Experiences in visual thinking

Comput. & Graphics Vol. 17, No. I, p 105, 1993

0097-8493/93 $6.00 + .00 © 1993 Pergamon Press Ltd.

Printed in Great Britain.

Reviews of Books a n d Videotapes

EXPERIENCES IN VISUAL THINKING By Robert H. McKim, PWS-Kent Publishing, Boston, MA 1980, 183 pages, $25.00 Reviewed by JAMES G. KRESS, Fidelity Investments, Inc. Why, when asked to review a 12-year-old book, did I jump at the opportunity? Maybe because I've been hearing so much about this particular book lately that my curiosity was piqued. Or because the current glut of graphical design tools in computer software offer us features, but not really any design solutions. I was hoping that this book would and I was not disappointed. Robert McKim's book, Experiences in Visual Thinking explores a variety of ideas surrounding human thought and idea generation. He starts with an explanation of human thought and provides further background, in particular, on visual thought. Coupled closely to visual thought, he explains, is our ability to see. He states that we should "Consider the sculptor who thinks in clay, the chemist who thinks by manipulating three-dimensional molecular models, or the designer who thinks by assembling or manipulating cardboard mockups." Imagination or "the mind's eye" as McKim describes it, is also closely tied to visual thinking. Along with explorations into the topics of visual thinking, sight, and imagination, "Visual Thinking" suggests ways to stimulate and capture visual thought. Providing a proper environment and good materials should facilitate, not impede this process. Proper lighting and comfortable surroundings can do much to stimulate visual thought. The proper pen, paper, erasers, knives, rulers, etc. can facilitate a rapid and accurate capture of graphic ideas. Equally if not more important than proper environment and good materials, McKim states, is achieving the state of relaxed attention. He claims that relaxation and attention are mutually supportive. Furthermore, by relaxing irrelevant tension, the individual is able to devote full energy and attention to the task at hand. Since attaining a state of relaxed attention cannot be achieved at will, he includes a variety of exercises for the reader which are designed to produce a state of relaxed attention. I cannot help thinking about how this book could be valuable to any designer. Upon finishing his discussions of seeing and imagining, McKim outlines an approach to idea-sketching he calls graphic ideation. Graphic ideation is idea-generation and expression by means of drawing. By quickly sketching the often elusive images that usually accompany the conception of a new idea, then refining those images or moving on to explore and capture others, McKim describes his Express-Test-Cycle for the graphic development of visual ideas. This process, he claims can be stimulated and nurtured through the application of visual brainstorming, idea logging, and recentering.

Although brainstorming is usually performed as a verbal activity, McKim claims that it can and is often done in a visual mode. The basic strategy for visual brainstorming is the same as that for verbal except that it is graphical ideas that are to be explored. McKim's two basic principles for visual brainstorming are a) do not criticize ideas until the brainstorming session is over and b) reach for quantity by generating as many ideas as possible about each problem under consideration. Coupled with visual brainstorming is idea logging. This activity may take a variety of physical formats, but essentially consists of quickly sketching the ideas as they occur. This journal of visual thought provides the all important feedback in McKim's Express-TestCycle. McKim does caution the reader about the importance of drawing skill in this activity. Poor drawing skill can impede the flow of ideas, fail to capture ideas, or divert attention away from ideageneration. Once the ideas have been captured, McKim suggests that the idea-generator must become a constructive critic. This is best accomplished by recentering or unlearning the many perceptions that have been acquired throughout our lifetimes. The recentering process seeks to overcome stereotyping and open up our minds and eyes to new ways of thinking. As with relaxed attention, McKim has also provided a variety of exercises to recenter an individuals perceptions. The use of graphical languages is a technique, McKim describes, to enhance the visual thinking process. Graphical languages communicate through pictures as opposed to words and numbers. He discusses how the use of a graphic language can expand the range of thinking and he includes an impressive array of idea-sketching examples in various graphic languages. McKim does a marvelous job of pulling together a wide variety of disciplines into a single intertwining thread he calls "Visual Thinking." He takes an active, rather than passive, approach to communicating his ideas by amply sprinkling exercises throughout the book. These exercises are easy, fun, and reinforce their accompanying topics. I tried all of McKim's exercises as I was reading his book. It was time consuming, but I was impressed with the results. "Experiences in Visual Thinking" does stimulate visual thought and open ones eyes and mind up to new ways of seeing. In fact, I can no longer envision my future as a designer without regularly rereading parts of this book. I would heartily recommend it to anyone involved in graphical design. 105