In a world where numbers and words often dominate research, a North-West University (NWU) scholar is urging academics to “picture it”. During her inaugural lecture Prof Vicki Koen from the Faculty of Health Sciences argued that images, drawings and photographs can unlock new ways of understanding family well-being that traditional methods cannot.
“Visual methods help participants express experiences that are hard to put into words,” she explained during her lecture on 18 September 2025. “They allow children, parents and even entire families to show their realities instead of just describing them.”
Prof Koen’s work explores how techniques such as drawing, mapping, photovoice and body mapping reveal hidden dimensions of family life. These methods, she said, have been particularly effective in working with groups that are often overlooked in research, including adolescents, offenders and single parents.
Picturing power and relationships in families
In one study, teenage girls were asked to draw their families using circles. The size and placement of each circle revealed how they perceived power and relationships at home. “The mothers were often described as ‘providers’ or ‘role models,’ while fathers were seen as distant,” Prof Koen noted. “These drawings offered insights that would not have surfaced in a standard interview.”
Another project invited families to depict how nature experiences shaped their relationships. One child’s drawing showed people smiling in the rain, showing that even during tough times, the family saw hope.
Visual methods have also shed light on painful stories. Adolescent offenders sketched their relationships with absent fathers. “Here it’s me and here is my father, and we are going our separate ways,” one participant said. Another drew a candle to represent a father who “should have been a role model”.
These approaches are not without challenges. There are ethical issues around image ownership and interpretation, and not all visual techniques suit every participant. Still, Prof Koen believes the potential outweighs the limitations.
“Visual methods foster collaboration, bridge language barriers and bring out layers of meaning that words alone cannot,” she said.
Prof Koen concluded with a call to researchers: plan carefully, give clear instructions and pair visual tools with interviews or narratives for deeper insights. “If used thoughtfully, visual methods can transform how we study family life.”
Through this shift in perspective, Prof Koen hopes researchers will not just see families but understand them more completely.
Prof Vicki Koen
