Here in Milwaukee, it’s autumn, and scenes like the one in the photo above fade quickly as winter approaches. This is my favorite time of the year, with pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving meals, and cool, crisp weather encouraging me to wear a warm sweater.

I hope all is well wherever you are!

— Mike Rohde, editor

What’s in this issue?

• Five cool things to share.

• Sketchnote Army Podcast season 16 has begun.

• A new in-person Sketchnote Workshop for educators is happening in Western Wisconsin on March 12, 2024.

• Concepts Sketchnote Workshop Video is now available for anyone to watch and features a 30-day Pro version trial.

• The Sketchnote Live Workshop Set is still $50 and includes all three workshops: lettering, layout, and icons.

Now, here are 5 cool things to check out:

— Mike Rohde

5 Cool Things

❥ 1. How I do diary comics. And Why.
Andrew Tan has created an 11-minute video sharing his diary comic formula. It's a fantastic idea that I’ve been working on this week.

❥ 2. Five mistakes you’re making when you take visual notes
The Ink Factory’s Think Like Ink Monthly newsletter provides helpful advice to improve your sketchnotes with these tips.

❥ 3. Travel sketchbooks: The biggest lessons I’ve learnt
Artist and traveler Parul Arora shares her insights from traveling with sketchbooks in this 5-minute video.

❥ 4. Sketchnoter Types and Page Size
My friend Emily Mills shares sketchbook size recommendations based on the kind of sketchnoter you are. Cool!

❥ 5. The Weight of Digital Tools
Doug Neil at Verbal to Visual shares how digital tools can have unseen weight and why he appreciates analog tools.

Sketchnote Army Podcast Season 16 is now playing. Listen in…

Sketchnote Army Podcast Season 16 has begun with Emily Mills, Joran Oppelt, Kelvy Bird and more. Listen now.

New, in-person Sketchnote Workshop for educators in Wisconsin, March 12, 2025!

Sign up for this one-day, in-person sketchnote workshop in beautiful Fennimore, Wisconsin!

The Sketchnote Workshop is designed to develop and strengthen your visual thinking abilities. It will help you understand sketchnoting and strategies for teaching it to students. You will also explore ways to integrate sketchnoting into your class curriculum.

• Boost Engagement: Sketchnoting combines visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning, increasing student engagement and motivation to learn.

• Improve Memory: Visual notes help organize and retain information more effectively, supporting better comprehension and recall.

• Create Inclusive Classrooms: Sketchnoting offers alternative ways for students to demonstrate learning, making lessons more accessible.

• Enable Differentiation: Teachers can use sketchnoting to personalize learning, offering various ways for students to interact with content.

• Foster Creativity and Critical Thinking: Sketchnoting encourages creativity and helps students express complex ideas through simple visuals.

Sign up today for just $250

“I’ve been pondering how to use sketchnotes in my classes. I now have a plan to introduce the concept to my classes and a way to utilize it to add to my students’ understanding.”

Concepts Sketchnote Workshop Video is now available for free!

You can watch a recording of the Concepts Sketchnote Workshop, which was held in February 2024, for free. Then, use the link on the video page to get your 30-day trial of Concepts Pro, and you can follow along with me as I use the app.

Watch the free video (1:18)

Sketchnote Live Workshop Set: Lettering, Layout, and Icons together for $50 at Vimeo.com

If you missed any of my Sketchnote Live Workshops since 2020, now you can buy all 3 workshop videos for just $50.

Save compared to purchasing each video separately, or complete your set if you’ve already purchased one of the workshops:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sketchnote3set

The 3 workshop recordings also include all PDF reference sheets and templates. That’s 6 hours of teaching for just $50. Buy your set today.

Two weekends ago, I had a fantastic experience at the International Sketchnote Camp (ISC24TX) in San Antonio.

Since last year, I’ve made it a tradition to capture my travelogue in sketchnote form — with images, drawings, and writing on my iPad Pro in Paper by WeTransfer. You can see my sketchnote travelogue from 2023 right here.

So, I present to you these sketchnotes so you can have a taste of the fun that weekend:

Special thanks to my good buddy and event organizer, Professor Michael Clayton. He did amazing work, mostly by himself, to make the ISC24TX event happen. I played a small part in the organization, but Prof truly made it happen.

Thanks, Mike!

If you’re considering using AI robots to replace parts of your creative process, think carefully before adding them into the mix.

Your creative process and the work you do are attractive to humans because they capture your creative essence. When you replace the creative parts of your process with robots, the things we love about you and your creative work are lost.

If you explore adding robots to your process, you’d better map that process inside and out in detail. Be sure to pick the right parts that aren’t your creative essence to robotize.

Test the robot’s work thoroughly before you switch to robot parts in your process. Robots hallucinate facts that don’t exist and think people have six fingers.

Be ready to switch back to your original process at any moment. AI and tech companies are notorious for increasing prices, changing features you depend on, and slurping up your work to train their robots while you’re off getting a coffee refill.

Your creative process is as much a part of the creative work as the final thing you produce, whatever that may be.

When you farm out the wrong parts of your process to a robot, you lose the sense of how you arrived at a creative solution, and worse, you lose the hard-earned creative muscle you’ve built up all these years.

Creative work is hard work. But the hardness of the work and the process of solving the problem are the rewards as much as whatever it is you produce.

Do you really want to give that away to a robot?

Traditional graphic design in “ye olden days,” before computers revolutionized the design scene, was slow, labor-intensive, and, much of the time, a royal pain in the butt to do.

However, I feel fortunate to have been a design student when I was because it taught me to love and embrace constraints.

Here’s how I define the “ye olden days” for a little context:

It was eons before Figma layouts in the browser, a millennia before the iPhone put the world in your pocket, and a century before Adobe Photoshop would crash in a flash of pixels, taking hours of my design work into the digital netherworld.

I’m talking real old-school — 1988, baby.

It was an earlier time filled with layout boards, non-repro blue pencils that made lines invisible to production cameras, technical ink pens to create registration marks, and typography and photography output on photo paper.

It was hardcore analog, with nearly everything done manually.

In the late 1980s, I worked part-time as a student designer at Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Design Centre, which was the college’s in-house print design agency.

While I only earned minimum wage, I gained precious experience designing real projects with real deadlines for real clients. We did various projects, from brochures and signage to a monthly magazine.

Fine Tuning magazine was a significant recurring design project we cranked out monthly. The magazine promoted upcoming TV shows on the local public TV station with feature stories, advertising, and monthly schedule listings.

Here’s what designing a feature article for Fine Tuning Magazine looked like.

Sketching was the only option, my dude

This was before the desktop publishing revolution, and everything started with sketches — because that’s all we had available to convince the art director our designs would work.

I would begin with thumbnail-sized pencil sketches to explore options. This let me play with the positioning and spacing of headlines, text, photos, and illustrations before committing to more work.

Once satisfied with the design direction, I moved to full-scale, detailed pencil sketches to validate that an idea was workable and worth creating.

With more clarity, I’d spend a few hours making a hand-made comprehensive mockup, often at a 1:1 scale, with the main elements sketched out using a black pen and finished with color markers.

I liked including detailed notes about typeface choices, colors, and body text sizes on my mockups. Looking back, it’s fascinating how much these noted details on my design mockups influenced my current sketchnoting practice.

Type specification, oh, how I hated thee

Once my design was completed, I needed to specify the typography for the paste-up. Since there was no way to play around with font sizes or spacing, type specification was annoying but necessary.

This math-heavy process involved a special ruler called the “Haberrule” to calculate the number of typed characters, measure the line width, and match it to the available space on the layout.

Type specifications went to the type compositor, the person who ran the typesetting machine. I called this process guesstimation because you didn’t know exactly what you might get back.

If my specs made the type too short, I’d need to add space around the type and other elements in my paste-up. If it were too long, the layout elements would need to get tighter to make it all work.

If the type output were bad enough, I’d have to request a re-run. This was a roulette wheel of possible outcomes ranging from “Leave me alone, dummy…” to a begrudging “OK, fine. Now go away, silly designer!”

I was quite motivated to get my type specs right the first time.

Phototypesetting was state-of-the art in 1988

How was type made back in those days? We had a phototypesetting machine that could generate black-and-white headlines and paragraphs of body copy on photo paper rolls.

From a speed and safety perspective, it was a huge advancement over the slower, more dangerous hot metal-type systems that came before it.

But… our phototypesetting machine only had ten typeface options! Of those, Helvetica, Palatino, and Times New Roman were the only fonts really worth using.

This presented a problem, particularly with magazine layouts: being a huge fan of design magazines Communication Arts and PRINT, I wanted to use cool headlines and exciting layouts in my article designs.

Ten typefaces would not cut it.

As fortune would have it, we had two things in our studio that helped me get around the ten-typeface problem:

1. A photostat camera in the back of our studio. This giant, stationary camera was designed to reproduce black-and-white images at different sizes, ready for print production.

2. Stacks of type specimen catalogs filled with hundreds of unique typefaces. Each catalog contained two-page spreads with an entire alphabet, numerals, and special characters… perfect for photographing.

I’d page through the type catalogs until I found the perfect headline font for my magazine layout sketch.

I’d secure the book, spread side up, in the camera bed, take a shot with the photostat camera and print ten to fifteen copies of the typeface for paste-up.

Back at my desk with the stack of photostat typeface prints, I’d wax the sheets and methodically cut each letter out with an X-Acto blade knife.

Then, I would carefully place each glyph into my layout. I was a stickler for kerning (the space between letters) because I wanted the headlines to flow smoothly across the page.

Embracing constraints taught me to love them

Through this process, I learned to love constraints. Getting beyond the ten-font type constraint required me to think creatively and solve problems differently.

My approach when I face constraints is:

• What CAN I do with the resources available?

• Is there another way to think about this problem?

• What would someone with a growth mindset do in this situation?

• What if I turn the problem upside-down? What ideas might fall out?

You might be surprised to find solutions hiding in your constraints.

Here’s episode 2 of the Sauce Talk Podcast::

We also talked sketchnotes, and I shared the visual note I created while we prepared and made Detroit-style pizza:

10% Discount on Baking Steel!

Andris has created a special code for readers of the Rohdesign Weblog for 10% off a Baking Steel with the code STEELROHDE at bakingsteel.com at checkout!

Happy Spring! Here in Milwaukee, it’s rainy, but soon we’ll have warm weather. I can’t wait!

While I’m waiting for the nicer weather, I’ve been enjoying the vector-based drawing app Concepts for sketchnoting.

I love the flexibility of vectors. If you’re curious to try the tool, Concepts are offering you a 30-day trial of the Pro version.

I’m working with Concepts to offer a sketchnote workshop showing how I use Concepts for sketchnotes.

Sign up to be alerted when that happens at this signup page:

https://rohdesign.com/concepts-workshop

What’s in this issue?

• Sketchnote Army Podcast season 15 is now playing with episodes released weekly on Tuesdays.

• Packers Sketchnote Interview with Jon Meerdink, where I share my process for creating live sketchnotes of football games.

• I had a Video Hangout with Andris Lagsdin, teaching how I learned to bake Detroit-style pizza. Watch on YouTube.

• The Sketchnote Live Workshop Set is $50 and includes all three workshops: lettering. layout, and icons.

Now, here are 5 cool things to check out:

— Mike Rohde

5 Cool Things

❥ 1. Four Benefits of Sketchnotes and Visual Note-Taking
My friend and fellow sketchnoter Patrick Ashamalla shares his insights and tips from his sketchnoting practice.

❥ 2. Charles Schulz Drawing Charlie Brown and Peanuts
A 17-minute video of Charles Schulz drawing Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang from a 70s TV special. I love his wisdom!

❥ 3. 300 Free How to Think When You Draw Tutorials
A great collection of 300 drawing tutorials from the Etherington Brothers all on one page! They Kickstart physical books too.

❥ 4. A Ten Minute Artist Manifesto
Adam Ming shares how he built a creative practice in just 10 minutes daily and how you can, too. Make it a priority!

❥ 5. Five Reasons Why You Should Sketchnote
A friend and fellow sketchnoter Andy McNally offers 5 reasons why you should sketchnote. Thanks, Andy!

Sketchnote Army Podcast Season 15 is now playing. Listen in…

Sketchnote Army Podcast Season 15 has begun with Alina Gutierrez, Alejo Porras, and Maggie Appleton. Listen now.

My Packers Games Sketchnote Interview with Jon Meerdink

Green Bay Packers podcaster Jon Meerdink interviewed me about my process for sketchnoting Packer games live. My team, the Packers, had a new starting quarterback in Jordan Love, and there was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to capture last season visually.

Detroit Pizza Hangout with Andris Lagsdin Baking Steel creator.

Last year, I began baking pizza using the Baking Steel, which makes the most unique, crispy crusts.

Last week, my son Nathan and I traveled to Grand Rapids to hang out on Zoom with Andris, the Baking Steel creator, sharing Detroit-style pizza tips I’ve learned making that pan-style pizza since January.

Watch the hangout on YouTube.

Here’s the more detailed backstory in my LinkedIn post.

Sketchnote Live Workshop Set: Lettering, Layout, and Icons together for $50 at Vimeo.com

If you missed any of my Sketchnote Live Workshops since 2020, now you can buy all 3 workshop videos for just $50.

Save compared to purchasing each video separately, or complete your set if you’ve already purchased one of the workshops:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sketchnote3set

The 3 workshop recordings also include all PDF reference sheets and templates. That’s 6 hours of teaching for just $50. Buy your set today.

Andris made his signature 72-hour pizza dough while I sketchnoted his process — all live. You can see the finished sketchnoted above.

10% Discount on Baking Steel!

Andris has created a special code for readers of the Rohdesign Weblog for 10% off a Baking Steel with the code STEELROHDE at bakingsteel.com at checkout!

Video Session Replay

You can watch the replay below, including the Q&A and the end.

My Friday Pizza Tradition

In May, I got one of Andris’ Baking Steels and began a tradition of making pizza each Friday for my family, which has continued almost every week since. Having a Baking Steel has upped my game and makes delicious pizza and bread.

Here are a few photos of my sketchnotes and pizzas from Pizza Nights:

Thanks, Andris for having me in the hangout, we’ll have to do it again!

Note that each sketchnote is a little different as I experimented with concepts I have wanted to try out — and as it turns out, Jordan Love and the young Packers team found their way into the NFL Playoffs at the end of the season! Unfortunately, their unexpected run ended in San Francisco (once again).

Here are all of the live game sketchnotes. Click them to see larger images:

2023 Playoffs

NFC Super Wildcard Weekend Win!

What a great team win in Dallas! Here is my sketchnote:

NFC Divisional Playoff Loss

The amazing run ended with a last-minute loss at San Francisco on Saturday. It was a tough loss but I’m optimistic for 2024 and beyond with this team!

Autumn is here! This is my favorite time of year in Wisconsin, with leaves falling and crisp temperatures. Now I can wear my favorite hoodies and sweaters! If you’re down under, happy Summer!

What’s in this issue?

• The Sketchnote Live Workshop Set is now available for $50. This includes all 3 of my in-depth workshops: lettering. layout, and icons, in one nice set! That’s 6 hours of teaching!

• Sketchnote Army Podcast season 14 is now underway with episodes released weekly on Tuesdays. Next Tuesday, hear from Jono Hey of Sketchplanations!

• I enjoyed providing the opening keynote at the International Sketchnote Camp (ISC23NL) in Leiden, Netherlands in late August and early September. Check out my photos.

Now, here are 5 cool things to check out:

— Mike Rohde

5 Cool Things

❥ 1. Emily Mills European Travel Sketchnote Book Video
My friend and fellow sketchnoter Emily Mills created a cool video walking through her experience of creating a sketchnote journal from her European tour this year, including tools and insights (26 minutes).

❥ 2. How I remember everything I learn: Sketchnotes Video
Great video from Eugene Tang on how sketchnotes changed how he absorbs and remembers information visually (4 minutes).

❥ 3. Visual Frameworks by Dave Gray
Visual frameworks are pictorial mental models that can help you clarify your thoughts, collected in one convenient location by Dave Gray.

❥ 4. Sketchnotes on the Fly
Brooke Morales shares the 5 most important things she thinks about when she creates sketchnotes on the fly. Beautiful nature imagery!

❥ 5. JetPens.com collection of sketchnoting tools
JetPens.com is a great resource for sketchnoting tools and on this one page they have collected all of the tools in one convenient location.

Sketchnote Live Workshop Set: Lettering, Layout, and Icons together for $50 at Vimeo.com

If you missed any of my Sketchnote Live Workshops since 2020, now you can buy all 3 workshop videos for just $50.

Save compared to purchasing each video separately, or complete your set if you’ve already purchased one of the workshops:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sketchnote3set

The 3 workshop recordings also include all PDF reference sheets and templates. That’s 6 hours of teaching for just $50. Buy your set today.

Sketchnote Army Podcast Season 14 now underway. Listen in!

Sketchnote Army Podcast Season 14 has just begun with interviews including Dr. Bryan Vartabedian, Ingrid Lill, and Jono Hey of Sketchplanations. Listen now.

Keynoting the International Sketchnote Camp (ISC23NL) in Leiden

In late August and early September, I was honored to once again kick off an International Sketchnote Camp, this time in Leiden, the Netherlands. I had a great time at the event. You can see my photos, starting with this one.

I hope the year has had a good start for you. Around here we’ve endured some pretty cold weather but today it’s warm-ish and sunny.

That little sketch on yellow paper you see above was created by my 10-year old son, Landon. I just love that sketch!

It’s a great reminder to me that the simplest of sketches can carry so much meaning and character.

What’s in this issue?

• Announcing: Master Icons & Metaphors Live Workshops w/ earlybird pricing! Dario Paniagua and I are hosting 2 live workshops on icons and metaphors on March 11, 2023. You’re hearing about it first with a special $10 discount code!

• The Sketchnote Layout Live Workshop Video-on-Demand is available at Vimeo.com for purchase for just $20.

• Sketchnote Army Podcast season 13 is coming in March.

First, here are 5 cool things to check out:

— Mike Rohde

5 Cool Things

❥ 1. Letter like a Graphic Novelist with Heather Martinez
A great Visual Jam video training session with the amazing Heather Martinez teaching you how to create comic-style lettering.

❥ 2. How to draw ideas
An essay from Ralph Ammer on the value of drawing out your ideas.

❥ 3. Apostrophe Games Dry Erase Blank Playing Cards
Create alternative card games with your visual thinking skills.180 reusable dry erase playing cards in poker card size (2.5" x 3.5").

❥ 4. Give yourself time to think with this visual technique
My friend Dave Matronardi shares a cool technique to help you gather your thoughts in meetings with a simple visual technique.

❥ 5. Pentel Pocket Brush Pen with Gray Ink
I’m a fan of the Pentel Brush Pen, using a black version for sketchnoting and lettering. This gray version seems like a perfect way to add simple gray shadows and highlights with flair.

Announcing: Master Icons & Metaphors Live Workshops w/ earlybird pricing!

You know before anyone else that Dario Paniagua and I are offering 2 live workshops to supercharge your icon and metaphor creation skills on Saturday, March 11th, 2023.

We’ll be teaching how we approach icons and metaphors in two live, online workshops (4 hours of training) to accelerate your skills in just one day.

I’ll share how I approach icon creation, leading you through several helpful exercises, followed by Dario sharing his unique approach to creating next-level metaphors.

Code EARLYBIRD is just for you!

Because you are a Rohdesign Dispatch reader we’re sharing code EARLYBIRD with you for $10 off the $80 two-workshop price when you register right here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/master-icons-metaphors-live-workshops-tickets-499481090387

Registration includes recorded videos for both 2-hour sessions and a dedicated 1-hour Q&A session on Saturday, March 18, 2023.

Here’s what we’re teaching:

Icon Session with Mike Rohde

• How the 5 basic elements help me draw simpler icons

• Using constraints as a way to elevate my icon-creation

• The value of simplicity, repetition, and practice

• How to use an icon creation template in your practice

• Tips, tricks, and insights into my icon making practice

• How to build an analog or digital visual library of icons

• Exercise: Create a visual library

• Helpful resources Mike uses in his icon development

• Exercise: Create challenging business icons

Metaphor session with Dario Paniagua:

• The right 'state' to approach metaphors' creation process

• The DNA components for creating effective metaphors

• Key concepts about 'Attention.'

• The difference between Icons and Metaphors

• Techniques to avoid clichés

• The Disruptive Model

• Exercise: Disruptive association, Disruptive scenario and Mashups

• How to visual deschooling: The Children's Approach

• Exercise: Reverse thinking

• 3 golden metaphors techniques

You know me, so here’s a bit about Dario

Dario Paniagua hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and lives in Italy. He worked in advertising before transitioning to what he truly loves: coaching people to empower their hidden visual thinking abilities.

He constantly creates and shares free content on this topic and premium content as well. Dario created the first Membership that coaches Visual Practitioners on developing their Visual Thinking through metaphors without using cliches.

When & Where?

• Saturday, March 11, 2023

• 11:00 to 3:00 pm US Central

• Delivered live via Zoom (online)

What's Included?

• 4 hours of live instruction and Q&A

• PDF templates

• Access to recordings of both workshops

• 1-hour Q&A session on March 18, 2023 11:00-12:00 US Central

Who should attend?

Beginners through advanced sketchnoters.

Sketchnote Layout Live Workshop Video-on-Demand at Vimeo.com

If you missed my Sketchnote Layout Live Workshop last year, you can still purchase the recording at Vimeo.com

You can purchase and watch the video at the Vimeo.com or download the video to your own devices to watch for just $20:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sketchnotelayout

You can also purchase my Sketchnote Lettering Live Workshop Replay at Vimeo for just $15:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sketchnotelettering

Sketchnote Army Podcast Season 13 is coming in March!

Sketchnote Army Podcast Season 13 is on the way in March, with half of my interviews already recorded. Listen to past seasons here.

Hello everyone,

It is winter here in Wisconsin and I’m excited for Christmas!

What’s in this issue?

• The Sketchnote Layout Live Workshop Video-on-Demand is available for pre-order at Vimeo.com and you get a 20% discount! See details for that discount down below.

• The Sketchnote Handbook turns 10 today and there’s a great 50% off deal to celebrate its birthday.

• Sketchnote Army Podcast season 12 is nearly done!

But first, here are 5 cool things to check out:

— Mike Rohde

5 Cool Things

❥ 1. Sketching as a safe space for your emotions
Eleanor Beer provides a great article on using sketching as a safe space for maintaining mental health.

❥ 2. The New iPad and iPad Pro Review: Mixed Signals
If you’re considering a new iPad or iPad Pro, Federico Viticci has an in-depth review of both to help you decide.

❥ 3. The Benefits of Visual Note Taking in the Classroom
Here’s one from the Teaching Distillery on the benefits of sketchnoting in the classroom.

❥ 4. The joy of doing ‘ugly’ sketchnotes
Great piece from my friend Eva-Lotta Lamm on why we need to embrace the idea of ugly sketchnotes to keep perfectionism from creeping into our work. Love it!

❥ 5. Sketchnoting 101: Drawing as a Communication Tool
Dan Porter and Chris Wilson, the founders of Scriberia have a great introductory video class at Domestika, and if you act fast you can maybe get a holiday discount! As I type this it’s $9.99.

The Sketchnote Layout Live Workshop is available on Vimeo-on-Demand!

The Sketchnote Layout Live Workshop is available for pre-order and releases on Thursday, December 1, 2022.

In this workshop I share my approach to layout in sketchnotes. It’s available for pre-order and releases December 1, 2022.

As a Dispatch VIP, you get a 20% discount using the code below:

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sketchnotelayout
Code: VIP20

This discount code is valid for 20% off the Vimeo Video on Demand video from today through December 31, 2022.

My next live event: The Sketchnote Icon Live Workshop in 2023.

I'm excited to share that the next sketchnote live workshop will cover my approach to creating icons for my sketchnotes. If you want to improve your icons, build a visual library and tips on creating metaphors, this one is for you!

More details to come in 2023!

November 30th was The Sketchnote Handbook’s 10th Birthday!

Save 50% when you buy any two of the The Sketchnote Handbook, The Sketchnote Workbook, or The Sketchnote Handbook Video together on print and eBook editions of the books.

Use discount code HAPPY10 at checkout to apply savings. Offer ends December 31, 2022. Buy 2, save 50% with code HAPPY10.

Sketchnote Army Season 12 is wrapping up in December

Sketchnote Army Podcast season 12 is nearly finished with 9 great episodes to check out and 2 left to go. Listen here.

Subscribe to the Rohdesign Dispatch, my monthly newsletter on sketchnotes, visual thinking and creativity.

What’s in this issue?

• The Sketchnote Handbook turns 10 this year and there’s a great 50% off deal to celebrate its birthday

• The Sketchnote Layout Live Workshop happens November 5

• I have a PDF certificate for sketchnoters who struggle to draw

• Sketchnote Army Podcast season 12 is now underway

But first, here are 5 cool things to check out:

— Mike Rohde

5 Cool Things

❥ 1. How a sketchbook can change your life
Danny Gregory explains in this video how a simple idea — using a sketchbook everyday — can help you embrace your creativity and build your awareness. His Sketchbook Skool is excellent.

❥ 2. Procreate Beginner’s Series
If the complexity of Procreate has discouraged you from giving the app a try, Procreate has created a series of videos to help you get started with the app, step by step. Thanks Procreate!

❥ 3. Pragmatic Sketching with Eva-Lotta Lamm
Here’s my friend Eva-Lotta’s talk from Beyond Tellerrand called Pragmatic Sketching. She is awesome!

❥ 4. Visual Jam: Alejo Porras - Coach yourself and find your gold: A framework to discover your VISUAL style
My friend Alejo Porras helps you find your style by guiding you through a simple framework in this Visual Jam session. Thanks Alejo!

❥ 5. iPad Pro is revolutionizing how archaeologists preserve the ancient history of Pompeii
The iPad Pro is a key tool archeologists are using in the field at Pompeii. They are is using the Concepts app to capture notes at the site and finding the combo a great way to preserve details.

Hooray! November 30th is The Sketchnote Handbook’s 10th Birthday!

The Sketchnote Handbook turns 10 years old at the end of November. Wow, a decade already?! Save 50% when you buy any two of the The Sketchnote Handbook, The Sketchnote Workbook, or The Sketchnote Handbook Video together on print and eBook editions of the books.

Use discount code HAPPY10 at checkout to apply savings. Offer ends December 31, 2022. Buy 2, save 50% with code HAPPY10.

The Sketchnote Layout Live Workshop is coming November 5th, 2022!

I’m excited to teach a NEW live workshop sharing my approach to layout in sketchnotes, designed for sketchnoters.

Why layout?
Because I’ve heard over and over that sketchnoters struggle with layouts every time they sketchnote.

They ask:

• Which layout is the best one to use and when?

• How do I deal with too little or too much space?

• Why do some layouts work and others don’t?

• How can I improve my sketchnote layout skills?

To answer these questions, I’m offering a 2-hour, live, online workshop on November 5th from 12-2pm US Central.

As a Rohdesign Dispatch reader use code DISPATCH for $5 off the $40 ticket price.

Get your tickets here

Permission to Suck at Drawing Certificate

In a recent private workshop, I had a new idea — what if I gave students of the Sketchnote Workshop a certificate that gave them the permission to “suck at drawing” while they learn drawing at their own pace?

I created a certificate and it was a hit with students, so I’m offering it here as a PDF, for you, your students, or anyone who might enjoy it to print out, add your name and hang in a prominent location!

Download The Permission to Suck Certificate PDF

Sketchnote Army Season 12

Sketchnote Army Podcast season 12 is underway with several great episodes to check out. Listen here.

Subscribe to the Rohdesign Dispatch, my monthly newsletter on sketchnotes, visual thinking and creativity.

In a recent sketchnote workshop, I had a new idea — what if I gave students of the workshop a certificate providing permission to “suck at drawing” so they are free to learn drawing at their own pace?

I created a certificate and it was a hit with students. I’ve made it a free, downloadable PDF, for you. Print out, add your name, and hang in a prominent location.

Permission to Suck at Drawing Sticker & Mug

If you’d like to pick up a sticker to place on your laptop or anywhere else, you can purchase stickers at Spring along with a mug with this certificate on it:

I had a blast sharing and I was honored to teach 200+ students that day in December!

Now, I’m back to teach a NEW live workshop sharing my approach to layout in sketchnotes, designed for sketchnoters:

Why layout?
Because I’ve heard over and over that sketchnoters struggle with layouts every time they sketchnote.

They ask:

• Which layout is the best one to use and when?

• How do I deal with too little or too much space?

• Why do some layouts work and others don’t?

• How can I improve my sketchnote layout skills?

To answer these questions, I’m offering a NEW, 2-hour, live, online workshop on November 5th from 12-2pm US Central.

Because you’re a Rohdesign Dispatch reader use code DISPATCH for $5 off the $40 ticket price. Get your tickets here:

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My teaching includes:

• Sharing the basic principles of how layouts work

• Reviewing 7 common sketchnote layouts and where and why they work best (with samples)

• A deep dive into Mike's top 3, go-to layout templates and when to use them

• A live deconstruction of effective sketchnote layouts, sharing why these layouts work and how to apply their layout principles so you can create your own custom sketchnote layouts from your learnings

• Live Q&A after the session to ask your questions

• A full video recording of the session

When & Where?

• Saturday, November 5, 2022

• 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm US Central time

• Delivered live via Zoom (online)

Materials List

• Black gel or felt tipped pen

• Color gel or felt tipped pen (red, blue or your choice)

• Pencil

• 9 x 12 tracing paper pad

• Loose printer paper or your sketchbook

• Printouts of templates & samples (PDF will be provided)

What's Included?

• 2 hours of live instruction and Q&A

• PDF of layout templates and sketchnotes Mike will deconstruct

• Access to the recording of the workshop after the live event

Who should attend?
Beginners through advanced sketchnoters.

“Taking a workshop with Mike is money well spent. Every moment is full of instruction and tips in order to help the participants improve on their skills or learn a new skill. Mike makes sure everyone learns from him regardless of their skill level.

My first workshop with him was delightful and two hours well spent. He teaches calmly which eases any nervousness one might feel. His notes are gorgeous and I find that his workshops help me get better at my skills. It might be something small that I’ve been doing or something big, the workshop changes my practice in some way.”

— Alma Hoffmann
author, graphic design professor, and editor at Smashing Magazine

It’s been a busy summer here with all sorts of things happening here in my world, including travel, kitchen remodels and more.

The Sketchnote Handbook turns 10 this year, I was interviewed for 3 podcasts this summer, Sketchnote Army Podcast season 11 wrapped up, and I’ll be giving a workshop on page layout at the Wild Wonder nature journaling conference this September.

But first, here are 5 cool this to check out:

— Mike Rohde

5 Cool Things

Here are 5 cool things:

❥ 1. Lessons from Drawing a Chimpanzee, Simply
Watch as my friend Grant Wright uses photos to practice his sketching of chimpanzees, paying attention to their key features. He deconstructed their shapes so he could draw them quickly.

❥ 2. The Visual Jam: Visual Metaphors with Dario Paniagua
My good friend Dario Paniagua shares a fantastic session on YouTube to help you move beyond basic icons into powerful metaphors with this 1-hour recording from the lovely Visual Jam.

❥ 3. 7 Awesome Pens Trapped in Basic Bodies
Some of the most reliable pens don’t have the most eye-catching designs. In this video from JetPens.com, check out seven “basic” pens. Buy then at JetPens.com

❥ 4. Sketchnoting: Using Listening & Drawing to Change the World
My friend Sherrill Knezel gave a fantastic talk at TEDxMarquetteU about the impact of sketchnoting on her and her students.

❥ 5. Paper at 10
This insightful article from Andy Allen, reveals the roots of my favorite iPad app, Paper by WeTransfer and helps me see why the work this team did 10 years ago makes the Paper app very relevant today.

P.S. You can hear my interview with Paper co-founder Georg Petschnigg in an episode of the Sketchnote Army Podcast.

The Sketchnote Handbook’s 10th Anniversary is November 2022!

The Sketchnote Handbook turns 10 years old at the end of November. Wow, a decade already?!

It seems just yesterday that I was writing, sketching, and producing my first book. I am planning celebrations for this birthday in the fall, so when that’s ready, I will share it with you first!

Survey: How has The Sketchnote Handbook changed your life?

I’ve created a brief survey to see how The Sketchnote Handbook has changed people’s lives in the last 10 years. My hope is to collect stories to share on the 10th birthday.

Participate in the survey here

3 Podcast Interviews

I was honored to appear on 3 podcasts this summer talking about sketchnoting, visual thinking, and more.

1. The Experience Podcast

In this interview with Elizabeth Pearson Garr, we talked about sketchnoting, illustrating books, and what I see coming for the future of sketchnoting. Listen in!

2. The Informed Life Podcast

I had a great time talking with Jorge Arango about my background as a print designer, living through transitional times, how I take notes, and my bullet journal practice. Listen in!

3. Creative Chats

A fun discussion with my friend Alejo about how I found my creative path and the legacy I hope to leave behind. Watch it!

Sketchnote Army Season 11

Sketchnote Army Podcast season 11 is a wrap! You can hear the full season and a final episode full of all the tips from the season. Listen to The Sketchnote Army Podcast

P.S. Season 12 begins in September 2022!

Wild Wonder: Page Layout Secrets

I’m speaking at Wild Wonder 2022, with an emphasis on page layout for nature journals. I’ll be sharing fresh ways to think about space in your journal.

Learn how to understand and deconstruct layouts that work--and why they work--so you can apply these principles on your next field trip. Wild Wonder 2022

Subscribe to the Rohdesign Dispatch, my monthly newsletter on sketchnotes, visual thinking and creativity.

I had a great time talking with Jorge Arango on his Informed Life Podcast and I think the interview turned out well. We talk a bit about my background as a print and web designer, living through transitional times, and of course sketchnoting.

Listen to the interview

I was honored to appear on Elizabeth Pearson-Garr’s Experience Podcast to talk about my experience of being a visual thinker. In this 43-minute interview we talk about what I think a visual thinker is, what sketchnoting is, illustrating books, and more:

• description of a visual thinker (01:13)

• definition of sketchnoting and possible templates (03:57)

• examples of Mike sketchnoting meals (at Chez Panisse) and travel experiences (Washington, DC and Alaska) (14:31)

• why listening is a secret weapon of sketchnoting (18:49)

• how Mike approaches illustrating books (21:06)

• how it feels to see others using the technique he created (29:37)

• when is a good age for kids to start learning sketchnoting (30:53)

• possible future of sketchnoting (35:04)

It was a great discussion and covered lots of ground with my thinking. Thank you Elizabeth for the opportunity.

Listen to the interview

Here in the Northern hemisphere we’ve officially entered springtime and I could not be more pleased. Spring gives me hope for the future.

A few weeks ago, my friend Nate helped me experience a Gong Fu Chinese Tea Ceremony and I captured sketchnotes I thought you might enjoy checking out:

Harney & Sons March Teafluencer

Speaking of tea, I’m excited to share that Harney & Sons Teas chose me to be the March 2022 Teafluencer which features a deep interview with me on their blog, talking about my background, sketchnotes, and tea:

March Teafluencer: Mike Rohde

I hope you enjoy the interview and do check out Harney’s teas!

— Mike Rohde

— Mike Rohde

5 Cool Things

Here are 5 cool things for spring 2022!

❥ 1. Easy ways to show more diversity in your sketches
My buddy Ben Crothers has an excellent article on easy ways you can get more diversity into your sketches and sketchnotes.

❥ 2. My (re-)discovered Talent – the artist inside
Katarina Nonhebel of SAP shares her journey of rediscovery creating art and discovering sketchnotes after a visit to the hospital.

❥ 3. Drawing in College: Using Sketchnoting to Support Student Engagement
Educator Melissa Parks, PhD shares her approach to integrating sketchnoting as a student support and engagement tool in college. If you’re a teacher in need of case studies, this one is for you!

❥ 4. An Introduction to Sketchnoting with Jen Geffen
Jen Geffen is a Canadian Teacher, Librarian, and EdTech Consultant who is passionate about sketchnotes. She shares her approach to starting sketchnoting. Thanks Jen!

❥ 5. Austin Kleon: How to Break in a Sharpie
Here’s a quick video from Austin Kleon, who burns through a metric ton of sharpies, sharing how he breaks them in.

The Big Draw

This month I’ve also partnered with The Big Draw, a British non-profit that promotes people drawing. I shared the article 5 Tips to Better Sketchnoting, then had a lively Instagram Live interview with Kate Mason of The Big Draw and Annelise Sandberg from Concepts.

Design MBA Interview

I was also honored to speak with Jayneil Dalal’s design MBA podcast, talking about my experience in sketchnoting and lessons learned from writing The Sketchnote Handbook.

Sketchnote Army Season 11

Sketchnote Army Podcast season 11 is underway with the most recent episode featuring the passionate Andreas Gaertner. There are still more interviews in the season, so check them out!

Sketchnote Army Podcast

Subscribe to the Rohdesign Dispatch, my monthly newsletter on sketchnotes, visual thinking and creativity.

I hope your January has started well. I’m very excited about 2022, with some big projects ahead that I can’t wait to announce to you first.

I’ll begin this first post of 2022 with 4 cool things and some fun projects to share with you, so have a look!

Thanks for your support.

— Mike Rohde

4 Cool Things

Here are 4 cool things to get your week and 2022 going!

❥ 1. How to draw faces in 4 steps
Zsofi Lang has a great, 5-minute video with helpful advice on drawing faces. Love it Zsofi!

❥ 2. Sketchsplanations
Jono Hey is explaining the world one sketch at a time. What a fantastic and rich resource!

❥ 3. Hand Lettering Hub
Paperlike has created a fantastic guide to share the basics of creating hand-lettered art in order to improve your lettering skills.

❥ 4. Using GoodNotes Elements Feature for Faster Sketchnotes
Mike Schmitz at the Sweet Setup has a great article for sketchnoters who love GoodNotes, showing you how to use the elements feature in the app to speed up your sketchnoting process.

Sketchnote Meditation in 2022

Start your 2022 with the session Ben Norris and I led on how to use sketchnotes as part of a meditative practice for free on YouTube:

Watch Meditative Sketchnote Workshop

Early Sketchnote Rewinds

On World Sketchnote Day, my friend and fellow sketchnoter, Diana Soriat shared our earliest sketchnotes in a 1 hour session on Instagram. Watch the replay right here:

Diana & Mike Share Early Sketchnotes

Sketchnote Army Season 11

Sketchnote Army Podcast season 11 is coming back in February!

Sketchnote Army Podcast

Subscribe to the Rohdesign Dispatch, my monthly newsletter on sketchnotes, visual thinking and creativity.

At the end of 2021, I’ve been re-watching old favorite movies, but with a twist. I watch them with an extra perceptive “look again” mindset to see things I hadn’t noticed before.

Here’s how you can participate in the challenge:

1. Watch your favorite film and practice the “look again” mindset, with an eye to seeing what you missed before.

2. Look for details you didn’t notice before:

• How are shots are framed? What does that tell you about the scene?

• What little details in the background are you seeing for the first time?

• Listen for dialogue you missed the first time you watched the movie or show.

3. Sketchnote as you watch and observe, capturing those details you’re seeing for the first time.

If you participate, share and tag your sketchnotes with the hashtag #lookagain

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!