Have you ever found yourself wishing you could see conversations more clearly or getting lost in coaching sessions, struggling to remember what was discussed?
Mapchat is a tool I created to navigate complex conversations. It visualises discussions, making key points easy to revisit and reflect upon.
Mapchat is designed for educators, coaches, business leaders, individuals and teams across diverse industries. In fact, it can work with anyone! It serves as a visual platform for facilitating conversations, allowing thoughts and ideas to be mapped out in real-time.
Whether you're grappling with new learning experiences, working through a problem you’re facing, or leading strategic initiatives, Mapchat empowers you to navigate complexity with confidence and coherence.
Using visual and spatial approaches to communication.
Throughout my career, I've been passionate about leveraging visual tools to enhance communication and understanding. For years, I created visual notes in meetings, workshops, and presentations to organise my thoughts and key points for later reflection. Creating these sketchnotes not only helped me visualise complex concepts and discussions but enabled me to communicate more effectively with others. This personal experience laid the foundation for my exploration into the power of visual thinking and its impact on memory and comprehension.
My journey of using visual tools in professional settings provided invaluable insights into the challenges of communication and collaboration. Combined with my research on dual coding, visual thinking, spatial structuring and flow, this personal story formed the basis of my thesis and ultimately led to the creation of Mapchat.
Oliver Cavaglioni and Nathan McGurl on The Study Buddy podcast
Generative AI and ChatGPT, Shifting Schools
Who is it for?
Mapchat is designed with you in mind and works for a diverse range of individuals.
Business Individuals: Executives, managers, and entrepreneurs looking to streamline communication and decision-making processes.
Team Leaders: Leaders of small or large teams aiming to enhance collaboration, creativity, and productivity.
Educators: Teachers, trainers, and instructional designers seeking innovative ways to engage learners and facilitate understanding.
Coaches: Coaches and mentors interested in integrating visual tools into their coaching practices to enhance client clarity and insight.
How does it help?
Mapchat offers numerous benefits:
Clarity and Communication: Visualising thoughts fosters deeper understanding and alignment.
Memory and Retrieval: Enhances memory retention and recall through spatial organisation.
Collaboration and Engagement: Encourages active participation and collaboration in real-time.
Planning and Strategy: A versatile platform for organising thoughts, creating roadmaps, and tracking progress.
How does it work?
Whiteboard visual map: Mapchat of Mapchat .
Mapchat operates both physically and digitally, capturing ideas in real-time during conversations.
The visual map serves as a dynamic framework for organising thoughts and fostering deeper understanding. This is the process I use:
Initial conversation to determine the focus for the chat.
The conversation, mapped out live on the whiteboard.
Checking, adjusting, asking questions and next steps.
Reflecting on the process.
Optional digital creation.
Recent Mapchats
Live map on the whiteboard followed up with a design created on iPad to represent the conversation on Patricia’s journey with Ikigai.
Testimonial
“Collaborating with Nicki on visualising my journey with Ikigai has been an enriching experience. As I shared the various stages of my life, Nicki skillfully crafted a sketchnote that encapsulated the pivotal moments. Her attention to detail was evident as she incorporated key keywords into the design, creating a narrative that resonated deeply with me.
Throughout our collaboration, Nicki not only made me feel heard and understood but also challenged me to articulate my objectives with greater clarity. I appreciated her thoughtful approach in presenting multiple options to depict my journey, allowing me to choose what best represented my experiences. Her patience and dedication to meeting my needs were visible at every step, making this collaboration both productive and fulfilling.
I wholeheartedly recommend Nicki for her exceptional skills and commitment to her clients' visions”.
Patricia Hubert
Wellbeing & Career Transition Coach
“I had an incredible time working with Nicki, and her visualization techniques really helped me see my work in a fresh, new way. I had the opportunity to run through a presentation with her, and her approach allowed me to take a bird's eye view, gaining a different perspective on the message I was conveying. Her visualization enabled me to identify key concepts more clearly, understand their transferability across different areas, and recognize aspects that needed refinement or enhancement. Working with Nicki was a wonderful experience.
Her warm, curious demeanor, combined with her effective visualization strategies, significantly deepened my understanding of the project. I'm excited about my progress and highly encourage others to use Nicki's techniques for a new perspective, a broader view, and a deeper grasp of complex ideas”.
Michael Neumann
Elementary Assistant Principal. Gender Inclusivity Advocate and DEIJ Leader
