Build Visual Vocabulary

How to generate infinite ideas and become a rockstar designer?

I am blessed that I had the opportunity to meet some of the most talented designers, filmmakers, scriptwriters, and editors in the industry.

There were many occasions where my learnings (by just interacting with them) were far more than what I could learn in college.

One such occasion used to be the script reading or narration day at the TVF campus. Some of the most memorable scenes we see on screen are actually added during these sessions. It is like a brainstorming session with the best creative minds at the TVF. Everyone from the creative department is invited. This includes writers, the direction team, and a few lead actors in the series. After the narration, the writers ask for suggestions and improvements. While I was still visualizing the images created by the story, people in the room were able to create different versions of the same situation. They could add dialogues, act them and help us visualize the situation from a new perspective. 

And, I used to look at them awestruck! How could they do it? How could they come up with such quality ideas in a few minutes? 

They have to build their visual vocabulary.

🤔 Okay, what is this visual vocabulary?

Visual vocabulary is like a library of visual elements (shape, color, scenes, characters, compositions) which can be combined, altered, and repurposed to generate ideas. It is like your stock of tools that help you create infinite ideas quickly.

That’s how creative people work!

So, how to build a visual vocabulary?

💭 Just learn to think visually!

Don’t worry I won't ask you to do any asanas or pranayam for this. We already think visually all the time we recall things, recall memories visually and see dreams visually. Just becoming a little conscious about it can do the trick. To think visually we need to learn to register things actively in our brain. We observe so many things in our life. All we need to do is to tap into that pool of visual reservoir. And, this is possible when we understand how we think.

Let's dive deeper into the process of thinking visually. I'll start with the three basic components of visual thinking.

• Looking

• Seeing 

• Imagining 

By 👀 LOOKING, I mean just taking a glance at things around us. It is more of a passive process because when we are just looking we do not pay attention to the details. It is happening all the time. We look at infinite things around us, but do we register them? 

Now 👁️ SEEING requires our attention. Unlike Looking, here we are involved and observe things in the form, shape, color, and every other little detail. It is an active process by which we create our visual library. 

To understand this better, ask yourself, did you look a movie, or did you see it? If you remember the scenes and dialogues, definitely it was an active process. In fact, some of us can remember the dress the actor was wearing in a particular scene.

That’s how you create a visual library! Having a keen observation of things in life. 

So does that mean, I am asking you to have attention to details in life as we have attention to details in the movie theatre? 🤨

Well, grasping too much information all the time is not a good idea. I am just saying that can you differentiate between looking and seeing? Can you recall things that you look at every day? 

For example, if we talk about the colors of the Google logo, would you be able to recall all the colors in sequence?

That’s what differentiates an active and passive observer. 

After this comes the 💭 IMAGINATION- Imagination is when we create something out of what we perceive. Imagination is actually generating ideas from what we see. 

To be honest, we all have been doing this all our lives. We imagine many things all day. And we do that visually. Then why are we discussing it here?

Because that’s what design is all about. Being more aware of the processes! 🧘🏻‍♀️

While most of us know what 'Imagination' is, and we imagine things all the time. And now you know how important it is for a creative professional. Do you know how to improve it?

Here is the answer!

✍ Learn to draw! 

Yes, you read it right, drawing can help improve imagination!

The ability to draw helps us manipulate our visual memories. It is the tool to combine ideas and create something new. Drawing/sketching gives you the superpower to show your ideas to others. And, to draw something accurately from memory require good observation skills. Which actually reinforces you to 👁️see things and not just 👀look at them. 

Does that mean every director, editor, designer or scriptwriter is good at drawing? 😏

Some of them yes! And, if they are not good at drawing, they are definitely good at writing (a skill that makes you a better thinker).

That’s it! This is how you think visually!

Everything I discussed in this article is a skill that can be learned with practice. But practice what? How to practice seeing things and not just look at them? 

For that wait for the next part of this article! 🤭

For now, try to see things when you have looked enough. I am sure you’ll have the visual vocabulary to relish.

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