Reflection – Visual Thinking

Challenge & Selection

I choose Visualization or Visual Thinking; it is a way to understand and organize my thoughts and  a way to improve the way I think and communicate. It is a great way to understand confusing and  complex information especially when we are fed by too much information and we become  overwhelmed that we tend to shut down.

As an engineering student, visualization is useful especially with solving word problems, and  thinking of new ideas to present and to make it into reality. As engineers transforms raw materials  into a more valuable product and design thinking tools, especially visual thinking, is really helpful  in building up ideas, organizing thoughts, improve thinking, and deeper understanding about  something that you want to innovate. In solving word problems, it is hard to understand when you  just read it, so it is helpful if you visualize the problem and start organizing your ideas to solve it.  As engineers, I think the most important tool in Design Thinking is Visualization.

Application

In Visual Thinking, one does not need to be an artist to do visualization. Ideas cannot be done, if  you cannot visualize it. You just need to externalize your internal thoughts and making them more  understandable and explicit. Will apply visual thinking in a form of roadmaps, drafts, and sketches.

In engineering, sketching, and visualizing something is really helpful if you want to innovate  something. We are taught computer aided designs, and how to draw with right measurements so it  is not very new for us engineering students is the visual thinking. Same as with planning something  you want to create or innovate, you first visualize how it works, what is it, how do you want it to  look like. You visualize first, organize your ideas and then make it into reality.

Insight & Approach

When you think of something you want to innovate, automatically you visualize what is it and  how you want it to work. I learned from this exercise is that design graphics are important, but the  most important thing is reinforcing your understanding about something, shared insights, and  learning. The next time I will make something I will make sure I will apply all design thinking  tools, especially visualization. Visualization is the easiest way to address your ideas and see more  probabilities.

When I think of something I want to create or innovate, I will sketch or make a draft on my  notebook and label it so I won’t forget. Because it is easier to gather thoughts when you are  visualizing our ideas, making it easier to put it into reality.

