Graphic Recording

We specialize in strategic use of graphic recording so it’s authentic and inclusive for your audience, tailored to your content, and enhanced with interactivity. This article outlines how we work in virtual meetings: Ultimate Guide for Using Graphic Recording in Your Online Meeting.

Our areas of focus are climate science, health & human rights, and partnerships with Indigenous Nations & communities. We’re passionate about exploring new ways of making graphics interactive for audiences, and leveraging technology to deepen learning.

Have questions? Check out our FAQ page, and learn more about the process of bringing graphic recording into your meeting:

Graphic Recording Process

1 Research & Prep

Graphic recording delivers the most value when we tailor it to enhance your meeting, rather than just “showing up and drawing.” In the weeks or days leading up to your event, we meet with you to discuss:

 

  • The agenda and how best graphics will enhance the sessions (or if another visual tool may be more appropriate)
  • Branding, style of graphics, and potential layouts we might use
  • Images or clichés we should avoid using
  • Content we should handle sensitively, or concepts that need to be illustrated accurately
  • Ways of making the graphics interactive for the audience

We then get to work researching the topics, terminology, and stakeholders at the event in order to develop a library of images unique to your content.

sketch page of health topics, research for graphic recording, preparing for visual note taking

2 Graphic Recording at the Event

For in-person events, we arrive 1.5 – 1 hour early to set up the space and ensure the graphics and any interactive visuals are placed well in the room.

At virtual events, we may do a quick tech test with you a day or two before the event, and arrive 45-30 minutes early to ensure all systems are ready to go.

Our graphics are all drawn in real time during the event, and we always invite audience feedback, changes, and additions to the graphics.

As a way to summarize and wrap up the event, the graphic recorder can do a walkthrough of the graphics, highlighting any big themes or ideas that were heard, and invite further audience engagement with the graphics.

3 Post Event

On average, the graphics are ready within 45 minutes – 1 hour after the event, depending on the pace of the discussion and whether we are working virtually or in-person.

We also include a round of edits on the graphics, such as adjustments to wording, additions, and changes to visuals. It’s important the graphics are accurate and represent the content well so you can use them in future engagements.

For digital graphic recording, we provide a complimentary time-lapse video of the graphics being drawn (see this example).

Paper graphic recording is photographed in high-res on site. The posters are left with you and we provide digital versions of the graphics within 24-48 hours.

Formats

Virtual Graphic Recording

Over the last decade we have been exploring how technology can best engage people, and we are always excited to bring this knowledge to any virtual meeting project. Check out this in-depth post on how to use graphic recording at online events.

Virtual graphic recording can be drawn on paper or digitally, and shared into the meeting in a variety of ways:

  • Screen share
  • Pin or spotlight (graphic is a “participant” in the meeting)
  • Live stream via private YouTube link (HD quality)
  • Share after the meeting

Virtual graphic recording is also effective for hybrid events, as it allows you to source a graphic recorder with expertise in your topics from anywhere in the world, and reduces travel costs and impact on the environment.

Digital graphic recording in online meetings, Virtual graphic recording, drawing in Zoom meeting, live artist, live scribing, visual scribe
Minh Ngo, graphic recording at an event, knowledge walls

Paper Graphic Recording

Graphics are drawn on large paper or foam board and displayed in a gallery walk for people to add ideas, ask questions, or provide feedback using sticky notes. This is an excellent format for events where you want people to interact with the graphics, snap photos, and spend time reviewing the visuals. The graphics have a powerful and impressive presence in the meeting space.

After the meeting, the graphics are photographed and the hard copy 4ft x 8ft posters are left with you along with a mailing tube for easy transport. Within 24-48 hours of the meeting, we send you a high-resolution digital image of each graphic recording.

Augmented Reality & Graphic Recording

We were the first in the world to pioneer accessible Augmented Reality with graphic recording (no app downloads required, also known as “WebAR”). We’ve spent over 300 hours testing and retesting the right approach for this technology so that anyone with a smart phone can scan across a graphic recording and additional data, images, videos, and links pop up.

This is a brilliant way of annotating graphic recordings with references — the graphics are no longer just beautiful visual summaries, they are now backed up by a layer of facts. The augmented reality remains active on the graphics long after the event if the graphics are on display in other conferences or workspaces. It truly is a powerful tool for deepening engagement!

Digital graphic recording in online meetings, Virtual graphic recording, drawing in Zoom meeting, live artist, live scribing, visual scribe
Minh Ngo, graphic recording at an event, knowledge walls

Knowledge Walls & Interactive Spaces

One of the most effective ways of using graphic recording & facilitation is when the experience is interactive for participants. Knowledge Walls are a summary of quotes, insights, ideas, questions, all captured in a gigantic wall that has a powerful presence in the space.
Knowledge Walls are highly effective at multi-day conferences with many concurrent workshops and presentations, because they serve as the thread that weaves all the themes together in one big picture. Learn more about our approach to Knowledge Walls.

Digital Graphic Recording

Digital graphic recording can be brought into a meeting of any size — whether on a large 50ft screen, or a simple projection on a wall during an intimate gathering. The beauty of digital is the flexibility: we can easily modify or change an image, or bring in graphs, headshots, or data. The graphics can instantly be shared to everyone’s devices, or projected into concurrent breakout sessions as a key reference for informing discussions… to name just a few options!

visual notes at a meeting, digital graphic recording, visual scribing, big screen live drawing, live illustration, conference drawing, sketchnotes