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Sketchbooks as a learning tool

from Julie Reynolds, Friday, May 22, 2009

A glimpse into Ian's sketchbook, showing his reflections on the John Lewis archive

Yesterday afternoon was the second workshop in the MLA London Exchange Programme. The afternoon was fun and there was a real sense of a network developing. We had five new participants who relaxed instantly and took part in the journey of discussion and discourse on ‘the role of a business archive’. John Lewis’s archive was used as a bouncing board of exploration. Judy Faraday, Partnership Archivist, and Susan Donovan, Director of Communications, talked about the important use of their large archive; textile and objects and its embedded function within the John Lewis Partnership and its partners, its staff. Judy, like John Entwisle from Thomson Reuters, is a living archive, a vessel of knowledge and love and passion for John Lewis. As she said at one point, ‘if you cut me in half I will be green and white inside’.

As part of this journey, as well as open discussion and exercises in the workshops, we have asked the participants each to take away a sketchbook and use it is a learning tool. We’re looking at the role of inventive kinds of note taking for today’s business, museum and archive professionals and equipping participants with practical tools that can be applied or introduced into their every day work settings to increase the effectiveness of knowledge transfer. The idea of sketchbooks as a key tool of personal professional and knowledge development comes from Professor Clive Hotham at Cass Business School.

‘..for some time that managers, under the pressure of high-tempo day-to-day activities, often fail to make time for slower reflective practice. ……A reflective sketchbook is not a diary, is not a travel journal and is not a place to keep everyday notes. It is a place consciously to articulate half-formed ideas and ambitions (basic reflection), then slowly let them evolve, hopefully to a refined state (deep reflection).’
Source: Professor Clive Hotham, Cass Business School , City University London
Professor Allan Owens, School of Education, University of Chester December 2008

Yesterday was a chance to see how the sketchbooks were developing, not for the content, but in terms of use and practicality. A few of the participants were finding it hard to get started and questioned the use of sketching – ‘how is this more important than note taking?’ one asked. Ian Pape from graphic design company FONDA had started to sketch, collect notes and thoughts and cuttings in his sketchbook. But he did find it hard to start the sketchbook, and to get started had thought to draw a random image that came to mind. This was the Transport for London tube logo, which is fitting as our first workshop was at the London Transport Museum. A couple of weeks ago I had a meeting with Sarah Mahurter, Manager, Archives and Special Collections Centre, University of the Arts London, who at the time hadn’t started her sketchbook and was finding it hard. A suggestion of starting the sketchbook off with a question in relation to the programme that also relates to her every day job seemed to work. Yesterday Sarah was happy to show me her sketchbook and how the question, ‘what is knowledge transfer?’, was a starting point which enabled her to collect cuttings, capturing thoughts on knowledge transfer projects, partnerships and ideas for new projects. Sarah’s comment about sketchbooking illustrates the importance of its use and how to start:

‘My sketchbook is a free space where I can articulate ideas that don’t have to relate to one another, but reflect the wider picture of knowledge transfer.

I didn’t start on the first page, I skipped the first double page spread and began on the next left hand page! Much more comfortable to make use of an internal space!’

However Sarah was concerned that ‘I haven’t drawn anything yet’. There is an inner battle within us all in starting the sketchbook, making the leap into the first page. Thinking of a question often helps to get over this hurdle. I think Ian’s sketchbook is a great example of how to start looking and drawing. Choosing an object that is around that is of interest, not necessarily connected with work and start doodling: it can help the drawing juices flow. Having trained as an artist, I am still very nervous of my drawing skills and I have yet to start drawing in my own sketchbook. Mae Keary, from the Scott-Keary Consultancy used a version of mind mapping to convey her visual thinking, and used this to start the drawing process. But how and why do we start drawing and how does this help us?

Ian says:

For me, the old saying ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ is true. For instance, how would you best describe the children’s game ‘hangman’? Probably not with words, as a simple sketch can be far more descriptive. That’s the purpose of a sketch.

Michelangelo didn’t do us any favours as sketchbooks don’t need to be works of art, merely a visual way to remember something. As a designer I think visually but we all shouldn’t be afraid to complement our words with pictures. A simple scribble will do.

When you revisit your sketchbook, you’ll be amazed at how a sketch can bring your words and thoughts to life. A visual note to yourself’.

Another reason to start drawing is to add to the exercises in the workshops; the sketching and drawing allows personal reflection. It takes the brain out of the linear pattern of the written word, exercising it to be more creative in its thinking and assist with problem solving, project development etc. We are all looking forward to the next session to see how the sketchbooks are coming along……..