Draw your way through complexity

Imagine trying to assemble an IKEA bookshelf without the instructions.

You open the box to find a mess of wooden panels, screws, and dowels—where do you even start? Now, what if the instructions were just a block of text? No diagrams, no step-by-step visuals—just words.

It doesn’t matter how many HAUGA cabinets you have assembled, that would be an overwhelming experience.

That’s exactly how complexity feels when we rely solely on words to navigate it.

Words can get lost in interpretation. Pictures cut through the ambiguity.

Complexity isn’t linear

Complex problems are rarely linear. Yet, we often try to explain them with long emails, dense reports, or never-ending slide decks filled with bullet points.

The result? Everyone walks away with subtly (or significantly) different interpretations of the same information. It's not that words are wrong, it's just that our brains are wired for something more.

A well-constructed diagram, a system map, or even a rough sketch on the back of a napkin can transform the way we understand complexity.

Some researchers even argue that all text is ultimately converted into images for mental processing, meaning diagrams essentially shortcut your brain’s workload (Larkin & Simon, Why a Diagram is (Sometimes) Worth a Thousand Words, 1987).

Good visuals reduce ambiguity, accelerate comprehension, and make you smarter.

Visuals reduce complexity

• They cut through the noise. A dashboard or heatmap can communicate in seconds what would take hours to decipher in a spreadsheet.

• They create shared understanding. By reducing the potential for misunderstanding, visuals ensure that when people say they’re on the same page, they actually are.

• They invite collaboration. A blank whiteboard is an invitation to think together. Sketching out ideas externalises them, making it easier to iterate, discuss, and refine solutions collectively.

• They make the invisible visible. In complex projects, dependencies, bottlenecks, and feedback loops often remain hidden. A systems map or network diagram can reveal these relationships, giving clarity to what was previously unseen.

Research shows that 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual, and images are processed 60,000 times faster than text (Medina, Brain Rules, 2008).

Navigate with pictures

Next time you’re wrestling with a complex problem, step back from the details. Grab a whiteboard, a napkin, or a blank page and start sketching. It doesn’t have to be pretty—just functional.

1. Start with a system map. Identify key elements and their relationships. Who's connected to what? What influences what?

2. Locate the boundaries. Define what’s inside and outside the scope—especially where there’s uncertainty.

3. Experiment with different formats. Some ideas work best in a network diagram, others in a timeline, a venn diagram, or even an iceberg model showing visible vs. hidden factors.

4. Iterate. Your first sketch won’t be your best. Like any good idea, refining it will reveal deeper insights.

Take a current challenge in your project and try sketching it out.

Then step back and ask:

-        What does this reveal that words alone didn’t?

-        What do you see that you didn't see before?

In a world drowning in complexity, a good picture can be a lifeline.