The Strategist Behind the Markers

About Matt Orley

An electrical engineer by training, a visual storyteller by trade, and a generalist who thrives in translating high-level complexity into human connection.

Years of Experience

First Live Board in 2010 • Big Paper Strategy founded 2018

Events Captured

that's 351 days of drawing

Separate Drawings

that's 77,100 minutes of intense listening... at least!

SQ FT of PANELS

Inked Live On-Site

< 0%

Spellcheck Fail Rate

Quickly Fixed Live with Marker!

Stats updated through May 2026

Listening in Real Time

I founded Big Paper Strategy in 2018, though I did my first live graphic recording project back in 2010.

I am an analytical listener. I work in real time to process, filter, and synthesize complex brainstorms and conference speeches into single, cohesive visual maps.

Rather than just "drawing doodles," I leverage an eclectic engineering and business career to immediately understand technical processes, corporate strategies, and abstract jargon.

An Analytical & Generalist Path

My career spans hardware design, industrial sales, digital art and wall murals, digital marketing, and advocacy:

Engineering Roots

Holds an electrical engineering degree from Grove City College. Developed CES award-winning electronics at Khyber Technologies.

Industrial Sales

Managed industrial control systems sales at FACTS Inc.

Digital Art & Murals

Part of the VIEWNIQUE team at OMNOVA Solutions. Acted as a digitally printed wall mural artist, managing sales and production while honing his skills in Photoshop, digital art, and design as a profession.

Advocacy & Impact

Supporting the continued fight against human trafficking in collaboration with Shared Hope International.

Matt Orley

Founder @ Big Paper Strategy

Live Illustrator & Graphic Recorder

I'm highly active on LinkedIn, sharing daily thoughts, drawings, and visual strategy insights.

Highly Active on LinkedIn

Connect on LinkedIn

Outside of Work

I live with my family between Cleveland and Akron in Peninsula, Ohio. I enjoy classic Gen-X sports: LinkedIn commenting, falling off my bicycle in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, hunting for mushrooms, and refereeing disagreements between my dogs, Callie and Samantha.

A rumpled map of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park sitting on a desk.

Origin Story

Answering a Craigslist Ad in the 2009 Recession

It was 2009, and the Great Recession was at its peak. I answered a Craigslist ad posted by a consulting firm looking for an onsite artist for a Diebold (ATM Manufacturer) C-suite gathering.

"I had no idea what the heck you guys were talking about until HE drew it for me." — Diebold C-Suite Executive

Hearing that executive connect the dots was my lightbulb moment. Years later, I founded Big Paper Strategy, combining my analytical mindset with markers and large paper.

Matt's first graphic recording, images from 2010.

How It Works

How My Live Illustrator Brain Works

How do you draw while listening, and listen while thinking about what you just heard? It's the question I get asked most. The answer is preparation, pattern recognition, and years of experience:

The Visual Metaphor Library

Long before the event starts, I map out custom visual metaphors based on your titles, speaker bios, and session topics.

Pre-Event Vocabulary Prep

I research speaker slides, runs of show, and industry-specific acronyms to make sure spelling and jargon are accurate.

The 60-Second Cognitive Buffer

Like a computer buffer, I hold the last 30 to 60 seconds of speech in my head, actively synthesizing it while my hand finishes illustrating the previous point.

Extra Views of Matt

Some of them working, some not at all!

Matt Orley with a blank panel standing in his backyard.

Matt standing next to a mountain river on a road east of Stanley, ID. Sawtooth Mountains seen in the far distance.

10 panels drawn at a conference in Washington DC. Silhouette of Matt Orley standing in front of the images. Poor Lighting on the panels.

Matt Orley inside of a museum exhibit in Washington DC. Tee art style in this exhibit is similar to his own.

Matt getting his haircut at Floyd's Barbershop in Mt. Airy, NC. Also known as Mayberry.

Questions as Testimonials

Event attendees often ask me about my experience, where I come from, how I understand their subject matter, and other probing questions. The best compliments I've ever received have come in the form of questions... and to each one I've answered NO.

“

Do you have a background in tribal law?

“

Do you have a background in healthcare?

“

Have you worked in the energy sector?

“

Do you only draw flooring events?

Trusted Across Industries

Live graphic recording is highly versatile. From high-tech software architecture to complex agricultural supply chains, here is a look at client sectors I regularly serve: