Here’s nine examples of visual thinking tools that can be used in group workshops or for your own thinking:
Roadmaps
Great for facilitating strategy workshops when you’re trying to identify an agreed outcome and the things you need to get there.
Quadrants
Useful for making comparisons (such as a competitor analysis) and for categorising things (such as the Eisenhower Matrix).
Idea clusters
Clusters are great for sorting and synthesising lots of ideas, insights or artefacts to help you make sense of them.
User journeys
A way to capture the steps and feelings people experience as they progress towards an end goal.
Tree maps
Perfect for visualising hierarchies, creating categories and designing information architecture.
Flows
Ideal for mapping processes and user journeys at varying levels of detail.
Mind maps
When brainstorming ideas or capturing knowledge, mind maps are simple to create and keep the pace of creativity running fast.
Prototype sketches
Drawing rough concepts on paper (for both digital and non-digital products) is the quickest way to test and iterate your ideas with others.
Timelines
Not only do timelines help with planning, they can also be used to tell stories and explain background context.