ELEMENTS OF SKETCHNOTE

ELEMENTS OF SKETCHNOTE

Seeing Ideas • Thinking Visually • Communicating Simply

1. What is a Sketchnote?

A sketchnote is a visual way of taking notes. Instead of recording everything in paragraphs, we combine:

WORDS + IMAGES + TYPOGRAPHY + CONNECTORS + COLOUR + SPACE

The purpose is not to create a beautiful drawing. The purpose is to make information easier to see, understand, remember and recall.

«Sketchnoting = Thinking with your pen.»

A good sketchnote does not try to capture every word spoken. It captures the important ideas and relationships between them.

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2. The Key Elements of a Sketchnote

① TEXT — The Meaning

Text gives us the precise information that an image cannot always communicate.

Use:

- Keywords

- Short phrases

- Headings

- Definitions

- Quotes

- Numbers

- Important facts

Instead of:

«"Art is important because it helps designers develop their creative thinking and solve problems in innovative ways."»

Write:

ART → CREATIVE THINKING → BETTER SOLUTIONS

Rule:

Write less. Say more.

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② TYPOGRAPHY — Give Words a Personality

In sketchnotes, lettering is part of the visual language.

Different lettering styles can communicate different meanings:

BIG CAPITALS → important idea

Italic / flowing letters → personal or emotional thought

BOLD lettering → emphasis

Small handwriting → supporting information

Colourful lettering → key concept

Think of typography as visual voice modulation.

If you say something loudly, you might write it BIG.

If something is a quiet supporting thought, write it smaller.

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3. IMAGES — Think in Visual Shorthand

This is one of the most important principles of sketchnoting.

A sketchnote image does not need to be a realistic illustration.

It can be:

- A simple icon

- A symbol

- A stick figure

- A cartoon

- A doodle

- An arrow

- A metaphor

- An exaggerated object

For example:

💡 Light bulb → idea

❤️ Heart → emotion / love

👁️ Eye → observation

🚀 Rocket → growth / launching an idea

🌱 Plant → learning / growth

🧩 Puzzle → problem solving

The drawing becomes a visual shortcut for an idea.

4. Why Are Sketchnote Images Often Cartoony or Doodly?

This is an important question.

Because sketchnoting is NOT about making a perfect illustration.

A realistic drawing can require a lot of time and attention.

A doodle communicates the idea quickly.

For example:

REALISTIC DRAWING

A detailed photograph-like drawing of a light bulb.

SKETCHNOTE

💡

The second one takes seconds, but the brain immediately understands:

IDEA!

Therefore:

«The simpler the visual, the faster the idea can be recognised.»

5. Doodles Are Visual Abbreviations

Think of a doodle as the visual equivalent of shorthand.

We abbreviate words:

information → info

Similarly, we abbreviate ideas visually:

"creative idea" → 💡

"communication" → speech bubble

"growth" → 🌱

"challenge" → mountain

The doodle doesn't have to represent the subject literally.

It can represent the meaning behind it.

6. Why Don't Sketchnotes Have Lots of Text?

Because a sketchnote is designed for visual processing, not paragraph reading.

Imagine a page containing:

«Creativity is the ability to generate new ideas, make connections between different concepts and develop innovative solutions to problems.»

Now convert it into:

CREATIVITY

💡 NEW IDEAS

🔗 NEW CONNECTIONS

🧩 NEW SOLUTIONS

The second version is faster to scan.

The visual structure allows the viewer to understand the hierarchy of information.

7. The 3-Second Test

A useful sketchnoting principle:

Can someone look at your page for 3 seconds and understand what it is about?

If YES → your visual hierarchy is working.

If NO → you may have:

- Too much text

- Too many equal-sized elements

- Weak headings

- Not enough visual separation

- Too little contrast

- No clear focal point

A sketchnote should feel like a visual map, not a textbook page.

8. CONNECTORS — Show Relationships

Ideas become much more powerful when we show how they connect.

Use:

→ arrows

↗️ lines

★ stars

brackets

speech bubbles

boxes

pathways

numbering

For example:

OBSERVE → THINK → IDEATE → CREATE → REFLECT

The connector tells the brain:

"These things are related."

9. COLOUR — Highlight, Don't Decorate

Colour should have a purpose.

Use colour to:

- Highlight keywords

- Separate sections

- Create hierarchy

- Group related ideas

- Direct attention

- Add emotional energy

Avoid colouring everything equally.

If everything is highlighted,

NOTHING IS HIGHLIGHTED.

A good sketchnote may use only 2–5 main accent colours.

10. CONTAINERS — Organise Ideas

Boxes, clouds, circles, banners and frames help group information.

Examples:

☁️ Main Concept

▢ Important Fact

🏷️ KEYWORD

💬 QUOTE

Containers create visual chapters without requiring long paragraphs.

11. WHITE SPACE — Let the Page Breathe

White space is not "empty space."

It is a design element.

Without enough space, a sketchnote becomes visually noisy.

White space helps:

- Separate ideas

- Improve readability

- Create focus

- Reduce visual fatigue

Think of white space as the pause between sentences.

12. VISUAL HIERARCHY

Not everything on a sketchnote should look equally important.

Create levels:

LEVEL 1 — BIG IDEA

Large lettering + strong visual

LEVEL 2 — MAIN POINTS

Medium headings + icons

LEVEL 3 — DETAILS

Small text + supporting doodles

This allows the viewer's eyes to travel through the page naturally.

13. The Secret: Draw Ideas, Not Objects

This is particularly important for designers.

A beginner asks:

«"How do I draw a person?"»

A sketchnoter asks:

«"What does this person represent?"»

For example:

A person climbing stairs

= growth

A person holding a magnifying glass

= research / observation

A person with multiple light bulbs

= creative thinking

A bridge

= connection

A maze

= complex problem

A seed becoming a plant

= learning / development

This is called visual metaphor.

14. Why Imperfect Drawings Work

Sketchnotes often look handmade.

Lines may be:

- Wobbly

- Uneven

- Rough

- Playful

- Asymmetrical

And that's okay.

The goal is communication, not artistic perfection.

In fact, overly polished illustrations can sometimes make a sketchnote feel like an illustration rather than a thinking tool.

DON'T AIM FOR PERFECT.

Aim for:

FAST + CLEAR + EXPRESSIVE + MEMORABLE

15. The "Doodle Vocabulary" of a Sketchnoter

Over time, develop your own visual vocabulary.

For example:

💡 idea

👀 observe

❤️ emotion

⚡ energy

❓ question

❗ important

⭐ key point

🔍 research

🧠 thinking

🎯 goal

🚀 action

🌱 growth

🧩 problem

🔗 connection

Once these become automatic, you can capture ideas much faster.

16. A Simple Formula for Students

When listening to a lecture, don't try to write everything.

Ask:

1. WHAT IS THE BIG IDEA?

Write it BIG.

2. WHAT ARE THE 3–5 IMPORTANT POINTS?

Turn them into short phrases.

3. WHAT CAN I DRAW?

Find a symbol or metaphor.

4. WHAT CONNECTS THESE IDEAS?

Use arrows, lines or containers.

5. WHAT NEEDS EMPHASIS?

Use size, colour or bold lettering.

17. The Golden Rule

Don't draw everything.

Don't write everything.

Don't decorate everything.

Instead:

SELECT → SIMPLIFY → VISUALISE → CONNECT → EMPHASISE

That is the essence of sketchnoting.

TAKEAWAY

A sketchnote is successful when the viewer can see the thinking behind the information.

Cartoons and doodles are used because they are:

QUICK → easy to draw

SIMPLE → easy to understand

MEMORABLE → easy to recall

EXPRESSIVE → communicate emotion

FLEXIBLE → can represent abstract ideas

PERSONAL → show the creator's visual thinking

And the reason for less text is simple:

«A sketchnote is not a transcript of information. It is a visual summary of understanding.»

**Words tell.

Images suggest.

Connections explain.

Together, they make ideas memorable.**

SKETCHNOTE MANTRA

**Think less like a typist.

Think more like a designer.

Don't record every word.

Capture the IDEA.**