The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures
By: Dan Roam
In the month of December, we will be reading The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures by Dan Roam. As we approach the end of the semester it is important for us to consider our short and long term career goals. Reflecting on what we have learned this semester and designing a plan for the future is a great way to recap what went well and what we can improve upon. This book provides readers with a new way of thinking and teaches them how to approach problems visually which is a helpful skill for many.
The author, Dan Roam, is a NYT bestselling author and president of Digital Roam, a company that he founded to help major corporations including Google, Microsoft, and Peet’s Coffee solve complex problems. He currently works as a Chief Strategy Officer at Celerity Consulting Group where he uses his skills of visual storytelling to help organizations and service providers understand the global changes within the energy system and how to work with them.
The Back of the Napkin is broken into 4 parts; Introductions, Discovering Ideas, Developing Ideas, and Selling Ideas. The Introduction section describes the approach of visual and strategic thinking and which situations this approach is best applied to. Part 2 provides tips and guidelines for successfully using this strategy. Part 3 provides answers to questions regarding when, where, why, and how to use this method for problem solving. Part 4 puts it all together and helps readers draw conclusions for best practices in visual thinking.
This book is very helpful for students interested in design and business as it provides a new method to tackle complex problems and simplify them in ways that everyone can understand. If you are interested in checking out this book or talking to a career assistant about your past semester or future goals, swing by the CEC in MVR 1203! Congratulations on nearing the end of the semester, remember to be proud of yourself for the work you have accomplished and take a moment to reflect on the work you put in and where you want to go! See y’all in the spring!
