Brainstorming and Graphic Recording, Visual Practitioner

Graphic Recording is the act of live illustration for gatherings large and small. The purpose of the visuals is to connect ideas, issues and comments, and help attendants solve problems, and visualize the entirety of a conversation in a single image.

Graphic Recording happens in the same room and while a speaker is speaking or a discussion is taking place.

We use big paper or foam core boards, thick markers and exceptional listening skills to create these visual records. Consider these large sketchnotes or mindmaps of your meeting, conference, roundtable, community discussion or strategy meeting.

Graphic Recording Attendees Love
Reinforce verbal statements
Add clarity to audience members
And add a level of fun and excitement to a meeting

Depending on who is counting, 60 to 80% of us are visual learners. That means that visual reinforcement of ideas and concepts are absolutely essential to convey messages, solidify meaning, and to improve retention of information four fold.

Graphic Recording, Ohio
Graphic Recording on Stage
Graphic Recording with Graphic Recorder

Photo Credits: Every Angle Cleveland

Increase Meeting Energy, Improve the Messaging and Add a Little Color!

Graphic Recording for Conferences and Seminars

When a Conference Speaker has access to and utilizes graphic recording - everyone benefits. Speakers themselves find an audience that is more in tune with the messaging, the audience message retention improves exponentially, and the conference itself benefits in three ways:

  1. A visual target for social media sharing of the live event
  2. Exceptional imagery to be used for future conference promotion
  3. A memorable point of differentiation among other conferences

Graphic Recording for Company Meetings

Geographically or functionally separated individuals can see a meeting as an exciting avenue for friendship and the spread of ideas.   Management can fail to inspire or fail to convey a proper message as the purpose of the meeting.  Visual Communications via graphic recording can add that flare ( and beats death by Power Point EVERY DAY)

Big Paper can simply draw and color alongside a suite of speakers over the course of a meeting or can work with your team ahead of time to prepare and outline visuals that reinforce the messaging. A pre-planned graphic recording is just as live and engaging, however more thoughtful and visually engaging.

Companies use Big Paper for

  1. Meeting Recording
  2. Strategic Vision Casting
  3. Customer Journeys and Flow Maps
  4. Sales Whiteboard Design
  5. Brainstorming

Big Paper Strategy's Matt Orley has experience in engineering, manufacturing, non-profit fundraising, web marketing and interior mural printing.  He might not be an expert regarding your specific industry, but his broad background makes him flexible.

Graphic Recording for Roundtables and Community Discussions

Events that seek community input offer a pace of discussion that fits well with graphic recording.  Group and public discussions + rountables gather input that floats around topics, flow with a skilled moderator, and bring together many opinions.  Graphic Recording offers participants a cohesive and centralizing view of the conversation.  Clients include community panels, churches, event tour stops and nonprofits.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the process start?
A phone conversation or two will help tailor a program to your needs, identify any preliminary project work, and work out logistics.  Preliminary work includes conceptualizing and mapping out drawing components prior to the meeting, research, and reviewing presentations and speech notes as available or pertinent. You will receive a proposal via email to review. A 50% deposit invoice will be available to secure your meeting date. Upon your request, we will also send a standard Non-Disclosure Agreement, or, if your legal team prefers- we can review and sign your standard document.

That friend, is a loaded question!

Matt works on large (40” x 90") board on easels. For graphic recording of a fixed meeting this can be in the front or the back of the room. For events with audience participation and graphic build up, it is suggested to be visible to all.

If graphic recordings are being moved from a conference speaker area into a common area- it is a good idea to find a location with a quick and easy path between both.

Paper placement: Taped to a foam board, (or using the foam boards themselves as a canvas) papers can be placed around the room as Big Papers are filled up for lengthy meetings.

Taping paper directly to a wall or window (we use painter's tape) is another option, albeit slightly less comfortable and a little darker (for photos).

Depending on the length of the meeting and the scope of the drawing, multiple panels visuals may be created.

It’s a good idea to introduce Matt so that people who’ve never seen a guy with a marker before understand what is to happen. While it is dependent on the agenda of the meeting, we can supply a light hearted sample introduction.

We buy a roll of 48" x 100' White Kraft paper and ship it to our client's location before the meeting. As a more gritty alternative, some clients ask us to order brown kraft paper instead. Having the roll available after the meeting is a valuable creative tool after the meeting.

We bring our own markers, chalk, tape, and 2 easels. If the meeting will involve the audience non-verbal participation, we will also purchase the right kind of sticky notes for the event.

For audience participation events, we suggest the client have Sharpie Markers on hand.

For events outside of driving distance of Exotic Peninsula, OH, we may ask you to provide or source foam core for mounting directly.  (OfficeMax and craft supply stores often have right sized 40x60 sheets.)

Lastly, we ask for a small table, or the end of a large table to use as a working space for writing instruments, and staging. A quiet chair is also requested (We would hate to squeak too much!)

Not at all, while Matt has been part of a wide swathe of industries (electrical design, wallcovering, plastics, social enterprise and non-profits to name a few). Think instead of the expertise in listening, the expertise of transcoding concepts into visuals.  The art of facilitating a meeting also comes into play to know when to end a conversation.

The strongest skill Matt brings is structure, space, hierarchy and emphasis to concepts and stories.  Oh, and a personality suited for verbal facilitation.

You will find that we will ask two defining questions to help clarify the messaging for any type of meeting. The first is "Please provide a one sentence synopsis of the direction you are heading". The second is "please provide a one word synopsis". As silly as it sounds, framing is important.

Most people absorb information best when it is represented visually. While PowerPoint presentations are helpful, a unique and eclectic creative experience can engage meeting attendees in new ways.

Hiring a live illustrator or visual practitioner shows investment in your people. Being able to hear "Wow I didn't think they thought we were worth this much" shows your employees that they are valued.

Having a live illustrator practically guarantees that meeting takeaways will not be forgotten.  Attendees often snap photographs of Big Paper creations.

Bringing in an outsider brings a new perspective to any meeting. Not only do we help ask the stupid questions no one else is seeking, but our loyalty rests solely with the outcome, Asking tough questions and being a No-Person in a series of Yes-men is freeing to all people involved.

Bringing a mind with other-industry knowledge and biases, and a wide array of experiences in both left brain and right brain thought is helpful for heading in new directions and inspiring creativity.

Photographs of big paper strategy sheets can be used for internal communications, slide share presentations, reports, sales tools for future event ticket sales, and even leveraged in print on keychains, awards, and more.

Paper that is mounted or reproduced and then mounted can also add to future conversations, generate ideas, and inspirations.

Along with paper, we are happy to draw on whiteboards, premounted paper, foam core (very common), glass and butcher paper.

Each project is unique, and we can send you a free outlined proposal for review and approval.

Charges are usually by the half or full day.  Travel expenses and excessive equipment costs are billable.

 

Big Paper Strategy thrives when we have a goal-oriented customer with an end in mind. Our favorite clients are ready to be creative, but not afraid to give control of meeting facilitation to Big Paper!!

We also like customers that make our lives easy. Having contact person(s) that we can rely on logistically, and for whom we can rely on for direction and preparation is.. a beautiful thing!

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