Writing for Visual Thinkers: A Guide for Artists and Designers, Second Edition

1. The Writer’s Toolbox

The Writer’s Toolbox

Writing can be a powerful tool when you are creating visual projects. From initial notes and sketches to freewriting and mind mapping, writing can help generate lively, lateral thinking.¹ Writing helps to work through the process phase of a visual project, and can also serve as a reflective tool once a project is completed.

Writing begins as a private act that can lead to a more public expression. Writing during idea generation can be a way to gain comfort and skills that lead to better, clearer communication. Using private, “process” writing makes visual projects conceptually stronger, which ultimately leads to stronger “public” writing of materials such as proposals, project briefs, cover letters, ...