Generating ‘Thinking Environments’ with Prof. Peter Hopkins

Professor Peter Hopkins of Newcastle University invited me to make an explainer animation bringing Nancy Kline’s idea of a “Thinking Environment” to life. The concept comes from her book “Time to Think”, and it asks a lovely question: how does holding calm, respectful space for someone to think out loud help them find their own way to an answer? What would it look like to treat our patient listening and our willingness to stay quiet as the most useful thing we bring to a conversation? Peter trained as a Time to Think coach himself and wrote about the project, and the animation, in this Newcastle University article.

To answer that, I treated thought itself as something alive and in motion, going through changes and getting stuck, then freeing up again, always travelling and ready to be shaped and shared. I used a bright palette and whirling, swirling lines to show thinking on the move, and a glowing diamond to mark the moment a clear, workable plan finally arrives. I kept the characters simple and symbolic so the attention stays on the thoughts and the quiet exchange between two people. It was such a joyful project to work on.

If you have a concept or idea you’d like to bring to life through explainer animation, I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch.