Coffee and a 20 minutes talk from a member of San Diego's creative community. That's what you can expect at every Creative Morning event. Most of my graphic recording work is non-disclosure so it's fun to share oll the Creative Mornings sessions that I have attended. Special thanks to the volunteers that keep this amazing event running. You can follow along on Instagram at @LiquidSketchStudio
Graphic Recording Listening Walls: Attendees, We Hear You!
Back in the days before quarantine, LiquidSketch Studio created a listening wall for Visit Sana Monica. At a local event, citizens were asked a series of questions including what was their favorite attraction, their favorite businesses, and ways to improve the city. Their input would be used to inform Santa Monica's new strategic plan.
LiquidSketch illustrated answers to bring more attention to the survey process at the event . The large mural attracted visitors’ attention and they stopped to participate in the survey. Each participant was also entered to win a free staycation as another incentive. After the event the wall was dismantled and would be used as a backdrop at other Visit Santa Monica events.
Listening walls showcase the power of graphic recording:
People see that their opinions are heard
They feel more part of the decision making process
The graphic recording image attracts attention
Pictures of the graphic recording image are shared on social media further amplifies live events
One citizen cited the local YMCA as one of their favorite attraction. Funny thing, the CEO of that YMCA saw the sketch and stopped to take a shot for the YMCA’s social media.
Contact LiquidSketchStudio.com to find out how we can create a listening wall to make your event more successful.
"Hosting an Effective Brainstorm on Zoom" at San Diego Design Week.
San Diego Design Week is here, September 9 -13! LiquidSketch Studio, a Southern California graphic recording boutique is hosting a workshop: Hosting an Effective Brainstorm on Zoom.
Learn how to structure and facilitate an effective brainstorm session on Zoom. As designers, finding creative solutions to problems is what we do! Just because you’re working remotely, you don’t have to lose that magic that a face-to-face session can generate. We’ll talk about how to bridge the communication gap that can occur with digital meetings and the importance of visualizing participant input. You will learn how to structure a brainstorm, how to work visually in a virtual world, and low tech ways to make Zoom more engaging.
This prerecorded workshop is available all week. You can access it here.
Introducing the Chuck-It List!
People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.
— Steve Jobs
What are you going to focus on this year?
More importantly, what are you going to say no to? I
Instead of the Bucket List where you pile on experiences, your favorite graphic recorder is honored to present the Chuck-It list— an invitiation to narrow down your responsibilities so you can focus on what’s important.
What are you saying no to? Let me know!
Tradeshow Booth Graphic Recording: Standing Out in the Crowd
How does a small travel trade consultancy stand out in a tradeshow with over 400 exhibitors with much larger spaces and budgets? With live graphic recording at their tradeshow booth.
I had the pleasure of graphic recording the tradeshow booth for Festive Road, a travel trade consultancy at the GBTA Tradeshow in Chicago. I recorded highlights from the sessions at the event. The Festive Road team invited attendees to shared their insights with # SeeWhatWeSee. I scribed their insights on the booth, highlighted with a purple heart.
They also gave out purple heart sunglasses to attendees. It was a way to stand out in a crowded tradeshow with much larger attendees and also played out well on social media.
The AIGA San Diego Y Design Conference
As a San Diego graphic recorder, there is one event I love attending every year—The AIGA San Diego Y Conference. These are my people: designers, visual thinkers, illustrators. Now it its 24th year, AIGA San Diego invited 10 prolific designers to share how “Saying Yes” impacted their careers and lives.
Some of my favorites:
Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics creates large scale interactive artworks and articulated the emotions of awe and wonder better than anyone I’ve heard.
Illustrator/author/artist/activist Lisa Congdon revealed how making things played a role in her personal evolution.
Anouk Wipprecht engineers dresses with robotic arms, censors, and lights. Cool to look at bu they look uncomfortable.
Temi Coker, one of this year’s Adobe Residents, creates spirited photography and design. At lunch he talked about how he didn’t know what he would do after his residence—work for someone else or start his own thing.
Kareem Collie pondered the questions of design.
Roberto de Vicq shared his restaurant designs that are self-contained worlds of entertainment for customers.
The two founders of dkgn, high school friends, talked about making the great leap to founding their own studio and eventually becoming their own client.
Laura Pol, just recently left her job at Apple, shared her commitment to doing new things that scare her. (Like talking in public.)
Doug Powell of IBM talked about the benefits of the design thinking process embedded in a business culture.
Andrea Small talked about the ambiguity, doubt, and dead-ends she faced on her journey to stay true to herself.
The Y Design Conference was held in a smaller venue this year. The setting had more quiet places to sit which inspired longer conversations between attendees during breaks.
Making science accessible—TEDxSanDiego Salon at the Salk Institute
TEDxSanDiego recently hosted a salon event—Revalations: Revealing The Foundations of Life at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. The goal of the event was to showcase the innovations of science that are happening right here in San Diego.
I captured each of these eight to ten minute talks on my iPad sitting in the audience. Each of these scientists explained their work so a non-scientist (that's me!) could understand the broad concepts.
The graphic recordings displayed on screens in the lobby between sessions and allowed attendees to reengage with the content.
I really learned a lot about the influence that our circadian rhythms have on our overall health.
So What’s the Difference Between Graphic Recording, Graphic Facilitation, and Sketchnotes?
You might attend an event and see someone drawing quickly on the stage behind the speaker. Or maybe you see cool visual notes shared on Twitter.
What is this called? Graphic recording? Sketchnotes? Visual notes? Infodoodling? Graphic facilitation?
Let me try to add a little clarity for you. All of these practices involve hand-drawn infographics that combine words into pictures to convey complex ideas in a visual manner.
Graphic facilitation happens when the image maker is also leading and directing a conversation about change. With graphic facilitation, a facilitator leads a small group of people such as a committee, a C-suite team, or a board through a process that helps them make decisions about their group. A graphic facilitator designs the format of the conversation and draws it out visually as she leads it. Attendees often contribute to the visual conversation through the use of sticky notes or writing the paper. Sometimes a facilitator may lead the conversation and employ a graphic recorder to record the conversation visually.
>> Using a graphic conversation to create a plan of action or come to a consensus
Graphic recording is the art of translating a conversation, public address, presentation, or panel into words and images in real time. Images can be created with marker pens on large pieces of paper or hand-drawn on an iPad and projected on a screen.
>> Publically recording a conversation or session
Sketchnotes are similar to graphic recording, but they are created on a small scale. A sketchnote artist usually sits with the audience and creates sketchnotes in a notebook or on an iPad. These images are shared via social media during or after the event. Sketchnotes may be created of videos or podcasts as well as a form of show notes.
>> Capturing a conversation, presentation, video.
Graphic facilitation, graphic recording, and sketchnotes all combine words and pictures to engage both sides of the brain for higher retention. A little more clarity in the world is a great thing!
Anne McColl is Creative Director and Chief Infodoodler at LiquidSketchStudio.com, a Southern California graphic recording boutique that provides digital and large graphic recording + sketchnote services for events and meetings. Her mission is to make powerful ideas easy to share. Subscribe for updates on visual thinking for business.
How graphic recording can extend the life of your event.
So your event was a success. All the seats were sold out, the speakers delivered insightful information, and the entire event received rave reviews in industry press, creating a sense of FOMO around the Internet.
So that’s it? Everyone goes home and says “See ‘ya until next year”?
With a little planning, graphic recording can extend the reach of your content far beyond your event. Engage graphic recorders to record your keynotes and breakout sessions. During the conference, you can display graphic recordings on easels throughout the break areas. Watch as your attendees take selfies in front of the boards and post them directly to social media. Encourage them to use your event hashtag!
You can also opt for digital graphic recording, which allows images to be displayed on video monitors throughout the event area as well as on the main stage as the audience sits down before the next session.
There are a few ways you can repurpose graphic recording images to extend the reach of your event’s content and sustain excitement about it.
A thank-you email
Of course you send out an email thanking your attendees for a successful event. Take it a step further and include a graphic recording of one of the more popular sessions so people can reengage with the content.
An email opt-in
Incorporate images from all of your graphic recordings into a downloadable pdf, then encourage people to download it in exchange for their email. Ta-da! Instant email opt-in.
Post all your PowerPoints on Slideshare.
Incorporate all of the graphic recording images into a Slideshare, and be sure to use industry-specific tags.
Share on social media.
Yes, social media is visually driven! An engaging visual can have even greater potential to go viral because it is a quicker read than the typical blog post recapping conference events. Now that the conference is over, share single images on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest over the course of the next few months.
The ultimate speaker gift
Finally, a gift that your speakers will cherish. Graphic recording images can be printed out and framed before the end of the conference. (Yes, your speakers will hang them in their offices.)
Create excitement for next year’s event.
Fast-forward to next year. You’ll have images to share that will capture the excitement of your event when you’re starting to promote event passes.
Anne McColl is the Chief Infodoodler at LiquidSketchStudio.com, a Southern California graphic recording boutique that provides digital and analog graphic recording + sketchnote services for events and meetings.
Sketchnotes from Social Media Marketing World #smmw18
Social Media Marketing World is the ONE conference I do not miss every year. It is the best way I know how to keep up on the constant change of social media.
The constant theme: video.
Michael Stelzner addressed this in his opening keynote. Maybe we've been focused on numbers too long. But live video is what is still breaks through the algorithm.
Live video in ads.
I was drawn to Dennis Yu and Logan Young of Blizmetric's session on Facebook Ads for a $1 a day. The secret: One minute videos pushing content you already have. Here's the framework for those 1-minute videos:
- Tell a story that illustrates a problem, no intros or bumper
- Address a problem
- Offer your solution
- Call to action
Sexy content that moves the needle.
(Attention grabbing session name of Marcus Sheridan's session on content that leads to sales. VIdeo makes emotional connections with your customers. (And your competition probably isn't using video.) His seven recommendations on how to incorporate video onto your site:
- Video in your email signature
- Specific product video
- Case studies
- Team video
- What you're not video (we're a good match if _____ )
- Answers to top questions
Talk to one person.
Ann Handley's sessions at Social Media Marketing World are always a breath of fresh air with her emphasis on slowing down to be a good writer. And yes, in this age of video, writing counts more than ever, because writing makes you think and trains you to be articulate. Write to one person translates into talk to one person. Make it personable.
#SXXW18_handley from Anne McColl on Vimeo.
And be sure to check out all the sketchnotes from #smmw18.
All the graphic recording images from Social Media Marketing World 2119 (#smmw18)
Anne McColl is the Chief Infodoodler at LiquidSketchStudio.com, a Southern California graphic recording boutique that provides digital and analog graphic recording + sketchnote services for events and meetings.
For drops of inspiration on visual thinking for buisness, subscribe to her newsletter!
The best explanation on the value of design I've ever heard and other takeaways from DesignForward San Diego 2017.
Design Forward San Diego just wrapped up its second annual event at Liberty Station. Design Forward brought together entrepreneurs, technologists, product managers, designers, business and civic leaders to inspire conversation about how design can improve the local economy, civic infrastructure, and San Diego’s quality of life. I had the pleasure of attending this event and of course sketchnoted the sessions. (To be clear, I was an attendee, not hired to cover the event.)
The best explanation on the value of design. Ever.
Phil Gilbert, General Manager of Design, IBM, was full of wit & wisdom. My biggest takeaway of the day: You could ask designers to create a vase. Or you could ask them to create the best way to enjoy flowers at home. That’s design. The right questions can define the innovation of a project.
Don Norman is rad.
This was the first time I saw Don Norman, founder of UCSD’s Design Lab in person. It’s no wonder he’s inspired designers since his days at Apple. Instead of fail fast, how about we learn fast.
Two pizzas won't do.
Another piece of wisdom from Phil. Never have a team that two pizzas can't feed.
Unsilo design.
I really appreciated how non-designers were included in the audience as well as professionals across the design spectrum. Mark Cafferty spoke about the power of design in creating spaces that will help San Diego recruit the needed tech and design talent needed for a growing economy.
It's all about yes.
Kara DeFrias urged people to take chances by saying yes to opportunities. This one: “Never take a no from a person who is not qualified to give you a yes.”
The power of research.
I was fascinated with Jennifer Luce of Luce Studios talked about the deep research they did for every client and how that inspired nuggets of joy in every project.
Lessons Learned
Matt Cole
Meriah Garrett
Mizah Rahman
P.S. You can get tickets for next year at a big fat discount right now.
How to Live Tweet an Event: Featured in Social Media Examiner
My sketchnotes for Social Media Marketing World were featured in an article for Social Media Examiner about how to live Tweet and event to drive traffic to your website.
It pretty much sums up the benefits:
- Drive targeted traffic to your site
- Showcase your services
- Generate product buzz
- Capture the attention of journalists
- Connect with influencers
Infographic Featured on QuickSprout
One of my visuals was featured as the masthead visual for a lengthy article by Neil Patel of QuickSprout entitled: "How To Make Custom Images For Your Blog Posts Without Hiring A Designer."
Neil's article is a great example of the value of lengthy, useful content. This post ran well over 2,000 words and featured design software like Canva to show where to source low-cost stock images.
Sketchnotes Featured in Social Media Examiner as a Smart Way to Use SlideShare
My sketchnotes from Social Media Marketing World were featured in Social Media Examiner as a creative way to use Slideshare. (It's true, I love Slideshare.)
National Retail Federation Graphic Recording Featured on Sketchnote Army.
My sketchnotes that I created last summer for the National Retail Federation's Digital Merchandising Workshop were featured in Sketchnote Army, a web-based showcase of sketchotes from around the world.
The Digital Merchandising Workshop is always an interesting assignment. The sessions get pretty heavy with information but there are always big themes to draw out of each session.