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Visual IP (intellectual property) = proprietary frameworks and diagrams drawings based on your ideas that increase your visibility, credibility, and revenue.
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Thanks for joining me and hundreds of others on this journey of visual persuasion!
Terri’s Digital Postcard: Archive
Putting Art to Work | #020
03/31/2022 – It was a pretty bad morning for the director of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence last summer when he learned that one of his museum’s prized masterpieces was being used to market porn. Where do the boundaries of culture, marketing, and IP (intellectual property) intersect? We explore, along with huge free online media libraries.
Bracketmania + Miro | #019
03/23/2022 – In this issue, I look at Bracketmania (3x more money bet than the Super Bowl!) and the NCAA March Madness. How can you use brackets for analyzing and making the best decisions? We also explore the possibilities of an infinite online whiteboard with Miro.
Out of This World | #018
03/16/2022 – In this issue, an infographic of everyday innovations from space exploration, a visually appealing app that tells us how many people are currently in space, and one of Terri’s childhood memories about the space program.
Visuals In Times of Conflict | #017
03/09/2022 – Leaders have long recognized the power of visuals to rally public sentiment and national unity, particularly during war. We examine the impact that visuals play in times of conflict. It’s a painful time, but we can learn a lot as visual storytellers.
The Zen of Venn | #016
03/02/2022 – Let us turn our attention to a simple but powerful form: the Venn diagram. I’ve written elsewhere about the simplicity of circles and their impact in communication. In this issue, we unpack the use of circles in Venn diagrams, and their ability to illustrate commonality as well as exclusivity. Pull up a cup of coffee and enjoy the Zen of Venn.
Word Games! | #015
02/23/2022 – As the winter days of February drag on, I thought it would be good to switch things up with some fun. This issue explores word games, and the fascination they hold for millions of people. We look at a helpful and well-designed graphic for Scrabble fans, and peek at the popularity of the latest word game craze, Wordle.
Turning Big Ideas Into Images | #014
02/16/2022 – Yes, we know that a picture can be worth (at least) 1,000 words. But what’s the social impact of a well-designed image? Also in this issue, I take a look at the intersection of AI and human creativity. Could machines ever learn to doodle as well as humans?
Topographic Maps, A New Visual Literacy | #013
02/09/2022 – Reading topographic maps requires a special type of visual literacy. If you don’t understand the visual language, these maps are a series of random and squiggly concentric circles. They remain a puzzle until someone explains the mental model and unlocks the visual code. Also, an image that instructs how to read contour lines on topographic maps, and a resource for free USGS topo maps for printing at home.
Communicating in Color | #012
02/02/2022 – For those of us attuned to the impact of visuals, color plays a central role in our lives. Color can convey emotion, emphasis, preference, and multiple levels of meaning — even, some argue, personality or gender. Also in this issue, a striking graphic illustrating blood types in the US, and a fast and intuitive web-based color palettes generator
Tastes in Type | #011
01/11/2022 – Type! We’re surrounded by so much of it daily, we don’t even notice it. Like the proverbial fish unaware of its environment until the water is gone, most type is invisible to us until it’s so glaringly awful that we’re stopped in our (visual) tracks. Also in this issue, an infographic of The Anatomy of Typography, and Typewolf, a comprehensive online resource for all things related to type.
Data in Graphic Form | #010
01/19/2022 – We are awash in data. It bombards us every day — in the news, in our social feeds, in conversations. But unless it’s clearly presented, it doesn’t serve us well. In this issue, a stunning graphic representing the world’s countries by share of Earth’s surface, and details on a free version of the visual data analytics software, Tableau.
Tools | #009
01/12/2022 – Do you, like me, harbor the wish to be left for hours in a hardware store or Home Depot, so you can wander the aisles, exploring the endless array of tools? … Well, in this issue, we focus on tools — objects that we use and, in turn, those that shape us and our lives. Also, an 1898 bicycle patent diagram, and a card deck to design websites quickly and easily.
Welcome MMXXII (2022) | #008
01/05/2022 – Welcome to a new year, filled with potential. And a chance to consider things from a fresh viewpoint. That’s the theme for this issue, as we look at the digits of 2022 as Roman Numerals from a graphic, historical, and cultural perspective. Also, an online resource for calculating your favorite number as a Roman Numeral.
Money-Fun Matrix | #007
12/28/2021 – Here’s one of my most popular frameworks: the Money-Fun Matrix. May it give you two things: clarity on all you’ve achieved in the past year, and inspiration to make the coming year your best ever. Also check out Jessica Hagy’s fun holiday Venn diagram,
Perception, Stroop Effect, Aphantasia | #006
12/16/2021 – Understanding human perception has intrigued artists, philosophers, scientists, and scholars for centuries. How do we sense the world through images? A myriad of mysteries remains about mental processes. This week’s digital postcard explores a few of them. Learn about the Stroop Test and selective attention, and the inability to visualize, called aphantasia.
Lists, Top Innovators, List of Lists | #005
12/08/2021 – This year, in the spirit of mastering Visual IP, let’s look at lists with more discerning eyes. What works, and what doesn’t? Has the list compiler succeeded in both content AND form — giving us a list worth perusing and presented in a visually engaging way? Also, an infographic on the Top 50 Innovative Companies, and an online List of Lists.
Edward Tufte | #004
12/01/2021 – He’s been called the daVinci of data, the Galileo of graphics. Whether you’ve heard of Edward Tufte or not, you’ve been influenced by his work. This issue analyzes one of his most famous data visualization examples, as well as the rich collection of resources on his site.
Giving Thanks | #003
11/24/2021 – More than a dinner of turkey and pumpkin pie, this time of year brings a moment to stop and reflect on all we’ve been given. In this incredible 18 months, it starts with thanks for good health — which few of us will ever take for granted again. This issue focuses on giving thanks, a long infographic, and a reverse image search tool.
About Time | #002
11/17/2021 – For some, time is a circle, the shape of a clock or watch. Others may see time as a page of squares on a calendar. Or, perhaps two stacked triangles, one inverted, like an hourglass. A path also indicates the passage of time. As do the three dots of an ellipsis… What shape does time take for you? Also check out an infographic on digital data consumed every day, and the leading resource for icons on the internet.
5 Key Shapes of Visual IP | #001
11/09/2021 – I know we’re all inundated with info. So this email will now be shorter — more like a digital postcard you can quickly scan. Each issue will present 3 things: an inspiring quote, an image, and a link to an essay or resource. In this issue, an image of the Cognitive Bias Codex, and excerpts from my article on Visual IP about the 5 key shapes of visual persuasion.