Explaining the world one sketch at a time

Simplifying complex ideas through fun and insightful sketches. Explore topics from science, creativity, psychology, and more explained in pictures.

This is such
a cool book.
— Bill Gates

Big Ideas Little Pictures: Explaining the world one sketch at a time

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Absorb big ideas with crystal-clear understanding through this collection of 135 visual explanations. Including 24 exclusive new sketches and enhanced versions of classic favourites, each page shares life-improving ideas through beautifully simple illustrations.

Perfect for curious minds and visual learners alike.

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Hi, I'm Jono 👋

I'm an author and illustrator creating one of the world's largest libraries of hand-drawn sketches explaining the world—sketch-by-sketch.

Sketchplanations have been shared millions of times and used in books, articles, classrooms, and more. Learn more about the project, search for a sketch you like, or see recent sketches below.

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The Subscription Trap

Subscription traps are contracts that are easy to sign up for and hard to cancel. Subscription traps are sneaky. Just like Hotel California, "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." What a Subscription Trap Looks Like Sometimes, you may go from a free trial to a paid subscription without realising it. Sometimes, you may go months without noticing you're still paying for a subscription. Your contract may renew for a full year before you spot…Subscription traps are contracts that are easy to sign up for and hard to cancel. Subscription traps are sneaky. Just like Hotel California, "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." What a Subscription Trap Looks Like Sometimes, you may go from a free trial to a paid subscription without realising it. Sometimes, you may go months without noticing you're still paying for a subscription. Your contract may renew for a full year before you spot it. And when you try to cancel, you may find yourself jumping through hoops—compared to the few clicks it took you to sign up. My experiences include: Searching for a cancel link online Turning to a customer support chat, which turns out to be a chatbot Finding the chatbot can't cancel for me or, more often, links me to the help article where I started and found I couldn't cancel online Eventually, being transferred to an agent and having to repeat everything Being given a phone number to call Finding their closed because it's the weekend Scheduling a reminder to call back on Monday between meetings Calling, waiting in a queue (as opposed to the rapid response for prospective customers) Running out of time and forgetting to try again until the office is closed. <sigh> Perhaps you'll recognise some of this. Sludge and Why it Matters The kind of bureaucracy and red tape you encounter when trying to cancel or do other things like claim on health insurance is sometimes called sludge. It's the friction stops us from getting things done. In 2014, the UK government thought that unwanted subscriptions were costing people £1.6 billion a year—nearly 10 million of 155 million active subscriptions. They've held a consultation for measures to help avoid subscription traps and scams. California, for example, already has legislation requiring companies to offer online cancellation if they allow online sign-up. Best practice includes Providing clear information about contracts before entering Reminders before moving from trials or discount periods to full-price Reminders before subscriptions renew Making it simple to cancel Some Subscriptions are More Slippery than Others We're less likely to get trapped in some types of subscription. If we subscribe to a box of groceries that appears at our door, we'll trip over the box rather than forget about it. But online-only services or access-based platforms easily slip into the background. You may not notice they're still ticking along if you don't actively visit them. The only trace might be buried in your bank statement—monthly or even annual. Economist Neal Mahoney and colleagues found a neat way to spot the subscription trap in action (pdf). They looked at cancellation rates over time and noticed something curious: when people's payment cards expired, they often didn't bother to restart the subscription with new card details. That simple disruption—a forced pause—was enough for many people to realise they didn't need the service after all. Incentives and Legislation I've been on both sides of the subscription trap. It might be deliberate on behalf of a company. However, it can also be a product of incentives and environment. Without new customer growth, a business doesn't last long. So, there's a lot of incentive to work on streamlined sign-up and onboarding. Hopefully, effort also goes into building a great product that makes people want to stay. However, once someone has decided to leave, there's often less incentive to make it a great experience, short of avoiding bad reviews. I think it's generally not malicious—see Hanlon's razor. People know that cancelling isn't as easy as it should be, but they're measured on other targets that increase revenue or decrease costs. New projects are launched to do the same rather than "sink" money into making it easier for people to leave. There will also often be a new customer onboarding team and no offboarding team at all (see Conway's Law). This makes it a natural place for legislation to help out us punters just looking to cancel without spending all morning on the phone. Don't get Caught! If you want to save money, reviewing your subscriptions and knowing what you're spending is a smart first step. We have a spreadsheet with all active monthly payments. A quick scan makes it easy to see what we still use or don't. And yes, battle through the sludge and bureaucracy—it's worth it! Related Ideas to the Subscription Trap Also see: Dark patterns - using design to deceive The Shirky Principle - institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution Goodhart's Law - when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure Campbell's Law - the more any quantitative social indicator is used for decision-making, the more likely it is to be distorted Conway's Law - software reflects the structure of the teams that built it You Get What You Measure Don't ask the barber if you need a haircut Amazon and Uber's Virtuous Cycle for Mega Growth The Business Flywheel For interviews with Mahoney and Thaler (of sludge and nudge), see (once again) Freakonomics, Sludge, Part 2: Is Government the Problem, or the Solution?WWWSubscription traps are contracts that are easy to sign up for and hard to cancel. Subscription traps are sneaky. Just like Hotel California, "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." What a Subscription Trap Looks Like Sometimes, you may go from a free trial to a paid subscription without realising it. Sometimes, you may go months without noticing you're still paying for a subscription. Your contract may renew for a full year before you spot it.…

27 Apr

Illustration of Adam Smith’s quote about trade: “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker…” showing how self-interest leads to mutual benefit in trade and a tipsy baker.

The Butcher, the Brewer, the Baker — Adam Smith quote

One of the most famous lines from Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations is: "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages." —Adam Smith One interpretation is that this quote underpins capitalism: people trade because it benefits them,…One of the most famous lines from Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations is: "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages." —Adam Smith One interpretation is that this quote underpins capitalism: people trade because it benefits them, which is true. But what I like about this passage is that it hints at something else, too. There is a two-way benefit in effective trade. To help ourselves, we have to help others. And to help others, we have to understand what they want. Good trade depends not just on self-interest but on the ability to take another person's perspective. The magic of trade is that both sides are better off when it works well—a genuine win-win. You can find more interpretation on this short passage at the OLL. I first read the passage in The Invisible Hand, part of Penguin's Great Ideas Series. It makes a good introduction to Adam Smith. Freakonomics also did a great two-part podcast series on Adam Smith: In Search of the Real Adam Smith. Related Ideas to the Butcher, the Brewer, the Baker Also see: Rival and Non-Rival Goods Fungible and Non-Fungible Goods Veblen Goods The Bullwhip Effect Recession vs Depression The Business FlywheelWWWOne of the most famous lines from Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations is: "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages." —Adam Smith One interpretation is that this quote underpins capitalism: people trade because it benefits them, w…

20 Apr

BASE jumping is an acronym for Building, Antenna (like a radio or communication tower), Span (such as a bridge), and Earth (a cliff or natural formation)—the four types of fixed objects people jump from

BASE Jumping — Building, Antenna, Span, Earth

BASE jumping is the hair-raising pastime of leaping off tall, fixed objects instead of out of planes, for example. It's a great name because it works as-is and is also an acronym—which I didn't realise for years. BASE stands for the types of fixed objects BASE jumpers might throw themselves off: Buildings, Antennas (like radio or communication towers), Spans (i.e. bridges), and Earth (like a cliff or natural formation). The term BASE jumping was coined by filmmaker…BASE jumping is the hair-raising pastime of leaping off tall, fixed objects instead of out of planes, for example. It's a great name because it works as-is and is also an acronym—which I didn't realise for years. BASE stands for the types of fixed objects BASE jumpers might throw themselves off: Buildings, Antennas (like radio or communication towers), Spans (i.e. bridges), and Earth (like a cliff or natural formation). The term BASE jumping was coined by filmmaker Carl Boenish, who famously jumped off El Capitan, among other dramatic locations. It remains one of the most dangerous sporting activities, and tragically, Carl died on a jump in Norway. People even BASE jump into caves. Perhaps you remember the spectacular opening sequence from the BBC Planet Earth Caves episode. Bungee jumping isn't technically BASE jumping. BASE jumping involves a parachute, whereas bungee jumping uses the trademark stretchy cord and involves bouncing around before being pulled back up. BASE jumping is an acronym like laser or radar, where the letters form a word you say as a whole. If we said B–A–S–E jumping (saying the letters individually), it would instead be an initialism. BASE jumping is often carried out illegally, such as by trespassing on private buildings to jump off from them. Just to be clear—I'm not recommending you try it out =) Related Ideas to BASE Jumping BASE Jumping is a good opportunity to share some of my favourite sketches to think about: The Fun Scale Flow Optimism Bias Acronyms and Initialisms Know your flying fabrics Nine-Enders What drives us? Core components of risk Microlives and micromortsWWWBASE jumping is the hair-raising pastime of leaping off tall, fixed objects instead of out of planes, for example. It's a great name because it works as-is and is also an acronym—which I didn't realise for years. BASE stands for the types of fixed objects BASE jumpers might throw themselves off: Buildings, Antennas (like radio or communication towers), Spans (i.e. bridges), and Earth (like a cliff or natural formation). The term BASE jumping was coined by filmmaker Carl…

13 Apr

Landlocked States

Landlocked typically means having no direct access to the oceans or open seas. Looking at the US, we find 27 States are landlocked—you need to pass through another state or country to reach the ocean. Double-Landlocked States More interesting, though, is that 10 of those states are double-landlocked: to reach the coast, they must first cross a state that is itself landlocked. The 10 double-landlocked states are Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,…Landlocked typically means having no direct access to the oceans or open seas. Looking at the US, we find 27 States are landlocked—you need to pass through another state or country to reach the ocean. Double-Landlocked States More interesting, though, is that 10 of those states are double-landlocked: to reach the coast, they must first cross a state that is itself landlocked. The 10 double-landlocked states are Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The Triple-Landlocked State And then there's Nebraska, with the unusual distinction of being triple-landlocked. It's surrounded by double-landlocked states, meaning that to reach the ocean from Nebraska, you need to pass through: 1. A double-landlocked state 2. A singly landlocked state 3. A coastal state or country Name That State I spent six months as a child living in New York State. We had a board game called Name That State. It got me surprisingly good at identifying US states and their capitals—some of that knowledge stuck. In the sketch, I left the state names as initials so you can test yourself by mentally filling in the map =) Double-Landlocked Countries Usually, being landlocked applies to countries. I remember learning that Bolivia has a navy (primarily for Lake Titicaca) despite being landlocked. And, years ago, a family member shared with me that there are only two double-landlocked countries in the world. I didn't even know what double-landlocked meant. You can see both of them in my article on Double-Landlocked Countries. It's worth noting there are a few subtly different ways to define what counts as landlocked—especially when considering access via rivers or lakes. I found the definitions used by World Atlas made sense to me and seemed like a good basis for this sketch. Related Ideas to Landlocked States Also see: Double-Landlocked Countries The Coastline Paradox Point Nemo The 3 Tallest MountainsWWWLandlocked typically means having no direct access to the oceans or open seas. Looking at the US, we find 27 States are landlocked—you need to pass through another state or country to reach the ocean. Double-Landlocked States More interesting, though, is that 10 of those states are double-landlocked: to reach the coast, they must first cross a state that is itself landlocked. The 10 double-landlocked states are Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri,…

6 Apr

How canal works to allow a boat to travel uphill

Canal Locks

There's something remarkable about a boat travelling uphill. Canal locks are a simple yet ingenious system that has made it possible for centuries. How a Canal Lock Works The humble lock gate has more to it than first appears. Here's how one of the most common types works. For a boat approaching a lock from below and meeting a closed gate: 1. Bring the water to your level Close the top gate to seal the lock. Then, open the sluice (or paddle) in the lower…There's something remarkable about a boat travelling uphill. Canal locks are a simple yet ingenious system that has made it possible for centuries. How a Canal Lock Works The humble lock gate has more to it than first appears. Here's how one of the most common types works. For a boat approaching a lock from below and meeting a closed gate: 1. Bring the water to your level Close the top gate to seal the lock. Then, open the sluice (or paddle) in the lower gate — often a sliding panel — by cranking it with the ever-handy windlass (a simple metal crank that fits onto square spindles on the lock mechanism). 2. Enter and seal the gate Once the water is at the lower level, you can push the giant counterweights to open the gate and steer the boat inside. Don't nudge too far forward, or you'll bump the cill, a stone ledge at the top end of the lock. Close the gate behind you and shut the sluice to stop water escaping. 3. Raise the water level With the lock sealed, open the top sluices. These often feed through side channels or culverts, letting water in gently from upstream, usually below the surface, to reduce turbulence. You'll gradually float upward as the lock fills. 4. Head upstream Once the water level matches the upper pound (the upper stretch of water), open the top gates, close the sluices, and cruise on your way. The same principles, in reverse, work for approaching the lock from above. As you can imagine, operating locks is much harder work if you're boating solo. Water Supply for Canals One thing that makes all this possible is a steady supply of water. You can't rise in a lock without water to fill it. So, canal builders had to ensure the canal had enough water to stay navigable and to keep the locks functioning. For some of the London canals, the builders created huge reservoirs with long feeder channels to ensure the canals had enough water. In some places, water is pumped back uphill to be reused at the top of a flight. Canal water doesn't flow much — it's a closed system in many places. I'd heard that, in principle, it only takes one lock's worth of water for a boat to travel down a whole flight of locks: each lockful of water carries the boat one step down and ends up in the next pound. So, a boat going down several locks essentially transfers a single chamber's worth of water from the top to the bottom. But in practice, how much water gets used depends on boat traffic from either side, whether you meet locks full or empty, and water-saving features such as side pools. In my research, it wasn't as simple as it seemed. The Mitre Gate Holding back tonnes of water is no small task. Mitre gates are angled to meet, pointing upstream and forming a shallow V. This shape means the water pressure pushes the gates closed, creating a tight seal — the water effectively locks itself in. A stone arch bridge uses a similar principle—compression strengthens the structure under pressure. Leonardo da Vinci sketched an early design for the mitre gate around 1500. The design still looks like a modern lock gate. Not bad for an invention 500+ years ago. Understandable Engineering at Large Canal locks are like playing with water in the bath but on a massive scale. They're inherently satisfying to watch and operate. At their peak, they revolutionised transport across much of Europe and beyond. The same basic idea still operates in the Panama Canal, where giant ships are lifted 26 metres over the isthmus simply by filling and draining the lock chambers in sequence. The dimensions of a lock determine the size of the boat that can pass through. Panamax is the maximum size a ship can be to fit through the Panama Canal—a constraint that shapes shipbuilding worldwide. In the UK, Tardebigge Locks has 30 locks to raise boats 67m over just 3.6km. Not to be outdone, Caen Hill Locks on the Kennet and Avon Canal has 29 Locks, 16 of which are in a straight line, rising 72m over 2.1km. For a single, remarkable lock, have a look at Falkirk Wheel lock in Scotland. It's the "one and only rotating boat lift", which replaces 11 locks with a 2 min rotating journey lifting boats through the air. Full disclosure: We recently took a canal boat trip on London's Regents Canal, including a visit to London's Canal Museum. Far from its industrial heyday, the whole place was buzzing with people out for leisure up and down the length of the journey. The towpath—horses towed the barges by walking alongside—was packed with walkers, joggers and cyclists. And it never failed to fascinate when the boats moved up or down a lock. Engineering at work! Related Ideas to Canal Locks Also see: Everyone's a Geek About Something Buoyancy: how do mega ships float? The Plimsoll Line Siphon Kayak vs Canoe Strahler Stream Order Iceberg orientation Why ice doesn't sink Naismith's Rule (including the term "lock miles") Rivers and BucketsWWWThere's something remarkable about a boat travelling uphill. Canal locks are a simple yet ingenious system that has made it possible for centuries. How a Canal Lock Works The humble lock gate has more to it than first appears. Here's how one of the most common types works. For a boat approaching a lock from below and meeting a closed gate: 1. Bring the water to your level Close the top gate to seal the lock. Then, open the sluice (or paddle) in the lower gat…

30 Mar

Everyone's a geek about something with people geeking out on many different activities

Everyone's a Geek About Something — Revised and Expanded

Are you passionate about something? Do you know something inside out where others barely give it a glance? As a schoolboy, I thought I was into birds—until my dad and I stayed with some family friends who were truly into birding. They had a powerful telescope trained on the birds at the feeder in their garden. They had crystal-clear binoculars we used on a bird walk, which showed me birds clearer and closer than I'd ever seen. They knew what birds to look for…Are you passionate about something? Do you know something inside out where others barely give it a glance? As a schoolboy, I thought I was into birds—until my dad and I stayed with some family friends who were truly into birding. They had a powerful telescope trained on the birds at the feeder in their garden. They had crystal-clear binoculars we used on a bird walk, which showed me birds clearer and closer than I'd ever seen. They knew what birds to look for and had tape recordings of specific bird calls that brought them to nearby bushes. They talked us through trips they'd been around the world to spot rare and remarkable birds. Spending time with them changed how I saw birds forever. It was impossible to be around them and not start to love birds. There are classic disciplines for geekiness: science, maths, computers, birdwatching, plane spotting, model trains. But over the years, I've seen people geek out about so much more: gardening, plants, pottery, DJ'ing, Pokemon, sport, skiing, cycling, endurance, beekeeping, writing, business, spreadsheets, coding, magic tricks, sailing, a musical instrument, nightclubs, restaurants, personal development, gaming, crypto, cooking, travel, film, thrillers, local history, deals, football boots, coaching, shopping, clothes, cars, building, cameras, art, museums, relationships, pets, insects, decorating, and on and on. If you don't pay close attention to Premier League football, it might be boring, but if you follow every detail, it can be engrossing. I didn't think much of textiles, but I found it fascinating after spending an afternoon weaving in Laos. One of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing is Take Notice. Being a geek is noticing everything about something. It can also Connect you with others and keep you Learning—two more of the five. The word geek derives from a word meaning fool or freak as if it's foolish to devote so much attention and time to one area. But the truth is, as the physicist Richard Feynman says: "Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough." And the writer Henry Miller wrote: "The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." Some of us had "publicly being a geek about something" trained out of us at school. The challenges of trying to fit in, to look cool, to make ourselves less vulnerable, to conform to social stereotypes (pretty, sporty, funny...), and to avoid snarky comments. As I've gotten older and more confident in myself, it's easier to unashamedly be a geek about something. I still meet with sarcasm and raised eyebrows at times, but now I'm comfortable enough to brush it off (most of the time). I love this quote from Simon Pegg about it: "Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It's basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating." Let's embrace our inner geeks. Dive deep into what fascinates you. Try not to dismiss others' passions until you've had a go at getting into depth yourself. Their joy could be just the same that you feel with something else. Everyone's a geek about something. And that's wonderful. This is a revised and expanded version of my original sketch, which had just a few passions. I've thought about it so much since I first heard the phrase—I couldn't remember where—that I thought it needed an update. And we had a blast talking about this on the podcast. When putting together a draft of a Sketchplanations book, this was my first title idea (preview). Related Ideas to Everyone's a Geek About Something Also see: 5 Ways to Wellbeing Flow The writer's in the writing. The artist's in the art. Discovering truth and beauty The Learning Pit Eponym One-buttock playingWWWAre you passionate about something? Do you know something inside out where others barely give it a glance? As a schoolboy, I thought I was into birds—until my dad and I stayed with some family friends who were truly into birding. They had a powerful telescope trained on the birds at the feeder in their garden. They had crystal-clear binoculars we used on a bird walk, which showed me birds clearer and closer than I'd ever seen. They knew what birds to look for an…

23 Mar

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