Wondering what an "AgMe" is? Or someone referenced the Draw Quad? Perhaps you tripped upon my site and are curious what is happening here. Welcome to —

Brandy Agerbeck's
Work A to Z

aka the Agerbeckcedarium*

This is the whole smörgåsbord. Every concept, model, book, course, and workshop I've built to teach the rich world of visual thinking.

Ctrl+F to find it
Know what you're after? Search the page and skedaddle straight to it.

Explore the alphabet
Got time to wander? Stroll A to Z and see what you find.

Homing in on an area?
Scan the labels for the key resources in:
VT = visual thinking, EF = executive function, GF = graphic facilitation

Contact me with questions >>

* If you know the second half of that word, you are my kind of people.

The Speed Intro:

Your smarts, heart, and desire to live with less confusion and overwhelm and more clarity and meaning.

My system: the 24 idea shapers, the building blocks of all visual thinking.

You become a buoyant, confident, lifelong visual thinker, who uses paper and pen to tackle any challenge.

Jump to letter:

The Agerbeck Method

Core Online Visual Thinking Course | $997 | 2018 | VT

The Agerbeck Method makes visual thinking your lifelong skill. In 'AgMe,' you learn all 24 idea shapers via video in ways the book just can't. Your crystal clear path follows this structure:

Module 1:
CANVAS

Module 2:
PROXIMITY

Module 3:
TEXT

Module 4:
COLOR

Module 5:
LINE

Module 6:
SCALE

Module 7:
SHAPE

Module 8:
IMAGE

Module 9:
FLOW

While visual thinking is anything but linear, this sequence makes mastering it clear, easy, and satisfying.

The Beautiful Asterisk

Core Values Model | 2020

The asterisk has been in my logo since 1999. Twenty years later I launched ENVISION, and created The Beautiful Asterisk to define the kind of environment I cultivate every time we gather online. One that lets us each show up as whole human beings.

Every ENVISION, I lead you through an exercise where the six arms of the asterisk radiate out to these six parts of yourself:

Self-Expression
Discover and develop your unique visual voice

Growth
Cultivate your personal visual practice

Wonder
Stretch your mind and fill up your inspiration tank

Integrity
Tap into your values and the value of your visual thinking

Connection
Meet our gorgeous global community

Joy
Get present and ready to play!

Befriend Your Brain:

Executive Function + Visual Thinking

Course | $397 | 2024 | EF

Your nine executive functions are the mental machinery that carries you from idea to done. Some come easy. Others get your inner critic hollering, "What is wrong with you?"

Nothing. You just need to shush that critic with two things this course hands you:

Clear detail and constructive language to deeply understand your mind.
Visual tools to support each of the 9 executive functions.

Beginner's Blueprint

Email Series | 2023 | VT

Not sure visual thinking is for you? Sign up for the Beginner's Blueprint. to receive a chewy daily magazine article in your inbox. Each one a real-world way visual thinking earns its place in your life.

The Brandyfesto

PDF | 2011

Before I wrote any books or built any courses, I put my philosophy on paper. This 26-page PDF shares what I stand for, and doubles as a self-reflection tool for you.

The Bridge

Concept | 2018

Visual thinking is the bridge between the abstract and the concrete. You make the intangible tangible.

I introduced the Bridge in my video What is Visual Thinking? Watch it and get the companion PDF, "10 Mindset Shifts for Visual Thinking."

Watch the video and get the full PDF >>

Want the full walk across the bridge, section by section?
That's in Visual Thinking 101.

Camp Drawmore (retired)

Online Community | 2020-2023

The precursor to the Studio, and a wonderful smarty party. Thanks to the campers who dove into three years of rich discussion, I built 9 Deep Dive Days, which now live in the Studio's Deep Dive Vault.

Chroma Drop

Tangible Teambuilding | For Organizations | 2026

In this fully facilitated teambuilding experience, each team opens their own bright tactical pack. Based on thirty years of reading rooms, I designed each pack's puzzle to target what your teams are actually up against: communication, complexity, transparency, and more.

Within minutes everyone's on their feet, solving puzzles and building together.

I run the experience from start to finish, then lead the debrief that turns the fun into lasting lessons.

See the packs, the format, and what your offsite could be >>

Clarity Clover

Model | 2023

This loopy line models iterative problem solving, giving you a shape for tackling complex projects.

Originally developed for Lines of Thought, the deep dive on Module 5 of The Agerbeck Method.

Loop 1
Generate

Loop 4
Take Action

Loop 2
Organize

Loop 3
Evaluate

Clown Barf

Concept | 2017

When you use so many colors at once that color has no meaning.

Conversation Shapers and Change Catalyzers

5 Types of Visual Thinkers | 2016

All of us who use visual thinking for facilitation and collaboration. See more >>

Deep Dive Days

In-depth Visual Thinking Workshops | $497 each

A series of workshops, each one delving into details on one of the 9 module topic area of The Agerbeck Method.

For example, in Module 1: CANVAS, on D ays 7-9, you learn The Stack, the idea shaper about making your thinking modular.

But in Stack Magic, we spend 4+ hours getting into all the glorious ins and outs of the process.

You will see this deep dives across this page.

Each online course is available ala carte, or...

... you gain access to The Deep Dive Vault with active membership in The Agerbeck Method Studio. Enabling seamless learning with the world's most comprehensive visual thinking curriculum. Learn more about the Studio >>

Draw in Your New Year (renamed)

Guided Exercises | 2017

A series of four guided exercises designed to help you reflect, ground yourself, and look ahead in your life.

Since these popular videos are absolutely not limited to New Years, I renamed the set Life Shapers: Reset Bundle.

Click to grab the bundle, or purchase one exercise at a time here.

The Draw Quad

Model | 2011

One of the very first obstacles to making problem-solving drawings is having too narrow a definition of drawing!

Based on Ken Wiber's Four Quadrant model, the Draw Quad gives us four exceedingly useful reasons to draw.

Three ways to learn this model:

In the Brandyfesto
On pages 11-24 in The Idea Shapers

Drawing Bees

Community Practice ■

Think quilting bee, not spelling bee.

A monthly group process exclusive to members in The Agerbeck Method Studio, there is no better way to accelerate your development as a visual thinker than a Drawing Bee.

Click here for a special behind-the-scenes of parts of a Drawing Bee >>

Drawn Together Through Visual Practice

Book | $29.99 | 2016 ■

Co-edited alongside Kelvy Bird, Sam Bradd, and Jennifer Shepherd, this anthology brings together 27 contributors from all corners of our field of visual practice.

I contributd "Making Room for Making: In praise of imperfect drawings and the humans who make them."

Click for more information >>
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ENVISION

Visual Thinkers Virtual Expo

Annual Virtual Event | $297

Our global gathering of all types and all stripes of visual thinkers.

It's not a workshop, and it's certainly unlike any zoom meeting you've been to. Three can't-miss days to explore visual thinking, recharge your creative batteries, and meet the delightful folks who join our smarty party every fall.

Click here for event dates and details >>

The Essential Eight

Model | 2007 ■

First taught at Graphic Recording 101 at the International Forum of Visual Practitioners Conference 2007-2009. To not neglect your listening and thinking skills live, this model helps you prioritize what to draw.

Read the first pages of the Essential 8 chapter in The Graphic Facilitator's Guide here >>

First Rate Flipcharts

For Organizations | 2 Day Facilitation Workshop | 2019

Fix your organization's meeting culture with 10 field-proven flipchart formats, simple to draw, ruthless at focusing a room.

Over thirty years with every kind of group, I've nailed down what to draw, how to run each format, and exactly why it works. Your team leaves ready to adapt all ten to any meeting.

Get the full workshop details

Gold Star Graphic Facilitation

Core Online Graphic Facilitation Course | $1997 | 2019 ■

Developing your work as a graphic facilitator or graphic recorder?

Eliminate all of your "what-ifs" and painstakingly slow, incremental growth.

The Graphic Facilitator's Guide brought to life, this comprehensive online course covers:

Module 1: Guiding Principles
Module 2: Listening
Module 3: Thinking
Module 4: Drawing
Module 5: In the Room

The last module alone will erase self-doubt while working live with clients.

Details + Registration >>

Graphic Facilitator Confidential

Core Online Graphic Facilitation Course | $1997 | 2019 ■

While Gold Star Graphic Facilitation is all about the work in the room with clients, Graphic Facilitator Confidential teaches you how to build your busienss as a professional visual practitioner.

Module 1: Shaping Your Practice
Module 2: Finding Leads and Landing Gigs
Module 3: The Field Guide to Graphic Facilitators (life on a project)
Module 4: Your Place in the Field
Module 5: The 5 Touchpoints for Impeccable Professionalism

I bottled 20 years experience into both of these courses.

Details + Registration >>

The Graphic Facilitator's Guide:

How to use your listening, thinking and drawing skills to make meaning

Book | $29.99 | 2012 ■

Author of Mapping Inner Space, Nancy Margulies nailed the prediction that my book would become the bible of the field.

Frustrated by misconceptions that this professional work was all about drawing, I wrote the more complete, realistic, and obtainable How-To guide.

Gold Star Graphic Facilitation above mirrors the sections in the book.

Learn more >>

Hello, Inner Critic!

Past Pop-Up Workshop | 2024

Time to shine a light on that inner bully show them who is in charge with the full replay of Hello, Inner Critic! >>

is for Ico, my everyman,

and for...

The Idea Shapers!

Model | 2016 ■

My goal: Break down the complexity of visual thinking into learnable pieces.

My test? Each one sounds so simple, it kind of feels like "Duh."

BUT learn each one and start combining them and you are doing darn sophisticated visual thinking.

See the icons representing each above. ☝️

Defining these 24 idea shapers felt like a three-year wrestling match with a bear. But all of that hard work was entirely worth it to make learning visual thinking easy.

How to learn the idea shapers:

Get a quick overview in the article What are the idea Shapers?
The Idea Shapers is the rich reference book.
Absolutely nothing beats The Agerbeck Method for mastering all 24 techniques. We take the tools off the page and I demonstrate each one via video.
Each Deep Dive course delves into different idea shapers.

The Idea Shapers:

The power of putting your thinking into your own hands

Book | $29.99 | 2016 ■

This is it, Friends. The visual thinking codex.

422 pages packed with clear, accessible, and practical instruction of all 24 idea shapers.

Part I | The Case for Drawing | 38 pages

The Draw Quad
Properties and Powers of Drawing

Part II | The Idea Shapers | 344 pages
All 24 techniques organize in a 5-step process:

Chunk
Sort + Group
Connect + Contain
Scale
Grasp

Part III | The Image Iceberg | 22 pages
The last sliver of the book addresses iconography, separate from all the rich visual and spatial thinking techniques

Click here for details and many very kind and smart people sharing their kind words about The idea Shapers >>

The Idea Shapers Steps

Model | 2013 ■

First introduced in my TEDx talk, Shape Your Thinking, these are the 5 steps to visual thinking... as much as a synapse-fast, spatial reasoning can be put in a linear order.

These steps are the structure for the bulk of book, The Idea Shapers.

I describe the steps in the video below. 👇

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Image Iceberg

Concept | 2016 ■

A misconception of visual thinking is that it is all about drawing.

Nope. Pictorial imagery is the tip of the iceberg.

Below the water line are all the visual and spatial ways you organize your thinking with words, lines, color, scale, proximity.

The idea shapers teach you visual THINKING.

Read about the Image Iceberg in The Idea Shapers on pages 394-416.

Knowledge Seekers and Lifelong Learners

5 Types of Visual Thinkers | 2016

All of us who use visual thinking for learning and teaching. See more >>

The Lab

On-request workshop | 3 days | 2012-2022 ■ ■

Want a small-group environment with loads of hands-on practice and direct, constructive feedback from me? The Lab is your answer.

No longer offered to the public, but I'll happily lead a private Lab for your small group.

LibLab

Concept | 2013

I closed my TEDx talk, Shape Your Thinking, with this idea of blending the best of libraries (learning through reading) and laboratories (hands-on learning).

Watch now >>

Your Library

Every course you purchase on this site is added to your Library. You can always find the Login link the upper right corner of your screen.

Life Shapers

Guided Exercises

Of course I want you to learn the idea shapers, so you can use any blank sheet of paper to shape your life.

Until then, there are the Life Shapers. Each one is a guided visual thinking exercise to help you tackle a specific life challenge.

See all available Life Shapers >>

Life Shapers and Action Takers

5 Types of Visual Thinkers | 2016

All of us who use visual thinking for personal development, productivity, as a tool for reflect and to envision your next actions. See more >>

Lines of Thought

Deep Dive Course | $497 | 2023 ■

Our deep dive into Module 5: LINE of The Agerbeck Method. The crash course on how to organize complex ideas with very simple lines.

You can purchase this deep dive ala carte. Or enjoy access to all 9 deep dives as a Studio member.

Not quite ready for AgMe and Visual Thinking 101 is too 101 for you? Choose Lines of Thought.

In 4 hours, you learn the best first idea shapers and a life-shifting model, the Clarity Clover.

If you are a Mess Wrangler and Complexity Tackler, you will love this one. Click for details >>

LUCID Listening

Deep Dive Course | $497 | 2022 ■

Create greater meaning for yourself and those you listen to, becoming a legendary listener. LUCID Listening makes this precious but intangible life skill concrete.

Discerning WHAT to capture as you listen and learning HOW to distill the point is the focus of this deep dive into Module 3: TEXT of The Agerbeck Method.

You can purchase this deep dive ala carte. Or enjoy access to all 9 deep dives as a Studio member.

Visual Listening, the other listening skills deep dive pairs perfectly with LUCID Listening.

Meaningful Mascots

Deep Dive Course | $497 | 2022 ■

In our deep dive into Module 8: IMAGE of The Agerbeck Method, you learn how to:

Capture a wide range of emotions with the simplest faces
Develop your own personal everyman/avatar/mascot.
Learn how to use a human figure to structure your work.

You can purchase this deep dive ala carte. Or enjoy access to all 9 deep dives as a Studio member.

Message Makers and Communication Shapers

5 Types of Visual Thinkers | 2016

All of us who use visual thinking to improve our communication skills, writing and speaking. See more >>

Mess Wranglers and Complexity Tacklers

5 Types of Visual Thinkers | 2016

All of us who use visual thinking to find clarity within complexity. See more >>