It’s not often that a graphic recorder gets an (almost) blank canvas to work on. The biennial Arts Education Conference in Singapore has been one such dream event where I left bubbling with inspiration (and some ear worms from the music made)! Read More
Recently I got to visit the new #AllPossiblePathsASM exhibition, which celebrates Richard Feynman’s Curious Life.
One thing Feynman was known for were his Feynman Diagrams. These are simple drawings made up of straight and wriggly lines that visualise complex particle physics.
Just a couple of lines. Really simple rules. It will probably take you a minute or two to learn to draw one, even if you do not know physics.
We often like to think of drawing out ideas on the fly as challenging, but really, it is only as difficult as understanding the conversation.
And once we have understood, we can help others make sense by making seen.
What we cannot draw out, we do not understand. Never mind the artistry, which is a topic for another day. 😉
“Can I draw something here?”
What would your response be when a participant walks up to your chart with an ask like that?
Recently I was back at my alma mater to capture conversations on creating inclusive spaces. It was the Asian Undergraduate Summit 2018. Over one hundred undergraduates from nine different universities across Asia had come together to create inclusive spaces for conversation.
It got me thinking about how I was drawing together the conversations.
Every graphic recorder knows that moment of epiphany. It’s when you realised that you’ve helped draw together not just plans, but people. However, you don’t just get to this outcome without giving thought to the process of graphic recording.
Take this project for example.
Serendipity. Recently, I spotted one of our largest murals remixed by the Client to fit onto one canteen wall. Of course, I had to take a photograph and share that! 🙂
Although the original (measuring 18m x 2m) had to be dismantled at the end of the two-day event where it was created, it was heartening to see that the conversations continued.
What are some ways you as the Client can make the most out of your graphic recordings? And what would you, as a Visual Practitioner, need to do to enable that?
Spot the difference?
#throwback #tooltip: Don’t be afraid to add visual elements when post-processing your charts!
You might just discover new colours, while your client might find fresh insights!
Practice making the boldest lines you can with this exercise! Position the tip of your marker for maximum contact with paper, and get dotting away 🙂
Strangely therapeuric too, we say!
Little things matter when you work on BIG charts with large groups.
Use a dome nib or wedge nib marker to create lines of different boldness — thick, thin, and in between!
“Exposure” is a dirty word in the gig economy. There are clients (some genuinely naive) who believe exposure to be current currency. And, there are aspiring graphic recorders who buy into the myth that “exposure” will create an endless stream of paid work possibly originating from said clients who requested that you work for free. Complicating matters, some clients will lead you on to create proposals and do the(ir) necessary research before springing their counter-proposal for pro bono, when you have become invested in their project already. But among the chaff, sometimes there is wheat — pro bono work that feeds and nourishes you.
How do you sniff out pro bono projects worth you taking on as a graphic recorder or facilitator?
We’re really excited that our visual strategy playbook (first for us and Asia!), LET’S DRAW, DRAW OUT, AND DRAW TOGETHER! is now available at major bookstores in Singapore. Read More
.. So you think you can’t draw?
Like many of you, the only art training I had were compulsory school classes that ended after Secondary 2.
Quite possibly, apart from practice, the only difference between you (“I can’t draw!”) and me (“I draw together people and their big picture!”) is this —
Just had to interrupt regular programming for this. The first-print of our #visualfacilitation playbook has arrived! We’re really excited about sharing this with you as my passion, if you’re joining us at our visual facilitation open space this Fri, 9 March 2018! RSVP here: https://goo.gl/ca4tB1
What do you do when your graphic recording subject is not just highly politicised, but deeply emotional and accompanied by a rankled crowd?
We call BS.
What kind of pictures do people play? What makes a big picture effective? What, in the way ideas are seen, would help make your big ideas seen? Enjoy this slideshare, that visualises the concept of visual hierarchy. Excerpted from the upcoming Pictures People Play visual facilitation playdeck developed by #picturepeopleplan founder, Kailin Huang. Read More
After months of squirrelling ideas away, my first and latest #visualstrategy book “Let’s Draw, Draw Out, and Draw Together!” is finally BIRTHED! Read More
This coming year, re(dis)cover the visual thinking you were born with, even if you think you can’t draw. Or, visualise the facilitation biz you want, then get it going! Whichever your goal, we have just the workshop for you!
