23:31:19+0000","updated":"2023-02-28T12:52:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4cd28457-52b3-46bd-8206-e79099ad7742_75533910462.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"A sleeper practices will, still and fill to remember more of their dreams"},"categories":["sleep"]},{"uid":"curly-hair-is-oval","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/curly-hair-is-oval","title":"Curly hair is oval","summary":"And straighter hair is rounder. You can demonstrate this with a strand of you hair by gripping it between the nails of two fingers and squeezing all the way down. As you make it oval, you’ll also see…","published":"2014-02-02T23:31:16+0000","updated":"2024-03-04T13:05:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/46bdf666-188c-42b4-bfd7-697c1e3162d2_75425464048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["biology","science"]},{"uid":"rain-shadow","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rain-shadow","title":"Rain shadow","summary":"California is a nice example both stitching up the Central Valley and Nevada. And in Washington State if you need a bit more sunshine, just try driving East.","published":"2014-02-01T23:31:19+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:10:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/94cc54f7-ec59-47e5-8a9a-1d24cbc8c334_75308766617.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["weather","geography","nature"]},{"uid":"delete-tracks-you-dont-like","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/delete-tracks-you-dont-like","title":"Delete tracks you don’t like","summary":"One of the biggest benefits of digital music. Now you don’t have to listen to that rubbish one on the album. Don’t be shy.","published":"2014-01-31T23:31:09+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:11:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1d0243b3-0096-40b2-9cdb-11cdc34098dd_75200039222.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["music","tech"]},{"uid":"narrative-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/narrative-bias","title":"Narrative bias","summary":"Stories feel better than randomness — even when randomness may be the truth. Another reason that reading the papers is not always worth your time. This TEDx talk has a nice summary of a host of our…","published":"2014-01-30T23:31:37+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/58d093e2-fdae-4c46-86f5-7837d1eaa430_75097642590.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["bias","psychology"]},{"uid":"never-say-i-told-you-so","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/never-say-i-told-you-so","title":"Never say “I told you so.”","summary":"It achieves nothing but bitterness. I am yet to witness an occasion where saying \"I told you so\" or an equivalent led to a net positive effect.","published":"2014-01-29T23:31:24+0000","updated":"2021-02-23T10:28:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9a4e1e15-5ce1-4762-adbc-d3f35582f43e_74993946908.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["advice","kindness","relationships"]},{"uid":"why-camp-50-yards-from-water","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/why-camp-50-yards-from-water","title":"Why camp 50 yards from water","summary":"It’s the general sage backcountry camping advice - don’t camp right on the edge of water, but so often people are tempted to camp right on the edge. But there are excellent reasons not to: there are…","published":"2014-01-28T23:30:56+0000","updated":"2023-02-28T12:38:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/eb63b261-eae5-436c-8638-51338d86b1fd_74886231502.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"A chilly camper circled by mosquitoes disturbing an animal come to drink"},"categories":["camping","nature","hiking","backpacking","sleep","sleep"]},{"uid":"lenticular-clouds","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/lenticular-clouds","title":"Lenticular clouds","summary":"Make spectacular photos like these, these, or this, but generally mean high winds high up. Look out.","published":"2014-01-27T23:31:20+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:37+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e6ce9858-cc44-430a-886b-91fbe3f873d6_74776797110.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["weather","nature"]},{"uid":"framing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/framing","title":"Framing","summary":"","published":"2014-01-26T23:31:07+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ac819134-f43e-4bbe-a3a5-6b55841cb7c1_74666781370.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["bias","psychology"]},{"uid":"the-content-is-the-interface","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-content-is-the-interface","title":"The content is the interface","summary":"Sam Moreau, User Experience Director at Microsoft. Just one small example. Had a few questions about this so thought I’d add another simple example. Imagine you want to change your phone number on a…","published":"2014-01-26T14:30:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:33:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a1735802-196d-4d70-9c0c-44474374b868_74610796896.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["ux","ui","quote","design","click-here"]},{"uid":"sheet-bend","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sheet-bend","title":"Tie a sheet bend","summary":"Of course an animated gif would illustrate this better. I have been told that sheet bends are famous particular for linking two ropes of different sizes together. Also see, reef knot and clove hitch","published":"2014-01-25T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2024-03-01T10:56:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8b313379-d15d-4e2e-b77f-26858ef7057d_74547777937.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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. "},"categories":["knots"]},{"uid":"hyperbolic-discounting","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hyperbolic-discounting","title":"Hyperbolic discounting","summary":"We’re not very consistent at estimating the future value of something and have a bias, perhaps motivated by survival, towards overvaluing nearer outcomes at the expense of later ones.","published":"2014-01-24T23:31:05+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/59d1bd9a-06ff-4015-bffc-0f5add2fa90f_74434995532.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["bias","psychology","thinking"]},{"uid":"present-bias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/present-bias","title":"Present bias","summary":"We have a tendency to think that we’ll be able to act differently in the future. So while this lucky chap plans to start his diet tomorrow having been presented with this giant cake, he…","published":"2014-01-23T23:31:14+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d2370b61-366f-44b9-a3bc-d22c6a476ba8_74329232956.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["bias","psychology","thinking"]},{"uid":"shapes-of-valleys","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/shapes-of-valleys","title":"Shapes of Valleys","summary":"V-shaped, formed by a river and U-shaped after carving by a glacier. Plus variations thereof. I believe you get canyons when the land is going up and the river is cutting down. A nice frame shift I…","published":"2014-01-22T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2021-02-25T09:57:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/25f55157-5043-403d-ae1e-f25deaf287a6_74223656886.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["geography","nature","mountains"]},{"uid":"the-folk-economics-of-ins-and-outs","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-folk-economics-of-ins-and-outs","title":"The folk economics of ins and outs","summary":"The more you give, the more you receive. You only get out what you put in. Garbage in, garbage out. What goes up must come down Why fit in when you were born to stand out. (Dr Seuss)","published":"2014-01-21T23:30:57+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:18:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bb6f5c2e-5956-4482-9491-a707357147e6_74114824305.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["words"]},{"uid":"9-windows","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/9-windows","title":"9 Windows","summary":"Practise thinking in space and time. An alternative to Powers of 10 that encourages you to look at a situation in space and time. Helpful for getting a new perspective. The easiest way I know is to…","published":"2014-01-20T23:31:18+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7f902718-3a55-471f-8187-3d581a906b5c_74005554110.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1728%2C1465&w=1200&h=1465","alt":""},"categories":["design","thinking","thinking-tool","framework"]},{"uid":"powers-of-10","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/powers-of-10","title":"Powers of 10","summary":"A nice little framework for expanding the scope of your thinking and looking at a problem from a different angle: what if you approached from a different power of 10? Really it refers to the Charles…","published":"2014-01-19T23:31:11+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e601acec-4dca-4a6c-b6b3-feff37bbda44_73889679050.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework","design","film"]},{"uid":"the-sun-rises-early-in-the-east","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-sun-rises-early-in-the-east","title":"The sun rises Early in the East","summary":"My own little mnemonic to remember which direction the sun rises and which it sets. Surprisingly helpful for figuring out what direction you are facing — by where the sun is and the rough time of…","published":"2014-01-18T23:31:02+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:20:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ffbd34b8-1e13-4f66-98aa-9216e3031091_73772579769.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["mnemonic","geography"]},{"uid":"zopa-zone-of-possible-agreement","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/zopa-zone-of-possible-agreement","title":"Zone of Possible Agreement","summary":"Or ZOPA.","published":"2014-01-17T23:31:15+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/52d4348d-76b4-4714-8c1b-46a2771acb6a_73663524850.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1751%2C1484&w=1200&h=1484","alt":""},"categories":["money"]},{"uid":"the-law-of-diminishing-brownies","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-law-of-diminishing-brownies","title":"The law of diminishing brownies","summary":"You will have observed this most times there is shared food you can cut. I observed it with trays of brownies that we used to make. Slices start big and get progressively smaller. No one wants to eat…","published":"2014-01-16T23:31:19+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f4ced80e-0ea1-47f4-83ce-da991141210e_73561399785.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["observation","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"bad-internet-is-worse-than-no-internet","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/bad-internet-is-worse-than-no-internet","title":"Bad internet is worse than no internet","summary":"You will recognise this when you have spent 40 minutes off and on trying to do something online when you could have been spending your time happily and productively doing something else.","published":"2014-01-15T23:31:21+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8b14f632-9041-473c-942f-50e8e0d092d2_73459550005.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1758%2C1490&w=1200&h=1490","alt":""},"categories":["observation","tech"]},{"uid":"remember-days-in-a-month","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/remember-days-in-a-month","title":"Remember days in a month: the Knuckles Trick","summary":"How to remember how many days there are in a month. Everyone knows February is 28, but is it 30 days or 31 this month? This old count your way along the knuckles trick does it for me. It was pointed…","published":"2014-01-14T23:31:11+0000","updated":"2025-12-18T12:33:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/095fb438-3f37-4f0a-9423-c8017c854d5f_73355994648.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Fist trick for remembering how many days there are in a month"},"categories":["mnemonic","tip"]},{"uid":"the-generalised-peter-principle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-generalised-peter-principle","title":"The Generalised Peter Principle","summary":"The Generalised Peter Principle states that \"Anything that works will be used in progressively more challenging situations until it fails. The Generalised Peter Principle is a specific case of the…","published":"2014-01-13T23:30:59+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f5d12d4c-335f-4645-9dc5-4a4808292d72_73252468715.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is The Generalised Peter Principle explained: the example of an overloaded car shows that anything that works will be used in progressively more challenging situations until it fails"},"categories":["observation","business","products","psychology","eponym","kindness"]},{"uid":"draw-a-basic-bike","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/draw-a-basic-bike","title":"Draw a basic bike","summary":"Handy sequence taught me by Neal Moore.","published":"2014-01-11T23:31:27+0000","updated":"2021-09-02T19:43:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e51377c2-d773-450e-9171-61bd1a0fd88f_73030181227.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["drawing","sketching"]},{"uid":"addiction-an-alternative-definition","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/addiction-an-alternative-definition","title":"Addiction: an alternative definition","summary":"Made me think about it in a different way when I read this. An increasing or compulsive tendency to avoid pain or boredom and replace inner development with outer stimulation. — Felicitas Vogt Quoted…","published":"2014-01-10T23:31:05+0000","updated":"2026-03-05T13:09:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fad715cf-10b8-46fd-8a86-f4405d103842_72918649154.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Addiction definition: An increasing or compulsive tendency to avoid pain or boredom and replace inner development with outer stimulation. — Felicitas Vogt"},"categories":["parenting","quote","coffee"]},{"uid":"hit-a-perfect-high-5","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hit-a-perfect-high-5","title":"Hit a perfect high 5","summary":"Watch the elbow.","published":"2014-01-09T23:31:10+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:24:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/88ed6da1-4714-4089-b119-66b48ff0d6dc_72815625733.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["tip"]},{"uid":"life-is-3d-give-edges-thickness","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/life-is-3d-give-edges-thickness","title":"Life is 3D. Give edges thickness","summary":"That little bit of extra space you give real edges makes a big difference.","published":"2014-01-08T23:31:55+0000","updated":"2023-01-22T17:38:21+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b82852bb-e4a8-408e-be15-7fa0d7d197bf_72712209095.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["drawing","sketching"]},{"uid":"the-cost-of-doing-nothing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-cost-of-doing-nothing","title":"The cost of doing nothing","summary":"Inflation cuts spending power.","published":"2014-01-07T23:31:04+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/78b22433-65cc-4589-ac12-fe0dbebfb676_72605373431.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["economics","money"]},{"uid":"the-moon-illusion","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-moon-illusion","title":"The moon illusion","summary":"You may have noticed that sometimes, when the moon rises over the horizon, it seems unusually large. On several occasions, I've stopped to wonder at it shining behind the skyline—it's always a treat.…","published":"2014-01-06T23:31:13+0000","updated":"2025-03-28T13:06:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z-ac43dAxsiBwCvS_SP268-Themoonillusion-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The moon illusion - psychology and causes still debated"},"categories":["astronomy","moon","illusion","psychology"]},{"uid":"common-button-states","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/common-button-states","title":"Common button states","summary":"I still find somewhat remarkable the complexity in a simple button on the web. These are just 6 common states that may each have their own appearance and behaviour.","published":"2014-01-05T23:31:10+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:33:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f8d20c29-ffbc-4499-9045-975b4e8b941d_72379802840.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","ux","ui"]},{"uid":"fold-away-keyboard-feet","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fold-away-keyboard-feet","title":"Fold away keyboard feet","summary":"They are apparently there to help you see the keys to make it easier to type. If you can type already, fold them away — it’s better for your wrists to have no bend.","published":"2014-01-04T23:31:18+0000","updated":"2023-01-18T16:21:44+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a3c3ff16-7f31-4862-983f-91ec205ba33b_72258673151.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["tech"]},{"uid":"things-get-more-complex-before-they-get-simple","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/things-get-more-complex-before-they-get-simple","title":"Things get more complex before they get simple","summary":"You can see this trend in most technology products. Increasing subtleties and functions are added improving what a product can do. At some point, the complexity is sufficient to force us to focus…","published":"2014-01-03T23:31:31+0000","updated":"2026-01-16T15:01:22+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aWpR6gIvOtkhBpy4_SP265-Thingsgetmorecomplexbeforetheygetsimple-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Things get more complex before they get simple in a chart of complexity over time — observation from Edward De Bono"},"categories":["technology","tech","observation"]},{"uid":"anti-aliasing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/anti-aliasing","title":"Anti-aliasing","summary":"A nifty technique for making fonts appear smoother when viewed on a screen rendering pixels.","published":"2014-01-02T23:31:25+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:33:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/faab3ab8-eb1f-4733-a20c-d781c6775c35_72021641673.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","tech","typography"]},{"uid":"beaches-amazing-for-play","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/beaches-amazing-for-play","title":"Beaches: amazing for play","summary":"Beaches are amazing for play. Every time we go to a beach, I think, if you were to try and design the perfect toy, it would have many of the remarkable attributes of a beach - particularly the…","published":"2014-01-01T23:31:11+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8d79b483-a500-48c7-b4b3-ba769c30e57b_71902388580.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Why beaches are amazing for play showing a parent and child at the beach and listing out many aspects of what make beaches amazing"},"categories":["play","parenting","games","learning","nature","podcast"]},{"uid":"roll-limes-before-squeezing-and-youll-get-more-juice","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/roll-limes-before-squeezing-and-youll-get-more-juice","title":"Roll limes before squeezing and you’ll get more juice","summary":"","published":"2013-12-31T23:31:21+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/247d19ec-474b-479f-98a6-b8c7b7e532be_71797932505.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"spend-time-on-activities-with-long-term-value-first","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/spend-time-on-activities-with-long-term-value-first","title":"Spend time on activities with long-term value first","summary":"Some activities, no matter how much time you spend on them, just keep coming back. These include cleaning, ironing, washing up and watching the news. There’ll always be more tomorrow. If I can, I try…","published":"2013-12-30T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:31:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5223306d-7724-49ee-bea8-c6003cb9baa5_71690344209.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["advice","productivity"]},{"uid":"core-insect-anatomy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/core-insect-anatomy","title":"Core insect anatomy","summary":"Head, thorax - with 6 legs or wings, abdomen and an exoskeleton and you have an insect. One of over a million species. As impressive as snowflakes.","published":"2013-12-29T23:31:08+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/58f84d57-e79b-4f91-962c-2b37ffd258b5_71574225584.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["animals","nature","biology","anatomy"]},{"uid":"ghost-cooking","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ghost-cooking","title":"Ghost cooking","summary":"The art of cooking leaving a sparkling, untouched, kitchen.","published":"2013-12-28T23:31:09+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/59aea767-d91f-4869-9f3d-a91bf6dd834f_71463881949.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Ghost cooking illustration: the art of cooking leaving a sparkling, untouched kitchen"},"categories":["food-and-drink","relationships"]},{"uid":"film-credits-the-best-source-of-baby-name-inspiration","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/film-credits-the-best-source-of-baby-name-inspiration","title":"Film credits: the best source of baby name inspiration","summary":"Especially when there’s lots of special effects.","published":"2013-12-27T23:31:21+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3d9919e4-c9c3-416f-8139-2f405760d568_71358643923.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["parenting","love"]},{"uid":"if-its-not-good-enough-for-bugs-its-not-good-enough-for-you","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/if-its-not-good-enough-for-bugs-its-not-good-enough-for-you","title":"If its not good enough for bugs, it’s not good enough for you","summary":"When food seems indestructible you should be suspicious.","published":"2013-12-26T23:31:02+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a2d93cae-849b-4cbd-bfa3-c2abbca5e7f3_71251628771.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"common-wood-joints","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/common-wood-joints","title":"Common wood joints","summary":"Miter, Mortise & tenon, and Dovetail. Lovely.","published":"2013-12-25T23:31:04+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d632085a-49a7-4e4c-b317-4caa233be532_71151069219.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack"]},{"uid":"the-offside-rule","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-offside-rule","title":"The offside rule","summary":"Clearer now? In other news, I think the offside rule should be changed in football so that the goalkeeper doesn’t count when evaluating offside. Always seems stupid to me when the standard definition…","published":"2013-12-24T23:31:16+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:30:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bd711fc4-f515-49dc-a4a7-7824e20fcc94_71057720850.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The offside rule in football explanation"},"categories":["sport","games"]},{"uid":"3-ways-to-listen-better","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/3-ways-to-listen-better","title":"3 ways to listen better","summary":"7 minutes well spent watching Julian Treasure at TED.","published":"2013-12-23T23:31:06+0000","updated":"2021-09-02T19:45:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/21cebf7d-8e76-451f-b7b2-e84b2c007dda_70951150914.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["listening","music","sound"]},{"uid":"gelato-sorbet-and-ice-cream","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/gelato-sorbet-and-ice-cream","title":"Gelato, sorbet and ice-cream","summary":"I had always wondered at the difference.","published":"2013-12-22T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/55691b69-8ce3-44d6-b0a6-1c491913f1ec_70839823895.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"use-a-compass-with-a-map","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/use-a-compass-with-a-map","title":"Use a compass with a map","summary":"Set North to your map Align North on your compass Walk straight","published":"2013-12-21T23:31:07+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:16+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/335f7e31-5af1-4509-808f-15f112bdc63f_70733632404.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1936%2C3283&w=1200&h=3283","alt":""},"categories":["hiking","maps"]},{"uid":"useful-mixtures-and-their-proportions","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/useful-mixtures-and-their-proportions","title":"Useful mixtures and their proportions","summary":"Vinaigrette, rehydration mixture and Pimms.","published":"2013-12-20T23:30:55+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c892e38b-f72d-4671-a7a3-22dda7445c10_70633622099.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1937%2C3285&w=1200&h=3285","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"know-your-clouds","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/know-your-clouds","title":"Know your clouds: How to identify common cloud types","summary":"Wondering how to identify clouds? Clouds come in an infinite variety, yet a few simple features—shape and height—will help you identify many of the most common types. Here's how to identify some…","published":"2013-12-19T23:31:56+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:21+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aTKiLnNYClf9n2SP_SP250-Knowyourclouds-square-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Types of clouds chart showing cloud names, shapes and heights, including cirrus, altostratus, cumulus and stratus, for learning how to identify clouds with pictures."},"categories":["weather","science","physics"]},{"uid":"understanding-exposure","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/understanding-exposure","title":"Putting it all together: Exposure","summary":"The combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO setting control the effect you get in your photograph. Ultimately, it depends on the shot you want, and in any situation, someone may want to use a…","published":"2013-12-18T23:31:23+0000","updated":"2024-09-26T20:21:44+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/261d740e-6eee-4c7d-a3d9-ebe7efafe114_70438344185.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Understanding exposure in photography"},"categories":["photography","cameras","tech","technology"]},{"uid":"understanding-iso","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/understanding-iso","title":"Understanding ISO","summary":"The sensitivity of the sensor to light. The clever folks — Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith — who invented the CCD sensor, the basis of what enables modern digital cameras to capture light and…","published":"2013-12-17T23:31:23+0000","updated":"2023-01-22T17:41:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/efe669ce-021e-4584-9e7b-2d665ededc45_70339360833.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["photography","cameras","technology","tech"]},{"uid":"understanding-shutter-speed","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/understanding-shutter-speed","title":"Understanding shutter speed","summary":"The length of time the shutter is open, and therefore the light can reach the sensor.","published":"2013-12-16T23:31:09+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:41:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6be9818b-3081-4068-82c7-c855f1c5c325_70239259715.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["photography","cameras","tech","technology"]},{"uid":"understanding-aperture","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/understanding-aperture","title":"Understanding aperture","summary":"A little mini-series and a little challenge for me to try and condense the interplay of the key aspects of control for photography into a few short sketches (I thought about doing this much earlier,…","published":"2013-12-15T23:31:17+0000","updated":"2022-04-20T15:43:24+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5cf9aad3-2d8d-4188-bf48-f75094fc368a_70137483487.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["photography","cameras","tech","technology"]},{"uid":"the-expanding-circle-of-attention","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-expanding-circle-of-attention","title":"The expanding circle of attention","summary":"This is my own observation — no rigorous research to reference. But, looking at our 2 year old as he’s transitioned from a baby, I’ve been led to think about our times on, say, public transport. A…","published":"2013-12-14T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/98c31e1c-17e9-4d8c-a9c4-e30596ff2974_70026642746.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1937%2C3285&w=1200&h=3285","alt":""},"categories":["observation","parenting","psychology"]},{"uid":"often-missed-phobias","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/often-missed-phobias","title":"Often missed phobias","summary":"Atelophobia: Fear of imperfection. Decidophobia: Fear of making decisions. Soteriophobia: Fear of dependence on others. Probably afflict more people than know about these.","published":"2013-12-13T23:31:07+0000","updated":"2023-01-22T17:03:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8752d380-6824-4b86-825e-3791112b2fd5_69925611600.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":[]},{"uid":"the-improv-attitude","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-improv-attitude","title":"The improv attitude","summary":"Fail cheerfully. Be obvious. It’s not about you. Dan Klein is my improv guru having had the fortune to learn from him a couple of times. Thanks Dan. And, as usual, improv tips tend to extend as good…","published":"2013-12-12T23:31:09+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:17:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/62647084-58a0-43c2-ae16-02fe5be0a3c1_69832716940.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The improv attitude"},"categories":["improvisation","advice"]},{"uid":"the-magic-of-soap","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-magic-of-soap","title":"The magic of soap","summary":"How soap gets things clean is pretty amazing. What’s really nice is how the chemical properties generate such a simple mechanical solution.","published":"2013-12-11T23:31:17+0000","updated":"2021-09-02T19:40:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fea97835-0bef-44c6-8b3b-517be3d14412_69737477711.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["chemistry","physics","science"]},{"uid":"cheap-disposable-objects","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cheap-disposable-objects","title":"Cheap disposable objects","summary":"One of the 40 inventive principles. Application not limited to mechanical engineering.","published":"2013-12-10T23:31:23+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/76c5fd2d-4196-4b2f-84f8-4193b862846a_69638884043.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["triz","invention","ideas","problem-solving"]},{"uid":"make-a-wine-glass-sing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-a-wine-glass-sing","title":"Make a wine glass sing","summary":"I shall always remember when I was finally taught that the trick is to dip your finger in the wine first.","published":"2013-12-09T23:30:59+0000","updated":"2023-01-22T17:04:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/dcd43d76-2706-49ca-b354-e78b8db3e8aa_69535419237.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["physics","science","sound"]},{"uid":"rules-of-cute","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rules-of-cute","title":"Rules of cute","summary":"References and a better looking and interactive explanation on cuteify. Inspired by a brilliant little exhibit at the even brillianter Exploratorium in San Francisco.","published":"2013-12-08T23:31:21+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:46:24+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e5ea04dc-d600-4ab4-b4f6-40a26366b270_69431465534.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["drawing"]},{"uid":"laws-of-expansion","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/laws-of-expansion","title":"Laws of expansion","summary":"Not the standard physics laws of expansion. Work expands to fill the available time — also known as Parkinson's Law Stuff expands to fill the available space — also known as Jono's Law Cost expands…","published":"2013-12-07T23:31:04+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:37:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4b4cf422-3184-45e6-bd37-2c1569d8d6d9_69320068728.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["observation","psychology","law"]},{"uid":"fast-and-slow-thinking","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fast-and-slow-thinking","title":"Fast and slow thinking","summary":"Also known as system 1 and system 2. Book: Thinking fast and slow","published":"2013-12-06T23:31:19+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:47:25+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8aa0bb95-5dd0-4012-92d7-bae327c32680_69217018188.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["psychology","thinking"]},{"uid":"lateral-thinking-changes-perspective","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/lateral-thinking-changes-perspective","title":"Lateral thinking: 4. Lateral thinking changes perspective just to be provocative","summary":"Edward De Bono talks a lot about provocation as a means, for example, of deliberating provoking something impossible just to provide a new perspective. For example, when trying to design a car that’s…","published":"2013-12-04T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2d1668ad-08c3-471f-a407-dc2ac09d1596_69024666091.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Lateral thinking changes perspective just to be provocative"},"categories":["thinking-tool","design","creativity","ideas"]},{"uid":"lateral-thinking-you-dont-have-to-be-right-at-every-step","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/lateral-thinking-you-dont-have-to-be-right-at-every-step","title":"Lateral thinking: 3. You don’t have to be right at every step","summary":"I love the principle behind this — that you can get to something that works without having things that are possible and would work along the way. A stickier way of saying a similar thing is: \"There…","published":"2013-12-03T23:31:26+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e539a27b-9e54-471e-9155-e1d400d639df_68926428026.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Lateral thinking: You don't have to be right at every step"},"categories":["thinking-tool","design","ideas","creativity"]},{"uid":"lateral-thinking-labels-are-not-collectors-but-signposts","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/lateral-thinking-labels-are-not-collectors-but-signposts","title":"Lateral thinking: 2. Labels are not collectors but signposts. They are not fixed","summary":"During lateral thinking labels don’t have to clearly be one thing or another, they can be flexible. The phablet is a reasonable recent example of how existing terms and definitions can constrain on…","published":"2013-12-02T23:31:12+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/acb81bab-1dd5-4183-89d6-6eb9b829f811_68827984179.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["thinking-tool","design","creativity","ideas"]},{"uid":"lateral-thinking-is-about-increasing-the-breadth-of-options","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/lateral-thinking-is-about-increasing-the-breadth-of-options","title":"Lateral thinking: 1. Lateral thinking is about increasing the breadth of options","summary":"There’s a lot of mention of lateral thinking without a whole lot of knowledge about the what and the why of it. Very often it seems that it’s just brainstorming. Here’s a short set of some of the…","published":"2013-12-01T23:31:07+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ec9c4f29-9378-411c-9687-890a0708f686_68726745714.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["thinking-tool","design","ideas","creativity"]},{"uid":"set-an-anchor","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/set-an-anchor","title":"Set an anchor","summary":"Pulling along the bottom forces the flukes on the anchor to dig in. I think anchors are quite clever really.","published":"2013-11-30T23:31:12+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d345d081-e92c-42fb-8ede-25ff1fcd80d4_68614473316.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Set an anchor"},"categories":["sport"]},{"uid":"express-test-cycle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/express-test-cycle","title":"Express - Test - Cycle","summary":"A rapid design approach based on doing the minimum you can to create a testable prototype fast. Testing. Learning. Iterating. Rather than, say, taking longer and trying to design it all right first…","published":"2013-11-29T23:31:03+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:37+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/08f308cb-c132-4f02-bf80-30954b946fd2_68509947377.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","framework"]},{"uid":"use-crushed-garlic-and-ginger-in-most-of-your-cooking","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/use-crushed-garlic-and-ginger-in-most-of-your-cooking","title":"Use crushed garlic and ginger in most of your cooking","summary":"And save a little more time for life. We switched 8 years or so ago and haven’t looked back.","published":"2013-11-28T23:30:57+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f91c412d-1685-455d-b31a-4dbb0f51f52e_68413542670.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1751%2C1485&w=1200&h=1485","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"t-shaped-people-need-breadth-and-depth","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/t-shaped-people-need-breadth-and-depth","title":"T-shaped people need breadth and depth","summary":"Breadth of experience, knowledge and sectors and world-class skills in one discipline. As you can imagine, this would set you up pretty well. IDEO famously seek out t-shaped people","published":"2013-11-27T23:31:15+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:08:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/32924a6d-4224-4ef3-8512-bab2b28caad6_68313821782.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"T-shaped people"},"categories":["skills","business"]},{"uid":"combinations-of-an-8-character-password","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/combinations-of-an-8-character-password","title":"There are 2.2 trillion combinations of an 8 character password","summary":"Which, remarkably, still does not mean they are secure. Use a password manager. And use longer passwords if you have to use them. Also see: 2 Factor Authentication Types of Phishing Human Risk Choose…","published":"2013-11-26T23:31:04+0000","updated":"2025-01-16T12:16:37+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/db953142-4acf-47e6-a095-780f26536d7d_68212170394.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"There are 2.2 trillion combinations of an 8 character password"},"categories":["tech","security","technology"]},{"uid":"our-atmosphere-is-as-thick-for-the-earth-as-the-skin-on-an-apple","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/our-atmosphere-is-as-thick-for-the-earth-as-the-skin-on-an-apple","title":"Our atmosphere is as thick for the Earth as the skin on an apple","summary":"Helpful reminder of how fragile the atmosphere is despite it looking pretty big when you’re standing outside.","published":"2013-11-25T23:31:07+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b2fa3670-87fd-41a4-b4e0-53446a97fc17_68112736869.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Our atmosphere is as thick for the Earth as the skin on an apple"},"categories":["science","physics","climate","sustainability","earth","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"match-challenge-with-skills-for-flow-at-work","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/match-challenge-with-skills-for-flow-at-work","title":"Match challenge with skills for flow at work","summary":"How to get into flow at work? Match challenge with skills. When your work is too hard for your skill you experience anxiety. When your skill is too high for the work you experience boredom. When your…","published":"2013-11-24T23:31:05+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:20:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3fd9eca2-6fdf-486c-b7b8-b26a970b8d3f_68011185901.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Match challenge with skills illustration: a chart of skills and challenge shows flow in the center and anxiety and boredom at the edges"},"categories":["flow","observation","productivity","books","management"]},{"uid":"when-facilitating-if-youre-talking-too-much-or-working-too-hard-youre-probably-doing-something-wrong","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/when-facilitating-if-youre-talking-too-much-or-working-too-hard-youre-probably-doing-something-wrong","title":"When facilitating, if you’re talking too much, or working too hard, you’re probably doing something wrong","summary":"An observation I have made whenever I find myself feeling like facilitating is too hard work.","published":"2013-11-23T23:31:07+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:54:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8430443b-1483-4af2-ac90-9af8b5d5b182_67900295001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["facilitation"]},{"uid":"dark-and-light-are-the-keys-to-one-way-mirrors","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dark-and-light-are-the-keys-to-one-way-mirrors","title":"Dark and light are the keys to one-way mirrors","summary":"One way mirrors definitely do something, but a lot of what they accomplish is also due to maintaining dark on one side and light on another.","published":"2013-11-22T23:31:20+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:55:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/33f798d7-e43b-41a6-8c88-5036bf5b60e3_67798160034.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["products","science","physics"]},{"uid":"6-simple-sketch-people","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/6-simple-sketch-people","title":"6 simple sketch people","summary":"Always handy to be able to draw some quick sensible looking people. Worth practicing.","published":"2013-11-21T23:31:32+0000","updated":"2022-11-15T13:16:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a5ad4521-7b75-4538-9a57-8b5f8fc56119_67705033297.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"6 simple ways to draw people"},"categories":["drawing"]},{"uid":"stationary-and-stationery","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/stationary-and-stationery","title":"Stationary and Stationery","summary":"Though the words are linked through two simple connections. Books used to be big and heavy, so rather than travelling market stalls the first shops for books were in fact stationary - stationarius.…","published":"2013-11-20T23:31:12+0000","updated":"2023-02-06T15:01:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1871b55e-531a-471c-a5a5-d042d0c2349d_67608901765.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["words","writing"]},{"uid":"the-position-of-a-rainbow-is-predictable","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-position-of-a-rainbow-is-predictable","title":"The position of a rainbow is predictable","summary":"The sun behind you, the rain in front of you, and the angle is due to the refraction of light in the raindrops.","published":"2013-11-19T23:31:26+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:56:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6e1057f2-366a-41d1-b53a-e825e3f08812_67512824851.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["science","physics"]},{"uid":"make-your-idea-sticky","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-your-idea-sticky","title":"Make your idea sticky","summary":"SUCCESS is a mnemonic for making your idea sticky, from the entertaining and informative book Made to Stick, by the Heath brothers. It outlines six principles that help ideas resonate, stay…","published":"2013-11-18T23:31:17+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:20:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0622d074-7da7-4792-9775-2cf18f865a39_67415569141.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1751%2C1485&w=1200&h=1485","alt":"What is the SUCCESS framework for making ideas sticky from the book Made to Stick, highlighting six principles: Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, and Stories"},"categories":["books","ideas","communication","marketing","mnemonic"]},{"uid":"ask-for-what-you-need","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ask-for-what-you-need","title":"Ask for what you need","summary":"Ask for what you need or it’s on you if you don’t get it. The frame change for me was that you’re not owed anything. It’s on you to help yourself and help others out in the process. I learned this at…","published":"2013-11-17T23:31:08+0000","updated":"2023-03-07T16:54:21+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e99472b3-96c5-453b-a75c-2dbebee14729_67314207667.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["advice","questions","management","relationships"]},{"uid":"our-bodies-can-absorb-1-cup-of-water-in-15-mins","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/our-bodies-can-absorb-1-cup-of-water-in-15-mins","title":"Our bodies can absorb 1 cup of water in 15 mins","summary":"The rest just foes to the overflow. I learned this from our guide Eric on Mount Rainier. Very helpful if you’re hiking and looking to stay hydrated and conserve water. But actually I find it a…","published":"2013-11-16T23:31:12+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:58:23+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a0cf61a4-12d4-40ff-a469-ab4a3e0d087c_67203617717.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["water"]},{"uid":"take-the-stairs","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/take-the-stairs","title":"Take the stairs","summary":"…and add years to your life, and life to your years.","published":"2013-11-15T23:31:25+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:58:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7b7bf0fc-b9bc-4014-b739-d43c3dcc8658_67102564055.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["advice"]},{"uid":"make-art-like-duchamp","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-art-like-duchamp","title":"Make art like Duchamp","summary":"Most famously known for Fountain.","published":"2013-11-14T23:31:47+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:59:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ab42d86d-715d-4acd-9bef-0d1a73a8cf00_67010653881.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["art"]},{"uid":"make-art-like-warhol","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-art-like-warhol","title":"Make art like Warhol","summary":"","published":"2013-11-13T23:31:16+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T00:59:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5aac0b0c-1571-4ee2-86f2-d53935e7559a_66918563703.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["art"]},{"uid":"make-art-like-john-cage","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-art-like-john-cage","title":"Make art like John Cage","summary":"John Cage is an American composer famous for his piece 4' 33'', which is 4 mins and 33 seconds of silence. 4' 33\" divided into three movements of 30 seconds, 2 minutes 23 seconds, and the final 1…","published":"2013-11-12T23:31:25+0000","updated":"2024-10-03T13:09:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5691d271-7683-4053-904f-d36e5e9eb927_66824819675.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Make art like John Cage"},"categories":["art","music"]},{"uid":"make-art-like-mondrian","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-art-like-mondrian","title":"Make art like Mondrian","summary":"Piet Mondrian.","published":"2013-11-11T23:30:58+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:00:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3189eee6-4d73-4f13-885c-d843439a549c_66728686639.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["art"]},{"uid":"glacial-erratic","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/glacial-erratic","title":"Glacial erratic","summary":"A large boulder, transported and deposited by a glacier. This is my favourite location for glacial erratics. Bonus points if you can tell where it is.","published":"2013-11-10T23:31:23+0000","updated":"2023-01-22T17:18:24+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/98f02b19-492f-4d25-9d08-b33ab21c48de_66625412141.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["geology","science"]},{"uid":"clap-the-first-talk-at-events","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/clap-the-first-talk-at-events","title":"Clap the first talk at events","summary":"Don’t have that awkward silence when a speaker is introduced. Be brave and set the tone by clapping early. And when I say ‘people like clapping’ I mostly mean the people being clapped, but I think…","published":"2013-11-09T23:31:16+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:01:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/92c975b3-0689-4ae5-98e6-c8f439530211_66516931073.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["social-engineering"]},{"uid":"rules-of-thumb-for-cooking-steak","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rules-of-thumb-for-cooking-steak","title":"Rules of thumb for cooking steak","summary":"From Jamie Oliver via @lydiahowland","published":"2013-11-08T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/36713bd0-386d-4aed-90ac-1f6765d0d38d_66416382585.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"take-the-back-streets","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/take-the-back-streets","title":"Pollution is highly localized: take the back streets","summary":"Sure, the big city is worse than the country for air quality. But air pollution is more complicated than city = bad, country = good. Air pollution, it turns out, is highly localized, so the back…","published":"2013-11-07T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aFu-pHfc4bHWitGt_SP209-Pollutionishighlylocalized-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Pollution is highly localized—take the back streets. Showing a family in city traffic and family cycling in the back streets"},"categories":["climate","science","travel","transport","road","planning","walking","cycling","air-quality"]},{"uid":"unlike-most-plants-grass-grows-from-the-base","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/unlike-most-plants-grass-grows-from-the-base","title":"Unlike most plants, grass grows from the base","summary":"..so it can be eaten (or cut), and keep growing back. A critical feature for surviving herds of grazing animals and lawnmowers. No wonder it’s so successful.","published":"2013-11-06T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2023-01-22T17:21:21+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ee36958a-0d4c-454c-a372-1a7760827d5e_66231789350.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["nature"]},{"uid":"dont-fix-the-blame-fix-the-problem","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dont-fix-the-blame-fix-the-problem","title":"Don’t fix the blame, fix the problem","summary":"A little nugget of wisdom from a book I read long ago called Technotrends by Daniel Burrus.","published":"2013-11-05T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2021-02-23T10:20:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e46eed5e-86ca-4a44-80e6-fd6453ad41a7_66138566413.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["advice","kindness","relationships"]},{"uid":"trim-beans-in-one-cut-through-the-packet","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/trim-beans-in-one-cut-through-the-packet","title":"Trim beans in one cut through the packet","summary":"Hat tip to @bentimms","published":"2013-11-04T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/326aeed6-97bc-46bd-a687-7dd38e2f977a_66043458353.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"enrich-your-design-process","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/enrich-your-design-process","title":"Enrich your design process","summary":"My favourite, and I think most helpful, version of the design process. I was introduced to it in the Needfinding course at Stanford taught by Dev Patnaik and Michael Barry. Based on an original…","published":"2013-11-03T23:30:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2af83f87-3512-4592-bbf4-09dde44c8062_65947288687.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","framework"]},{"uid":"open-a-coconut","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/open-a-coconut","title":"Open a coconut","summary":"Learned this remarkably reliable technique from our guide Rodolfo in the Corcovado in Costa Rica - appropriately, on a Pacific beach lined with palm trees, the sounds of howler monkeys and scarlet…","published":"2013-11-02T23:30:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:06:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9554bf09-c02d-4d67-9c0d-87a5a7704b57_65838889321.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","lifehack"]},{"uid":"the-big-data-equation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-big-data-equation","title":"The big data equation","summary":"Big data + Machine learning + Cloud = Informed, intelligent decisions. As a very minor example of this I have been enjoying the Dark Sky app.","published":"2013-11-01T23:31:03+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/29407c2e-0723-44b7-a96a-6ed48c0295e4_65739417290.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Big Data equation: big data + machine learning + cloud = informed, intelligent decisions"},"categories":["mathematics","software-development","ai"]},{"uid":"our-senses-are-built-to-take-in-information-at-human-pace","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/our-senses-are-built-to-take-in-information-at-human-pace","title":"Our senses are built to take in information at human pace","summary":"I believe I first heard this on a Radiolab episode, but I can’t remember for sure. Since then, I’ve reflected on it many times and cannot help but think it has some truth. For me, this explains why…","published":"2013-10-31T23:30:47+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/68920852-01da-48e4-b02a-8859ddeb29cf_65653885560.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1751%2C1485&w=1200&h=1485","alt":"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"},"categories":["observation","walking","cycling","senses","travel","transport","podcast"]},{"uid":"give-air-a-pathway-to-avoid-glugging","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/give-air-a-pathway-to-avoid-glugging","title":"Give air a pathway to avoid glugging","summary":"Part of the reason why bottles should really have their necks to one side instead of in the centre.","published":"2013-10-30T23:31:03+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:08:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5dec7d03-ee29-4edb-8231-402706b883ce_65569231731.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["observation","science","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"patnaiks-hierarchy-of-needs","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/patnaiks-hierarchy-of-needs","title":"Patnaik’s Hierarchy of Needs","summary":"Maslow’s is interesting, but not terribly helpful if you want to use it for something. This one however, I still find a very useful framework when designing (read about it in the DMI paper System…","published":"2013-10-29T23:30:50+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8adb7eea-1fbf-476a-b143-4dd96f3ad352_65478851811.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","framework","research","products","innovation"]},{"uid":"maslows-hierarchy-of-needs","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs","title":"Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs","summary":"The basic idea goes that you have to satisfy those at the bottom before the top: if you’re freezing cold and hungry, you’re not giving much thought to the joy mastering new skills. Not terribly…","published":"2013-10-28T23:30:53+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:38:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/927bea6d-aca8-49d2-9a47-2cd2283e2742_65385681774.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework","design","research","psychology","eponym"]},{"uid":"rules-of-thumb-for-remaining-daylight","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rules-of-thumb-for-remaining-daylight","title":"Rules of thumb for remaining daylight","summary":"In temperate latitudes and around the Summer. 12 minutes per finger. 1 hour for your fist. (hat tip to Joel Wilson)","published":"2013-10-27T23:31:02+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:18+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d17983c2-eb91-43ea-a2a2-7a8094d54476_65288250729.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["hiking","camping","weather","backpacking"]},{"uid":"repair-injured-joints","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/repair-injured-joints","title":"Repair injured joints with RICE","summary":"A mnemonic that has helped me many times: RICE—Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation—is a simple and effective way to treat joint injuries. Whether it’s a sprain or strain, this first aid method reduces…","published":"2013-10-26T23:31:43+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:45:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/826f95cb-8aa4-4592-b7f6-858bf7b64908_65179795385.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"What is the RICE acronym for repairing injured joints: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation"},"categories":["sport","mnemonic","health"]},{"uid":"eat-food-not-too-much-mostly-plants","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/eat-food-not-too-much-mostly-plants","title":"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants","summary":"Advice to eat well, from Michael Pollan. From In Defense of Food.","published":"2013-10-25T23:31:10+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f6324722-5cba-49ff-86d0-7b1d963169ed_65085218790.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","advice","books"]},{"uid":"why-ice-doesnt-sink","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/why-ice-doesnt-sink","title":"Why ice doesn’t sink","summary":"Whichever way you look at it, water is a remarkable substance.","published":"2013-10-24T23:31:09+0000","updated":"2021-02-02T10:17:25+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cd6d2476-522c-43b6-8d0b-5547b94b8b5a_64995924129.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["water","physics","chemistry","science","ice"]},{"uid":"the-making-of-the-med","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-making-of-the-med","title":"The making of the Med","summary":"The Mediterranean Sea was formed kind of how you think it might have happened from just looking at a world map — the mighty Atlantic Ocean breaking free to fill up the giant basin from the African…","published":"2013-10-23T23:31:21+0000","updated":"2025-05-30T10:42:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6e48eac2-cfe6-475c-9d66-a3e18d45bb40_64906658595.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The Zanclean Megaflood: 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"},"categories":["geography","history","geology"]},{"uid":"perform-good-social-research","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/perform-good-social-research","title":"Perform good social research","summary":"Ask open-ended questions. Listen way more than you talk. Stay focused to the very end. Thanks to Jump Associates and Peter Lyman.","published":"2013-10-22T23:30:56+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3e7ab677-cdc5-4b2c-b043-8e2ecd90cbe0_64815525145.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1925%2C3264&w=1200&h=3264","alt":"3 visuals explaining: Ask open-ended questions, Listen way more than you talk, and Stay focused to the very end"},"categories":["research","design","questions","listening"]},{"uid":"3-miscellaneous-cooking-tips","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/3-miscellaneous-cooking-tips","title":"3 Miscellaneous cooking tips","summary":"Never rush an onion (from Gordon Ramsay), avoid moving chicken if you can, and don’t stir fry too much - best keep stir fries to 1-2 person portions max.","published":"2013-10-21T23:31:11+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8f27e9a4-fb84-4981-8788-f79eac428df2_64722983465.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"be-real-on-the-internets","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/be-real-on-the-internets","title":"Be real on the internets","summary":"Hi, I’m Jono, and I think, where possible, it’s important to be you on the Internet just as it is in real life. Perspective from Jaron Lanier. Masks and hoods insight from Philip Zimbardo’s…","published":"2013-10-20T23:31:19+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c16aac24-a98a-4c99-9c7c-4efba8d4671b_64627685627.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["observation","tech"]},{"uid":"why-do-birds-migrate-sooooo-far","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/why-do-birds-migrate-sooooo-far","title":"Why do birds migrate sooooo far?","summary":"tl;dr - ice ages.","published":"2013-10-19T23:31:12+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:32:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/02834595-a560-420d-9678-1556ffcbef68_64522485599.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["animals","nature","geography","climate","history","maps"]},{"uid":"ask-a-question-early-at-conferences","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/ask-a-question-early-at-conferences","title":"Ask a question early at conferences","summary":"There’s no point in being in a room full of interesting people and not being able to find each other. Asking a question early on can give you a good conference day by letting others know who you are,…","published":"2013-10-18T23:31:13+0000","updated":"2023-03-07T16:59:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ac088f84-fdf4-4215-a7fc-2f3b3fe5866f_64428189088.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"A participant asks a question at a conference talk leading to chat with new people later"},"categories":["lifehack","questions","advice"]},{"uid":"share-by-default","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/share-by-default","title":"Share by Default","summary":"I’ve always been somewhat guarded about sharing, preferring to stick with close friends and family. This frame shift, provided for me by JP Rangaswami, was part of the reason for putting…","published":"2013-10-17T23:31:13+0000","updated":"2024-08-05T14:55:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a679310f-fffe-4c81-bff0-7607ebb75761_64337685235.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Share by default—JP Rangaswami's reframe on sharing"},"categories":["social-media","sharing","observation","reframe","advice","starting"]},{"uid":"win-at-monopoly","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/win-at-monopoly","title":"Win at Monopoly","summary":"Tactics drawn from How to Use Math to Dominate at Monopoly.","published":"2013-10-16T23:31:27+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e13e2091-b692-47e6-a497-a029f1eb7804_64247908506.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1928%2C3270&w=1200&h=3270","alt":""},"categories":["games","mathematics"]},{"uid":"3-techniques-to-deter-riff-raff","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/3-techniques-to-deter-riff-raff","title":"3 techniques to deter riff-raff","summary":"Light well Play classical music Paint it pink I have read case-studies of each being effective.","published":"2013-10-15T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6667f1de-86d5-4485-9127-939dfc87453c_64156441509.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["observation","security"]},{"uid":"topple-fit-a-sheet","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/topple-fit-a-sheet","title":"Topple-fit a sheet","summary":"My wife finds it amusing, but I genuinely find it the most effective way to fit a sheet. Plus, it’s more fun. (similar fun to be had by fitting a duvet into the corners by climbing inside the cover)","published":"2013-10-14T23:30:59+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4b1bed1c-88f4-4475-8bed-b5f105d0c056_64063743192.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack","relationships"]},{"uid":"hard-things-to-do-with-your-other-hand","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hard-things-to-do-with-your-other-hand","title":"Hard things to do with your other hand","summary":"After getting pretty serious RSI many years back I was forced to start doing more things with my ‘other’ hand. It takes time and practice, but hey, you can already do these things with one hand - why…","published":"2013-10-13T23:30:55+0000","updated":"2021-01-25T21:22:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/09b59e3a-e6d2-4725-b061-cb300d36a7d3_63968582548.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["biology"]},{"uid":"sketchplanation-statistics","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sketchplanation-statistics","title":"Sketchplanation statistics","summary":"It was my goal to explain one thing a day for a year. With this one I cross half-way. Sincerely, thanks everyone for following. Ideas, suggestions, and motivation always very much appreciated.","published":"2013-10-12T23:31:26+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:20:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a64b0c26-49f2-4508-8ed6-b8a88c31c7af_63866604618.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["infographics"]},{"uid":"optical-illusions-hermann-grid-necker-cube-blivet","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/optical-illusions-hermann-grid-necker-cube-blivet","title":"Some optical illusions","summary":"The Hermann Grid, the Necker cube, and the Blivet","published":"2013-10-11T23:31:21+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:20:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6171fed8-c218-4900-b676-ef506249f5d7_63772037946.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["illusion","drawing"]},{"uid":"redeye","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/redeye","title":"Clear the fog with a redeye","summary":"Espresso: steam forced through coffee grounds Filter coffee: water dripped through coffee grounds and a filter Americano: espresso topped up with water Redeye coffee: espresso topped up with filter…","published":"2013-10-10T23:31:02+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c1d3c068-402d-4e17-a5f9-5a4c4677241c_63683791803.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["coffee","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"when-visual-recording-dos-and-donts","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/when-visual-recording-dos-and-donts","title":"When visual recording","summary":"Do: Structure and organise information as it’s said Do: Write big - aim for letters at least 2in high Don’t: Change people’s words Most of what I know about visual recording from Jump Associates and…","published":"2013-10-09T23:31:08+0000","updated":"2024-12-18T11:01:37+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2041011f-53f9-4625-be77-8b21f1fc0341_63596764625.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Tips for visual recording: structure and organise information, write big and don't change people's words"},"categories":["visual-recording","drawing","facilitation"]},{"uid":"lessons-from-lewis","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/lessons-from-lewis","title":"Lessons from Lewis","summary":"Sharing our fears brings us closer Objects have no fixed purpose Smile at strangers","published":"2013-10-08T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d3470f45-8554-4d9f-944f-ad7ad6de2bfe_63507148929.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["parenting","kindness","emotions","creativity"]},{"uid":"portemanteau-food","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/portemanteau-food","title":"Portemanteau food","summary":"Some food portemanteau. Following on from the original portmanteau sketch, I love the words: Tofurkey, turducken, and cambozola.","published":"2013-10-07T23:31:13+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ca2128c1-5dcc-45f1-9a73-3a5f330d4d06_63415732790.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1927%2C3268&w=1200&h=3268","alt":"Portemanteau food examples: tofurkey, turducken, cambozola"},"categories":["words","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"save-some-landfill-with-reusable-nappies-diapers","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/save-some-landfill-with-reusable-nappies-diapers","title":"Save some landfill with reusable nappies/diapers","summary":"If a baby wore 2 reusable nappies per day, that’s nearly 1500 nappies saved from landfill by the time a child is 2 years old. If every baby born in the UK did this, that’s 2.5 Big Ben’s worth saved…","published":"2013-10-06T23:32:24+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:51+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d2a1a5a7-8b55-44b0-8198-6c40f00cf7ed_63321844422.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["infographics","parenting","sustainability"]},{"uid":"consider-starting-at-the-next-letter-when-scanning-address-books","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/consider-starting-at-the-next-letter-when-scanning-address-books","title":"Consider starting at the next letter (when scanning address books)","summary":"It still takes me a moment to process, but Ryan, for example, is much closer to S, than it is the beginning of R. Consider starting at the next letter for some searches.","published":"2013-10-05T23:31:36+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:24:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f9c9f101-48ef-4048-8c7b-2e381157ec8a_63217750220.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["tech","lifehack"]},{"uid":"the-most-beautiful-equation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-most-beautiful-equation","title":"The most beautiful equation","summary":"OK, there are probably many candidates, but it is remarkable to me how such esoteric and difficult to define numbers - derived independently - have such a simple elegant relationship.","published":"2013-10-04T23:32:07+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/20a067ce-77c5-432e-99cc-5a9bce486323_63122542507.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["mathematics","beauty"]},{"uid":"the-four-pillars-of-too-much","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-four-pillars-of-too-much","title":"The four pillars of too much","summary":"The four pillars of too much are: Too much stuff Too many choices Too much information Tooooo fast Time to cut down. From Kim John Payne's Simplicity Parenting. Also see: Laws of expansion","published":"2013-10-03T23:31:48+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:20:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/765fd073-37e0-4468-95cd-3adc0d5243ed_63034715554.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The 4 pillars of too much: too much stuff, too many choices, too much info and too fast"},"categories":["framework","books","psychology","podcast"]},{"uid":"zone-of-proximal-development","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/zone-of-proximal-development","title":"Zone of proximal development","summary":"What a child can do in cooperation today, he can do alone tomorrow. — Lev Vygotsky Based on visualizing Lev Vygotsky’s theory.","published":"2013-10-02T23:31:51+0000","updated":"2022-04-21T15:38:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/93d30238-1789-411b-8b15-4e5f205e92af_62942306085.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["research","education","learning","framework"]},{"uid":"store-whiteboard-pens-with-the-nib-down","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/store-whiteboard-pens-with-the-nib-down","title":"Store whiteboard pens with the nib down","summary":"Half the time when you pick up a whiteboard pen that doesn’t work, it’s because it’s been stored nib-upwards. It usually just needs a little re-charging.","published":"2013-10-01T23:31:39+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1c7b2a68-69d6-48d1-bc37-05bbd153aed6_62850561089.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1765%2C1497&w=1200&h=1497","alt":""},"categories":["observation","products","ideas"]},{"uid":"the-law-of-lockers","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-law-of-lockers","title":"The law of lockers","summary":"The law of lockers: If there are only two people in the changing room, your lockers will be next to each other. Also see: Muphry's Law Hanlon's Razor","published":"2013-09-30T23:31:53+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3bdd2c0d-f169-41c7-bc18-88eee966cd68_62758789193.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The law of lockers explained in a chart with the likelihood of your locker being on top of someone else's and how full the changing room is"},"categories":["observation","charts","framework","sport"]},{"uid":"plug-computing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/plug-computing","title":"Plug computing","summary":"I love the idea that the computer just disappears backwards into the plug. Neal Moore first mentioned this to me. In the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving there’s an idea that all functions will…","published":"2013-09-29T23:32:13+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:28+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2caa127a-9386-4eed-b9bd-e7da62745791_62667149195.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","products","tech","triz"]},{"uid":"the-number-of-ideas-produced-in-an-ideation-session","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-number-of-ideas-produced-in-an-ideation-session","title":"The number of ideas produced in an ideation session is proportional to the size of the stack of paper in front of you","summary":"The number of ideas produced in an ideation session is proportional to the size of the stack of paper in front of you. —Conrad Wai I definitely think there’s some truth to this observation about idea…","published":"2013-09-28T23:31:37+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:08+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/be08165b-9ff6-4c99-875a-695a306e0244_62554931901.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How many ideas will you get in idea generation quote: \"The number of ideas produced in an ideation session is proportional to the size of the stack of paper in front of you.\""},"categories":["ideas","design","observation","quote"]},{"uid":"designing-for-adoption-the-adoption-curve","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/designing-for-adoption-the-adoption-curve","title":"Designing for adoption","summary":"This helpful framework is an enhancement of regular adoption theory with the different approaches to design for each stage. Canada, Mortensen, Patnaik, 2007 (pdf). Some great examples of each stage…","published":"2013-09-27T23:31:43+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b779ffd6-ece4-479c-a421-c1aaaf56f190_62458124993.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","framework","charts","strategy","research"]},{"uid":"release-boris-bikes-with-ease","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/release-boris-bikes-with-ease","title":"Release Boris Bikes with ease by pulling up on the saddle","summary":"Spent many battles with the London bikes before learning this simple trick.","published":"2013-09-26T23:31:38+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9d009ba3-d485-45c2-97dc-183b1a4be72b_62370748458.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["travel","london","cycling"]},{"uid":"super-moon","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/super-moon","title":"Supermoon","summary":"A supermoon is when the Moon appears at its largest. Because most orbits are actually ellipses—an oval shape—rather than circular, the moon changes how close it is to Earth each day. A supermoon…","published":"2013-09-25T23:31:45+0000","updated":"2023-07-22T12:59:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/44badb8b-e6f3-43ed-968f-19ea48552954_62282609880.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["science","astronomy","moon","physics","space"]},{"uid":"air-write-before-inking","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/air-write-before-inking","title":"Air-write before inking","summary":"Checking that things fit by rehearsing in the air is often a few seconds well spent.","published":"2013-09-24T23:31:46+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:33:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7b75c4f8-767e-4918-925e-5cdc7dd51c82_62193197816.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","typography","drawing"]},{"uid":"beware-of-local-optimisation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/beware-of-local-optimisation","title":"Beware of local optimisation","summary":"Incremental improvements won’t always get you to the optimal solution depending on where you start.","published":"2013-09-23T23:31:58+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:32:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9e228b5b-f6ff-40d0-b63d-807e3c61db82_62102762896.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","advice"]},{"uid":"urge-to-underline-use-bold-or-italic-instead","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/urge-to-underline-use-bold-or-italic-instead","title":"Urge to underline? Use bold or italic instead","summary":"Underlining was a by-product of typewriters. It generally doesn’t improve things. Now, I’m still waiting for someone to make a pen with a button on it to write in bold. And to write a straight line…","published":"2013-09-22T23:31:27+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T17:49:42+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3433808b-f18a-465f-9556-bb03cfdfe0c7_62009705983.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","typography","products","ideas"]},{"uid":"if-we-plumbed-in-printers","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/if-we-plumbed-in-printers","title":"If we plumbed in printers","summary":"The realisation originally came to me when I saw, pinned outside a Professor’s door, an entire sheet of plain letter paper with a single line quote at the top. The standards are driving the system.…","published":"2013-09-21T23:31:22+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/26f17a27-dfe4-49e6-a40b-42085e02294c_61896922864.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["products","ideas","observation","tech"]},{"uid":"non-stacking-tupperware-should-be-destroyed","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/non-stacking-tupperware-should-be-destroyed","title":"Non-stacking Tupperware should be destroyed","summary":"Do not hesitate to ditch that which doesn’t stack and replace with ones that do. Life is too short.","published":"2013-09-20T23:31:14+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c8fbfef8-42d8-4a91-8de5-6fb19a3f2ef0_61798341021.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack","products","relationships"]},{"uid":"the-wedding-bar-goes-up-the-more-weddings-you-attend","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-wedding-bar-goes-up-the-more-weddings-you-attend","title":"The wedding bar goes up the more weddings you attend","summary":"I think there may be a counter trend at some point too, but generally I think this has some validity.","published":"2013-09-19T23:31:43+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/72d21a2d-8825-4673-a619-a099c37996b6_61710222957.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["observation","charts","framework"]},{"uid":"the-magnificent-seven-ball-juggling","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-magnificent-seven-ball-juggling","title":"The magnificent seven","summary":"A worthy ball juggling challenge next time you’re messing around with a football.","published":"2013-09-18T23:31:28+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:31:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/dba24401-8aa3-46cc-b3cc-1cc043fb5c08_61626073141.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The magnificent seven ball juggling challenge"},"categories":["sport","games"]},{"uid":"wrap-cheese-in-paper-towel-to-reduce-mould","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/wrap-cheese-in-paper-towel-to-reduce-mould","title":"Wrap cheese in paper towel to reduce mould","summary":"Handy to keep nibbling for longer.","published":"2013-09-17T23:31:13+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8b5b370c-2bb1-40fc-9a51-dfc97cdd24ff_61538926769.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","lifehack"]},{"uid":"london-dog-size","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/london-dog-size","title":"London dog size is roughly proportional to the distance from central London","summary":"Observation courtesy of my wife.","published":"2013-09-16T23:31:30+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:33+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b77b9c50-8166-4614-8ac6-689a18d0615c_61448359241.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["observation","charts"]},{"uid":"be-nice-to-tourists","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/be-nice-to-tourists","title":"Be nice to tourists","summary":"Having been on the other side of this countless times, those small moments of generosity and openness from locals can literally transform your perceptions of the world. We are all ambassadors.","published":"2013-09-15T23:31:33+0000","updated":"2021-02-23T10:24:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d9b2dbd5-994e-4ae9-aaa1-94a7a6b8c327_61355581968.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["kindness","travel","advice"]},{"uid":"5-user-tests-finds-85-percent-problems","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/5-user-tests-finds-85-percent-problems","title":"5 user tests finds 85% problems","summary":"Classic rule of thumb from Jakob Nielsen. Probably the most useful corollary is if you can afford 15 tests, tests 5 users 3 times each and iterate the design in between.","published":"2013-09-14T23:31:33+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:37:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e10f4d9a-377f-4a82-bc38-965a8b259c2f_61249752387.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","usability","testing","ux"]},{"uid":"when-combining-cereals-layer-milk-resistant-cereals-at-the-bottom","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/when-combining-cereals-layer-milk-resistant-cereals-at-the-bottom","title":"When combining cereals, layer milk-resistant cereals at the bottom","summary":"Eating cereals is a subtle interaction of milkiness, crunchiness and time spent soaking. Hat tip.","published":"2013-09-13T23:31:24+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9da534f5-5944-41ff-96ec-f098fc7152b2_61151667383.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"one-mug-to-rule-them-all","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/one-mug-to-rule-them-all","title":"One mug to rule them all","summary":"I think I would buy one of these if it existed as cool as it does in my mind.","published":"2013-09-12T23:31:29+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/074948f8-fba2-4ee8-ba23-01e460b4870c_61062848672.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["products","ideas"]},{"uid":"be-spontaneous","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/be-spontaneous","title":"Second rule of improv: Be spontaneous","summary":"I was never one who liked making mistakes. So when I first did some improvisation my natural inclination was to stockpile good ideas and use them when it was my turn. I just had to be one step ahead…","published":"2013-09-11T23:32:05+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:17:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2faaad1c-0135-4846-925d-978e1f62cfa1_60973882933.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The second rule of improv: be spontaneous"},"categories":["improvisation","design"]},{"uid":"accept-offers","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/accept-offers","title":"Accept offers","summary":"The first rule of improvisation: Accept offers. The general principle of accepting offers is amazing for design, teamwork, getting on with other people and generally being a nice person. Children are…","published":"2013-09-10T23:31:24+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:18:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5f35392c-fa9f-42e5-963f-c0d1f08a7acf_60883386143.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The first rule of improv: Accept offers"},"categories":["improvisation","play","design"]},{"uid":"peel-a-post-it","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/peel-a-post-it","title":"Peel a Post-it so it doesn’t fall down","summary":"How to peel a Post-it™ so it doesn’t fall down: pull flat and straight. This is helpful if a) you use Post-Its™ a lot, and b) you need them to stay up and don’t want them raining to the ground.…","published":"2013-09-09T23:31:47+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0c8d422c-d6a3-45e2-856a-8992363fea0f_60793113737.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"How to peel a post-it so it doesn't fall down. Don't peel from the corner. Do pull flat and straight, so it doesn't fall down. For the classic Post-It or sticky note."},"categories":["lifehack","productivity"]},{"uid":"the-long-nose-of-innovation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-long-nose-of-innovation","title":"The Long Nose of Innovation","summary":"Bill Buxton’s Long Nose of Innovation model suggests that for any “wow” moment of new technology—using the mouse on a personal computer, touchscreens, haptics or self-driving cars—there has typically…","published":"2013-09-08T23:31:25+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ZuquM7VsGrYSvg_h_SP149-Thelongnoseofinnovation-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The long nose of innovation explained showing the long period of refinement and augmentation before a wow moment of technology. The long nose of innovation theory is from Bill Buxton"},"categories":["technology","framework","theory","charts","innovation","invention","ai"]},{"uid":"shop-healthy","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/shop-healthy","title":"Shop healthy","summary":"Among many other sensible suggestions, Michael Pollan recommends avoiding the centre supermarket aisles. It’ll generally keep you on the fresh stuff. Sketchplanation hat tip to Ben Merrick.","published":"2013-09-07T23:31:43+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6d949759-6060-4670-929a-1c6f1d027678_60588238860.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","lifehack"]},{"uid":"take-photos-of-maps","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/take-photos-of-maps","title":"Take photos of maps, to travel light and have backup before a hike","summary":"Handy. Also works for walking instructions from books so you don’t have to carry the book.","published":"2013-09-06T23:31:33+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:42:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/43a3a3e1-9f54-481f-8df8-878f028fee0d_60489467068.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["hiking","photography","lifehack"]},{"uid":"set-up-for-pool","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/set-up-for-pool","title":"Set up for pool","summary":"These are the two things I always look out for when setting up for pool, the line and the C. The rest falls into place.","published":"2013-09-05T23:31:31+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:35:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6c014eb3-79c4-416b-b640-7c0dbbdf79a9_60400256710.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Set up for pool"},"categories":["games","sport"]},{"uid":"knowledge-funnel","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/knowledge-funnel","title":"The knowledge funnel","summary":"From Roger Martin's The Design of Business. With a little reflection the funnel is pretty trivial. But I do think it’s a useful way to think about things. At what stage is your business? Still…","published":"2013-09-04T23:31:37+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:20:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/32457931-56d8-4349-9049-1730a9ef5324_60308893361.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C480%2C406&w=1200&h=406","alt":""},"categories":["business","framework","books","knowledge"]},{"uid":"compose","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/compose","title":"Want to compose? Just sit down without any music","summary":"Having played the piano most of my life I only started composing when I started spontaneously dropping by the music practice rooms at UC Berkeley in the middle of the day. Without any music I was…","published":"2013-09-03T23:31:05+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T14:31:23+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7ce7683f-5072-4725-81c9-e2972dc452ef_60218052501.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Sitting at the piano without any music is a great way to get started composing"},"categories":["music","creativity","innovation","motivation","starting","podcast"]},{"uid":"stand-dont-sit-in-bars-if-youre-there-with-a-big-group","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/stand-dont-sit-in-bars-if-youre-there-with-a-big-group","title":"Stand, don’t sit, in bars, if you’re there with a big group","summary":"Next time you arrive at a bar in a big group, resist the urge to go find a seat straight away.","published":"2013-09-02T23:31:40+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:44:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/70234c6c-0110-43ee-9747-76ad58b7c93a_60124888226.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["observation","social-engineering"]},{"uid":"the-third-place","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-third-place","title":"The Third Place","summary":"I know about Third Places thanks to Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam, and Mr Schultz was serious about it when starting Starbucks. Believe the original concept is from Ray Oldenburg.","published":"2013-09-01T23:31:21+0000","updated":"2021-02-22T16:12:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c9fcd11b-48e3-40c4-82b9-05f7ba0caf96_60021366738.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework","reframe"]},{"uid":"palindromes-and-semordnilap","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/palindromes-and-semordnilap","title":"Palindromes and Semordnilap","summary":"Palindromes are words or phrases that end as they start. A semordnilap, 'palindromes' written backwards, means an entire word that reads as a different word when read backwards. Palindrome examples…","published":"2013-08-31T23:32:07+0000","updated":"2026-01-12T11:08:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7e8f1e86-5ea4-4dca-b4cd-363fb615c725_59911204548.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Palindromes and Semordnilap examples"},"categories":["words"]},{"uid":"omit-unnecessary-words","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/omit-unnecessary-words","title":"Omit unnecessary words","summary":"Two and a half words of wisdom from Steve Krug. Still worth reading Don’t Make Me Think.","published":"2013-08-29T23:31:27+0000","updated":"2021-06-17T16:10:24+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/76f8428f-6dd1-4581-843a-37bdfe9cb76f_59721223670.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","ux","words","usability","writing"]},{"uid":"use-styling-instead-of-colons","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/use-styling-instead-of-colons","title":"Use styling instead of colons","summary":"Except in a sentence. Generally, I think this is helpful. Simpler, cleaner, and still clear. If it’s not clear, or if you’re writing a book or an article, keep the colon.","published":"2013-08-28T23:31:36+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:33:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bd83b7f2-2bb8-4f2b-a3ff-604b7d1b7011_59627586762.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","typography","grammar","words"]},{"uid":"more-is-different","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/more-is-different","title":"More is different","summary":"I love this quote from PW Anderson. More often seems like it should be more of the same, but more is different. It would be good if more people considered this.","published":"2013-08-27T23:31:50+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:48:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/29fc1a9c-82d0-4a80-898a-5d05bf59af10_59534278977.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["quote","science","business"]},{"uid":"isas-are-like-buckets","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/isas-are-like-buckets","title":"ISAs are like buckets","summary":"One more crack at making ISAs clearer.","published":"2013-08-26T23:31:46+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a739c803-6f20-4272-84fc-5fef4017a6b5_59436802891.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["money","metaphor"]},{"uid":"the-middle-floors-are-the-best","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-middle-floors-are-the-best","title":"The middle floors are the best","summary":"My experience is that the middle floors in an apartment building are the best (except for the roof deck). On the high floors, you are disconnected from the world—people below are teeny, tiny ants as…","published":"2013-08-25T23:32:07+0000","updated":"2024-02-19T11:59:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/109dedf1-43c9-4344-b522-72fc0c3972e9_59344546590.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"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"},"categories":["observation"]},{"uid":"fold-shirts-for-better-travel","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fold-shirts-for-better-travel","title":"Fold shirts for better travel","summary":"Smarter, compact and less creased. I learned from Rob Bell.","published":"2013-08-24T23:31:36+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:49:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cd3d05a2-ce45-45ff-b49a-f7851bd5f6d6_59239855714.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack"]},{"uid":"spend-better","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/spend-better","title":"Spend better","summary":"Three principles for spending your money to make you happier from the excellent titled paper \"If money doesn’t make you happy then you probably aren’t spending it right.\" Buy experiences instead of…","published":"2013-08-23T23:31:27+0000","updated":"2024-10-03T10:41:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/fea2e3d2-87b5-422b-b94e-7d589677ea9b_59144723356.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"If money doesn't make you happy then you probably aren't spending it right. Tips to spend better from Dunn, Gilbert, Wilson, 2011"},"categories":["research","advice","money","happiness","psychology","wellbeing"]},{"uid":"urinal-etiquette","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/urinal-etiquette","title":"Urinal etiquette","summary":"I remember seeing this in some chain email nearly 15 years ago. Still relevant to this day.","published":"2013-08-22T23:31:28+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:51:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6fa126f0-046b-41ef-b02e-a32fd267be91_59051528932.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["observation"]},{"uid":"be-a-type-geek","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/be-a-type-geek","title":"Be a type geek","summary":"Regail/bore people with the subtleties of leading, tracking and kerning.","published":"2013-08-21T23:31:23+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:51:43+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1bcf7797-572c-4e8c-be01-8f0fc70d6b33_58957010153.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","drawing","typography"]},{"uid":"drink-porn-fizz","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/drink-porn-fizz","title":"Drink porn fizz","summary":"Disclaimer: I have not actually drunk this, nor do I recommend anyone to try it, but when I heard about it I thought it sounded pretty fun. Apologies if this hit any spam filters.","published":"2013-08-20T23:31:30+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9ce7792f-db74-4d2e-a9f4-5813ea80ee6f_58828188395.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"trust-your-picture","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/trust-your-picture","title":"Trust your picture","summary":"Most people I meet think I can draw. But they also don’t know how many times in my life I’ve screwed up a drawing and it didn’t come out like I wanted it to. I really believe that almost anyone can…","published":"2013-08-19T23:31:38+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:52:37+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/837ee4fa-995c-46bf-a2d3-c714d0789987_58737374662.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["drawing"]},{"uid":"how-to-be-a-spoil-sport","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-to-be-a-spoil-sport","title":"How to be a spoil sport","summary":"The real spoil sports are those who remind you that you’re in a game at all.","published":"2013-08-18T23:31:47+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:35:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5fbe5af0-ece3-477f-a70b-c0306fd840ce_58645970453.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"How to be a spoil sport"},"categories":["games","sport"]},{"uid":"alternate-ibuprofen-and-paracetamol","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/alternate-ibuprofen-and-paracetamol","title":"Alternate ibuprofen and paracetamol","summary":"Seriously, I am not qualified to give medical advice. This is not a recommendation. Seek advice from your doctor. We have been told this from ours several times.","published":"2013-08-17T23:31:23+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:38+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/be684c01-1a17-48a0-8206-33161cf97fe9_58547323995.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["health"]},{"uid":"make-a-portemanteau","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-a-portemanteau","title":"Make a portemanteau","summary":"Portemanteau: the delightful word for taking two words, and smushing them together to create a new one. Also see, food portmanteau","published":"2013-08-16T23:31:36+0000","updated":"2023-03-07T20:47:41+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b72313cf-b16c-4341-9f0b-58fe46cd037c_58459114831.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"How to make a portemanteau - by smashing words together inluding Oxbridge, brunch, and sketchplanations"},"categories":["words"]},{"uid":"phd-metaphors-a-journey-product-and-quilt","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/phd-metaphors-a-journey-product-and-quilt","title":"PhD metaphors: a journey, product and quilt","summary":"Quilt metaphor from Scott Carter.","published":"2013-08-15T23:31:46+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:54:37+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bad9e3c2-73c7-491a-86f8-dc34d2be4d54_58370500382.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["research","metaphor","words"]},{"uid":"marshal-frozen-peas-and-such","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/marshal-frozen-peas-and-such","title":"Marshal frozen peas and such","summary":"Don’t let the frozen peas escape until you want them to.","published":"2013-08-14T23:31:42+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/558d2974-7fe9-42d0-acdf-2fcc1319a545_58281487505.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","lifehack"]},{"uid":"give-good-feedback","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/give-good-feedback","title":"Give good feedback","summary":"Most of what I learned about feedback I learned at Jump Associates and from Sarah Singer Nourie","published":"2013-08-13T23:31:35+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:55:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7a3b6c90-6318-4811-a435-67c8a06b3ccb_58190859564.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["feedback"]},{"uid":"create-a-sketchplanation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/create-a-sketchplanation","title":"Create a sketchplanation","summary":"By now I have learned a thing or two. Massive thanks for following along.","published":"2013-08-12T23:31:34+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:27+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/540d15e9-afcb-4aef-8417-b5b1b0c4bbb5_58098904494.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1896%2C3222&w=1200&h=3222","alt":""},"categories":["drawing"]},{"uid":"anatomy-of-a-wave","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/anatomy-of-a-wave","title":"Anatomy of a wave","summary":"The anatomy of a wave showing the key features of a wave: the crest, amplitude, trough, wavelength and when and how it starts to break on a beach. Common in experience. Less commonly understood. With…","published":"2013-08-11T23:32:04+0000","updated":"2023-12-05T17:10:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7278ae3d-e5ff-4d7b-b3f6-5be55583b16c_58006116064.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Anatomy of a wave illustration showing the key features of crest, amplitude, trough, wavelength and when it starts to break on a beach"},"categories":["physics","science","waves","anatomy","beach"]},{"uid":"microwaves","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/microwaves","title":"On microwaves","summary":"Every time I stop and think about a microwave I am reminded of Arthur C Clarke’s 3rd law of prediction: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Right up there with…","published":"2013-08-10T23:50:54+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:53+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/67a62d51-c718-4e8d-b22b-f232ecc9db5e_57918663721.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1942%2C3294&w=1200&h=3294","alt":""},"categories":["technology","science","physics","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"remove-text-formatting","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/remove-text-formatting","title":"Remove text formatting","summary":"OK, so this seems like the most complex yet, but I find myself doing this small and rapid series of key strokes many times a day and it saves a whole lot of fiddling. Update: Several people have…","published":"2013-08-09T23:31:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bbdabedc-1e24-467f-86e1-5bc531447e4f_57831342706.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1912%2C3237&w=1200&h=3237","alt":""},"categories":["software-development","tech","productivity"]},{"uid":"draw-iconic-objects","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/draw-iconic-objects","title":"Draw iconic objects","summary":"The key is endarkening edges where you can’t see both sides. And maybe a little more on the bottom for solidity. That’s about it.","published":"2013-08-08T23:31:48+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:58:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/24ae7046-b2e5-43e3-bacd-122f55950d08_57742562050.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["drawing"]},{"uid":"cook-rice-like-a-pro","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cook-rice-like-a-pro","title":"Cook rice like a pro","summary":"Or, buy a rice cooker. You won’t regret it. But still no peeking.","published":"2013-08-07T23:31:24+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e6e7c5a0-f9d9-424f-aa1e-cb0d8e37e410_57652388913.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1915%2C3247&w=1200&h=3247","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"two-socks-helps-prevent-blisters","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/two-socks-helps-prevent-blisters","title":"Two socks helps prevent blisters","summary":"By moving the rubbing from sock-to-foot, to sock-to-sock.","published":"2013-08-06T23:31:30+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:45:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/323524f3-24ab-46dd-9e1d-e93c2befb3eb_57560352261.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Two socks helps prevent blisters"},"categories":["walking","lifehack","sport","exercise","health","hiking"]},{"uid":"adjust-a-photos-levels-to-maximise-your-data","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/adjust-a-photos-levels-to-maximise-your-data","title":"Adjust a photo’s levels to maximise your data","summary":"Not enough people understand those tricky level diagrams. Generally, move the white and black points to the edge of the data to get the most range out of the data in your photo.","published":"2013-08-05T23:31:52+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T01:59:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/150cc565-5e4e-4e2a-9c93-649276251dfd_57467574687.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["photography","tech"]},{"uid":"run-further-by-running-far-away","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/run-further-by-running-far-away","title":"Run further by running far away","summary":"If you stay close it’s just too tempting to cut it short. Give yourself no choice while you still feel good.","published":"2013-08-04T23:31:16+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:50:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a393afbb-0b75-4c41-97b0-94085b7127e5_57374977639.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Run further by running far away"},"categories":["running","exercise","sport"]},{"uid":"incredibly-we-only-ever-see-one-side-of-the-moon","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/incredibly-we-only-ever-see-one-side-of-the-moon","title":"Incredibly, we only ever see one side of the moon","summary":"It shuffles a little, but you’ll notice you can always see the face. The mathematics of it are quite hard to fathom.","published":"2013-08-03T23:31:37+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:01:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0c1a3a3f-c4df-494e-b29c-a1cfd9019f8d_57283781342.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["physics","science","astronomy","moon"]},{"uid":"iron-less","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/iron-less","title":"Iron less","summary":"It helps the environment and saves a great deal of hassle. Buy more easy-care, non-iron, quick-drying fabrics.","published":"2013-08-02T23:31:50+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:01:44+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4afde062-2109-4716-a23d-f9b94318b784_57196302200.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack"]},{"uid":"what-gets-measured-gets-better","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/what-gets-measured-gets-better","title":"What gets measured gets better","summary":"In both a “great! we’re improving kind of way,” and also a “teaching to the test” kind of way. From Richard Hamming’s, The Art of Doing Science and Engineering.","published":"2013-08-01T23:31:23+0000","updated":"2020-11-22T12:56:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/02302883-4bd3-4ad0-bede-090796cb719b_57105114072.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["quote","wisdom","metrics","measurement","education","analytics","data"]},{"uid":"enough-molehills-make-a-mountain","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/enough-molehills-make-a-mountain","title":"Enough molehills make a mountain","summary":"\"Enough molehills make a mountain,\" —Seth Godin In both good and bad ways: A few minutes of writing each day or a sketch can end up as a book (like Big Ideas Little Pictures) One piece of litter from…","published":"2013-07-31T23:31:38+0000","updated":"2024-12-04T11:19:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3cb8d2ff-e98f-4984-ac58-3c0e84cc1c21_57012366998.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Enough molehillls make a mountain quote from Seth Godin, showing how a book can be made up from a little writing or sketch a day, or a trash heap is made from small pieces of litter."},"categories":["quote","productivity","motivation","starting","habits"]},{"uid":"draw-a-grey-nurse-shark","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/draw-a-grey-nurse-shark","title":"Draw a grey nurse shark","summary":"","published":"2013-07-30T23:31:36+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bf8ecb4b-c4ab-442c-bb25-b5737d3c966e_56918156887.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1745%2C1484&w=1200&h=1484","alt":""},"categories":["drawing","animals","biology"]},{"uid":"buy-half-price-stilton-after-christmas","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/buy-half-price-stilton-after-christmas","title":"Buy half-price stilton after Christmas","summary":"It freezes a charm.","published":"2013-07-29T23:31:38+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/27e11345-d620-491c-ba04-508f9b796dde_56824389134.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"rotate-your-elbow-not-your-hand","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/rotate-your-elbow-not-your-hand","title":"Rotate your elbow, not your hand","summary":"Couple of tips for front-crawl drills: twist your torso on each stroke, raise your elbow high and tight to the body, brush your ear with your hand as it passes.","published":"2013-07-28T23:31:27+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:46:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/26712884-7e8e-4b55-a752-aa68a6440cfd_56730740114.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Rotate your elbow not your hand when swimming"},"categories":["swimming","sport"]},{"uid":"on-bright-days-use-a-polarizer","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/on-bright-days-use-a-polarizer","title":"On bright days, use a polarizer","summary":"It deepens skies and allows you to manage reflection.","published":"2013-07-27T23:31:30+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:04:50+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4d228914-f339-423f-b83c-8195bde43f43_56641810633.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["photography"]},{"uid":"tiredness-can-kill-take-a-break","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/tiredness-can-kill-take-a-break","title":"Tiredness can kill. Take a break","summary":"Tiredness can kill. Take a break. Fatigue causes road accidents. My technique, for when you really have to get somewhere and are starting to feel tired: Pull over, neck coffee, 15 min shut-eye,…","published":"2013-07-25T23:31:39+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7ce99c06-6cc0-4543-8b8c-aef425bdd6a1_56465894758.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is a nappuccino example and tiredness can kill: Pull over, neck coffee, get 15 min shuteye for the caffeine to work then cruise on"},"categories":["coffee","food-and-drink","sleep","travel","podcast"]},{"uid":"hofstadters-law","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hofstadters-law","title":"Hofstadter’s Law","summary":"Hofstadter's Law is “It always takes longer than you expect, even when you account for Hofstadter’s Law.” Hofstadter's Law is one of my favourites, and I share it time and time again. We are bad at…","published":"2013-07-24T23:31:49+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/98fdf9fa-c600-457d-bcf7-be0ed55616b4_56373650298.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"What is Hofstadter's Law quote explanation: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you account for Hofstadter’s Law.”"},"categories":["quote","planning","law","management","product-management","software-development","eponym","kindness"]},{"uid":"get-to-know-your-tech","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/get-to-know-your-tech","title":"Get to know your tech","summary":"to avoid mishaps","published":"2013-07-23T23:31:42+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:27+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7ab87c07-ac95-4415-8382-eef0b0ac1176_56281244363.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["tech","leadership"]},{"uid":"the-angle-of-incidence-equals-the-angle-of-reflection","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-angle-of-incidence-equals-the-angle-of-reflection","title":"the Angle of Incidence equals the Angle of Reflection","summary":"","published":"2013-07-22T23:31:31+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b255335c-b56f-47d3-8dc2-d069c1dc4015_56187718569.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["physics","science","mathematics","refresher"]},{"uid":"a-flat-surface-has-unused-potential","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/a-flat-surface-has-unused-potential","title":"A flat surface has unused potential","summary":"Not so easy to get your head around as we’re used to thinking that most things are they way they are because someone chose it for a reason. But it turns out that increasingly we see products that…","published":"2013-07-21T23:31:46+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/78f16419-3c26-4328-a875-c4e483d1dbd2_56093523635.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["triz","design","creativity","ideas"]},{"uid":"arrange-kitchen-storage-to-minimise-excess-travel","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/arrange-kitchen-storage-to-minimise-excess-travel","title":"Arrange kitchen storage to minimise excess travel","summary":"","published":"2013-07-20T23:31:26+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:08:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6a2305a1-a5cb-4c33-9423-947da256bc0d_55997668209.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack","productivity"]},{"uid":"a-good-teacher-is-a-dj-for-learning","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/a-good-teacher-is-a-dj-for-learning","title":"A good teacher is a DJ for learning","summary":"They: Sift what matters from everything else Create the right mix for the occasion Lead and respond to the audience","published":"2013-07-19T23:31:27+0000","updated":"2022-06-29T14:13:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5bc75c4b-4e9e-4bca-a336-3698bd2b63ca_55911029981.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["metaphor","learning"]},{"uid":"its-not-so-much-the-weather-itself-its-the-unpredictability","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/its-not-so-much-the-weather-itself-its-the-unpredictability","title":"It’s not so much the weather itself, it’s the unpredictability","summary":"California weather = predictable. British weather = unpredictable.","published":"2013-07-18T23:31:40+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:09:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/75cf2010-2b0a-4fbc-ae00-b60acfce6ac3_55820344732.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["weather","observation","planning"]},{"uid":"be-fanatical-about-refuelling-after-exercise","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/be-fanatical-about-refuelling-after-exercise","title":"Be fanatical about refuelling after exercise","summary":"Adopted from Brain Training for Runners.","published":"2013-07-17T23:31:47+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:47:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2624868a-fdb2-4e67-92fa-77fbc292d241_55730847893.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Be fanatical about refuelling after exercise"},"categories":["exercise","food-and-drink","sport"]},{"uid":"cycle-with-hats-not-hoods","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cycle-with-hats-not-hoods","title":"Cycle with hats not hoods","summary":"","published":"2013-07-16T23:31:29+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:48:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3aefeb1c-0050-4b11-b40e-35ec78391c66_55641703652.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Cycle with hats not hoods"},"categories":["sport","cycling"]},{"uid":"dont-let-your-thinking-be-limited-by-your-tools","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dont-let-your-thinking-be-limited-by-your-tools","title":"Don’t let your thinking be limited by your tools","summary":"Something I try to keep in mind whenever I set to thinking and run out of space. As much as possible, find tools that don’t limit your thinking.","published":"2013-07-15T23:31:26+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:11:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5a1d10d3-edb0-4c9c-8e53-7a96131749c7_55552068797.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["productivity","thinking","design","creativity"]},{"uid":"get-satisfaction-and-a-clear-record-of-past-to-dos-with-checkboxes","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/get-satisfaction-and-a-clear-record-of-past-to-dos-with-checkboxes","title":"Get satisfaction and a clear record of past to-dos with checkboxes","summary":"","published":"2013-07-14T23:31:24+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:12:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7bad1aa8-01d7-4ff9-8932-5dcc3a9c7434_55461929837.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["productivity"]},{"uid":"cutting-cubes-out-of-fog","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cutting-cubes-out-of-fog","title":"Building a good framework is like cutting cubes out of fog — Larry Keeley","summary":"I first heard of this from Dev Patnaik.","published":"2013-07-13T23:31:36+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:12:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c5ed4a74-320e-422d-82ea-0af9f792b63a_55376219344.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["quote","design","framework"]},{"uid":"better-to-be-interested-than-try-to-be-interesting","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/better-to-be-interested-than-try-to-be-interesting","title":"Better to be interested than try to be interesting","summary":"Advice indirectly from Nigella Lawson in her husband Charles Saatchi’s book. Also, a pretty direct reading from How to Win Friends and Influence People.","published":"2013-07-12T23:31:26+0000","updated":"2023-12-05T16:36:02+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/16b4fe6a-e73e-4211-bf6e-472bc9cad0d3_55295609664.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"It's better to be interested than try to be interesting — advice from Nigella Lawson"},"categories":["wisdom","advice","research","quote"]},{"uid":"dont-push-your-socks-on-pull-them-on-instead","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dont-push-your-socks-on-pull-them-on-instead","title":"Don’t push your socks on. Pull them on instead","summary":"Seems obvious, but our one-year-old has just been learning it.","published":"2013-07-11T23:31:42+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:13:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0ba5d732-a808-43ef-8c7b-05e39c1ba91e_55211060301.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["parenting"]},{"uid":"prefer-open-ended-questions","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/prefer-open-ended-questions","title":"Prefer open-ended questions","summary":"Great practice for research. Good practice for life too. Also see: Don't fill the silence","published":"2013-07-10T23:31:38+0000","updated":"2023-03-07T17:00:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ba400f80-d469-4399-be67-86f173c48caa_55124376007.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Someone gets a much better response by asking 'How was your day?' instead of 'Good day?'"},"categories":["research","words","lifehack","questions","relationships","learning"]},{"uid":"try-stair-kickturns-to-preserve-momentum","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/try-stair-kickturns-to-preserve-momentum","title":"Try stair kickturns to preserve momentum","summary":"The same principle as the swimming tumble turn — works nicely on stairs too.","published":"2013-07-09T23:31:45+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:14:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/74a515f1-560c-49b2-b8b0-d5dac7517461_55038415295.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack"]},{"uid":"everyones-a-geek-about-something","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/everyones-a-geek-about-something","title":"Everyone’s a geek about something","summary":"Of all my sketches, I have a soft spot for this one. We had some lovely family friends who were massively into birding. As a schoolboy, I was more interested in birds than most, but one day, my Dad…","published":"2013-07-08T23:31:30+0000","updated":"2025-03-21T14:50:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/Z9q0XziBA97GipYy_SP087-Everyone%E2%80%99sageekaboutsomething-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Everyone’s a geek about something sketch featuring people enjoying activities like birdwatching, gaming, football, ballet, reading, and hiking."},"categories":["observation","advice","wellbeing","happiness"]},{"uid":"a-portfolio-can-reduce-your-overall-risk","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/a-portfolio-can-reduce-your-overall-risk","title":"A portfolio can reduce your overall risk","summary":"Extending my building block metaphor into Tetris.","published":"2013-07-07T23:31:33+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9bb9bb81-ddea-4ad6-b13f-727287a50a46_54866709632.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["money","metaphor"]},{"uid":"investments-are-like-building-blocks","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/investments-are-like-building-blocks","title":"Investments are like building blocks","summary":"Individual investments, assembled together, make a portfolio, that is greater than the sum of it’s parts.","published":"2013-07-06T23:31:11+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:20+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/128ccd41-76ae-4df3-ae5e-c940334e6852_54785972345.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["money","metaphor"]},{"uid":"dont-hold-grudges","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dont-hold-grudges","title":"Don’t hold grudges","summary":"It's a wonderful thing how at bedtime one day can be a disaster with a child and you can be the person they least like in the world and the next day, without fail, all is forgotten and you can be…","published":"2013-07-05T23:31:32+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aa4e54f9-eaad-48f4-b75a-2843f81f3f9f_54707865219.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["kindness","parenting","advice"]},{"uid":"live-in-the-present","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/live-in-the-present","title":"Live in the present","summary":"Young children have this wonderful and at times incredibly frustrating ability to completely ignore the past, even moments ago, and pay no heed whatsoever to the future. They're a fabulous lesson in…","published":"2013-07-04T23:31:17+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:39+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ec028ffb-19a4-4629-8469-98ffc29a731c_54631842632.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["parenting","mindfulness","wellbeing","advice"]},{"uid":"read-music","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/read-music","title":"Read music","summary":"It really is another language. One well worth learning.","published":"2013-07-03T23:31:28+0000","updated":"2024-12-04T10:38:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a4a583de-95a4-424b-888f-e7880600b89f_54549736003.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"FACE and Every Good Boy Deserves Football as a way to remember the notes on the staves of music"},"categories":["music","mnemonic"]},{"uid":"twist-your-spaghetti","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/twist-your-spaghetti","title":"Twist your spaghetti","summary":"Get it right and it will fall evenly in the pan and slowly twist it’s way into the water on its own.","published":"2013-07-02T23:36:02+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bd0ce6ff-8bc9-446d-adfb-54a0129efc6c_54467621699.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"compliment-and-complement","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/compliment-and-complement","title":"Compliment and Complement","summary":"Compliment and complement are as easily mixed up as stationary and stationery. But less so than affect and effect.","published":"2013-07-01T23:31:15+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/87c9957a-3162-4f64-a1a7-3aebff2cc9ca_54381783929.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The difference between compliment and complement explained with someone complimenting a shirt and a wine complementing a cheese"},"categories":["words","food-and-drink","writing","podcast"]},{"uid":"use-both-sides-of-a-towel","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/use-both-sides-of-a-towel","title":"Use both sides of a towel","summary":"Use both sides of a towel, one side to dry yourself and the other side to wrap yourself in after.","published":"2013-06-30T23:31:35+0000","updated":"2023-12-05T17:46:06+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/b30253fc-2cb7-4043-8177-975a068a0347_54296342421.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Use both sides of a towel: one to dry yourself and the other side to wrap yourself"},"categories":["lifehack"]},{"uid":"kano-model","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/kano-model","title":"Learn the Kano model","summary":"I regularly find the Kano model a useful way to think about design. Kano highlights 3 different types of benefits your product can provide: Threshold These support the minimum requirements of the…","published":"2013-06-29T23:31:28+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:09:45+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/dd9b3cc1-34dc-4939-9bfe-483d2d702f28_54214791081.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework","design","product-management","eponym","strategy"]},{"uid":"adjust-your-daily-caffeine-intake","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/adjust-your-daily-caffeine-intake","title":"Adjust your daily caffeine intake","summary":"I regularly make half-caf coffee. I think there’s a gap in the market. Why is coffee so binary?","published":"2013-06-29T12:17:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/7ce9578f-1a93-46f5-94b7-68ce9f5486e7_54175650554.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","coffee","charts"]},{"uid":"control-a-cue-ball","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/control-a-cue-ball","title":"Control a cue ball","summary":"","published":"2013-06-29T12:16:07+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:21:05+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c50dad17-e2bd-41ed-864b-7293cb11fe4c_54175606234.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["games"]},{"uid":"childhood-is-not-a-race","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/childhood-is-not-a-race","title":"Childhood is not a race","summary":"4 Insights from Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn. Childhood is not a race. Punishments and rewards are 2 sides of the same coin — and both are unproductive. Love is not a scarce commodity that…","published":"2013-06-28T10:00:28+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e7848235-db45-41a3-ab42-6142454be3f5_54045943957.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["parenting","education","love","reframe"]},{"uid":"solve-the-9-dot-problem","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/solve-the-9-dot-problem","title":"Solve the 9-dot problem","summary":"Seth Godin did a recent post about the 9-dot problem that explains more about it, albeit not in as interesting a way.","published":"2013-02-20T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:22:15+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8627d6af-a2e2-4853-804d-e11077b4de64_53963553882.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["creativity","design"]},{"uid":"cut-an-onion-into-teeny-pieces","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cut-an-onion-into-teeny-pieces","title":"Cut an onion into teeny pieces","summary":"Various informants have since told me that cutting horizontally first helps keep it together better as you’re cutting, and that cutting this way first helps keep the tears away longer. I’d probably…","published":"2013-02-19T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/14044fb7-c278-4c24-9406-7ce13da1ceec_53955067424.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"cook-delicious-yummy-thai-curry","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cook-delicious-yummy-thai-curry","title":"Cook delicious, yummy, Thai curry","summary":"For something so delicious Thai curries are really remarkably fast and easy to cook yourself. Try it.","published":"2013-02-18T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/33f350b9-34f4-409f-82ed-94fa428b6005_53954911975.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"post-process-a-portrait","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/post-process-a-portrait","title":"Post-process a portrait","summary":"Thanks to one of the best photographers I know, Summit 42, for sharing the power of Adobe Lightroom with me. There really is a lot you can do to make people look better in photographs.","published":"2013-02-17T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:23:34+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/eaee0dff-cd39-47b5-b2eb-4d432bc744fa_53954788097.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["photography"]},{"uid":"enjoy-your-hotel-room-more","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/enjoy-your-hotel-room-more","title":"Enjoy your hotel room more","summary":"Enjoy your hotel room more by making the most of it: Bounce on the bed Take a long bath Walk around naked","published":"2013-02-16T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2023-12-05T17:44:23+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/e8efbb8a-0c9a-4d38-a137-829471c28231_53788634783.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Enjoy your hotel room more: bounce on the bed, take a long bath, walk around naked"},"categories":["travel","happiness","advice","lifehack"]},{"uid":"your-isa-allowance-is-one-way","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/your-isa-allowance-is-one-way","title":"Your ISA allowance is one-way","summary":"","published":"2013-02-15T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6bfc4314-670a-4c57-bdb8-878c7912ca74_53697285734.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["money"]},{"uid":"reframe-your-deposit","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/reframe-your-deposit","title":"Reframe your deposit","summary":"Think of a deposit as a creativity tax and get stuck in. Thanks to Bryan Kennedy.","published":"2013-02-15T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:24:17+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/64506c3c-36d4-413c-9426-29916ee86028_53697451368.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["reframe"]},{"uid":"isas-are-like-wrappers","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/isas-are-like-wrappers","title":"ISAs are like wrappers","summary":"","published":"2013-02-14T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:55:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8f37c8fd-593c-4802-9692-e280c0317c3f_53697236928.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1956%2C3205&w=1200&h=3205","alt":""},"categories":["money"]},{"uid":"pound-cost-averaging","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pound-cost-averaging","title":"Pound cost averaging","summary":"Rather than putting all your money into the market at once, by feeding your money in by installments you can reduce your overall risk, as the impact of big market movements is lessened.","published":"2013-02-13T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T14:54:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/82f04b90-9746-4a93-9055-f528a98dcb63_53468480318.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1987%2C3246&w=1200&h=3246","alt":""},"categories":["money"]},{"uid":"make-vietnamese-coffee","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-vietnamese-coffee","title":"Make Vietnamese coffee","summary":"This stuff is like crack.","published":"2013-02-12T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/85db8aaa-6b53-4e34-9085-a112d54b23bc_53391712115.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","coffee"]},{"uid":"do-a-2x2","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/do-a-2x2","title":"Do a 2x2","summary":"Make sure your axes show two ends of a scale (or you’ll run into trouble) Think what each quadrant represents Try and name the corners","published":"2013-02-11T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/abc2044a-3041-4dad-b8e7-e3a58404a484_53390837064.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1965%2C3213&w=1200&h=3213","alt":""},"categories":["design","framework"]},{"uid":"some-sensible-interaction-design","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/some-sensible-interaction-design","title":"Some sensible interaction design","summary":"Some sensible interaction design principles: Remove or disable submit buttons on clicking to avoid double submissions On transitions should be fast (to feel zippy). Out transitions can be slow Keep…","published":"2013-02-10T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-08-08T14:14:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8575ea74-cf55-4da7-9530-93076f29d709_53390549595.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Some sensible interaction design principles"},"categories":["design","ux"]},{"uid":"use-white-space-with-care-to-make-your-point","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/use-white-space-with-care-to-make-your-point","title":"Use white space with care to make your point","summary":"As with a pause in music.","published":"2013-02-09T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:28:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/712f5203-98e0-4223-8149-ea0a4797766d_53390367485.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","drawing"]},{"uid":"sonar-echolocation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/sonar-echolocation","title":"Sonar + Echolocation","summary":"Echolocation is a remarkable ability to use reflections of a signal to understand your environment. Dolphins, for example, can scan their environment using echolocation to catch food. And ships use…","published":"2013-02-08T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2024-06-07T08:33:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a98f7ebd-796a-453b-867d-e00c282b74ba_53140142668.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Sonar or echolocation explained"},"categories":["science","animals"]},{"uid":"dont-let-other-people-get-you-down","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dont-let-other-people-get-you-down","title":"Don’t let other people get you down","summary":"","published":"2013-02-06T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2020-11-22T16:42:24+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c042b2d9-c825-4c10-88f4-cf284493c40b_53139984983.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["advice","happiness","wellbeing"]},{"uid":"remove-troublesome-lids","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/remove-troublesome-lids","title":"Remove troublesome lids","summary":"My dad often says my mum won’t survive when he’s gone as she won’t be able to open any jars for food. Maybe this’ll help. Warming up jar lids has saved me on multiple occasions. Fourth Try: Put…","published":"2013-02-05T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ae24cd0d-25de-4826-93a5-06db619988a7_53139939356.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack","food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"scan-your-oyster-card-while-walking-to-avoid-angry-londoners","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/scan-your-oyster-card-while-walking-to-avoid-angry-londoners","title":"Scan your Oyster card while walking to avoid angry Londoners","summary":"This handy tip from @inventor_tom. People who halt progress at the barriers are not easily tolerated here it seems.","published":"2013-02-04T21:00:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:06:48+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/82cbcc7f-ce6a-4f1f-82b1-6ec90a658b0a_53139417818.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["london"]},{"uid":"run-better","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/run-better","title":"Run better","summary":"The best stuff I’ve learned from the chapter ‘Pursuing the perfect stride’ in Brain Training for Runners by Matt Fitzgerald and by reading Born to Run.","published":"2013-02-03T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:49:22+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/5873a533-bc30-4ca0-876c-6db39b29803b_53046150556.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Run better"},"categories":["sport","running"]},{"uid":"why-we-sometimes-walk-in-circles","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/why-we-sometimes-walk-in-circles","title":"Why we sometimes walk in circles","summary":"Took me a long time to figure out why we regularly took a different route to and from certain places. I find that it also happens cycling due to avoiding difficult cross-traffic turns.","published":"2013-02-02T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2023-01-22T17:24:25+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a6bae1ad-aeef-40e7-b2a9-1b7649c063a9_53045631184.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["walking","road"]},{"uid":"affinities","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/affinities","title":"Connect with a colleague through affinities","summary":"Learned this lovely process at Jump Associates thanks to Sarah Singer Nourie. Do it, do it!","published":"2013-02-01T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2020-11-02T21:00:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/53ef6108-687e-4f72-b147-b2540e5d30af_53045551911.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["management"]},{"uid":"the-best-writing-is-re-writing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-best-writing-is-re-writing","title":"The best writing is re-writing","summary":"The best writing is re-writing. I learned this from On Writing Well by William Zinsser. It has two pages worth the price of the book alone. They show the same pages that made it into the book with…","published":"2013-01-31T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T13:30:44+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/49a7cd72-f3df-4910-8f12-7ac00718b671_53045409959.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["writing","design","creativity","starting"]},{"uid":"organise-veg-in-the-fridge","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/organise-veg-in-the-fridge","title":"Organise veg in the fridge","summary":"This simple division has made our lives a teeny bit easier.","published":"2013-01-30T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:08:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6bfac9b4-13cf-4acb-a1a3-2ea954f286c0_53045262072.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack"]},{"uid":"affect-effect","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/affect-effect","title":"Affect. Effect","summary":"When should use affect or effect in English? Affect is a verb — you affect someone or something. Effect is a noun. In this sketch, the person is affected (verb) by being pushed into the water with…","published":"2013-01-29T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T15:10:44+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d8f9ff6c-4a5e-4878-b82e-df2cf45501d6_53045200799.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"When to use Affect vs effect: one person affects another by pushing them into the water. The effect is a big splash."},"categories":["words","writing","grammar","podcast"]},{"uid":"be-stubborn-on-vision-be-flexible-on-details","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/be-stubborn-on-vision-be-flexible-on-details","title":"Be stubborn on vision. Be flexible on details","summary":"Quote from Jeff Bezos.","published":"2013-01-28T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2024-12-09T11:33:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/411020f3-40e8-419a-9a9f-c0edd3f7de61_53044867440.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"\"Be stubborn on vision, be flexible on details\" quote from Jeff Bezos"},"categories":["quote","leadership","entrepreneurship"]},{"uid":"smaller-plates-help-you-eat-less","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/smaller-plates-help-you-eat-less","title":"Smaller plates help you eat less","summary":"We’ve been looking for the right size plates for some time.","published":"2013-01-28T01:23:00+0000","updated":"2021-05-16T10:08:55+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/469f019b-fdde-4f6b-91ec-9793922f9a8f_53044789887.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink","lifehack","health"]},{"uid":"turn-carrots-while-cutting","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/turn-carrots-while-cutting","title":"Turn carrots while cutting","summary":"It does help.","published":"2013-01-27T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/6827aab3-9398-48c9-902d-91c710a9efdf_53044752464.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Turn carrots while cutting for swifter, smoother cuts"},"categories":["food-and-drink","lifehack"]},{"uid":"build-a-play-tent","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/build-a-play-tent","title":"Build a play tent","summary":"Blanket + drying rack + torch = fun!","published":"2013-01-26T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:11:10+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2925d362-8f30-4453-9892-2aae715c0724_53044722053.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["games","parenting","play"]},{"uid":"for-the-amour-of-it","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/for-the-amour-of-it","title":"For the amour of it","summary":"It was lovely to learn about the root of the word amateur: those who do something for the love of it. Via Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky, a book that I found enlightening all the way through.","published":"2013-01-25T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-10T15:13:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/43b71703-db9d-45e1-9c6b-1a7bedb9f07c_53044444417.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Amateur vs professional meaning"},"categories":["words","podcast"]},{"uid":"babies-learn-control-from-the-top-down","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/babies-learn-control-from-the-top-down","title":"Babies learn control from the top down","summary":"I learned this simple insight from The Baby Whisperer.","published":"2013-01-24T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3e312463-86d1-4a18-84ac-d065bf096703_53044305680.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["parenting","education","learning"]},{"uid":"dont-stack-letters-vertically-turn-your-words-instead","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dont-stack-letters-vertically-turn-your-words-instead","title":"Don’t stack letters vertically. Turn your words instead","summary":"Next time you see them stacked, it ask yourself if it’s easier to read.","published":"2013-01-23T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:12:56+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a49680cd-a2fb-4053-bd25-87a812773188_53044214317.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["typography","design"]},{"uid":"on-productivity-and-temperature","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/on-productivity-and-temperature","title":"On productivity and temperature","summary":"I have never run the numbers though.","published":"2013-01-22T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/47645586-27f8-4485-8cf6-b12880c24891_53044138869.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework","charts"]},{"uid":"hit-the-product-sweet-spot","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/hit-the-product-sweet-spot","title":"Hit the product sweet spot","summary":"Various versions of this basic framework exist. IDEO use the terms desirable, viable and feasible. Jump Associates blend the three together for hybrid thinkers - part humanist, part technologist and…","published":"2013-01-21T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:13:58+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/a7a26178-2477-443b-afa0-b7c0e96b61c1_53044055016.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework","design"]},{"uid":"play-your-own-scattergories","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/play-your-own-scattergories","title":"Play your own Scattergories","summary":"Requires little equipment and is generally more fun and involving than the real thing.","published":"2013-01-20T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:33+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cccba2d3-cb41-43fc-b7d0-bcbbd1eee3fa_53043721829.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Play your own Scattegories"},"categories":["games","travel","lifehack"]},{"uid":"draw-a-chain","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/draw-a-chain","title":"Draw a chain","summary":"I figured this out while trying to draw one. The epiphany was noticing that the s-line in the centre is uninterrupted but part of two chain links. Neat.","published":"2013-01-19T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:14:47+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/367d1c06-0271-465e-b6d9-211bd8360237_53043663242.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["drawing"]},{"uid":"shut-one-eye-to-keep-your-night-vision","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/shut-one-eye-to-keep-your-night-vision","title":"Shut one eye to keep your night vision","summary":"Shut one eye to keep your night vision. It helps you see in the dark. Apparently, this is a well-known thing in the military, but no one told me until we learned about it in the film Beneath Hill 60.…","published":"2013-01-18T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-19T07:33:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1377f767-64ee-4b5e-bd38-5aad87e223e6_53043577581.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Shut one eye to keep your night vision illustration"},"categories":["lifehack"]},{"uid":"bright-light-will-free-your-sneeze","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/bright-light-will-free-your-sneeze","title":"Bright light will free your sneeze","summary":"If you feel the need to sneeze, some people find that looking at a bright light can help release the urge. Apparently, it’s called the photic sneeze. I asked BBC Science Focus magazine in the UK what…","published":"2013-01-17T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:52+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/cec1e232-bebe-4caf-accc-3b0369751d9c_53043453974.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The photic 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"},"categories":["sneeze","health","lifehack"]},{"uid":"dry-your-hands-with-only-one-towel","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dry-your-hands-with-only-one-towel","title":"Dry your hands with only one towel","summary":"Learned from Joe Smith’s short entertaining TED talk: How to use a paper towel.","published":"2013-01-16T19:23:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T18:10:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/51b11880-fcda-47f3-8893-3370112ce0f1_53043169760.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["health","washing","sustainability"]},{"uid":"build-a-mindmap","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/build-a-mindmap","title":"Build a mindmap","summary":"I have found mindmaps useful to me since I first learned them and gave them a shot. Here’s some of what I’ve learned since from practice. Great for getting your thoughts down before a project.","published":"2013-01-11T18:57:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/362943fa-785a-4b62-b31d-65d1789977d3_53041816200.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["thinking-tool","visual-recording"]},{"uid":"twice-as-much-thought-and-half-as-much-content","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/twice-as-much-thought-and-half-as-much-content","title":"Twice as much thought and half as much content","summary":"A pretty good rule for most of what we produce.","published":"2013-01-10T18:57:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T19:44:27+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c616e360-5c2b-4c0e-bf02-2901cbbaa99d_53041654977.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["design","advice"]},{"uid":"fold-t-shirts-vertically-for-visibility-and-easy-access","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/fold-t-shirts-vertically-for-visibility-and-easy-access","title":"Fold t-shirts vertically for visibility and easy access","summary":"This was an amazing tip IMHO from my wife. Folding t-shirts and storing them vertically, rather than stacking them on top of each other, keeps them visible and gives easy access to the t-shirt you…","published":"2013-01-09T18:57:00+0000","updated":"2023-12-05T17:36:07+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/79dab1e9-4e02-4014-bc00-950d4eeebf3e_53041564785.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Fold and store t-shirts vertically for visibility and easy access"},"categories":["lifehack","tidying"]},{"uid":"a-spectrum-of-feedback-quality","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/a-spectrum-of-feedback-quality","title":"A spectrum of feedback quality","summary":"For giving well received constructive feedback to others. Thanks to Work. Life. You.","published":"2013-01-08T18:57:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:17:46+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d34bda79-5cdd-4df3-adbc-7c473e731c62_53041495693.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework"]},{"uid":"make-a-waynes-world-pizza","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-a-waynes-world-pizza","title":"Make a Wayne’s World pizza","summary":"The surprising joy of the Wayne's World pizza with jalapeño, anchovy and banana. It's a magic combo! Learned from the lovely people at the Suntouched Inn, Napier, South Africa.","published":"2013-01-07T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:04+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/eb8f953e-15a2-41f7-8209-1998ac487421_53025686858.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"The Wayne's World pizza of jalapeño, anchovy and banana"},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"simple-effective-thought-bubbles","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/simple-effective-thought-bubbles","title":"Mix big and little bumps for simple, effective thought bubbles","summary":"Learned by watching Dev Patnaik.","published":"2013-01-06T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:18:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/d82e774f-1622-4242-8f92-233c85dbeff2_53025609107.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["drawing"]},{"uid":"close-your-mouth-while-brushing","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/close-your-mouth-while-brushing","title":"Close your mouth while brushing to avoid mirror spots","summary":"","published":"2013-01-05T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:55:57+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/8f9a2254-b009-4952-a3bc-f3f4b221129f_53025555759.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["relationships","lifehack","health"]},{"uid":"the-steeper-the-slope-the-greater-the-lean-forward","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-steeper-the-slope-the-greater-the-lean-forward","title":"The steeper the slope the greater the lean forward","summary":"Learned the hard way. A rather counterintuitive bit of technique. A little ski courage really does help.","published":"2013-01-04T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/08e451ae-5f12-4d29-9fc3-c5cc6ea13b14_53025028659.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["sport"]},{"uid":"pack-food-shopping-effectively","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pack-food-shopping-effectively","title":"Pack food shopping effectively","summary":"It seems everyone figures out their own little science for this.","published":"2013-01-03T13:01:00+0000","updated":"2020-11-22T16:41:00+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f4f7f8c2-2b75-4063-8847-86ab5c5c4ab2_SP+028+-+Pack+food+shopping+effectively.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack","food-and-drink","tidying"]},{"uid":"make-a-statue-of-liberty-sambuca","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-a-statue-of-liberty-sambuca","title":"Make a Statue of Liberty sambuca","summary":"First gave this a go at the International Sports Bar, San Francisco. Be careful.","published":"2013-01-02T13:01:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/3b26262e-6ec3-40fe-8ea2-7f7d4a0aa823_53024712873.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"resolve-a-contradiction-through-separation","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/resolve-a-contradiction-through-separation","title":"Resolve a contradiction through separation","summary":"The idea of resolving contradictions I was taught by Darrell Mann. This neat example from Simon Dewulf.","published":"2013-01-01T13:01:00+0000","updated":"2021-01-25T21:23:59+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/bef7b2a1-6b0d-42fc-9c75-3977db0340b4_53024621511.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["problem-solving","design","triz","engineering"]},{"uid":"the-tastes-of-victory-and-failure","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-tastes-of-victory-and-failure","title":"The tastes of victory and failure","summary":"","published":"2012-12-31T13:01:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9fb6e581-525b-457f-982b-121d078a47ee_53024481923.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework"]},{"uid":"if-you-have-something-nice-to-say-make-sure-you-say-it","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/if-you-have-something-nice-to-say-make-sure-you-say-it","title":"If you have something nice to say, make sure you say it","summary":"“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it” - William Arthur Ward","published":"2012-12-30T13:01:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-13T08:21:40+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/1d8346b2-db34-463a-96d2-92fe5c51f568_53024218913.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C480%2C406&w=1200&h=406","alt":""},"categories":["gift-giving","quote","kindness"]},{"uid":"make-terrys-chocolate-orange-drink","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-terrys-chocolate-orange-drink","title":"Make Terry’s Chocolate Orange drink","summary":"Tia Maria + orange juice. Surprising resemblance.","published":"2012-12-29T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:54+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/567b17b0-d955-46e7-9475-151dcd0701f3_53024152894.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C480%2C406&w=1200&h=406","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"the-best-way-to-get-fit","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/the-best-way-to-get-fit","title":"The best way to get fit","summary":"Still the best way I know. Neatly takes advantage of our present bias. See forcing function","published":"2012-12-28T14:08:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:51:30+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2afb0cc4-bc31-44c4-9604-307a9a5ff12a_53024066336.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"The best way to get fit"},"categories":["sport","running"]},{"uid":"pick-a-present","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pick-a-present","title":"Pick a present","summary":"Venn diagrams can be wholly unscientific, like this one. There are lots of things to bear in mind when trying to find the right gift for someone. It has always struck me how gift-giving is so often…","published":"2012-12-27T14:06:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-24T15:10:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/aCNYeydWJ-7kSBtz_SP021-PickaPresent-revised.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Pick a present Venn diagram considering how gift giving is also about the values of the giver"},"categories":["framework","gift-giving"]},{"uid":"get-good-ideas","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/get-good-ideas","title":"Get good ideas","summary":"Getting beyond the getting stuck taught me by Dev Patnaik. The first 50 are the same as everyone else’s via Emily Ford.","published":"2012-12-26T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T10:36:31+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/441e8465-915c-4ac9-ab61-4de0a4689738_53021513351.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["framework","infographics","charts","design"]},{"uid":"win-at-boggle","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/win-at-boggle","title":"Win at Boggle","summary":"Strategies honed over the years for winning at Boggle.","published":"2012-12-25T13:01:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:37:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ad1a93df-c649-4eb8-8207-4981cb25175c_53021022739.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"How to win at Boggle"},"categories":["games","lifehack"]},{"uid":"steer-a-parakite","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/steer-a-parakite","title":"Steer a parakite","summary":"Taught to me by Rhys Pegoraro.","published":"2012-12-24T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:52:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/2e2b5ddb-02ed-4c80-b899-5278d75c2ff1_53020988525.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Steer a parakite"},"categories":["sport","exercise"]},{"uid":"take-a-photo-with-your-iphone","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/take-a-photo-with-your-iphone","title":"Take a photo with your iPhone","summary":"It still amazes me how few people know this most handy of tips.","published":"2012-12-23T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:24:26+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/798774b4-8029-4548-a6b8-3b63259f1028_53020951021.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["tech","photography"]},{"uid":"poach-an-egg-in-the-microwave","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/poach-an-egg-in-the-microwave","title":"Poach an egg in the microwave","summary":"Your handy reference for how to poach an egg in the microwave. In just a minute with a mug, a microwave, and a little water, a perfectly serviceable poached egg can be yours. Taught to me by Neal…","published":"2012-12-22T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:15:03+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/ca712b50-dd33-474f-9444-325a6f9f9c9d_53020915297.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":"Visual recipe for poaching an egg in the microwave"},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"santa-has-special-wrapping","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/santa-has-special-wrapping","title":"Santa has special wrapping","summary":"…that doesn’t mix with the other presents. Because Santa’s presents are wrapped in the North Pole.","published":"2012-12-21T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2020-11-22T16:33:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c6fc48ff-5d06-4703-a3f8-8e15540bed3a_53020842174.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["christmas","gift-giving"]},{"uid":"draw-a-unicorn-ed-emberley-style","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/draw-a-unicorn-ed-emberley-style","title":"Draw a unicorn, Ed Emberley style","summary":"Or should that be ‘an unicorn’?","published":"2012-12-19T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:25:36+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/57a0eaf9-69b6-4e66-b722-21327a36a56d_53020799273.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["drawing"]},{"uid":"decorate-a-christmas-tree","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/decorate-a-christmas-tree","title":"Decorate a Christmas tree","summary":"There is a natural order to the process.","published":"2012-12-18T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:26:01+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/4522f927-e0d2-4fb7-9382-9264763d522e_53020761786.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["christmas"]},{"uid":"make-a-good-hdr-photograph","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/make-a-good-hdr-photograph","title":"Make a good HDR photograph","summary":"Learn more with Trey Ratcliff’s HDR tutorial. Or checkout some of my HDR photos on Flickr.","published":"2012-12-17T21:17:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T02:28:28+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/0c2ce1d2-56bb-4bb8-b40c-f7da2e0c7ea4_53140601476.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["photography"]},{"uid":"accept-compliments","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/accept-compliments","title":"Accept compliments","summary":"When someone gives you a compliment, accept it. I learned this after I disagreed with a compliment someone gave me, which took a generous compliment for me and made both of us less happy. If someone…","published":"2012-12-17T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2024-07-03T15:02:14+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/193eee06-7006-429d-9676-4b565bccf31e_53020704128.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Accept compliments sketch"},"categories":["kindness","relationships","advice"]},{"uid":"how-to-play-reverse-pool","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-to-play-reverse-pool","title":"How to play reverse pool","summary":"Reverse pool is really a surprisingly tricky and interesting game, thanks to reversing the physics. You still pot your coloured balls and then the black as you do in a standard game of pool. The…","published":"2012-12-15T13:01:00+0000","updated":"2026-07-13T08:29:19+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/f1fdbf6a-7f4d-416d-8bf5-0dc019497957_53020673629.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"How to play reverse pool"},"categories":["sport","games"]},{"uid":"either-draw-stick-men-or-real-people-avoid-halfway","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/either-draw-stick-men-or-real-people-avoid-halfway","title":"Either draw stick men or real people. Avoid halfway","summary":"I believe the pictures say it all.","published":"2012-12-14T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-15T09:27:13+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/9cba7682-c6ff-4d78-ac3e-a6e82c7f121d_53020618983.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["drawing"]},{"uid":"doing-an-endo","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/doing-an-endo","title":"Doing an endo","summary":"Taught to me by Rhys Pegoraro. I fell over.","published":"2012-12-13T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2025-01-28T16:52:23+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/30f6763b-dcc4-4688-8fa5-2422f49681af_53020584356.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":"Doing an endo"},"categories":["sport","cycling","exercise"]},{"uid":"folding-a-fitted-sheet","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/folding-a-fitted-sheet","title":"Folding a fitted sheet","summary":"Always a challenge.","published":"2012-12-12T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:12+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/36f8fb23-8b30-40dc-a412-78e158c9d491_53020548594.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack","relationships"]},{"uid":"visitors-from-other-climates","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/visitors-from-other-climates","title":"Visitors from other climates","summary":"Sometimes see the good in what you have come to resent.","published":"2012-12-11T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/70cda106-2709-4870-bfea-d4651452e04d_53020495456.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1746%2C1483&w=1200&h=1483","alt":""},"categories":["perspective","beach","weather","travel"]},{"uid":"cooking-is-bucket-science","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/cooking-is-bucket-science","title":"Cooking is bucket science","summary":"Taught to me by my Dad.","published":"2012-12-10T14:40:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T12:14:49+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/c9b32324-b8f2-4bda-98c8-a0b126d5eff3_53020430427.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["food-and-drink"]},{"uid":"dry-your-feet-first-getting-out-of-the-shower","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/dry-your-feet-first-getting-out-of-the-shower","title":"Dry your feet first","summary":"And the mat doesn’t get soaked.","published":"2012-12-09T13:01:00+0000","updated":"2026-06-22T11:08:11+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/25fa753a-58f6-49e2-ae84-81794a6e6811_53020361988.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C0%2C1843%2C1563&w=1200&h=1563","alt":""},"categories":["lifehack","relationships"]},{"uid":"buying-a-christmas-tree-in-london","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/buying-a-christmas-tree-in-london","title":"Buying a Christmas tree in London","summary":"Feels somewhat like this.","published":"2012-12-08T11:52:00+0000","updated":"2020-09-14T21:55:29+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/94461e3d-33d5-47bb-bd3c-16bfe06be9ad_53018427499.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["christmas"]},{"uid":"how-to-get-off-at-russell-square","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/how-to-get-off-at-russell-square","title":"How to get off at Russell Square","summary":"Because there’s only one way out and it’s a long walk and wait for the lift otherwise.","published":"2012-12-07T12:01:00+0000","updated":"2020-11-22T16:34:32+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/602353ae-3726-49b5-ab34-49a81b8d3eec_53018718378.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["london","transport"]},{"uid":"pulling-rabbits-out-of-hats","url":"https://sketchplanations.com/pulling-rabbits-out-of-hats","title":"Pulling rabbits out of hats","summary":"","published":"2012-12-06T13:01:00+0000","updated":"2020-11-04T20:24:35+0000","image":{"url":"https://images.prismic.io/sketchplanations/12e86309-b27a-4c07-9bcb-59c22f1ef127_52004764881.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200","alt":""},"categories":["animals"]}]}