Sketchplanations - A weekly explanation in a sketch

Sketchplanations in a book! I think you'll love Big Ideas Little Pictures

Sketchplanations podcast photo of Rob Bell, Tom Pellereau and Jono Hey

Prefer to listen?
Try the podcast

Like Sketchplanations?
Support me on Patreon

Explaining the world one sketch at a time

Anamorphosis

Anamorphosis is a type of projection that looks distorted when viewed from a standard vantage point or means but can reveal itself spectacularly from the right point or using the right tool. This is the technique responsible for making 3D-looking ads on rugby fields that players can run over as if they weren’t there, or how they create those amazing street art holes, or how S L O W painted on a road may look just right when driving towards it but weird and long when seen from the side; or how Hans Holbein the younger tucked a skull into his painting The Ambassadors in the National Gallery. However, others may require viewing with a mirror or a circular viewer to reveal themselves as intended. Anamorphic art is referred to as intimate art, as even in an art gallery, the true picture may only reveal itself to one person viewing it in just the right way. P.S. You’ll have to tilt your screen or move to quite an angle to see Tilt Me look like normal letters in the sketch. Also see: one-point perspective, two-point perspective, 3-point perspective, draw what you see, not what you think, atmospheric perspective.…Anamorphosis is a type of projection that looks distorted when viewed from a standard vantage point or means but can reveal itself spectacularly from the right point or using the right tool. This is the technique responsible for making 3D-looking ads on rugby fields that players can run over as if they weren’t there, or how they create those amazing street art holes, or how S L O W painted on a road may look just right when driving towards it but weird and long when seen from the side; or how Hans Holbein the younger tucked a skull into his painting The Ambassadors in the National Gallery. However, others may require viewing with a mirror or a circular viewer to reveal themselves as intended. Anamorphic art is referred to as intimate art, as even in an art gallery, the true picture may only reveal itself to one person viewing it in just the right way. P.S. You’ll have to tilt your screen or move to quite an angle to see Tilt Me look like normal letters in the sketch. Also see: one-point perspective, two-point perspective, 3-point perspective, draw what you see, not what you think, atmospheric perspective.

5 Jan 2019

The Destiny Instinct

The destiny instinct is the mistaken belief that people, countries, cultures, or religions can't change. But even slow change can lead to large changes over time. Change tends to happen slowly in large, complex things like people, countries, religions, or cultures. And because the change is small, we might think they’re not changing at all. Our instinct may be that they can’t, in fact, change because of their innate characteristics. But the destiny instinct misleads us. Small change adds up to big changes over enough time. And while things may not seem to change in a week or a month, or a year, when you look back over decades, huge changes can happen. Changes in poverty, life expectancy, economies, women’s rights, or attitudes to homosexuality — things that may have seemed at one time that they were hardly changing at all — have all transformed when we look back over sufficient time. Change that may not have seemed like it was adding up to much is still change. Read more from the Roslings: Culture, nations, and religions are not rocks — they’re always changing. And, at a time of the year perfect for reflection, here are four ways to control our destiny instinct from Gapminder: Keep track of gradual improvements. A small change every year can translate to a huge change over decades. Update your knowledge. Some knowledge goes out of date quickly. Technology, countries, societies, cultures, and religions are constantly changing. Talk to Grandpa/Grandma. If you want to be reminded of how values have changed, think about your grandparents’ values and how they differ from yours. Collect examples of cultural change. Challenge the idea that today’s culture must also have been yesterday’s and will also be tomorrow’s. Also, see Stewart Brand’s Pace layers.…The destiny instinct is the mistaken belief that people, countries, cultures, or religions can't change. But even slow change can lead to large changes over time. Change tends to happen slowly in large, complex things like people, countries, religions, or cultures. And because the change is small, we might think they’re not changing at all. Our instinct may be that they can’t, in fact, change because of their innate characteristics. But the destiny instinct misleads us. Small change adds up to big changes over enough time. And while things may not seem to change in a week or a month, or a year, when you look back over decades, huge changes can happen. Changes in poverty, life expectancy, economies, women’s rights, or attitudes to homosexuality — things that may have seemed at one time that they were hardly changing at all — have all transformed when we look back over sufficient time. Change that may not have seemed like it was adding up to much is still change. Read more from the Roslings: Culture, nations, and religions are not rocks — they’re always changing. And, at a time of the year perfect for reflection, here are four ways to control our destiny instinct from Gapminder: Keep track of gradual improvements. A small change every year can translate to a huge change over decades. Update your knowledge. Some knowledge goes out of date quickly. Technology, countries, societies, cultures, and religions are constantly changing. Talk to Grandpa/Grandma. If you want to be reminded of how values have changed, think about your grandparents’ values and how they differ from yours. Collect examples of cultural change. Challenge the idea that today’s culture must also have been yesterday’s and will also be tomorrow’s. Also, see Stewart Brand’s Pace layers.

29 Dec 2018

Compose a cheeseboard

A cheeseboard is a highlight of the holidays for me. Here are some simple guidelines on how to create a winning one that looks and tastes the part. I think the key really is the range of textures in the cheese. If you’ve got a hard, semi-hard, and soft cheese you’re onto a good start. If you can add in a crumbly and creamy and make sure you have a range of strengths from mild to mature, stinky or blue you’re onto a winner. Then make it amazing by adding complements from the sweet and salty buckets and don’t forget the crackers and breads. If you want show off, try to cover a range of cheese shapes, colours and milks such as goats and sheep as well. Mmm… Also see: Don’t cut the nose off brie Compliment, Complement Freeze stilton And because you may find yourself curious about it: origins of Boxing Day…A cheeseboard is a highlight of the holidays for me. Here are some simple guidelines on how to create a winning one that looks and tastes the part. I think the key really is the range of textures in the cheese. If you’ve got a hard, semi-hard, and soft cheese you’re onto a good start. If you can add in a crumbly and creamy and make sure you have a range of strengths from mild to mature, stinky or blue you’re onto a winner. Then make it amazing by adding complements from the sweet and salty buckets and don’t forget the crackers and breads. If you want show off, try to cover a range of cheese shapes, colours and milks such as goats and sheep as well. Mmm… Also see: Don’t cut the nose off brie Compliment, Complement Freeze stilton And because you may find yourself curious about it: origins of Boxing Day

22 Dec 2018

Twit-twoo illustration: showing how the classic owl sound is actually a duet with a female and male tawny owl doing a "kewick" and "whoo"

The classic twit-twoo is actually a duet

Funny how it can take nearly 40 years to learn that something as commonplace as the stereotypical owl sound is made, not by one owl, but as a duet between the male and female tawny owls. Also see: How owls’ necks turn so far around, or Why do birds migrate so far?…

15 Dec 2018

The power of streaks

The power of streaks — achieving something on a schedule without missing a slot — have a remarkable pull over us when it comes to helping us get things done. As Seth Godin points out, streaks turn an activity into a game. And while we may have started out with the intention simply of completing the activity, our continued motivation can transfer to simply be the motivation of keeping the streak going. If you’re into streaks or want to give them a try to achieve something yourself, you might like the Streaks app (which is how I knew I’d done 2 years without missing), Austin Kleon’s 30-day challenge, or the simple power of one-a-day. Streaks can also have a dark side: if you break the chain you can think it’s not worth getting started again. For that reason, I like James Clear’s advice to never miss twice.…The power of streaks — achieving something on a schedule without missing a slot — have a remarkable pull over us when it comes to helping us get things done. As Seth Godin points out, streaks turn an activity into a game. And while we may have started out with the intention simply of completing the activity, our continued motivation can transfer to simply be the motivation of keeping the streak going. If you’re into streaks or want to give them a try to achieve something yourself, you might like the Streaks app (which is how I knew I’d done 2 years without missing), Austin Kleon’s 30-day challenge, or the simple power of one-a-day. Streaks can also have a dark side: if you break the chain you can think it’s not worth getting started again. For that reason, I like James Clear’s advice to never miss twice.

8 Dec 2018

Jevon’s Paradox

Jevon's Paradox is the counterintuitive idea that improvements in fuel efficiency tend to increase, rather than decrease, overall fuel use. In 1865, William Stanley Jevons, a British economist, observed that despite significant improvements in coal efficiency in steam engines, total coal consumption actually rose. Rather than saving fuel, efficiency made coal-powered energy more economical, driving increased industrial use. This observation became known as Jevon's Paradox. Modern Examples of Jevon's Paradox Though first identified towards the end of the Industrial Revolution, Jevon's Paradox is still highly relevant today, particularly in discussions around energy efficiency, sustainability, and technology. Fuel-efficient cars – When vehicles become more fuel-efficient, the cost per mile driven decreases. As a result, people tend to drive more, offsetting the efficiency gains. AI and computing power – Advances in AI and computing efficiency reduce the cost of processing power, leading to increased overall usage of AI models and cloud computing. Battery technology – More efficient batteries lead to the proliferation of battery-powered devices rather than reducing energy consumption. Water-saving devices – Low-flow showerheads and toilets may save water per use, but in some cases, they lead to longer showers or more frequent flushing. Lighting — Though LED lights are vastly more efficient than their predecessors, we are continually finding new ways to use our low-wattage lights that we had never dreamed of before. Household appliances – In her book More Work for Mother, Ruth Cowan addresses the ironies of household appliances, such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners, and how improvements in efficiency often led to more work through more frequent washing, not less. This tendency is sometimes referred to as the rebound effect, where changes in behaviour partially or fully cancel out expected energy or resource savings. Jevon's Paradox and AI With the rise of AI and automation, Jevon's Paradox is playing out again in new ways: Computational efficiency – Though AI models are becoming more efficient—DeepSeek a case in point—the demand for AI-generated content, large language models, and deep learning applications is growing rapidly. Automated processes – Instead of reducing overall workloads, automation often leads to more tasks being completed rather than fewer tasks needing to be done. Cloud computing – More efficient data centres have not reduced overall energy use because the demand for cloud services and machine learning applications continues to skyrocket. Can Jevon's Paradox Be Overcome? Understanding Jevon's Paradox can help in designing better policies and strategies to ensure efficiency gains lead to real reductions in resource consumption. Some approaches include: Carbon pricing and regulation – Ensuring that energy efficiency is paired with policies that discourage excessive consumption. (see Goodhart's Law) Shifting behaviors – Encouraging individuals and businesses to actively reduce energy use, rather than simply taking advantage of efficiency improvements. Technology with constraints – Implementing smart grid systems, time-based energy pricing, and consumption limits to prevent unchecked increases in demand. Jevon's Paradox reminds us that efficiency alone is not a guaranteed solution for reducing resource consumption. Instead, it often requires complementary policies, incentives, and behavior changes to make efficiency gains truly effective. Read more about Jevon's in the NYT. I updated this sketch from the original for the podcast episode. Related Ideas to Jevon's Paradox Also see: The Fifth Fuel: energy efficiency The Automation Paradox – The better the machines get, the more we struggle when they fail Wishcycling — Hoping something can be recycled Save some landfill with reusable diapers/nappies Moore's Law Koomey's Law: "The energy efficiency of computers doubles roughly every 18 months."…Jevon's Paradox is the counterintuitive idea that improvements in fuel efficiency tend to increase, rather than decrease, overall fuel use. In 1865, William Stanley Jevons, a British economist, observed that despite significant improvements in coal efficiency in steam engines, total coal consumption actually rose. Rather than saving fuel, efficiency made coal-powered energy more economical, driving increased industrial use. This observation became known as Jevon's Paradox. Modern Examples of Jevon's Paradox Though first identified towards the end of the Industrial Revolution, Jevon's Paradox is still highly relevant today, particularly in discussions around energy efficiency, sustainability, and technology. Fuel-efficient cars – When vehicles become more fuel-efficient, the cost per mile driven decreases. As a result, people tend to drive more, offsetting the efficiency gains. AI and computing power – Advances in AI and computing efficiency reduce the cost of processing power, leading to increased overall usage of AI models and cloud computing. Battery technology – More efficient batteries lead to the proliferation of battery-powered devices rather than reducing energy consumption. Water-saving devices – Low-flow showerheads and toilets may save water per use, but in some cases, they lead to longer showers or more frequent flushing. Lighting — Though LED lights are vastly more efficient than their predecessors, we are continually finding new ways to use our low-wattage lights that we had never dreamed of before. Household appliances – In her book More Work for Mother, Ruth Cowan addresses the ironies of household appliances, such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners, and how improvements in efficiency often led to more work through more frequent washing, not less. This tendency is sometimes referred to as the rebound effect, where changes in behaviour partially or fully cancel out expected energy or resource savings. Jevon's Paradox and AI With the rise of AI and automation, Jevon's Paradox is playing out again in new ways: Computational efficiency – Though AI models are becoming more efficient—DeepSeek a case in point—the demand for AI-generated content, large language models, and deep learning applications is growing rapidly. Automated processes – Instead of reducing overall workloads, automation often leads to more tasks being completed rather than fewer tasks needing to be done. Cloud computing – More efficient data centres have not reduced overall energy use because the demand for cloud services and machine learning applications continues to skyrocket. Can Jevon's Paradox Be Overcome? Understanding Jevon's Paradox can help in designing better policies and strategies to ensure efficiency gains lead to real reductions in resource consumption. Some approaches include: Carbon pricing and regulation – Ensuring that energy efficiency is paired with policies that discourage excessive consumption. (see Goodhart's Law) Shifting behaviors – Encouraging individuals and businesses to actively reduce energy use, rather than simply taking advantage of efficiency improvements. Technology with constraints – Implementing smart grid systems, time-based energy pricing, and consumption limits to prevent unchecked increases in demand. Jevon's Paradox reminds us that efficiency alone is not a guaranteed solution for reducing resource consumption. Instead, it often requires complementary policies, incentives, and behavior changes to make efficiency gains truly effective. Read more about Jevon's in the NYT. I updated this sketch from the original for the podcast episode. Related Ideas to Jevon's Paradox Also see: The Fifth Fuel: energy efficiency The Automation Paradox – The better the machines get, the more we struggle when they fail Wishcycling — Hoping something can be recycled Save some landfill with reusable diapers/nappies Moore's Law Koomey's Law: "The energy efficiency of computers doubles roughly every 18 months."

2 Dec 2018

Search·Categories·Archive