Jatin Kapadia: Connecting Dots with Visuals
Interview #008
Jatin Kapadia is an avid note-taker and a good friend. Since discovering the power of visuals, he regularly incorporates them into his work and sharing them on social media. This has helped him connect with a wider audience, enhanced understanding among colleagues, and sparked creativity. He currently works at Dell.
Here’s his interview with us, where he shares his creative journey and insights.
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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your business. How did you get started, and what inspired you to use visuals to help grow your business?
I'm Jatin Kapadia, and I work at Dell Technologies, where I manage Product Quality to enhance serviceability, reduce service costs, and increase customer satisfaction.
For over a decade, I have been an avid note-taker, journaling and logging almost everything I experience. Recently, I found myself looking for ways to improve my note-taking system further. I had two key questions in mind: How can I quickly summarize what I learn? And when needed, how can I easily recall past events?
Fortunately, I stumbled upon a session on sketchnotes, which caught my interest. It turned out to be the solution I had been searching for.
I delved into learning more about sketchnotes and visual note-taking from various sources. Mastering this skill felt empowering. I started creating sketchnotes and visuals for the books I read, which garnered attention from the audience. People appreciated seeing them, even if they hadn't read the books themselves. Eventually, I expanded my visual creations to include quotes and ideas from podcasts.
In addition, I began incorporating visuals and sketches into my work-related notes. This aided my colleagues and peers in better understanding the projects we were working on and the challenges we faced. It helped streamline our team's problem-solving process, resulting in improved productivity and faster solutions.
How do you use visuals to communicate your ideas or products to your audience?
Visuals help me connect the dots with the audience, as situations can be complex, and wordy statements can sometimes exacerbate matters. Therefore, when I need to explain a scenario, I prefer to break it down using visuals.
Social media platforms where you share your content.
Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram
Can you share some specific examples of how using visuals has helped you attract new customers or clients, or helped you stand out from competitors?
Visuals help the audience understand the situation better and figure out how they fit in. This makes it easier to find solutions quickly and be more productive at work.
Sharing my visuals on social media has helped me connect with people who have similar interests. We have built a strong community over the past few months. Our sessions have helped us improve our skills, and now I'm getting requests to create visual quotes and scenarios. Some of my recent tweets are a result of these requests from the audience.
What tools or software do you use to create and edit your visuals?
Sketch drawing
Are there any tips you have for someone who is just starting out and doesn't have a lot of design experience?
Keep a daily habit to draw something every day, no matter what. If you're unsure about what to draw, just start with a few strokes on paper, and ideas will come to you. I don't have any formal art training or design experience, and I don't consider myself creative either. I just create a lot!
How do you measure the success of your visual content? Do you track metrics like engagement, clicks, or conversions, and how do you use that data to inform future visual content?
I don't really keep track of metrics. I create sketchnotes or visual notes on topics that resonate with me the most. Most of the content I create is actually a personal reminder to myself. I share it online, and people find it useful. So, I don't pay much attention to metrics.
However, I do value direct feedback. Recently, someone gave me a tip on how to add drop shadows to create a pop-up effect, and I started using them.
One of the most significant feedbacks I received was from my mother. She likes my content but mentioned that the entire sketchnote can be difficult to read on Instagram. So, I started posting the entire sketchnote and then breaking it down into smaller pictures, making it easier to read and consume. I take constructive feedback into consideration to improve my future visual content.
Do you have any advice for other creators/ solopreneurs who are just starting out and want to use visuals to help grow their business?
Creators should avoid striving for perfection because it's unattainable. Don't hesitate to publish something just because the visual is "not ready." Instead, focus on getting more content out there. The more you create, the quicker you'll learn and improve your content.
For businesses, it's essential to show how your product solves a customer's problem.
What are some common mistakes to avoid, or tips for creating visually engaging content on a budget?
If you're new to creating visuals, don't rush to buy the most expensive app. There are many great apps with free trials available. Pick a visual you want to make and try recreating it using different apps. You might be surprised to find that you don't need all the fancy features, and a simple app can work just fine.
Finally, where can we go to learn more about you and your business, and see some examples of your visual content in action?
Thank you once again, Sathya, for this opportunity and for listening to me. You can follow me on Twitter (@jatinkapadia) and Instagram (jatin_visualize) to stay updated on my regular content sharing.