Is Your Message Lost Without a Map?

SOLO is your weekly design and visibility lab — part of the Solo Business School, and dedicated to helping solopreneurs stand out with smart systems, sharp visuals, and AI that unlocks your edge.

Each week, you get fresh ideas to help you stay small and play big.

Welcome to issue #072, and the many new readers who have joined us for the first time this week

Is Your Message Lost Without a Map?

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring how visual frameworks can help you stand out. Through a simple visual, you can share ideas, showcase your expertise, and build your own IP (intellectual property).

Visual frameworks use five essential shapes, and today we focus on path frameworks.

Path shapes are the most human of all visual frameworks. They help us see our journey and destination, and give us the confidence to reach it.

When your work involves guiding others through a process or transformation, a path framework shows the way.

A QUESTION I'VE BEEN ASKED

When is a path the right choice for a visual framework?

Path frameworks shine when your message involves change over time, especially with a clear starting point and meaningful destination.

Here are three well-known versions to consider:

➡️ The Arc
Simple and classic. A clean curve with a beginning, middle, and end. Ideal for story arcs, launches, or multi-phase methods (from pain to promise).

➡️ The S-Curve
My go-to in my Authority by Design course. It’s dynamic and realistic in a compact format. It shows early momentum, a messy middle, and a confident conclusion. Useful for expertise journeys, mindset shifts, or method mastery.

➡️ The Flat Timeline
A horizontal line is grounding. Think of it as a runway. It’s effective for project plans, program phases, or onboarding sequences.

Each variation tells a story of progress, but in a slightly different voice.

Want drama and momentum? Use an arc.
Want nuance and realism? Try the S.
Want clarity and logistics? Go flat.

The power of a path framework is that it doesn’t just inform, it invites. When people see the journey and destination, they’re more likely to join and keep going.

A QUESTION TO REFLECT ON

What’s the journey you most often guide people through?

It might be a formal process, a personal story, or the steps a client takes before or after working with you.

This week’s reflection: How could turning that into a path framework give it more clarity, value, or power?

A QUESTION TO CONSIDER TOGETHER

How do you bring journeys to life visually?

This is the fun part of each newsletter, where we see how your thinking aligns with other readers. Your answer is anonymous, and you’ll see the collective results right after you respond.

Which path shape do you use the most? (Choose one.)

Arc (beginning → middle → end)

S-Curve (momentum → challenge → mastery)

Flat Timeline (project stages or dates)

None yet, but ready to try!

Last week’s poll results: Half of the respondents said you don’t use a triangle framework (yet!). Tiered triangles (pyramid) and triangle frameworks showing three key priorities were the next most popular choices.

Quick Links

When you’re ready to explore further...

🔵 Download the Solo Business Canvas, a free visual tool to map your one-person business.
🔵 Learn to create quality content with AI as your personal assistant.
🔵 Browse the free solo resources of handpicked tools and resources I actually use.
🔵 Send me an email to book a 1:1 Coaching Session or ask a question
🔵 Explore the archives of past issues