We’re strong believers in getting visual at IDEO.org, and drawing is a great way to learn from the people you’re designing for. Whether it’s you with the pen or them, a quick sketch, a graph, or a timeline is a fantastic way to bridge language barriers and keep a record of your research. Drawing can also help the person you’re designing for organize her thoughts visually and generally spur ideas and conversation in a different way than talking. For example, you may ask someone to draw everything they spend money on in a week, or map out all the jobs they’ve had, or show you the route they take to their job. And remember, you don’t need to be a great artist for drawing to be a highly useful tool.