What Is Graphic Recording?

Graphic recording has been a crucial part of brainstorms, strategy sessions, and keynote presentations for years. But for many, it’s still a new concept. Here’s a quick guide to what graphic recording and the ways it helps folks achieve more in meetings and conferences.

what is graphic recording?

Graphic recording, sometimes called live scribing or visual note-taking, is the transformation of live conversation into illustrated summaries—all in real time. As a conversation unfolds, a graphic recording artist listens carefully for key themes, and maps them out in a large-scale infographic that reflects participants’ words back at them. The result is a visual summary that’s much more engaging and memorable than standard meeting minutes or written reports.  

 Graphic recording taps into the human proclivity for visual thinking, using illustration and visual metaphors to connect the dots between ideas and bring them to life in a way that simple white boarding or meeting minutes can’t. And because it’s done in real time at the front of the room, it’s a powerful tool to keep meeting participants engaged and alert, instead of on their phones or nodding off. 

what tools do graphic recorders use?

Graphic recording artists often work with marker on paper, but may also use digital drawing tools or even dial into conversations remotely via Zoom or Google Meet.  

The choice of tool depends entirely on the preferences and goals of a client. In a 1,000 seat ballroom, for instance, digital graphic recording’s ability to project at a large scale is often preferred. A 10 person strategy session, on the other hand, may benefit from the tactile quality of marker-on-board scribing. 

Whatever the tool a graphic recorder uses to make their mark, the visuals are always hand-drawn in real time. 

Why Do People Hire Graphic Recorders? 

Graphic recording is most often used in corporate settings such as brainstorm meetings, strategy sessions, or keynote presentations. It helps to clarify complex ideas, boost creative thinking, and enhance empathetic collaboration. Live scribing can enhance almost any conversation, but here are just a few ways A. Mayper Studios has used it to help clients get more out of their time together. 

During a brainstorm session, live scribing sparks creativity and innovation by allowing folks to see and build on one another’s ideas. That means less time spinning wheels, and more time building rocket ships. 

When supporting a keynote presentation, it can give speakers a leg up by bringing their perspectives to life in dynamic, engaging ways that tired PowerPoint slides can’t. That means more audience attention on speakers, and fewer eyes on iPhones. 

During a strategy session, graphic recording keeps folks focused on session goals and reduces tangents by giving facilitators a tool to guide conversation in a productive way. That means less meandering monologues, and more actionable next steps. 

During a patient advisory board meeting, graphic recording helps makes patient advocates feel seen and heard—sometimes for the first time. That means more vulnerability, more honesty, and more useful insights. 

What Skills Does A Graphic Recorder Need To Have? 

Graphic recording artists knit together a host of creative, analytical, and design thinking skillsets. While some come to the field with a background in illustration, and others with a background in consulting, there are a few core competencies any good visual note-taker will have. 

Active Listening: Graphic recording starts with active listening—the ability to stay focused on the conversation at hand, parse through information, and make sense of it all. A graphic recorder must be able to quickly interpret complex content in a wide variety of fields. Because of this, it’s important that they know how to use context clues—such as repetition, emphasis, or tone of voice—to identify what’s important in a conversation, even if they’re not subject matter experts.   

Mind-Mapping and Information Hierarchy: A good graphic recorder scribes with their audience in mind. That means organizing their visual notes in a way that is easy to navigate at a glance. Color coding, hierarchy of scale in text and imagery, and the aggregation of relevant information are all basic tools that a graphic recorder must use as they build out their visual notes. 

Illustration and Visual Metaphors: At the end of the day, visual notes should be fun to look at. That’s why the best graphic recorders are adept visual storytellers, with an ability to think of and draw beautiful imagery on the fly. It’s what lets them reveal the humanity behind the data points, and to translate anything from a patient ad board to an executive offsite into a visual summary worth looking at again and again. 

Emotional Intelligence: A graphic recorder’s job, beyond creating a visual summary of a conversation, is to make folks feel seen and heard. It’s the ability to read a room and reflect its emotional energy that turns graphic recording into a tool for more honest, open, and productive conversations. 

Sounds Great! How Can I Hire A Graphic Recorder? 

If you’re looking for a way to boost your brainstorm, engage your audience, and cut to the human heart of your jargon-heavy conversation, you’ve come to the right place. 

Drop me a line here to get started with a free creative consultation!