To see things clearly is an invaluable skill in today’s turbulent world. This book gives you a versatile and straightforward approach to making the complex clear. ‘Visual Variation’ is the catalyst for clear analysis, creative ideas, and captivating communication. With almost forty illustrations, you’ll learn through fascinating examples and with the help of concise instructions, simple checklists, provocative thought starters, and instructive information boxes. You will find snappy explanations on topics as diverse as quantum computing and career paths, lessons from the dying and blockchain, learning styles and project failures, creativity, and fake news. You will increase your understanding of these and other topics through the five visual variation patterns presented in this book: The elementary approaches pattern for visualizing different ways to reach a goal. The expansive scenarios pattern for visualizing options, risks, plans, or opportunities. The analytic segments pattern for a better understanding of processes, routines, meetings, or even your life. The entertaining mutations pattern for creating and sharing memorable insights and finding novel perspectives. The rigorous configurations patterns for devising new solutions or rethinking existing ones. More importantly, you will learn how to apply these five techniques to your own work and life so that you can be a more effective problem-solver and communicator – and you don’t need any drawing skills or specialist software to do it. The visual thinking approach presented in this book is based on variation theory and makes this paradigm actionable for anyone wanting to extend their communication and thinking toolbox. It has been tested in dozens of projects and application contexts, ranging from education to business and highly personal to societal issues.