How does the brain process visual clues to the environment and synthesize meaning about an ever changing landscape? Tom Wujec explains the creation of mental models and why AutoDesk invest in visual management techniques to plan their strategic roadmaps.
Also in one of Tom Wujec's talks on How to Make Toast, he explains another important point of visual management - system's thinking and group work.
Don't worry... the mind will do all the work. It will fill in the missing details, and abstract the patterns into the concept. Here's an exercise, Squiggle Birds by David Gray, to experience this.
On a similar topic - Your view of Time
Do you know where you perception of time comes from... it's not the same all over the earth. It's a cultural construct. If you are like me (English speaking/writing) you have a perception that time flows from left to right (the direction of reading written words). Ponder that a moment... time flow is a construct from our writing system. What about people with no written language... what might there construct be... and why? What about people born blind? This concept has a scientific term: sagittal (forwards and backwards) plane-space (The ego-moving metaphor of time relies on visual experience: No representation of time along the sagittal space in the blind).
The Aymara people of the Andes have a rather unique construct of time - it makes a lot of sense when explained. They view time as past if they can envision it (remember it) - therefore the past is in front of them. The future which cannot yet be seen is behind them, where they have no perception (no vision). Time flows from behind to the now and on to the past in front of you. Now that is a powerful metaphor.
See Also:
Why do we think of the future as being in front? New clues from study of people born blind By Alex Fradera
Time is understood differently across cultures by Mary Beth Griggs
Your Brain on Scrum - Michael de la Maza on InfoQ
Visual Management Blog
Visual Thinking - Wikipedia
David Gray on Visual Thinking
Ultimate Wallboard Challenge 2010 time-lapse of Vodafone Web Team's board
iPad Interactive Whiteboard Remote
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