Sketchnotes: A Guide to Visual Note-Taking

A blank, plain paper notebook is best. Avoid ruled notebooks because the lines are too rigid and may get in the way of your sketches. Graph and dot grid notebooks are good alternatives if you prefer your sketchnotes to be nicely aligned, but be aware that the grid may limit your creativity.

Because you will be jotting down notes at a fast pace, choose black ink pens that can write quickly without skips or stalls. Avoid pens and markers that may smear or bleed through to the next page.

To add depth and dimension to your sketchnotes, you will need a marker pen that can quickly add emphasis to important points. Most commonly, the emphasis pen is a gray marker that can add shading to letters and sketches. It can also be a highlighter or accent color, such as blue or orange, but avoid using too many colors in one sketchnote.

If you are traveling on a business trip or running across campus to your next class, you’ll need to keep your sketchnote essentials together in a compact, organized way. Using a carrying case ensures that your supplies will be ready whenever you are.

Mike Rohde, creator of the sketchnote method

I started sketchnoting about 9 years ago. At that point, I hated note-taking, even though I was really good at it. I tried to capture every detail of the meetings and events I attended by using large, lined notebooks and writing with a pencil (so I could fix mistakes).

The problem was, this type of court reporter note-taking was stressful, because I felt I was always missing something. It was clear I needed to change, so my solution was to fashion some constraints for myself and my note-taking.

As a designer, I always work within constraints, and that’s what makes for the most fun and most interesting of solutions. It was the same for my notes. I chose to switch from a large, lined book and a pencil, to a pocket-sized book and a pen.

Mike's personal sketchnotes

I literally could not take the detailed notes I was creating, and the pen forced me to be deliberate about what I was going to capture. This led me to analyzing talks live on the spot, and incorporating drawings and lettering to make my notes more interesting than lines of gray text.

I had so much fun within these constraints, I kept using the new technique, and here we are 7 years later with 2 books, a vibrant community and most importantly— lots of other people using sketchnotes to break out of their note-taking ruts.

People like my good friend Patrick Rhone kept asking for a guide to sketchnoting, because nothing existed at the time. I'd been thinking about ways to capture my experiences over the past 5 years, and a book had crossed my mind. However, I wasn't certain where or how to start, so it went on the back burner for a while.

While visiting my friend Von Glitschka in Portland, Oregon, he convinced me I should write a book on sketchnoting Over dinner. He emailed his editor, Nikki McDonald, right after dinner, she loved the book Idea and the rest is history!

Mike has published two sketchnote books.

The two books I wrote, The Sketchnote Handbook and The Sketchnote Workbook, were two of the hardest, yet most satisfying projects I've ever undertaken. They pushed me to my limits, because I wrote, illustrated, managed sketchnote submissions, and did all of the final print production on both books.

I'm so proud of how they've turned out and the impact they've had on the world, especially with translations of the books into German, Russian, Czech, Chinese and French.

Favorite Pens and Pencils:

• Pentel Energel 0.7 mm Gel Pens (black)
• Papermate Flair Pens (black and other colors)
• Uni-ball Air Rollerball pens (black)
• Retro 51 Tornado 1.15 mm Mechanical Pencil
• Black and Gray Brush Highlighters

Favorite Sketchbooks:

• Baron Fig Confidant Sketchbook
• Leuchtturm1917 A5 Sketchbook
• Moleskine Large Sketchbook

Favorite Notebooks:

• Leuchtturm1917 A5 Dot Grid Notebook (my work log)
• Hobonichi Techo Planner (my personal daily log)

Sketchnotes from a trip to Washington, D.C.

I love sketchnoting experiences, especially travel experiences. I find the detail I can recall later on by sketchnoting travel makes the effort to capture sketchnotes worth the time.

Very often I won’t sketchnote much on the spot, but I do occasionally. Mainly I take notes and photos as the day unfolds, then spend time in my hotel reconstructing the day’s events with writing and drawing using photos and notes for reference. I get to re-live each day that way, which is enjoyable.

The benefit years later is a rich, visual record of a travel experience that I can jump back into, or share with my kids, or grandkids some day.

I do think there is a place for them in schools, and I am seeing more and more teachers bringing them in for just that reason— which is very exciting. A few weeks ago I taught 24 engineering professors at Marquette University how to sketchnote, and they had a blast. They were already talking about integrating sketchnotes into their curriculums when the workshop was only half done!

I think it’s a valuable skill that can help many students capture attention and use the natural skills for visualization to learn. To suppress that ability seems a shame, so I definitely encourage sketchnoting in school settings.

Travel sketchnotes from New York City

My two biggest pieces of advice for someone new to sketchnoting:

1. Give yourself lots of grace as you learn.
2. Practice, practice, practice!

It’s challenging if you haven’t drawn for a while, and I know you are likely a harder critic of your own work (I know I am). Give yourself a large dose of grace, because it’s likely you won’t feel that your work is perfect.

But remember that it’s about the process—know that you will improve! I think practice is the way to improve. Keep working on your skills, and you will see it become more natural over time. There is no replacement for practice. I’ve found as I keep moving, I improve slowly and surely, and you can too.