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Dr B: Why is visual practice valuable? GPT-4

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Dr B: Why is visual practice valuable? GPT-4

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I was preparing for a meeting with student interns where I was going to introduce visual methods for their summer program. I asked GPT-4 (artificial intelligence) a simple question and got an interesting answer. Phil Guo, Roy Blumenthal and I are doing a zoom call on May 31 to talk about our experiences with AI. Here's the answer I got...

Why is visual practice useful?

Visual practice, or visual thinking, is useful for a variety of reasons in different contexts, whether it be in education, business, or personal growth. Here are some reasons why it is beneficial:

1. Enhanced Understanding and Retention: People generally remember visual information better than written or spoken information. By presenting ideas visually, people are more likely to understand and retain the information.

2. Simplifies Complex Ideas: Visuals can distill complex ideas or information into simpler, more digestible content. This can be especially useful in fields where complex concepts are common, like in science, technology, or project management.

3. Increased Engagement: Visual content is often more engaging than text-based content. This can lead to increased participation in discussions and more effective communication, especially in team settings or presentations.

4. Encourages Creativity: Visual practice encourages out-of-the-box thinking and can stimulate more creative solutions to problems.

5. Improves Collaboration: In a team setting, visual practice can promote collaboration. When ideas are mapped out visually, team members can more easily understand each other's perspectives, leading to more productive discussions and better collective decision-making.

6. Efficient Communication: Visuals can convey information quickly and clearly. In a world where time is often of the essence, being able to communicate efficiently is a major advantage.

7. Universal Language: Visuals transcend language barriers. Diagrams, infographics, and symbols can be understood by people who speak different languages, making visual practice a universal language of sorts.

These benefits underline the power of visual practice and explain why it's used in a variety of fields and contexts, from classrooms to boardrooms. Whether you're teaching a concept, leading a team, or trying to communicate a complex idea, visual practice can be a valuable tool

Where can I get training in this?

There are several places where you can get training in visual thinking and practices. Here are a few notable ones:

1. Bikablo: This organization offers training in their specific method of visual facilitation. They have different training levels available, from beginner to advanced. The training can be in-person or online. More details are available on their official website.

2. The Grove Consultants International: Founded by David Sibbet, this organization offers training in Graphic Facilitation and Graphic Recording. They have both in-person workshops (usually in San Francisco, CA) and online training options.

3. Dan Roam's Napkin Academy: This online academy provides training based on Dan Roam's 'Back of the Napkin' principles of solving problems and selling ideas with pictures.

4. Coursera and Udemy: These online learning platforms offer a variety of courses on visual thinking and related topics. Just search for 'visual thinking', 'graphic facilitation', or 'visual communication' to see the options.

5. Local Universities and Colleges: Some universities and colleges offer courses in visual thinking or graphic facilitation as part of their design or communication programs. You can check the offerings of local educational institutions.

6. IFVP (International Forum of Visual Practitioners): IFVP is a professional association dedicated to the growth and development of the field of graphic recording and graphic facilitation. They host an annual conference and provide resources and networking opportunities for practitioners.

7. Books: There are several books available that offer self-guided training in visual practices. These include 'The Back of the Napkin' by Dan Roam, 'Visual Meetings' and 'Visual Teams' by David Sibbet, and 'The Doodle Revolution' by Sunni Brown.

Remember, learning visual practices isn't about becoming an artist, it's about learning to communicate ideas more effectively. It's definitely a skill that can be developed with practice and training.

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Why is visual practice useful? (GPT-4 says so!)

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I was preparing for a meeting with student interns where I was going to introduce visual methods for their summer program. I asked GPT-4 (artificial intelligence) a simple question and got an interesting answer. Phil Guo, Roy Blumenthal and I are doing a zoom call on May 31 to talk about our experiences with AI.

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The International Forum of Visual Practitioners is an international forum with hundreds of members. We offer educational, marketing, and networking opportunities for our members, which is highlighted by our yearly conference. Join today and become a part of our exciting organization, as we work together to advance the field of visual practice.

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IFVP Institute: working on INIFAC Visual Practitioner Certification

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IFVP Institute: working on INIFAC Visual Practitioner Certification

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Read more at the "resources" tab

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The IFVP Institute is formed for charitable and educational purposes. More specifically, the IFVP Institute is organized and operated to promote the development and application of visual thinking and practices, such as graphic recording and graphic facilitation, through sponsored research, public education programs, and related activities.

Visual practice is a rapidly growing field with applications in business, government, nonprofit, and educational sectors. The origins of this field date back to the beginnings of human civilization when cave paintings and hieroglyphics served as the early means for humans to express and spread ideas and to communicate. In modern times, as organizations grew in their size and complexity, there has been a resurgence of interest in the visual practice field, as companies struggled to apply whole system approaches to increasingly complex problems.

The broad appeal of the visual practice medium rests in its characteristic combination of visual and verbal elements, which work to support a shared understanding and collaboration.The IFVP Institute will conduct these activities both domestically in the United States and internationally, particularly in countries in which IFVP has an established presence. The IFVP Institute will bring together students, teachers, and practitioners in the visual practice community.

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The IFVP Institute is formed for charitable and educational purposes. More specifically, the IFVP Institute is organized and operated to promote the development and application of visual thinking and practices, such as graphic recording and graphic facilitation, through sponsored research, public education programs, and related activities.

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Model: GPT-4 Let's talk about a mastermind group plan for self-employed artists to discuss how to develop their businesses. What topics are useful? What might be a plan for a meeting that would be an ...

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You to Everyone (May 26, 2023, 11:34 AM) I want to make a pitch to my company to use graphic recording and graphic facilitation by hiring a two person team of visual practitioners. Our business has to...

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Roy -- How much of this picture was created by artificial intelligence?

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Roy -- How much of this picture was created by artificial intelligence?

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by Roy Blumenthal

I have THREE fixations as a live digital sketchnoter:

1. Delegates must be able to see my live, ongoing work AS IT HAPPENS. The immediacy of the creation of the sketchnote is what makes it valuable to delegates, and to the client.

2. Everything we do is about workflow. Get the workflow right, and life as a live sketchnoter (digital or analogue) becomes much easier and more powerful.

3. Live sketchnoters are COMMUNICATIONS PRACTITIONERS, not "artists". We use visual tools to create communications artifacts in service of revealing the goings-on in the event. This revelation is agenda-bound. We might be serving an ideological agenda, a client agenda, a personal agenda. Regardless of where the agenda comes from, we operate in service of an agenda, whether we care to acknowledge this or not.

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So, let's talk about this picture, thinking about my three fixations.

1. The picture is made up of several different pictures, all conceived together, and built to create a single useful artifact.

2. The creation of the picture was in service of workflow. It falls into what I regard as pre-production. Because of this, the picture DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CREATED LIVE, IN REAL TIME. It's done BEFORE the gig, for use IN the gig. This is a hugely important consideration: what must be drawn live, and what must be drawn before (or in "down" time)?

3. Big reveal... The tiled background of sci-fi-related icons is entirely created by MidJourney. The "prompt engineer spaceperson" picture is entirely drawn and coloured by me, but using a MidJourney image as my main reference. The lettering is by me. The textured background BEHIND the tiled background is entirely generated by MidJourney. The entire composition, including the time spent on MidJourney, took about 20 to 30 minutes for me to complete.

4. The only component that saved me a vast amount of time is one that doesn't actually even need to be there... The sci-fi tiled icon backdrop. If I'd drawn that myself, it would've taken me several hours. However, it's a nice-to-have, not an essential component. At the same time, it's a useful thematic tool to create a picture that "links" to the topic of the event.

5. While I could've drawn the main image from my own imagination, I DIDN'T NEED TO. I was able to use my knowledge of MidJourney to generate a usable and relevant reference image in less than 3 minutes. If I'd drawn it from imagination, I'd have looked for a bunch of reference images online. And I'd have spent time compositing a reference.

6. Even if the pic "looks" art-like, IT'S NOT ART. It's something that serves the agenda of this talk about AI.

7. While I used tools to make the pic, I made the pic. It's my pic. The pic would not exist without my mediation.

8. While I "made" the pic, it's just a pic. It's not special. It's here for a purpose. The PROCESS of making the pic is the reason I made the pic. So that I could share the process with you.

9. I make pictures in MidJourney every single day. I spend between 10 and 60 minutes EVERY day just messing around in MidJourney, getting my skills to a level where I can use them when called upon to do so. I don't want to be wasting time learning how to use MidJourney when I need MidJourney to deliver results for me.

10. Workflow is everything. When I know what fits where, and how I'm going to get from A to Z, I'm in a position to use my skills appropriately and efficiently.

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Roy -- Essential viewing: the shape of the lasso selection tool makes a huge difference in generative fill in Photoshop

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Roy -- Essential viewing: the shape of the lasso selection tool makes a huge difference in generative fill in Photoshop

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Photoshop Generative Fill, Dramatically BOOST RESULTS with surprising tip

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Roy -- Essential viewing: using Photoshop's generative fill tool to make instant mindblowing stuff

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Roy -- Essential viewing: using Photoshop's generative fill tool to make instant mindblowing stuff

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Did You See What You Can Do With AI In Photoshop?

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Roy -- Essential viewing: ChatGPT + MidJourney for godmode prompt generation

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Roy -- Essential viewing: ChatGPT + MidJourney for godmode prompt generation

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ChatGPT + Midjourney = GOD MODE (FULL PROCESS)

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Here's the MidJourney prompt: /imagine linocut. science fiction objects and symbols arranged as a neat background image --tile

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Roy -- Sci-fi themed tile for background

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Roy -- Sci-fi themed tile for background

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The MidJourney prompt for this was: /imagine a prompt "engineer" making AI art

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Roy -- Prompt engineer reference pic by MidJourney

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Roy -- Prompt engineer reference pic by MidJourney

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Dr B firefly: AI teaching a group how to draw

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Dr B firefly: AI teaching a group how to draw

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Firefly artificial intelligence teaching a group of people how to draw 60921

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Firefly A globe of the earth is situated in a web of wires 57245

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Dr B firefly a staircase into a cloudy sky

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Dr B firefly a staircase into a cloudy sky

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Firefly a staircase into a cloudy sky 90570

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Dr B firefly: progression on world of wires

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Dr B firefly: progression on world of wires

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Firefly A globe of the earth is situated in a web of wires Three people one from North America on