Creating and using stylized markers

This is a basic and deep post that could be added to the course. It requires a bit more time and effort than a regular post on this site. I do suggest to visit all the links within and think about integrating it in your superlearning skillset.

During the course we teach our students to be very effective using visual markers. Jonathan is especially enthusiastic explaining the vividness, detail level and dynamic qualities of the markers he likes to use. Occasionally I am asked how to create markers that do not require this level of visualization. I call this sort of markers “stylized”.

When should we use stylized markers?

It is better to use “stylized” markers when

• we do not want to get emotionally involved with the text
• have trouble visualizing the content
• have trouble mastering visualization as a methodology
• do not have enough time to visualize in all detail

Blind people and professional performers often use muscle memory for markers. I do not have much experience with muscle memory, but I understand that it can also be very specific and “fine” or “coarse” and stylized.

What constitutes stylized markers?

Stylized markers are tuned-down form of markers. Typically I say that they are like icons or heraldic shields – they are not very specific, have few clearly visible details, typically they are 2D or even 1D. We can reference some famous art for inspiration. The work of Vince Low is very interesting since it shows incredible detail and is generated by only one line. In a similar way Mondrian encodes whole worlds in very few lines and simple geometric shapes. In technology we use flow charts and block diagrams to the same effect. The stylized markers can be as descriptive and recognizable as characters in “The Simpsons”, yet the mental effort that goes into generating them may be significantly less than the effort required for a full-blown detailed 3D marker.

How can we link stylized markers?

The best thing about regular 3D markers is their ability to move in the space in the most natural way. We can apply on them all laws of physics and animation: they link almost effortlessly. The stylized markers cannot be modified this way. They can do all the things that Looney Toons do, but activating this sort of magic requires extra imagination. So whatever you gain in visualization of the markers themselves you need to compensate visualizing the linking. Fortunately for logical thinking, the simple logical links and paradoxes of causality, contradictions, and occlusions also apply. If you can find simple logical way to connect the stylized markers the work is pretty easy. Do not be temped to introduce information and links that were not originally in the text: this effort may backfire in false memories. But if you select the markers properly, the logical connections will emerge.

“Hyperlinking” and “comics” method

When working with stylized markers I alternate “hyperlinking” and “comics” method. The “comics” method is useful to connect large amount of connected marks. The hyperlinking method then closes weaker connections and non-trivial links.

“Comics” method

In this method we apply some sort of “background” mood/setting/staging to all the characters following some favourite comics style and creating a new chapter. The “background” is the best visual clue for the retrieval of the whole scenario, and it should be indicative to the way the other markers are created and interact with each other. See e.g. my examples for markers. The navigation within may be as simple as frames in a comics book, or a bit more complex. Most of the connections are duplicate the logic of the text by the imaginary logic of the comics world.

“Hyperlinking” method

In this method we try to look at loosely connected links from multiple perspectives and encode the logical connections we find into the links we remember. Personally I use some of my pomodoro breaks to practice hyperlinking on larger scale connecting together multiple articles I read.

Summary

• Stylized markers are tuned-down form of markers
• Use stylized markers whenever you feel comfortable using them.
• You trade simpler visualization for more complex linking. You do need to be creative with stylized markers, but their linking is creative.
• You can get many details with “comics” method and many connections/speed (intense!) with “hyperlinking”