Sketchnote Workbook

In The Sketchnote Workbook and companion two-hour video, you’ll learn new techniques for taking visual notes outside of work to capture ideas, experiences, and memories that you’ll want to return to and share with others. Like the doctor who wrote in after using techniques he learned in The Sketchnote Handbook to better communicate with his patients. Or the travel reporter who used sketchnoting to chronicle the trip he was writing for a magazine article. Or the teacher who used it to transform the way she reaches her students. Or the 5th grade student who used sketchnoting techniques to organize her thoughts before she wrote a school paper.

But you’ll not only be inspired to use sketchnotes in new ways, you’ll also learn how to take even better sketchnotes in the dullest of meetings, the kind of meetings where you barely understand what the words mean, much less how to draw them. In The Sketchnote Workbook, you’ll learn new techniques for capturing hard-to-visualize concepts so you can take better sketchnotes, no matter how tough the topic.   

– Patrick Rhone, author of Enough and Keeping It Straight

“Sketchnoting is versatile, lightweight, and easy to do, which makes it a perfect companion for any agile project. This unique technique fosters creativity and helps teams understand different viewpoints. Sketchnoting saves valuable project time while creating immense focus. In a simple yet powerful way, Mike sets a new standard for the agile industry.”

– Jochen Krebs, agile coach, incrementor, and author of Agile Portfolio Management

“In his latest book Mike Rohde shows you that a lack of artistic talent is no barrier to capturing and sharing ideas. Forget that you can't draw. Mike Rohde shows you how to create and share ideas visually. Dig out your pens and get cracking!”

– Ian Sanders, business storyteller, author, advisor

“I came to sketchnoting believing I had zero artistic talent. Mike taught me that my approach was wrong; we all have the ability to create visual ideas. Now I sketchnote all the time.”

– David Sparks,  MacSparky.com

“Mike's Sketchnote Workbook is a phenomenal guide to how sketchnoting works in almost every conceivable situation. It features lots of practical teaching blended with sketchnote samples from school kids and masters students to teachers and other professionals. This book is an essential guide for anyone wanting to communicate information and ideas effectively.”

– Erik Petersen, Emprove 

“Mike’s great accomplishment is in making drawing ideas accessible. In his books, he provides a simple, logical, and fast way for you to incorporate sketches into your work. If you need to document ideas, or plan new projects, learn to sketchnote!”

– Eric Karjaluoto, creative director at smashLAB

“Mike shows just how versatile sketchnoting can be, applying this simple and stunning concept to everything from mind-mapping to recipes to documenting experiences. If that's not enough, he also packs out the book with tools, techniques, examples, and case studies for getting started yourself. My travel journals will never be the same again!”

– Tom Allen, adventure writer and filmmaker, and founder of  TomsBikeTrip.com

“I admit it, I have a fear of drawing. But now with the exercises and guidance from Mike Rohde's Sketchnote Workbook, the visual half of my brain is ready to rumble!”

– Chuck Teller, vice president of  Wise.io

“Fun and functional–The Sketchnote Workbook is a visually thrilling read that inspires you to create and explore. Mike's detailed (and easy to use) sketchnote method is an excellent device for organizing, brainstorming, and remembering.”

– Joey Cofone, co-founder & CEO of Baron Fig

“Mike Rohde is the foremost expert at this craft, and The Sketchnote Workbook offers clear, concise, practical approaches to the art and craft of sketchnoting. For those people who are new to the concept of sketchnotes, then this workbook is going to be a valuable asset. For those who are familiar with sketchnotes and simply want to get better at creating them–especially when it comes to ideation, planning, and documentation–then this book delivers.”– Mike Vardy, productivity specialist and founder of Productivityist

“I can't recommend Mike Rohde's Sketchnote Workbook enough–from the very simple explanations to the examples that highlight the value of a craft that everyone should be exploiting and that no one should be afraid of! So many techniques that can be applied instantly. I've upgraded my rudimentary sketchnoting skills to the point where they're much more useful and practical to me, thanks to Mike and this book!”

– Russ Unger, co-author of A Project Guide to UX Design, Designing the Conversation, and Speaker Camp

“I used to think creating sketchnotes was embedded in a chromosome I didn't have. Mike not only showed me that I can create sketchnotes, but also introduced me to an entirely new creative language. I'm super inspired to keep sketching and learning from his awesome tips!”– Jason SurfrApp, founder of IWearYourShirt and author of Creativity For Sale

“Given the amount of meetings I find myself in during any given week, keeping track of my notes can be a real challenge. Using sketchnotes has made the process significantly more fun and creative. The Sketchnote Workbook gives me completely new areas where I can use sketchnotes to make my everyday life exciting and rewarding!”– Mikkel Bondesen, founder of UFUSE, executive producer of Burn Notice and The Killing

“I told myself I was ‘not an artist’ and couldn't make beautiful sketchnotes, until Mike Rohde proved me a liar with his wonderfully instructiveSketchnote Workbook. There is no better way to bring ideas alive than with rich graphics, and now I can create them. Excuse me while I whip up some beautiful notes!”– Pamela Slim, bestselling author of Body of Work

“This is a fantastic guide to get your creativity and notes in a visual format that's easy to remember and digest. As someone who is very logical and a terrible sketcher, I found this to be an immensely helpful resource to learn how to take better notes and sketch important information in a format I can easily remember. I highly recommend it to everyone.”

– Thanh Pham, AsianEfficiency.com

“Mike Rohde's newest book, The Sketchnote Workbook, combines insights with exercises to take the guesswork out of sketchnoting.”– Nancy Duarte, CEO, Duarte, Inc., and bestselling author of Resonate and Slide:ology

“The Sketchnote Workbook is packed with practical examples of how to apply sketchnoting to tasks beyond notetaking, including brainstorming ideas, planning presentations, and creating how-to documents like recipes. The book includes numerous samples from real-world sketchnoters. It's a worthy companion to The Sketchnote Handbook.”

– Michael Mace, CEO of  Zekira.com , and author of Mapping the Future

Mike Rohde is an experience and interface designer who has created usable and compelling applications for mobile, web, and dedicated devices. His clients include Northwestern Mutual, GE Health Care, Bio-Rad Laboratories, We Energies, Epocrates, and Qvidian. Rohde turned to experience design after 20 years as a successful print and web designer where he first developed his sketchnote approach and technique. Because of his sketchnote work, Rohde has been hired to illustrate REWORK and REMOTE, bestselling business books from 37signals; Chris Guillebeau’s The $100 Startup; Daniel Coyle’s The Little Book of Talent; and he has been hired to create live sketchnotes for a variety of conferences and events, including SXSW Interactive, An Event Apart, Summit Series, World Domination Summit, The Storyline Conference, Chick-fil-A Leadercast, and The SEED Conference. He has also taught sketchnoting workshops at conferences and for private companies. Rohde is the author of The Sketchnote Handbook: the illustrated guide to visual notetaking.