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Sketchnote Handbook Cover & Chapter 1: What Are Sketchnotes? A Guided Walkthrough Video

In this video, I reveal the design insights behind the Sketchnote Handbook's cover and Chapter One, including inspirations, manuscripts, sketches, and final book designs.

In this new video series, I’ll offer a design walk-through of my bestselling book, The Sketchnote Handbook. I will share never-before-shared insights into my inspiration for the book, my creative process, and why I designed this book the way I did.

Episode One: Cover and Chapter One

This video covers the cover design and chapter one of The Sketchnote Handbook and includes new details about its creation that I have never shared, like:

  • Inspiration for the cover design, including thumbnail sketches

  • Why the cover is designed the way it is, notes about the coating

  • Sharing my process from manuscript to sketches to final artwork

  • My mindset about what I wanted to achieve with The Sketchnote Handbook using sketchnotes to teach sketchnoting

  • The importance of including sketchnotes from community members to show the breadth of styles and invite non-artists into sketchnoting

  • And more…

I will continue this video series with the remaining six chapters and publish them here at Sketchnote Lab and on YouTube.

Buy The Sketchnote Handbook

Want to buy a copy of The Sketchnote Handbook? Use the 40% off discount code ROHDE40 at Peachpit.com on the printed or digital book.

Buy The Sketchnote Handbook at Peachpit


Videos in the Series

You can check out the next two videos in the series I’ve created:



Sketchnote Lab is Mike Rohde’s space designed to bridge the gap between sketchnote theory and practice. You don’t need to be an artist to think visually. Join Mike and learn to use sketchnotes to clarify your thinking, solve problems, and move forward. Learn more about Sketchnote Lab.

Mike is the author of The Sketchnote Handbook and The Sketchnote Workbook, bestselling books that teach regular people how to start sketchnoting and build a regular sketchnoting practice.

He founded the Sketchnote Army and hosts the Sketchnote Podcast, where he interviews visual thinkers to understand what makes them tick.

Mike teaches recorded, live, and in-person workshops to help accelerate your sketchnoting practice and provides personalized coaching for your specific visual thinking challenges.

He is the illustrator of bestselling books like REWORK, REMOTE, The $100 Startup, Honest SEO, The Culture Playbook, and The Future Begins with Z.

Become a Supporting or Founding Lab Partner to support Mike’s work.


Some links in Sketchnote Lab posts are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools and resources I use and believe in.

©2026 Mike Rohde, Sketchnote Lab

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