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Hi everyone! My name is Denise, and this talk is called "The Power of Visual Narrative."
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My Twitter handle is @DeniseU21. I'm really excited to be speaking at RailsConf this year! This is actually my first time ever speaking at RailsConf.
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I want to start by diving straight in with a true story. In 2018, three years ago, I was working at Pivotal as a software engineer.
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It was my first big kid job, and I was really excited about working on so many cool products with very smart people.
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The way teams work at Pivotal, which is quite similar to how teams work in the industry, consists of engineers and product managers who collaborate.
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Together, we build roadmaps, figure out what to develop for our customers, and prioritize tasks.
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Typically, when you get hired as an engineer, you remain an engineer. Similarly, if you begin as a product manager, you stay in that role.
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Although there are opportunities to work on different projects, you usually don't move between disciplines.
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In 2018, due to some unforeseen circumstances in our office, we suddenly had a shortage of product managers. Leadership looked around and wondered what to do.
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So, I raised my hand and volunteered to become a product manager. It was a rare opportunity, one that not many engineers get.
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As excited as I was, I learned that transitioning into product management did not fit seamlessly.
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There was so much for me to learn. I had just become comfortable as an engineer, and now, moving laterally into product management made me feel like I was starting from scratch.
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I often felt confused and lost. One of the essential skills I needed for my new role was communication.
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I considered myself quite good at written and verbal communication. I was on the debate team when I was younger, so I knew how to talk to people.
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However, it turned out that communication within large organizations is different.
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There were key stakeholders I needed to communicate with, including customers and various team members.
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At that time, our primary communication tool was email, given that we were spread across many offices and time zones.
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I found myself writing a lot of emails, but soon discovered that people were not reading them.
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People kept interrupting my team, asking the same questions repeatedly, questions that I had already addressed in my update emails.
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It felt like I wasn’t sending out those emails at all.
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For my product, I was working on a highly technical tool that was used by other engineering teams to develop even more technical products.
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Because my product area was so technical and difficult to understand, I assumed there was no way to talk about it without getting technical.
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I thought I could only write these emails as hopelessly long walls of text, which I later realized were unread.
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Outside of work, I had started attending a sketchnoting meetup that was completely unrelated to my job.
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At this meeting, I learned various tools, tips, and tricks for telling stories through art.
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So one day, I decided, why not try drawing my update emails? Why not use art instead of walls of text?
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At that point, I had nothing to lose; no one was reading my emails.
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And you know what? It worked! I began receiving positive feedback on my emails.
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People started reading them, and my team experienced fewer interruptions.
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Finding a different way to communicate what I thought was dense subject matter had a transformative effect on my relationship with other teams.
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It also fundamentally changed my connection to my work and the industry.
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Surprisingly, I discovered that art is a powerful way to grab someone's attention and encourage them to open an email they had previously ignored.
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I continued to explore how I could incorporate art into my daily work as a technical contributor.
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I began drawing my slides for conference talks.
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I created art for my personal blog posts, for the company's blog, for social media, and internal documentation.
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I paired with other teams, capturing their work in the form of cat drawings.
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It was a lot of fun, and I became quite well-known in the company.
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Not to toot my own horn, but people recognized me as the go-to person for creating fun, artistic artifacts related to our very technical domain.
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I leaned into the idea of illustrating technical concepts repeatedly.
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In late 2018, I submitted a talk about distributed systems to DevOpsDays London, and surprisingly, my talk was accepted as one of only 16 full-length presentations.
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I later learned that hundreds of people had submitted for those slots.
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An organizer told me that my promise to use cat drawings to explain distributed systems was a key differentiator.
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At that time, I was not an expert in distributed systems; I was very much still learning.
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But my desire to communicate the topic in a unique way made my submission stand out.
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I continued to iterate on this talk and submitted it again to SRE Con the next year.
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I was stunned to not only be invited to present my talk but to do so as one of two closing keynotes for the entire conference.
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I felt a bit like an imposter since I wasn't even a site reliability engineer.
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However, I learned that there is so much more to conference speaking than just being an expert.
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While having knowledge is essential, you also need to engage the audience.
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Conference organizers value captivating content that attendees will remember long after the event.
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I learned two significant things from this experience: first, as fun as product management was, I believe I will stick with engineering for now.
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I am grateful for the experience, as it has given me more empathy for product managers.
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But I have discovered that engineering brings me more joy, allowing me to apply a product mindset.
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The second lesson is that visual storytelling is incredibly powerful.
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Using visuals, even simple cat drawings, can command attention in a way that words alone cannot.
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So, to introduce myself properly: Hello RailsConf! I hope you're enjoying the first fully asynchronous RailsConf!
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My name is Denise, and I work as a senior software engineer at GitHub.
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I am part of a team called Communities, focused on building tools that enhance open-source community engagement.
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I've been drawing since I was a little kid, filling the margins of my notebooks with doodles.
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So, I'm thrilled to have discovered that this passion is a transferable skill that I can apply as a technologist.
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Today, I'm excited to discuss the intersection of storytelling, art, and learning as a technologist.
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Let’s break down what happened during my transition.
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I used a TED Talk format of public speaking, jumping into a story without introducing myself upfront.
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I did this intentionally because stories are engaging.
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You were likely more engaged by my story than by any introductory slides.
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Stories capture attention; our brains are wired to love them.
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This appreciation for storytelling dates back to epic poetry and the earliest human fables.
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Conflicts, characters, and plot twists keep us intrigued, leading to resolutions.
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Without resolution, of course, we might be watching a French film, where that's often the theme.
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Visual narrative is a way to enhance storytelling.
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Stories are fantastic, and we should always tell them.
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Whether on stage, around campfires, or in writing, they hold value.
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But incorporating visuals can elevate the experience.
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Visual storytelling allows the audience to empathize with characters.
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My characters often look like little yellow cats, which act as stand-ins for me.
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Drawing these characters helps express my thoughts and experiences, creating a stronger connection.
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When I post a comic online, people often respond, "That’s me!" This feedback indicates a resonance that feels powerful.
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Stories also serve as a platform for metaphor, crucial for getting everyone on the same page.
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Metaphors can help contextualize complex ideas, providing footholds for understanding.
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Once someone grasps a basic concept, layers of information can gradually build.
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Visuals also grant control over tone.
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While you can write with different voices to influence tone, visuals can do this more effectively and quickly.
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I prefer a whimsical and fun tone in my work because software does not have to be too serious.
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The more we can demystify concepts, making them engaging, the more accessible technology becomes.
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We should strive to reduce gatekeeping in tech to make our content approachable.
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Art is a powerful vehicle for communicating ideas.
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Visual storytelling helps balance aesthetic appeal with information delivery.
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The first common use case is capturing information.
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I used to see one or two individuals at conferences sketching along with speakers, but nowadays, it’s more common to see a larger group.
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This practice is wonderful for learners as it helps them build a useful skill set.
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Capturing talks, like TED talks, is an excellent way to develop this skill, as they often have a clear flow.
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You can trust that speakers have structured their content to gradually build context without overwhelming newcomers.
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Another approach is to invent.
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You can read blog posts or watch videos on a topic and recompose them into your own story.
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This involves thinking about how to structure your ideas and the pacing for delivering information.
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The final use case is to start a conversation.
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For example, after reading a chapter from the Site Reliability Engineering book, I identified key concepts that were grouped together.
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When I saw the concept of "four golden signals," I decided to draw it, organizing my page into four quadrants.
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However, I don’t expect my drawings to convey complete understanding; the aim is to pique interest.
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I hope my drawings encourage viewers to explore the SRE book further, making it feel more approachable.
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When it comes to fidelity of information, I aim to start conversations rather than providing exhaustive answers.
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It’s important to distinguish visual storytelling from technical documentation.
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These two have different goals; we're seeking to communicate at various levels of abstraction.
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We are not attempting to anticipate every possible use case or provide exhaustive answers.
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Our goal is simply to spark interest and concern.
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Moreover, writing good documentation is a specialized skill.
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Technical writing and documentation hold immense value and should be respected; not everyone can do it.
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We aim to build shared foundational knowledge and adhere to the principle that if they want every detail, they can consult the documentation.
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Let’s reflect on why I pursue sketch noting and visual storytelling.
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People often ask me why I engage in sketch noting; they’re curious about my motivations.
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Personally, it's been a great way to reinforce my own learning.
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I have a hard time absorbing information from reading alone, but drawing helps me process it better.
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I also genuinely enjoy helping others learn new things.
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Receiving messages from people saying my work or tutorials helped them understand concepts brings me immense joy.
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Many people hesitate to share their insights due to the fear of duplicating what's already been said.
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I encourage everyone to share their voice anyway; your unique perspective may click with someone.
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Through visual narratives and drawings, my goal isn't for everyone to have a click-moment, but to encourage them to discover helpful resources.
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I've also been struck by how effective sketch noting can be as a networking tool.
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Initially, I felt awkward approaching speakers by saying, "I drew your talk!" But I received positive reactions every time.
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No one ever gets upset about someone sketch noting their talk—it's always a compliment.
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In the beginning, my sketch notes were messy and made with neon markers, but people appreciated that I paid attention to their presentations.
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I’ve stayed in touch with many speakers, forming valuable professional relationships.
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If you're looking to build your network, sketch noting talks is an effective way to do it.
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Now, let’s explore building blocks for creating engaging sketches.
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Many ask how to develop their doodles into a more sophisticated visual narrative.
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There are several key components I'll discuss quickly.
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First, we have characters—an essential part of storytelling.
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Most of us have drawn stick figures at some point in our lives; that's absolutely sufficient.
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Stick figures can effectively convey emotions and actions.
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If you want to expand your toolbox, star people (with starfish-like appendages) are another option.
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They convey more attitude and are fun to draw.
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On the other hand, tooth people (faces made from circles and d shapes) might be easier for depicting groups.
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Using tooth people is a quick way to represent multiple stakeholders.
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Now, let's discuss signposting, which is about guiding the viewer in visual narratives.
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Effective visual narratives have clear headings and text wrapped in banners or shapes.
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Manipulating your handwriting can create a visual hierarchy, which is critical.
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This concept helps communicate information more intuitively.
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Another aspect is quick representation, or building a visual library.
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A visual library contains images and characters you can draw quickly without much thought.
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The key is practice—aim to draw each item in under 30 seconds.
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For real-time sketch noting, aim for under 10 seconds for most items to keep up with the speaker.
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Practice helps you prioritize what to illustrate when multiple concepts arise.
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You can create Post-it notes with various words and challenge yourself to draw them quickly.
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This drill prioritizes visual communication during real-time events.
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You can utilize different techniques in visual storytelling.
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Visual flow is key; it guides viewers through the information and connects related content.
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This can be achieved using arrows, numbered lists, and boundary lines to delineate sections.
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If you create visual artifacts on digital platforms, think about how to incorporate background and transparency layers.
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Going digital allows for more flexibility while giving your drawings fluidity.
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Nonetheless, perfectionism can be a trap with digital tools.
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Resist the urge to keep fixing and focus on moving forward instead.
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Finally, my reflections on the past few years—drawing has been a useful outlet during hard times.
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Even outside of tech, creativity can provide escape and focus.
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If you're uncertain about pursuing art, consider tapping into its restorative potential.
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Organizations like Let's Sketch Tech host workshops focused on the intersection of tech and art.
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After this talk, I will share links to a workshop available on the Let's Sketch Tech YouTube channel for free.
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There, you’ll find step-by-step instructions on creating characters, layouts, and much more.
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The slides for this presentation will be available after the conference.
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I encourage everyone to explore materials like the Sketch Note Handbook by Mike Rohde.
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Thank you all so much for your time! I hope you enjoy the rest of your RailsConf.
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I look forward to seeing you online!
