Jan 19, 2025 ⋅ 5 min read

Want to Learn Sketchnoting? – My Vision for 2025

Hey, I’m Feli! I’m the one behind “these sketchnotes” you may have spotted during WWDC or various other iOS conferences on social media.

I’m an iOS developer who first discovered sketchnoting back in 2018, and I’ve been hooked ever since. In my opinion, visual communication makes it easier to understand complex topics, and sketchnoting quickly became a key part of my own learning journey.

📣 This year, I want to give sketchnoting workshops at iOS conferences and share what I’ve learned over the years with other sketchnoting enthusiasts. Let me know if you’re interested as conference organizer or as potential participant! 📣

Why Sketchnoting Matters ✨

Sketchnoting combines creativity and focused listening by using handwritten notes, sketches, typography, and symbols. And here’s the best part: you don’t need any special drawing skills to get started.

Sketchnoting helps developers to:

• Capture important ideas: Sketchnotes summarize each session into a memorable and shareable format.
• Stay focused: It’s easy to get distracted, but when you’re taking notes as you listen, you stay engaged and it helps you get the most out of each talk.
• Boost engagement: Visual summaries of technical content are not only more interesting but also easier to recall later on.

Over time, I’ve shared my sketchnotes through social media and my website, and they’ve resonated with many in the developer community. These visual notes don’t just help others revisit key ideas; they also encourage more people to explore the power of visual communication.

My Vision for iOS Conferences

I’d love to bring sketchnoting workshops to iOS conferences this year. By hosting 1,5 hour workshops, participants can:

• Learn the basics of sketchnoting – no prior drawing skills needed.
• Practice creating sketchnotes during the following conference talks.
• Get creative and have fun.

Imagine a conference hall filled with developers who walk away not just with new ideas, but also with vibrant, visually crafted notes they can revisit or share with colleagues. That’s the kind of experience I want to create.

📣 Calling All Sketchnoting Enthusiasts 📣

Are you new to sketchnoting or simply curious? Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting out, I’d love to see you in one of my workshops! If you’d like to learn this skill at your favorite conference, let me and the organizers know.

Sketchnoting can also help if you’re speaking at a conference. Summarizing your talk in a sketchnote is a great way to ensure you’ve covered your key points and it provides attendees with a handy visual takeaway.

For Conference Organizers

Curious about hosting a sketchnoting workshop at your conference?

Here’s what makes it successful:

• Timing: Schedule the sketchnoting workshop a day before the conference talks begin. A workshop would take 1 to 1,5 hours. This way, attendees can practice their new skills directly during the conference.
• Free access: Many attendees arrive a day early, so a free workshop like this is a great way for them to connect and get prepped for the main event.
• Setup: For both in-person and remote settings, I need a room (or virtual space) with a monitor to display an overhead view of my drawing process and participants have a desk to take notes.
• Materials: Provide some supplies like pencils, a colorful brush pen (I can help with the selection), and blank paper or a notebook from a sponsor.

Since I’m a full-time iOS developer and don’t earn money from sketchnoting, I’d appreciate support with travel and accommodation. I’m based in Germany and prefer eco-friendly train travel within Europe. I’m also open to one trip outside Europe this year to help train new sketchnoters. I’m only interested in Apple-related conferences so I can also enjoy the talks and learn from them.

Let’s Build a Creative Community Together 🙌

As we kick off 2025, I’m excited about sharing sketchnoting with the iOS community. It’s more than just a technique; it’s an opportunity to spark creativity, enhance learning, and foster new connections through visual storytelling.

Let’s make this year our most visually inspiring one yet!

✍️ References

• 2019-2024: I created over 200 sketchnotes published on my website.
• 2020-2024: I gave multiple in-company workshops at my current and previous employer, both remote and in-person.
• In 2020: I did a 30 minute sketchnoting intro workshop at NSSpain (remote edition).
• In 2022: I created a sketchnote for Swift language announcements from WWDC 2022 at swift.org as complimentary summary for the written blog post.

Some voices from the community:

• “Only the sketch note created by Feli is enough to click on this link if you ask me.”
• “I love when @felibe444 attends a conference. These are so good.”
• “Feli’s sketchnotes can make you feel like you’re at @IOSDEVUK ! ❤️”
• “I followed Feli because of her sketch notes in 2019 and getting one for my talk is an emotional moment for sure ♥️♥️ she’s fantastic and seeing her sketch note live was so inspiring!!”
• “Your sketchnotes are so great Feli! I think every conference should provide you with a free ticket so that you can do them always, anywhere!”
• “@feli Ooh. I want to learn doing sketchnotes, too. 😃”
• “@feli this is so cool!! I’ve been looking forward to see what you would draw for me, and it’s great! 👏”
• “On my list of things for 2025 - commit to really trying sketchnoting. Thanks for providing the inspiration and great examples.”