How simple sketching techniques, on paper and on screens, can help students think, communicate, collaborate, and co-create conceptual and data-rich projects with the UN Sustainable Development Goals in mind.

In this interactive workshop, I will show how sketching techniques can promote clarity in thinking, communicating, collaborating, and co-creating projects. These projects address the UN Sustainable Development Goals. No matter a student’s prior experience or skill level with drawing, they can learn how to use a simple visual language to explore and communicate ideas.

Sketching requires only a pen and paper for conceptual content. For data-driven content, free software provides a tool to transform observations into insight. I will show how sketching applies to course content in English literature and science classrooms. I will introduce case studies from my experience as an art director, illustrator, and writer. Then, I will show how what I learned applies to student collaborative projects at SUNY New Paltz. Academic research will provide grounding for this approach.

Workshop participants will practice these sketching methods by translating a short excerpt of text from environmental English literature into a visualization. Then, I will show how free software can help students sketch data from scientific non-profits around the world. Sketching on paper and on screens can transform student research into more actionable insights. Participants will learn how to use accessible sketching techniques to discover and develop ideas.