Question-to-Sketch Distillation Loop
Turn repeated questions into simple visuals, then refine what you leave out
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 94%
Richards's loop begins when the same question appears for a second time. Instead of rebuilding the answer for each person, he writes a reusable response and pairs it with a hand-drawn diagram. The visual uses simple boxes, arrows, circles, words, or lines to expose the core relationship that prose failed to make clear. Simplicity is not the finish line: distillation means choosing what to leave out, and an elegant answer can still be wrong. The sketch therefore goes in front of real readers or clients, whose confusion and substantive feedback reveal missing context. Richards then reconsiders individual words and lines, sometimes over years, and adjusts the sketch. The result is a repeatable communication asset that remains human, concise, and open to correction.
Origin
Richards first drew boxes and arrows on a shared whiteboard after two intelligent clients stared blankly at his verbal explanation; their immediate understanding made the value of sketching visible.
Core principles
- 01Repeated confusion signals a reusable explanation
- 02Simple boxes, arrows, and circles can unlock understanding
- 03Distillation requires deliberate choices about what to omit
- 04Audience feedback improves an explanation over repeated versions
How to run it
- 1
Capture the repeated question
Wait for a real question to recur. Treat the second appearance as evidence that the explanation deserves a reusable form.
Pro tip Use actual audience language as the prompt rather than inventing a topic in isolation.
- 2
Write the core answer
State the essential relationship or decision in plain language. Remove terminology that keeps a lay audience at a distance.
Watch out Do not confuse technical vocabulary with precision.
- 3
Draw the mechanism
Translate the answer into the simplest useful arrangement of shapes, arrows, words, and lines. Optimize for recognition rather than artistic polish.
Pro tip Hand-drawn imperfections can make the explanation feel more human and approachable.
Watch out Design polish can erase the feature that makes the sketch accessible.
- 4
Audit the omissions
Identify the edge cases and nuance removed during distillation. Decide consciously which omissions preserve clarity and which make the answer wrong.
Watch out Simple and elegant is not the same as accurate.
- 5
Test and revise
Put the sketch in front of clients or readers and pay attention to useful criticism. Change words or lines when feedback exposes a better expression of the idea.
Pro tip Preserve the simple core while correcting material misunderstandings.
Watch out Do not let pedantic feedback distract from feedback that improves meaning.
In the wild
Richards was explaining a concept to an emergency-room doctor and a technology sales representative. When the smart clients still looked blank, he treated the problem as his own, stood at an unused whiteboard, and drew simple boxes and arrows. Their reaction changed immediately to understanding.
→ The visual exposed a reusable way to communicate ideas that spoken explanation had not made clear.
Common mistakes
Polishing away the human signal
Replacing a distinctive hand-drawn explanation with professional design can remove the quality readers value.
Leaving out essential nuance
Distillation fails when the omitted detail changes the truth of the idea rather than merely reducing clutter.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for advisers, teachers, and creators who repeatedly explain the same difficult concept.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when edge cases are the central issue and a compact visual would create a misleadingly simple answer.
From the transcript
“anytime I got asked a question more than once. So the second time I got asked it, I was like, what if I just wrote…”
“the thing I thought was a flaw ended up being the feature”
“when you distill and leave things out. You get things wrong sometimes”
From the episode
Sketching Wealth Strategy: Masters in Business with Carl Richards
Carl Richards