Grab a pen, a pencil, or your computer and sketch the very first image that comes to mind for each of the following chart titles. The goal is to work very quickly and not to get caught up in making the lines straight or the graph or picture square or perfect in any way. Simply capture the message as best you can and don’t over-think it.

1. The Web Site’s Hits Have Quadrupled Since 2009 2. Apple’s IPods Have the Largest Share of the MP3 Market 3. The Team’s Project Will Advance in Three Phases 4. Houston’s Airport System Ranks Fourth Nationally 5. The Age Distribution of the U.S. Population Differs Sharply from That of Developing Countries 6. Students Are Caught in the Crisscross of Decreased Scholarship Money and Increased College Costs 7. The Five Programs Are Interrelated 8. The Two Project Teams Must Interact for Better Results 9. The Task Forces Are Moving in Opposite Directions 10. The Range of Discounts Offered for the New PCs Varies Widely by Geographic Area 11. Forces at Work on the Faculty Will Result in the Restructuring of the Curriculum 12. The Development of Computer Viruses Follows a Vicious Circle This exercise was inspired by my former McKinsey colleague, Gene Zelazny, in

“Designing Charts for the Zen of It” in Say It with Presentations by Gene Zelazny (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000). Thank you, Gene.