Sketchnote Army Podcast

Dan Roam, The Journey of a Visual Storyteller - SE17/EP01

Oct 8, 2025
Dan Roam, a visual thinker and author known for his influential book, "Back of the Napkin," shares his journey from a childhood passion for drawing to a successful career in visual storytelling and consulting. He explores the evolution from analog design to digital tools, drawing parallels to the current AI landscape. Roam discusses how generative AI presents both challenges and opportunities for creativity, emphasizing the importance of maintaining human agency while using technology as a collaborator. His insights inspire innovative thinking in the face of change.
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ANECDOTE

From Kid Drawing To Visual Consultant

  • Dan Roam traced his visual thinking to childhood drawing and later to studying biology and painting in college.
  • He designed a custom major combining fine art and science, then parlayed analog graphic-design skills into a consulting career translating ideas into visuals.
ANECDOTE

Riding The Analog-To-Digital Wave

  • Dan described being at a newspaper that adopted early digital layout tools and later designing major websites in the 1990s.
  • He used those transitions as examples of how technology changes creative work and created opportunities by learning new tools.
INSIGHT

Books Form A Visual-Thinking Path

  • Dan mapped his books as a through-line: clarify complexity visually, combine words and pictures, present persuasively.
  • Each book builds on the previous to turn visual thinking into practical tools for influencing and explaining.
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