
The Power of the Doodle: Improve Your Focus and Memory - mbchoe
http://online.wsj.com/articles/the-power-of-the-doodle-improve-your-focus-and-memory-1406675744?mod=trending_now_3
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contingencies
My brother is a conventional architect and urban designer, whereas I do
software. When we discuss complex areas together, he frequently comments in
awe of the quality of my doodling... he says they do it all the time in
architecture (being a traditionally paper-heavy industry), but rarely do
people exploring abstract notions on paper present them straight-from-brain in
a structured and logically coherent manner.

My method is simply to establish a scope or primary area of concern and to
explore it. Usually major points of inquiry come first, responses second, and
then I change colors (eg. black to red pen) and enhance those initial points
with annotations, questions/concerns and relationships. If scope changes, I
start a new page, often based upon a subset of the previous page that becomes
a new scope of inquiry. Sometimes relationships are explored more than a QA
structure. Rarely, if a mode of inquiry or visual approach is discovered to be
flawed, then the page gets redrawn with the new thinking integrated. This
works well for me, and the intended audience is usually only the self.

When I travel, sometimes for months on end and from a single small backpack,
along with the laptop my notebook and an array of pens makes the cut. I view
it as a sort of organic memory device, as well as a muse.

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urlwolf
Explanation: where is it? How fast can you doodle? Can you train people to
improve their doodling? Does this improve memory? Can you doodle concepts like
a random forest?

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allegory
Personally I just doodle with no objectives and no analysis of the outcome.
Sometimes it's a pattern, sometimes it's a picture, sometimes it's a wonderful
idea that properly kicks you in the face.

If you ask too many questions it formalises it too much and takes the joy away
and possible shapes the outcome too much.

I will say that whilst doodling in presentations and meetings I tend to come
up with some profound counterpoints while not even listening properly so
perhaps it does work.

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christogreeff
Agree 100% on the meetings sentence. I do the same passive listening while
doodling thing. Works quite well.

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SergeyHack
I wonder if doodling in this context is no more than a weak alternative to
walking or other physical activity.

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phektus
Whenever I wait for Xcode to build I doodle random stuff on my notebook. It
helps me relax throughout the day.

