Visual Thinking May 2026

Leo turned his notebook around. "I think we're trying to hike up a mountain with too much old gear," he said, pointing to the sketch. "The bridge is broken because our old servers can't handle the load. We shouldn't try to fix the bridge. We should use the spring—the new API—to launch a 'glider' version. A lightweight beta that gets us to the peak faster."

: Organizing data into maps or diagrams helps the brain spot patterns that words might hide. VISUAL THINKING

: Turning a business challenge into a "mountain" or a "storm." Leo turned his notebook around

: All thinking is perceptual in nature, meaning we "see" ideas as much as we "think" them. We shouldn't try to fix the bridge

: Using basic shapes (circles, squares, arrows) to explain a process.

You don't need a canvas to think visually. Use these "vehicles for thought": : For connecting sprawling, related ideas. Storyboards : For planning a narrative or project sequence.