VIsuaL thInKIng desIgn 148 desIgn Visual thinking is indispensable to working with business models. By visual thinking we mean using visual tools such as pictures, sketches, diagrams, and Post-it™ notes to construct and discuss meaning. Because business models are complex concepts composed of various building blocks and their interrelationships, it is diffi cult to truly understand a model without sketching it out. A business model really is a system where one element infl uences the other; it only makes sense as a whole. Capturing that big picture without visualizing it is diffi cult. In fact, by visually depict- ing a business model, one turns its tacit assumptions into explicit information. This makes the model tangible and allows for clearer discussions and changes. Visual techniques give “life” to a business model and facilitate co-creation. Sketching a model transforms it into a persistent object and a conceptual anchor to which discussions can always return. This is critical because it shifts discourse from the abstract toward the concrete and greatly improves the quality of debate. Typically, if you aim to improve an existing business model, visually depicting it will unearth logical gaps and facilitate their discussion. Similarly, if you are designing a completely new business model, drawing it will allow you to discuss different options easily by adding, removing, or moving pictures around. Businesses already make frequent use of visual techniques such as diagrams and charts. Such elements are used extensively to clarify messages within reports and plans. But visual techniques are used less frequently to discuss, explore, and defi ne business issues. When was the last time you attended a meeting where executives were drawing on the walls? Yet it is in the strategic process where visual thinking can add tremendous value. Visual thinking enhances strategic inquiries by making the abstract concrete, by illuminating relationships between elements, and by simplifying the complex. In this section we describe how visual thinking can help you throughout the process of defi ning, discussing, and changing business models. We refer to two techniques: the use of Post-it™ notes and the use of sketches in combination with the Business Model Canvas. We also discuss four processes improved by visual thinking: understanding, dialogue, exploration, and communication. The Value of Visual Thinking — bmgen_final.indd 148 6/15/10 5:40 PM