Question 1

What is your core deliverable?

Accepted Answer

What I do has several names: I am a graphic facilitator / graphic recorder / scribe / visual notetaker. In a nutshell, I attend an event (in-person or virtually) and make visual notes of a discussion, and can bring in visual thinking in other ways.

Though this results in an image, it is also a service that impacts the dynamics of a meeting.

Usually, my work is happening in the room, as the discussion is happening. This has many effects: it engages listeners, centers the audience's attention, highlights key themes and gives people something to point to as an issue is being discussed. It also helps participants feel heard, as they see their contributions appear on the board. Thus, a large part of the deliverable is the catalyzing impact of having a scribe at a meeting. You cannot underestimate the impact of seeing your ideas materialized live.

Of course, the end result of the work is an image. At in-person events, such an image can be displayed throughout the day or at the end of a session, to show participants what they accomplished and generate further discussion. After the event, I deliver a digital image that can be used in your marketing, at meetings, or be displayed within your office.

Question 2

What types of discussions do you scribe?

Accepted Answer

Visuals can be incorporated into an event in many ways. Sometimes, I'm off to the side, listening to a presentation. I can also stand next to a facilitator in a discussion and have the audience engage actively with a board. I can also lead small groups in a discussion, or think of ways to break people out into small working groups.  We can  discuss different ways for participants to bring out their ideas that I can later turn into an image.

Are you thinking about how to structure your workshop? I have been part of many interactive workshops and would love to work with you to build an engaging experience. How we bring visuals into the conversation can be part of our discussion!

Question 3

Is all your work live?

Accepted Answer

There are two aspects to this question.

When I am doing live work, I capture the discussion in the moment. After the discussion is over, I might make edits and add some icons, color or textures to round out the image.

Depending on the speed and nature of the discussion, I may be more focused on capturing content in the moment, so the amount of edits after the fact may vary. (Digital, in particular, allows more flexibility in this regard).

If the event calls for it, I am open to working in the background without an image being projected. I will be working in the moment, but participants will see the images after.

There is also plenty of visual note taking I can do that is not live. I can make infographics or trade show board with information a client gives me, either for an event or as independent product. I can also work to synthesize survey responses (from employees or from your community base, for example) into an engaging visual board.

Question 4

Are you an expert? How do you avoid making mistakes?

Accepted Answer

My scribing is my own live interpretation of a conversation that happened, not   a word-for-word transcription. I may capture things differently than someone else. In a sense, I am like a participant in the discussion, but one that is very good at listening and distilling key themes.

I am not a subject matter expert. Instead, I am coming in as an outsider to your field. This is a strength: I can often zoom out of the weeds and listen to the bigger picture. I am also always open to participants pointing out if I have missed or misinterpreted something important - whether on the spot, or after a discussion is over.

I will also always do my best to prepare prior to a discussion. If a client has slides, I would like to see them. I will ask for a list of key terms and names and how to spell them. I will try to talk to a speaker about the key messages they think need to be on the board. And I will ask for any visual models that need to be included in advance. All these items make my work easier - but I also work frequently without them. I can fly by the seat of my pants!

Question 5

Can you make edits to an image once it's done?

Accepted Answer

I always include one round of edits to the final digital image. This is limited to spelling mistakes and if key concepts are missing or mis-represented. Changes will be discussed together and are limited to those that can be made in the time budgeted, and I will do my best to do as much as I can in that time. Further changes or full image re-vamps will be charged for separately.

Question 6

What if I have an event with multiple sessions going on at once?

Accepted Answer

I can only be in one room, and it takes time to move my materials and set up. So, if you have discussions that are happening simultaneously, I can only be present at one. But I am happy to bring in and coordinate with a team of colleagues if there are many discussions going on at once!

Question 7

What do you need from the client?

Accepted Answer

At a bare minimum, prior to the event, I need an agenda of the event, names of speakers and titles of presentations. I will need time to prepare titles, though I know agendas can be malleable. I need to have a meeting with the client prior to the event in which we scope the work out and go over the agenda together.

At the event, I will need an appropriate space to work.

For digital, that means a place I can comfortably sit down with my iPad, close enough to any necessary AV equipment and to an outlet, and a sturdy work surface, like a desk, to set my iPad on and draw.

For analog, it means a place (usually at the front of the room or to the side) where I can set up my boards, with a stool or small table to put up my supplies and enough space for me to move around. A chair is always appreciated if the event is long.

Giving me materials to prepare for a discussion, like slides or speaker notes will always make my work better, but I am also used to working without them.

Question 8

Where do you work?

Accepted Answer

I live in Boston, MA. I will happily travel to other places if clients cover lodging and transport expenses.

Question 9

In what languages can you work?

Accepted Answer

Hola/hello! I am a native Spanish and English Speaker and can do work in both languages.

Question 10

How do you price your services?

Accepted Answer

My services include more than the work on the day of the event itself. I need time to prepare (meet with the client, study up on the sector/topic, review event materials and draw board titles and anchor images or visual models).  Post work will include photographing analog boards and cleaning the images up digitally, or making edits to digital images. In general, I spend the same amount of time on prep and post as I do at the event.

Thus, I charge by half days, and my minimum fee is a half day of work. Please enquire about my current rates. I will also include transport, food and lodging expenses, as well as materials specifically bought for an event, if applicable.

Illustration & Graphic Facilitation | Boston, MA

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