An Introduction To Visual Note-Taking

Tap into the power of your visual brain.

Reconnect to making marks by hand as you learn to use text, layout, imagery, and color within your notes to engage your visual brain and reach your full creative and professional potential.

Join Verbal to Visual

Illustrated Instructional Videos

With each video lesson you'll not only learn about visual note-taking, you'll get to see it in action:

Module 1:
Introduction

An overview of the course and the philosophy that guides it.

Module 1: Introduction

1.1 Course Overview (3:56)
1.2 A Goal-Oriented Learning Framework (3:35)
1.3 The Verbal to Visual Mindset (6:12)
1.4 Materials: Getting Started (7:18)

Module 2:
Text

Techniques for writing text in a visual way.

Module 2: Text

2.1 Text Turned Visual (3:59)
2.2 Developing Custom Fonts (4:54)
2.3 An Introduction To Handlettering (4:15)

Module 3:
Layout

How to tap into your built-in spatial reasoning skills.

Module 3: Layout

3.1 Layout Overview (5:01)
3.2 How To Separate & Connect Ideas (5:20)
3.3 A Structured Approach To Layout (5:44)
3.4 An Organic Approach To Layout (3:33)
3.5 Layout & The Verbal To Visual Mindset (3:49)

Module 4:
Imagery

Develop basic drawing skills to access your visual brain.

Module 4: Imagery

4.1 The Power Of Imagery (8:06)
4.2 How To Build Your Visual Vocabulary (5:02)
4.3 How To Draw People & Faces (7:14)
4.4 Build A Scene, Make A World (6:18)
4.5 Imagery & The Verbal To Visual Mindset (4:55)

Module 5:
Color

Add more visual engagement and meaning to your notes.

Module 5: Color

5.1 Why Add Color To Your Notes? (4:33)
5.2 How To Add Color To Your Notes (4:01)
5.3 Colorful Examples (5:41)
5.4 Mapping Materials To Process (3:47)

Module 6:
Learn

How to use visual note-taking as a learning tool.

Module 6: Learn

6.1 Learn With Visual Notes (5:52)
6.2 Learning Environments & Processes (6:30)
6.3 The One-Page Process Summary For Learning (3:21)

Module 7:
Solve Problems

Use visual notes to tackle the challenges you face in your professional and personal life.

Module 7: Solve Problems

7.1 Solve Problems With Visual Notes (5:06)
7.2 Problem-Solving Example: Habit Change (5:44)
7.3 The One-Page Process Summary For Problem Solving (4:09)

Module 8:
Share Ideas

Merge the verbal with the visual to become a better sharer of ideas.

Module 8: Share Ideas

8.1 Idea-Sharing Principles (4:54)
8.2 Sharing Ideas Visually (4:34)
8.3 Example + Deconstruct: A High School Chat (18:42)
8.4 The One-Page Process Summary For Ideas Sharing (2:38)

Module 9:
Onward

A look back for perspective and a look forward to keep building.

Module 9: Onward

9.1 Where We've Been (4:51)
9.2 How To Continue Building (5:55)
9.3 Where We're Going (4:56)

Additional Resources

Following each video lesson you'll get the opportunity to put into practice what you just learned with these resources:

TheVTVNotebook

A 100%-sketched set of 128 skill-building activities, all of which are designed to help you develop the skills you need to become a proficient visual note-taker.

VisualVocabularyPackTransparent

A set of ready-to-use hand-sketched icons (in PNG and SVG format) plus an actionable guide that will walk you through the steps of building you own personalized visual vocabulary.

2022 Live Course

At the start of 2022 you'll get to tap into some live activities as part of this course! Check out the video below to learn more:

What Students Are Saying

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.
Melaine D’Cruze
This is a wonderful introduction to making your doodles meaningful. A great resource for anyone wanting to learn the nuts and bolts of visual note-taking. I have been able to implement so much of my learning in day-to-day activities at home and work.
Naoise Gaffney
I improved my visual language and my white-boarding skills thanks to this course, even after 30 years as a presenter and facilitator, and use my much-improved skills for both professional and personal endeavors.
Christine Koehler
With Doug's course, you have a step-by-step process that teaches you all that you'll need to know for visual note-taking. When I started, I didn't know how to draw, but that was not a problem. This course taught me everything that was important. I could do it and have results I was happy with. This has all you need to know, without any blah blah blah, and very good questions that you and only you can answer and will guide you with your learning.
Gavin Flynn
Awesome!!! Sketchnoting has helped me to understand complex legal issues by breaking the issue into simple, easy to understand images. More importantly, sketchnoting is helping me visually communicate those issues (and my solutions) in a compelling way.

Course Overview

Ready to start learning? Here's a recap of what you'll find within this course:

  • 9 Modules of Illustrated Video Lessons

    See visual thinking in practice while you learn the fundamentals.

  • Personal Learning Plan

    Take action after each lesson as you develop your own personalized visual note-taking style.

  • The Verbal To Visual Notebook

    Build your skills with these interactive and engaging activities.

  • Visual Vocabulary Pack

    Use this pack to start building your own visual vocabulary.

  • Free Coaching Calls

    Get access to one-on-one coaching calls at no additional cost!

Bonus Workshops

In addition to all of the course materials described above, you'll also get access to the replays of these workshops (or join us live for the upcoming ones!):

Your Next 20 Icons

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

Sketchnoting Layout: Find the Right Fit

In this workshop we explore different ways of organizing your visual notes on the page so that you can find an approach that works well for you.

Sketchnoting During One-on-One Meetings

In this workshop we explore how you can take helpful visual notes during a one-on-one meeting without losing the sense of connection.

Hierarchy with Handwriting

Learn how to develop and use a few different handwritten fonts within your sketchnotes to help the big ideas stand out while keeping the details clear.

Shading Your Sketchnotes

In this workshop you'll learn how to add shading to your sketchnotes to help your images pop off the page.

Get this Course

Are you ready to start building your sketchnoting skills?

Join Verbal to Visual

Marie Roberts De La Parra
This sketchnoting course with Doug has been transformative in my ability to create, share, and translate information understandably to myself as well as to my clients. The course learnings provided me with the techniques to draw out my notes to capture vital concepts and ideas.  I use the craft and skills I have gained for my business and for my research as a doctorate student. Doug is a fantastic educator, and entertaining too!
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.
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.