All you need to know about Visual Thinking

Current Residence: Berlin, Germany

Title: Research Assistant

Organization: Interaction Design Lab

Email:

Background:

Christian Behrens is a Research Assistant at the Interaction Design Lab in Potsdam, Germany where he is responsible for development of interface design pattern collections for
various clients and partner institutions in the field of interactive media and
data visualization. He also does freelance work in the fields of interface design, interaction design and digital media for various contractors and clients such as Telekom Laboratories and Nintendo Europe.

For his Master's thesis at the Potsdam University of Applied Science, Christian wrote a book entitled The Form of Facts and Figures and created the associated website, Information Design Patterns, which contains an interactive version of his thesis. While the book is not avaialable in print, the site is filled with useful information and is a valuable tool for both study and for inspiration.

Current Residence: Apeldoorn , Netherlands

Title: Educational Policy Advisor

Organization: Police Academy Netherlands

Email:

Background:

Natascha studied Educational Technology at the University of Twente (Netherlands).

Since 2000 she is working as educational Policy advisor Learning & ICT at the Dutch Police Academy. As educational advisor Natascha is concerned with designing and implementation of ICT in the competence based Police education. From 2001 she is involved with Behrloo as project manager, designer and advisor. At the moment Natscha is responsible for the educational development of Behrloo and advisor of the project managers.

About the General Dutch Police Academy
The General Dutch Police Academy is the centre for training and knowledge of the Dutch Police. It is a dynamic organization that offers education and knowledge at a high level, which anticipates social developments and this may translate into education-to-measure.
The Police Academy integrates and develops the knowledge function of the Police in close collaboration with the forces responsible.

Current Residence: Zurich, Switzerland

Title: Founder & Strategic Architect

Organization: VASP

Email:

Background:

Remo Burkhard is focusing on Knowledge Visualization and investigates how companies can make more money by using visualization methods. He is both a researcher and entrepreneur: He is a senior researcher at ETH Zurich at the Chair for Information Architecture (www.ia.arch.ethz.ch) and founding partner of the company vasp datatecture GmbH (www.vasp.ch). The company assists their customers to make abstract or complex information comprehensible and understandable, both internally and externally: To grow faster, to sell more, or to educate better.

Recent publications:

Burkhard, R. (2008). Visualising Desires, not Cities. Making Mega-City-Regions Visible! A. Thierstein and A. Forster. Baden, Lars Muller Publishers.

Burkhard, R. and G. Schmitt (2008). Visualizing Future Cities in the ETH Value Lab. New Methods for Education and Learning. Mixed Reality in Architecture, Design, and Construction. Wang and Schnabel, Springer.

Burkhard, R., S. Bischof, et al. (2008). The Potential of Crowd Simulations for Communication Purposes in Architecture. 12th International Information Visualisation Conference. London.

Eppler, M. and R. Burkhard (2007). "Visual Representations in Knowledge Management." Journal of Knowledge Management 11(4): 112-122.

Current Residence: Madrid, Spain

Title: Presidente

Organization: DAD

Email:

Background:

Rodolfo is the President and CEO of DAD, Digital Assets Deployment, a leading Spanish Internet incubator with over 14 companies in the portfolio, like Baquia and Cinemavip or Synerquia.com. Before DAD, He was founding member and President of the Spanish chapter of Commerce Net and is frequently asked to speak on issues of e-Commerce and Internet Business Models as well as about entrepreneurs and seed capital funding. He helped develop Servicom, the first European ISP to have 50,000 paying customers and co-founded World online, later sold to Tiscali for $3.6 billions. He was also partner in Netjuice an incubator company that was a leading shareholder in Kelkoo, sold to Yahoo in 2004 for 475 million Euros. Altogether, he has over 25 years of experience in online business. He also holds a Master in International Management (CESEM) and a Master in General Management (CESEM).

He has specialized in using Internet in decision support in Management issues. He follows closely developments in the European and US Internet market and has interviewed over 1850 entrepreneurs over the last 15 years, and has written two books about Internet including Internet Hoy in 1996 and in 2004 Los Cinco Mandamientos de La Empresa en Internet: Ensenanzas Para Despues de Una Crisis.

In addition to Spanish, he is fluent in English, German, French and Catalan and follows the development of Internet in those countries that speak these languages. He writes frequently in newspapers, magazines and has his own blog.

Current Residence: Burlington, Canada

Title: Chief Community Evangelist

Organization: VizThink

Email: rcoleman@vizthink.com

Background:

I'm here to help and support the VizThink community as we grow to become a truly global group of visual thinkers. While just subconsciously doing it in the back ground for as long as I can remember, I really started pasionately following the ideas and techniques around Visual Thinking after a workshop with Dave Gray in 2006. Shortly after, I organized an event called VizThink Toronto in Toronto, ON - what started out as a one off event with about 18 people has grown into a regular series of events with upwards of 50 people in attendance. In May of 2008 I was brought onto the VizThink team to try and help take what I had done in Toronto and help other community members replicate the same in their own towns. So, in a nutshell, I'm here for you. If you have questions about starting a community in your area, or you just need some help poking around this site please feel free to drop me a line. - Ryan

Current Residence: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Title: Assistant Professor

Organization: University of Amsterdam

Email:

Background:

Yuri Engelhardt is Assistant Professor in Mediastudies and Information Visualization at the University of Amsterdam, and lecturer in Information Graphics at the Utrecht Graduate School of Visual Art and Design, in the Netherlands.

Yuri is interested in principles underlying the visual communication of information, from ancient pictorial inscriptions to interactive data visualizations. He combines his expertise concerning diagrams, graphics, information visualization and visual language theory with his desire to do something useful concerning social and environmental issues.

Yuri has written The Language of Graphics (see a very brief review). He is founder and moderator (1995-1999) of 'InfoDesign', the first electronic forum on information design. He is contributor and committee member for the international 'Diagrams' conferences (see Diagrams 2008), and member of the Editorial Board of the Information Design Journal (1999-present).

Yuri's educational path has included elementary school in Australia, high school in Germany, college in California, and university in the Netherlands. As an expert in information visualization he has given academic presentations and workshops in the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, the USA, and Brazil. Yuri holds an MA degree in medicine, and a Ph.D. in computer science.

Links:

• Publications and Teaching
• Yuri's ideas applied to icons
• Yuri's ideas about the process of visualization
• Yuri's critical review of Edward Tufte's 'Beautiful Evidence'
• Some books in which Yuri's work is mentioned

Current Residence: St. Gallen, Switzerland

Title: Chair of Media and Communication Management

Organization: University of St.Gallen (HSG)

Email:

Background:

Martin J. Eppler is a chaired professor of media and communication management at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) in Switzerland, where he is conducting research on knowledge management, knowledge visualization, and knowledge communication. He is also a guest professor at the Helsinki School of Economics for January and February 2010 and permanently at the Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE) in Beijing and a fellow of Cambridge University (UK), as well as a lecturer in the MBA program of the University of Geneva and in the graduate programs of several other European universities. He has been an advisor to organizations such as the United Nations, UBS, Philips, the Swiss Military, Ernst& Young, KPMG, Swiss Re, Daimler and others.

Martin Eppler studied communications, business administration and social sciences at Boston University, the Paris Graduate School of Management, and the Universities of St.Gallen and Geneva (completing a PhD on information overload). He has published more than 80 academic papers and eight books, mostly on knowledge communication, management, and visualization. Latest Book Publication: Ways of Knowing (Wissenswege, Huber, 2008). He is the inventor of the knowledge visualization software suite www.lets-focus.com and of the periodic table of visualization methods at visual-literacy.org. He is on the board of various journals (incl. Information & Management, Studies in Communication Sciences, ZOE) and he has a quarterly visual column in the leading European Journal on Change Management OrganisationsEntwicklung. In addition he serves on the board of various research institutes including the German Institute for International Education Research and the Institute for Communication Research in Lucerne. He has been a keynote speaker at various European conferences including Tekom, Learntec, Triple I / I-know and the Encompassing Knowledge Conference.

Current Residence: St. Louis, Missouri United States of America

Title: Founder & Chairman

Organization: XPLANE

Email:

Background:

Dave Gray is Founder and Chairman of XPLANE, a global consulting and design firm devoted to working with the world&rsquo, s leading corporations to turn complex business issues into visual stories. Dave helps his clients apply visual thinking and visual language to business strategy and communication.

Prior to founding XPLANE, Dave worked as a visual journalist for several major metropolitan newspapers, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, LA Daily News, LA Herald-Examiner, and Seattle Post-Intelligencer, where he won numerous awards for excellence in graphic journalism. He has also taught Visual Communication for both the Design and Business schools at Washington University in St. Louis.

Dave has a passion for rich, clear and engaging communication. He believes that pictures have the power to transform the world, because they can convey rich information to anyone, regardless of culture, language or educational background.

In addition to consulting with XPLANE clients and speaking at conferences, Dave has started an acclaimed online Visual Thinking School and gives occasional seminars on visual thinking and visual language. Learn more at XPLANE or on Dave&rsquo, s blog, Communication Nation.

Current Residence: Enschede , Netherlands

Title: Educational Project Manager

Organization: TriMM interactieve media

Email:

Background:

Eric was originally professor of mathematics, physics and information science (secondary education). During this profession he studied Educational Technology, graduated in 1993 and started working as educational researcher at the University of Twente.

Since 1996 Eric Kramer (46) is educational project manager at TriMM interactive media (Netherlands). Eric was closely involved in the development of the virtual city of Behrloo, an e-learning environment for the General Dutch Police Academy. Among others Eric helps defining the kind of visualization that is (minimal) necessary for achieving learning goals and for successful transfer of what is learned into the real Police business.

About TriMM interactive media
TriMM is a spin-off of the University of Twente, department Educational Technology (Netherlands). TriMM (over 70 employees now) develops interactive and smart web applications for both the industry (e.g. Heineken, Sony, KPN, NXP) and education (e.g. General Dutch Police Academy).

Applying multimedia and everything that is required in this respect, that is what we do at TriMM. Internet sites and web applications but also a customised CMS or a DVD: we will put together the right mix that will ensure the client can get the best result in the area of internal and external communication, training, exchange of knowledge and driving processes. We will produce an interactive customised product with a team of experts: graphic designers, interaction designers, webdevelopers en programmers. We will ensure there is smooth and user-friendly interaction in place both in front of and behind the screens (and scene).

Current Residence: Copenhagen, Denmark

Title: Partner

Organization: Trivium

Email:

Background:

Per joined Trivium in September 2006, prior to that he was part of the leadership team at Danfoss Universe, the unique science park which also offers innovation processes to organisations. Per took part in the parks first year and was thus part in establishing this organisation. LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY&trade, was part of the parks proposition to its corporate clients.

Before that Per spent a number of years working in the LEGO Group. First, a period as change agent in the Pre-School area, where he was the right hand of the Global Brand Director. After this experience he held a position as director in the LEGO controlled start up company (Executive Discovery) that developed and managed LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology. In this position Per was P&L responsible for &ndash, and developed the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY partner network in - Europe, South Africa and the Middle-East, as well as one of two global master trainers.

At the time when Executive Discovery was integrated into LEGO Company Per became Head of LEGO SERIOUS PLAY, assuming the overall global responsibility. He is consequently one of the most experienced LEGO SERIOUS PLAY facilitators globally. Per is also a certified trainer of facilitators in the methodology and has trained the major part of all LEGO SERIOUS PLAY facilitators globally. He has run LEGO SERIUOS PLAY workshops across various cultures and industries focusing predominantly on strategy, innovation and change issues.

Per has been based and worked as consultant in Italy, Scandinavia and in the UK running workshops in English, Danish and Italian.

Further to this, Per has worked as management consultant (strategy and change) for CSC Scandinavia. Per has a master in international business (intercultural management) from Copenhagen Business School (including exams from Universita Bocconi in Milano, Italy), and has recently followed Leading Change and Organizational Renewal at Harvard Business School, Leadership Foundations with Peter Senge (MIT), and &ldquo, Presencing: Collective Leadership for Profound Innovation and Change&rdquo, with Otto Scharmer (MIT) . Finally, Per is an accredited Cognitive Edge facilitator

Current Residence: Denmark, Denmark

Title:

Organization: Bigger Picture

Email:

Background:

In 2003 Ole founded Bigger Picture - a Scandinavian based consulting company. Bigger Picture provides visual design, learning and dialogue tools, training and consulting services enabling ongoing sustainable organisational and personal change.

Ole's mission is to accelerate the constructive use of visual language, thinking, communication and facilitation in all sectors of society. Currently Ole spend a large part of his time devoted to bringing the visual thinking, language and skills into projects and processes dealing with the rising complex challenges caused by climate change.

Presently Ole is working with change projects in Copenhagen Climate Council, Novozymes (R&D), Vestas (P&O) and Shell (Complex Challenges Group). For the last 5 years Ole has worked with organizations such as Shell, ABN Amro Bank, The Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs, WWF, the De Beers Group, the Danish Institute for Human Rights and Novo Nordisk.

The foundation for Ole's work is a strong pedagogical framework (Luhmann, Bateson, Maturana & Varela) for team- and organisational learning. From this framework Ole has designed and implemented small, medium and large scale participatory processes. He has developed more than 200 visual dialogue tools and over the last 3 years delivered leadership development trainings. The method he uses speeds up the co-creation of meaning, it furthers dialogue, enables engaging leadership and supports collective understanding, learning and action. The principles behind the framework, methods and tools used are inspirational in their design and easy to understand and use in multicultural settings.

Ole is a process consultant and graphic facilitator. He holds a masters degree in Learning and Business Studies from Roskilde University and a degree from the creative entrepreneurship education The Kaospilots, where he also today sits on the pedagogical council. Ole has been actively involved in Pioneers of Change since 1998 and has since 2005 also been actively involved in the International Forum of Visual Practitioners.

Current Residence: Holmfirth, United Kingdom

Title: CEO

Organization: Crystal Mapping

Email:

Background:

Mark started his career with Ford Motor Co. where he was taught how to be a good analyst and a bit about management. He then left to co-found the TUP Group, a successful MIS company where he learnt how to be a better analyst and a few things about leadership. In all this time the thing he learnt most was that visual thinking was the critical element in everything he did. So in 2003 he founded Crystal Mapping Ltd., and originated crystal mapping as a new way of visually presenting and communicating information. Crystal Mapping - The Bigger Picture, was published in 2007 and now as CEO of Crystal Mapping and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Mark is committed to new ways of combining words, pictures and numbers to present information, improve understanding and change the way companies think and communicate.

Current Residence: Saline, Michigan United States of America

Title: Fellow

Organization: VizThink

Email: tcrawford@vizthink.com

Background:

Tom Crawford is the CEO of VizThink, an organization dedicated to the creation of a sustainable, global community of people who use any form of the visual arts for learning and communication.

With an extensive background in technology, 2007 was Tom's 20th year as a professional programmer. However, in 2000, his career began to diverge from enterprise systems design and implementation into corporate education, simulation, and gaming. He spent 6 years at Root Learning, one of the leading companies in the visual thinking industry, starting their e-Learning initiative and growing it into almost 20% of the business. Root's strong use of art and metaphor introduced him to the power of visualization. Through extensive experimentation and testing with customers such as Blockbuster, Pepsi, Holiday Inn Express, and Bank of America, he developed extensive theories on web-based interactivity, engagement, and visualization. Tom left Root to become Vice President of the Masie Center, an association of learning executives professionals.

In 2007, he continued his focus on visualization when he was named the CEO of VizThink where he's responsible for overal vision and execution, event planning, content design, industry partner relationships, and facilitator relationships.