Both my setup and the event itself look quite different these days! 😊

It’s pretty special to have the opportunity to grow and evolve together with an event, and 11 years later, here we are – still collaborating and capturing ideas worth sharing.

A huge thanks to TEDxMelbourne Licensee Jon Yeo for being such a great partner and supporter, and to this year’s incredible speakers Nik Robinson & Harry (the coolest 14 year old around), Andrew Wear, Tully Mahr, Tessa Forshaw, PhD, Hon Weng Chong & Rita Arrigo.

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“Oh, yes. Thank you. It’s absolutely my pleasure.” I hadn’t heard the term before, but I got the gist. Not to brag but I took Year 9 French, sooo….

I almost allowed my ego and obvious natural linguistic prowess to let the phrase flow past us in conversation, but instead I paused.

“Sorry, I haven’t actually heard that term before – I mean, I can take a pretty good stab at what it means (PROWESS!)… But I’ve never heard it used.”

“Oh you haven’t? It’s an historic term used in diplomacy. It refers to an informal way of capturing and circulating a diplomatic message.”

Well hot damn gal, you’ve hit the nail on the head – an Aide-Memoire is precisely what I’m doing here.

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Since 2017, I’ve been lucky enough to periodically spend time working with groups of politicians, diplomats, legislators, lawyers, academics, law enforcement and other experts from across the Pacific Islands looking to address concerns and opportunities of regional significance.

This work has also taken me across the world to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg to support their International Conference on Cybercrime.

This has been some of the most interesting and rewarding work of my career, and the most valuable to my clients.

Why?

1. Dialogue across cultures – Diplomatic negotiations often involve people from different linguistic, cultural, and political backgrounds. Visuals can act as a “universal language,” bridging gaps where words alone might be misunderstood. At a conference like this English may be the common language, but it’ll be almost no one’s first language, so visuals act as an important context and comprehension tool.
2. Neutrality – A graphic recorder is a neutral party, capturing a transparent account of the conversation. One that is non-verbatim but captures essence, emotion, and intent. This can help reduce misinterpretation and demonstrate fairness in documenting what was said, which helps to build trust.
3. Supporting complexity – A visual record can help make complex systems, shared goals and differences visible, and provide a “big picture” reference point during long, multi-day engagements.
4. Memory & Legacy – Diplomacy often creates documents of record – treaties, reports, communiqués, resolutions. Graphic recordings can supplement these with more human, memorable visuals. For example, capturing the spirit of a peace dialogue through images can later serve as a cultural artifact or educational resource, reminding participants of the why, not just the what.
5. Public & Community Engagement – In contexts where diplomacy is shared with the public, graphic recording can make the outcomes more accessible, engaging, and shareable. It transforms “dry” policy discussions into something people can connect with emotionally (and actually want to read). It provides artifacts that use plain language along with the additional context and storytelling through images, making it easier for individual representatives to share outcomes with the public in their home nations.

In short: graphic recording can serve as a bridge, a mirror, and a memory in diplomacy — helping people see not only the words spoken but also the shared humanity behind them.

Jessamy Gee is the Director of Think in Colour, Founder & Founding President of Graphic Recorders Australia (2019 – 2022), and Australia’s first and only IFVP Institute Certified Master Visual Practitioner.

Jessamy Gee being presented with a gift by the Attorney-General of Tonga, 2018

The post The Role of Graphic Recording in Diplomacy & International Cooperation appeared first on Think in Colour.

Orora were a DREAM of a client for Think in Colour. Their leadership conference this year was a prime example of how to effectively use visual communication and graphic recording pre, during and post your conference to create a beautiful visual narrative and consistency.

“Orora were lucky enough to have Jessamy graphic record our Global Leadership conference.  She was truly amazing!  Prior to the conference we engaged her to do some pre work which included imagery on our Leadership bags which would then tie into the whole conference.  For the 2.5 days Jessamy did an extraordinary job of really bringing our conference to life.  She captured everything so wonderfully, and at one stage the audience even gasped aloud when seeing her imagery on the large screens.  We then used the work as not only imagery but a shorter video which Leaders could then use to bring back to their teams and debrief the conference – which was a fun, quick and engaging way for our Leaders to be able to do this.  I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Jessamy to anyone who wants to capture a conference, workshop or training session – or in fact anything.  Extraordinarily great!” – Angela Di loria, GM HR & Organisational Effectiveness

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Storytelling is key to engaging communities and bringing relevance to the sciency stuff that sits behind much of the biosecurity movement, and what better way to tell a story than with sweet sweet visuals!

The post 2022 Biosecurity Symposium appeared first on Think in Colour.

This could be dreaming up the future with local councils, deciding how buildings or spaces should be used, gathering feedback on the efficacy of existing programs, or working with young people to improve the system that’s meant to support them… and infinite things in between!

So, why is it so effective in a community engagement setting, and how might you use it?

1. It allows people to see they’ve been heard. When asking for input from a community, you can bet your bottom dollar participants are coming with an agenda. As they should! When there are multiple, potentially conflicting agendas or opinions, it’s really important that participants can see they’ve been heard and that their input has been recorded – front and centre, in real time.
2. It helps the flow of conversation. By providing this immediate visual confirmation that participants’ ideas have been heard and captured, it allows for conversation to continue flowing without getting stuck in loops with participants who are particularly vocal or passionate and concerned their input will be lost. It also encourages participants to build on each other’s ideas rather than duplicate them.
3. It creates a common understanding. Seeing the collated ideas of all participants on one page gives the group a clear and common understanding of the landscape they’re working in, and seeing it unfold in real-time creates a sense of collective ownership over the final output.
4. It can be built on over multiple sessions. If you are running sessions with multiple groups, you may choose to build on the graphic recording with each session, rather than starting from a blank sheet. This can provide richer conversation with each subsequent session, encourages participation and evaluation of existing ideas, and creates space for new ones.
5. It helps compare perspectives from multiple stakeholders. When working with multiple groups of different stakeholders (e.g. young people, residents, local business, policy makers, etc), graphic recording creates a visual snapshot that allows you to quickly identify patterns and contrasts between different community groups.
6. It creates instant, engaging outputs. When we’re asking people to give us their time, they want to be sure that it’s been valuable. They want to see tangible outputs, and to know what’s happening next. Graphic recording creates beautiful artifacts to communicate results back to the community, stakeholders or funders in a really accessible and engaging way.

Interested in learning more about how graphic recording can help support your next community engagement project? Have a sticky beak around our website or shoot me an email any time.

The post Is Graphic Recording your secret weapon for Community Engagement projects? appeared first on Think in Colour.

In the industry of Graphic Recording, as in so many other design industries, there is a constant need to find balance between process and product – form and function.

We talk a lot about the importance of content. Indeed, one of the catch-cries of the fabulous Brandy Agerbeck (Author of The Graphic Facilitators’ Guide) is “Content is King!”. This is irrefutably true. As Graphic Recorders we are content-capturers, synthesisers, and sense makers. Our role is first and foremost to reflect your ideas.

What we don’t talk about enough though, is the importance of beauty in our work. Without doubt, there is still significant value in using visual language that isn’t “beautiful” – this speaks to the process or function side of coin. Even the simplest of images will still help us to better engage in, understand and remember content.

But what additional value are we missing out on if we don’t also pay attention to the product as we do to the process?

Here’s a little diagram that illustrates the value and the balance between the two:

There seems to be a misconception that paying attention to the artistry in Graphic Recording somehow distracts us from the content, but it’s quite the contrary. Having a final product that’s sweet on the eye will only serve to deepen and broaden the expression of your content. Here are some reasons why:

1. Eliminate Distraction
A poorly executed graphic recording or illustration has the potential to frustrate rather than engage its audience. If text is messy and hard to read, or icons and drawings are unclear, this can be a cause of distraction. A clean, practised and well-executed style will ensure the illustration is clean, clear, easy to navigate and enjoyable to look at.

2. Engaging & sharing
A beautiful illustration will capture the imagination and excitement of the audience. This will often lead to the piece of work (and most importantly – the content within it) to be talked about (at the time and long after), photographed and shared within teams and communities. This creates a buzz around the event and subject matter, and spreads your message further.

If you are sending digital files to your audience and broader network via email or online gallery, the chance of people engaging in and reading through your content is much higher if the final product looks attractive.

3. Longevity
At this year’s IFVP (International Forum of Visual Practitioners) Conference in Washington DC, the amazing comic book king and author Scott McCloud asked how many Apple users in the audience still had their original packaging… just about all of us did. It’s just so goddamn lovely to look at! This is the power of good design.

If people love to look at the artefacts you create, they will live on much longer than their less-attractive counterparts. I am often thrilled to receive feedback that outputs from sessions I’ve worked on are hanging in offices and tea rooms around the country.

If the output from events is framed / printed / hung / wallpapered… The message is on display and your content lives on. It will continue to give it’s gifts by engaging and re-engaging all those that see it.

4. Emotion
I have spoken a number of times about the power of imagery – in particular humans and facial expressions – to increase the emotional and personal connection to content. If this is not done correctly however, it’s possible to inject the wrong emotion into your product, confuse, or even alienate your audience. When done well, it creates a powerful relationship between the viewer and the message.

5. Ownership
In a workshop-style situation, working with smaller groups and capturing lots of voices, one of the great benefits of Graphic Recording is that’s it’s a visual way of creating shared ownership in the group.

Reflecting the ideas of your participants in an attractive and inviting way can be a very empowering experience for them. Bringing life to their ideas and vision can help them to take pride in their own thoughts and contribution, and start to imagine what that idea might look like. A well-illustrated idea may also assist your participants to find the confidence and language they need to further express themselves.

So what should you do?

If you’re a Graphic Recorder… Put aside some time to work on your skills in drawing and lettering. Get acquainted with design elements and principles, and consider how they might serve your work. Do some short courses in calligraphy and lettering. Practise drawing facial expressions (a great resource for this is the Grimace Project, or just look at your emoji keyboard for inspo!). Ask your peers and clients for constructive feedback, and work on your weaknesses. Take Think in Colour’s Online Course, Listen-Think-Draw to develop and refine your skills.

If you’re looking for a Graphic Recorder… Consider what you would like to do with the outputs from your event, and find a Visual Practitioner with a style that you and your audience like and relate to. Make a plan about how you’ll use the outputs after the event and let your GR know.

The post A thing of beauty is a joy forever appeared first on Think in Colour.

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1. Know where Graphic Recording is most relevant & useful

GR is a truly wonderful and powerful tool when used correctly. If used in an inappropriate setting however, it’s value can be compromised… And that’s no good for the client or the GR!

Your graphic recorder should be able to inform you of whether your event is suited to using a Graphic Recorder, but here are some pointers to start with:

Places GR really shines include (but is not limited to):

– Conferences / Forums / Summits / etc
– Big picture, ‘visioning’ workshops
– High level strategy planning
– Community engagement
– Planning workshops

and it’s great for capturing:

– Presentations
– Panel discussions
– Debrief conversations / summaries
– Facilitated group conversations

Here are some places GR doesn’t work so well:

– Detailed, task-focused workshops
– Detailed report outs

If a piece of work is too detailed or task-focused, the high-level snapshot that GRs are so great at becomes irrelevant, and probably impossible.

The other important distinction is between a ‘report out’ and a ‘debrief’. When working in breakout groups then coming back to share your work, the usefulness of GR really depends on how this is done.

Report outs:

A report out refers to a member or members of each breakout group reporting back their work to the wider group.

If it is simply reading out a long list from a flipchart, this is not the best place for a GR capture – it will just be replicating what your participants have already captured.

However, if your groups are instructed to report back just their top three big ideas and flesh each out a little, this would be an appropriate place to use GR.

Debriefs:

Ending an activity with a broader group debrief conversation (e.g. what surprised you? what were the big ideas? what did you learn?) is an ideal place to utilise Graphic Recording. The flow of a conversation and linking themes between groups will lead to a rich cross-group snapshot illustration.

Both approaches are equally valuable, it just depends on what outcome you’re after.

2. Know why you want them there

There are many reasons to engage a GR, and usually they would be numerous for any given event. It’s a useful exercise to prioritise your reasons for using GR, as it may inform better ways to work on the day and recommendations for your deliverable. Here are some common reasons:

– To help people engage in the content on the day
– To help people reflect on the content during the day
– To help guide conversation
– To help participants interact and contribute
– To allow participants to see that their ideas are being heard
– To create a common understanding / vision
– To capture content & share with participants after the event
– To capture content & share with people not in attendance
– To create a visual / series of visuals with a specific purpose (e.g. a future vision to hang up in your office)
– A point of difference for your event

For example, if engaging and reflecting on the day is a higher priority we would put some time into considering where we’re placed in the room, how many people can see us, and how the work can be displayed throughout the day. If capturing content to share after the day is a higher priority, we’ll focus more on how to get the best deliverable.

3. Know what you’re going to do with the output, and let people know

Every event I work at, I will have numerous participants ask with some concern “Will we get copies of these? How do we see these after today? Is someone taking photos?”.

It’s great to have a plan from the get-go for how you will use and disseminate the graphic outputs.

At a minimum, all the outputs from the event should be emailed to all the participants in attendance, or made available via your intranet / website.

There are plenty of other cool things you can do with them though, so think creatively! Here are some examples I’ve come up with, but have a chat to your friendly GR to see what might be suitable and relevant in your case.

– Email to all participants (and any other relevant peeps, e.g. the wider team or organisation, stakeholders or clients)
– Create a gallery on your website or intranet
– Make it into your team’s / organisation’s screensaver or desktop image
– Turn it into a Prezi
– Turn it into an interactive pdf with links to provide more detail
– Turn it into an animation with a voiceover
– Print as posters for your office
– Make into a wall decal or wall paper for your reception area or tea room
– Print on canvas
– Make into a calendar
– Create a booklet
– Create your own colouring book
– Use in your reports
– Use parts of images for prints, t-shirts or mugs
– Print onto mousepads
– Print as postcards

4. Share your agenda early

As GRs, we work at all sorts of events with all sorts of clients. Over time, we develop a good sense of how we can best support all the different elements of your event.

The earlier we can have a look at the agenda (even in its draft stage), the earlier we can work with you to make sure you get the most out of us on the day!

This could be considering where we are positioned, where to put the artwork at break times, any red flags, and any extra things we have in our box of tricks to make your event sing (e.g. we may be able to help with branding for your event, or have a great graphic template for an activity, or have a suggestion on how to visually enhance an element of the agenda).

5. Encourage people to engage with it

On the day of your event, make sure your facilitator or MC introduces the GR from the beginning and explains what they are doing and where participants will be able to access the output (or even better, have your GR explain it themselves!).

Encourage people throughout the day to go and have a look in the breaks, to take their own photos, and (if appropriate) to share them on social media or your internal social network as the day unfolds.

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In general, Graphic Recorders are massive nerds for what we do. We love doing it, we love talking about it, we love working with our clients, and we love uncovering new ways of working to help make your events awesome.

There’s always more to discover. Make the most of your GR experience… go on – lick the plate clean!

The post Lick the plate clean – 5 tips to get the most out of your Graphic Recorder appeared first on Think in Colour.