Tap into the power of your visual brain.

Sketchnoting is a creative superpower, and I want to help you wield it.

Join Verbal to Visual

Imagine a world where you actually remember and apply the ideas you learn about in the books you read and the conferences you attend.

My follow-up plan after reading the book Company of One by Paul Jarvis.

Imagine a world where your meetings don’t run in circles, but instead lead to informed decision-making, with everyone on the same page.

In any group setting there’s a need for generous meaning-makers.

Imagine a world where the presentations you give and stories you tell actually land and stick with the audience you’re trying to reach.

The tools have never been more accessible. What story will you tell?

Imagine a world where the genius inside of you can fully express itself.

Give your genius a voice.

That’s the world I want to help you enter.

And sketchnoting is the gateway to it.

The start of my sketchnotes of a conversation between Jim Collins and Tim Ferriss.

Sketchnoting is a note-taking technique that taps into both the verbal and visual processing powers of your brain in a way that makes you a better learner, problem-solver, and storyteller.

I’m here to help you build your sketchnoting skills and apply those skills to the work that you care about.

Join Verbal to Visual

Meet Your Host

Hi, I’m Doug!

After getting a Master of Arts in Teaching on my way to becoming a high school math, science, and EFL teacher, I got pulled into the world of visual thinking thanks to Sunni Brown’s TED Talk about the power of doodling.

For the past decade I’ve been exploring that world and building educational materials for others who want to apply this creative toolset to their personal and professional life.

The life path that led me to this work.

The deeper I dive into the world of visual thinking, the more excited I get about what you can do with these skills.

What You’ll Find Inside Verbal to Visual

Here’s what you’ll find inside our online learning environment that’s custom-built for visual thinkers.

Courses where you can build your skills.

Our library of complete-at-your-own-pace courses will get you up and running with sketchnoting, and teach you the many ways that you can incorporate this skill into your personal and professional life.

Reconnect to making marks by hand as you learn to use text, layout, imagery, and color to engage your visual brain.

Full course details.

Merge your sketchnoting skills with the unique capabilities of a digital note-taking device to amplify your learning, problem-solving, and storytelling efforts.

Full course details.

Add sketchnoting to your toolkit as an instructor as you help your students develop their own visual thinking skills!

Full course details.

Tap into the power of visual storytelling as you learn the tools and techniques for making illustrated videos.

Full course details.

Turn your passion and skills into a transformative educational experience for others.

Full course details.

Create new personal and professional opportunities by sharing the authentic journey of your skill development online.

Full course details.

Use the powerful combination of words and visuals to help you become fluent in a new language!

Full course details.

I build new courses based on the overlap of my own experiences and what current members want to explore next. By joining now you’ll get to help shape those future resources.

Community that will provide feedback, motivation, and accountability.

Within each course you’ll be able to share your work and see posts from other participants. I also host a live webinar each week to do a deep dive on a particular sketchnoting topic.

Coaching for those times when you need an extra boost.

All members of Verbal to Visual get access to one-on-one coaching calls, where we can do a deep dive into your current work and pressing questions. I love hearing what you’re up to and helping you figure out your next steps.

Upcoming Events

Join us for these upcoming live webinars.

December 2020 Mastermind

Join us to chat about your current sketchnoting project, talk through any challenges you’re facing, and identify next steps.

Wednesday, December 2nd at 10:00am Pacific Time

Your Next 20 Icons

An opportunity to build your visual vocabulary in alignment with the topics you most frequently sketchnote.

Wednesday, December 9th at 10:00am Pacific Time

Drawn Animations in Keynote & PowerPoint

How to use the built-in tools within Keynote on the iPad (very similar in PowerPoint) that allow you to draw words and images, then animate the playback so that they appear stroke-by-stroke.

Wednesday, December 16th at 10:00am Pacific Time

Join Verbal to Visual

Are you ready to start building your sketchnoting skills?

Join Verbal to Visual

What Members are Saying

Sharon Leah
I found Doug Neill's Verbal to Visual courses several years ago. I got really excited about the courses again when Doug started using the Mighty Network platform, where there's an active community of sketchnoters. I really enjoy interacting with other engaged sketchnoters from all over the world who share their work, knowledge, and encouragement. The courses along with Doug's weekly prompts and Zoom webinars on different aspects of sketchnoting have provided me with a no-pressure environment where I can learn at my own pace about what interests me most.
Carlos A Salgado Diez
Doug Neill is an excellent sketchnoter and educator. I really enjoyed his course and the methodology he uses. He has a lot of material and of very good quality for anyone who wants to deepen the art of making sketchnotes. I am currently doing sketchnotes for my corporate strategy consulting website.
Miranda Morris
Visual note-taking and brainstorming have revolutionized my writing life, leading to much better overview and clarity. With Doug’s excellent teaching and generous support I have gained an agility between left and right brain and regeneration of creative energy.
Amy Magnus
For several years, I have followed specialists in graphic recording on social media, wishing & hoping for an opportunity to learn the craft. This winter I joined The Verbal to Visual Community intent on applying sketchnoting to my work at a children's museum. What a difference the past weeks have made! Now, after completing the Digital Sketchnoting course, I have found my unique style and workflow. Doug is a generous master & insightful guide. At Verbal to Visual, he has drawn together a diverse community of artisans, educators, and engineers from around the world. Together we learn and grow and experiment. I am excited today knowing I have much to contribute in this dynamic, expressive form.
Hunter Gatewood
This is what a community of practice should be. It is focused on a shared purpose (the use of sketchnoting to communicate and facilitate ideas). It is well organized with interesting content and consistent opportunities to engage at different levels and in different ways. The people! The people are fascinating and inspiring and generous. They do such cool work across industries and around the world. Doug is very thoughtful and naturally helpful and is the perfect leader of the tribe. Get in here!
Jamie Strickland
I began sketchnoting almost a year ago and it has transformed my note-taking process. I am a college professor with an interest in visual thinking and want to help students become independent, life-long learners. I really appreciate the "right-sized" bits of content that Doug provides. It helps me build confidence in what I'm doing, but it also helps me to engage my students in some of the same practices applied to teaching in my discipline. Rather than being overwhelmed by a lot of content, I am exposed to just enough that I am excited to try the skills represented in each lesson.
Karen Dawn
Doug and his new community are simply amazing. Between all the awesome and useful video content and his gift at delivering value that goes above and beyond what you pay for, Doug really has nailed it. I’ve been a student since 2018 and I can honestly say that Doug’s teachings and his new community are the only resource I continue to come back to again and again. You just have to experience this for yourself.

Join Verbal to Visual