Graphic Recording: Bring 'em Back to Your Content!

One of the great things about graphic recording is that it gives people stuff to talk about - and that stuff is your content!

The photo above was taken in the midst of a large conference. Most people were in one of the many sessions then. But no matter how great any conference may be, people often step out of the room for a bit. It could be for a bathroom break, or to take a phone call, or maybe they need to catch up on some work and skip a session completely.

When graphic recording visuals are displayed in common areas, people can't help but look. And when they look, they're engaged again with the content. They talk about it, too, getting those around them engaged along with them.

As this picture shows, graphic recording brought some people together and increased their engagement!

Visual Thinking & Lettering Practice: Letter Design - Lowercase F

Another 2 minute visual thinking and lettering design practice, this time with lowercase f. Just choose a letter and if it will be upper or lower case. Get whatever you're going to draw on and with all ready. Set the timer for 2 minutes and draw that letter as many different ways as you can until the timer goes off. That's it! Whatever you draw stays there - no erasing, no scribbling out. The ideas you don't like this time around may be just what you're looking for later on.

My 2 minute practice above was done on a whiteboard.

Graphic Recording: Confidential Material

One of the most challenging parts of being a graphic recorder is building up a portfolio of sharable work. The challenge is not in doing the work itself, but in doing work that is sharable.

Extensive non-disclosure agreements are often required for jobs. This could be due to highly confidential content. It could also be so people feel free to speak up without their comments being shared with the public at large.

Either way, the fact that much graphic recording is done behind closed doors and stays there, shows it provides far more value than merely drawing out a pretty picture.

The image above was done at the Shop.Org Summit, the only one non sharable with the public.

Graphic Recording: Get 'em Engaged, Keep 'em Engaged

Here's a picture from one of my kindergarten classes when I was an art teacher. The dozen or so kids visible are working on a great big thank you banner for the fire station they just visited. (I drew it and they colored, following guidelines from our lesson in color theory.) As you can see, they're all engaged and working hard to see the finished picture!

Large-scale graphic recording has the same effect on grown ups. It gets them engaged (even thought they're just watching) and keeps them engaged in the content. Even when minds wander, the subtle movement of the graphic recorder and the curiosity of what the finished picture will look like draw them right back to the content - just where you want the focus to be!

Sketching: Quick and Simple

Elaborate drawings are great but not everyone has the time or skills to create one. Often, a quick sketch can get the message across just as well. Especially if you're brainstorming and looking for as many ideas as possible. When you choose an idea to flesh out, the sketch can then be fleshed out, too, if you want.

The sketch above was one of several done to convey a coaching session, done with a Sharpie marker. Sketching with a bold marker makes it much easier to share online. And if you you want to use that sketch at some point, you're ready to go - no redrawing necessary.

Visual Thinking & Lettering Practice: 30 Days of Thanks! Designs

Last November, I drew the word Thanks! in a different way every day. I used a black Sharpie marker and only a black Sharpie marker. No pencil, no eraser, no sticky white correction stuff - just a black Sharpie marker. (They're permanent, by the way!) Any mark that ended up on the page had to become part of the design. Some of them I like, some of them I don't. But they ARE all different!

Pictures usually steal the show when it comes to live graphic recording or other types of illustration. But fun and fancy lettering can be just as powerful and equally creative!

Each design was colored in either Photoshop or Illustrator, but not touched up.

Sketchnotes: Published!

How does a very visual person write an academic paper? Visually, of course! This was the first page of a book review created as part of my master's program. While it has yet to appear in any scholarly journals, it has been published in something way more fun - The Sketchnote Workbook, by Mike Rohde.

Elements of Design: Lots of Lines!

Lines are one of the most basic elements of design. So, why not play around with them a bit? Thick or thin, straight or curvy, short or long - try something new! As my name suggests, squiggly lines come pretty naturally to me, so I used some corners for a change in the doodle above.  I created it with a regular ball point pen while waiting in the airport...proof you can draw with pretty much anything, anywhere, if you want to!

Synthesis Image or Illustration: Creative Connections Network

Synthesis images are not always created live. They can be created from print materials or audio and video files, too. This synthesis image was created from an entire website to draw people in and highlight all they have to offer. Check it out!

Live Graphic Recording: Design Thinking Innovation Workshop at The Product Summit

Workshops are generally made of PowerPoint presentations, hands-on work, and lively discussions. Graphic recording is a great way to capture both the facts and the flavor of the group, giving everyone (present or not) a clear picture of the key points and the experience as a whole. It's also a great way to show the whole group how much of an impact each person's  participation has on everyone's experience there.

The two images above were created during the full day Design Thinking Innovation Workshop last Saturday, as part of The Product Summit in San Francisco.