Graphic Recording

About Graphic Recording

Graphic recording is a process that is used to record meetings in words and pictures on large visual displays. Capturing the work of the group in both words and pictures on a large display has been shown to stimulate the creativity, productivity and understanding in work groups.

The display provides a group memory of the meeting that is easy to understand and share with others. People who have a difficulty in expressing themselves in words often find pictures and diagrams helpful, and are stimulated to participate by seeing them used. This enriches the work of the group and enhances its ability to focus and find creative ways around old problems.

Graphic recording is a helpful tool to facilitate the work of many different types of group working on complex problems. A well executed graphic display supports people to work more effectively, efficiently and creatively in groups.

The Advantages

Using large displays for recording and facilitating meetings and giving presentations has many advantages over the using flip charts and overhead projectors. As an integrative big picture technology it takes recording and presentations into new dimensions beyond the mere recording and presentation of lists.

• the richness of the whole picture can be seen at a glance
• links can be identified and further drawn out
• participants get drawn in and involved
• a visual dialogue is created during which people construct new meaning and gain new insights
• the display becomes a group memory
• when participants see what they say being recorded they feel acknowledged, have a way of checking its accuracy and can actively engage with the process
• the working group experience empowerment
• presentations using large displays encourage creativity interaction

In the same way that the notational style used in "mind mapping" releases individual creativity the wall charts created in graphic recording enhances team creativity.

I use Graphic Recording to:

• Record meetings and conferences in real time;
• Develop a rich picture of meetings, conferences and events;
• Draw out creative solutions for teams and organisations;
• Provide graphic display for presentations at conferences and meetings;
• Give conferences and meetings a coherent house style;
• Encourage team and individual creativity;
• Provide digital and hand drawn materials for print, interactive media and web use.
• Work with Design Teams to develop tailor made interactive graphic templates to capture the ideas and reflections of the participants

Clients use Graphic Recording to:

• Develop company and departmental Vision Statements in words and pictures;
• Clarify and graphically depict strategies and encourage strategic thinking;
• inform and involve the whole system in real time strategic change;
• Deepen understanding by developing big picture thinking;
• Get buy in and model transparency
• Draw out the best from individuals and teams
• Capture the rich picture of conferences and events
• Have a group memory that can be used to tell the story of the event to those who were not present

At a meeting of over 600 top managers from Shell International a 40 foot mural was used to give feed back on an "Open Space" event. The Director giving the presentation was able to move backwards and forwards through the display describing the process and how it was surfacing new possibilities in previously unseen connections. The audience was able follow his presentation on a large screen that projected the relevant parts of the display. The audience gave him a standing ovation and he described the experience as the most exciting way of giving presentations.

The original wall charts can be scanned for use in printed material or on web sites. The technology to do this is really impressive, a twelve foot by four foot display can be reduced to A4 and still be clear and readable. (this usually takes three working days).

Example of a Graphic Recording of a meeting. The original is ten feet long and four feet wide

Example of a presentation graphic on a Neuland Graphic Facilitation Wall