After more than a decade of live illustration, rich picture creation, and explainer animation, there’s one visual metaphor that I keep coming back to: the humble roadmap.

Sometimes, it’s a simple squiggle with a few icons representing key touchpoints. On other occasions, it’s a more complex design, complete with barriers, obstacles, and forks in the road. Whatever the level of detail, roadmaps are an incredibly powerful way to make sense of various journeys.