Taking notes is the standard way we try to understand and retain the key points of a presentation, but this practice has mixed results. Visual recording, also known as graphic recording, is a more effective way to capture the dynamics of your meeting or conference.
What is Visual or Graphic Recording?
Meeting attendees usually take notes, some to help them with follow-up actions or to recall what was discussed, but some may be taking notes just to look like they are paying attention when they’ve actually checked out. The presenter may also list their main points on a whiteboard or through a PowerPoint without much explanation. But, standard notetaking does little to encourage creative thinking or follow-through.
A graphic recorder will shake up your meeting or presentation by creating visual notes in real time and sharing them with the attendees. A skilled graphic recording artist grabs important ideas, visually connects them, and draws out important themes…literally. They then create a finished, shareable product, an artifact from your session. They can take a routine meeting and turn it into actionable visual concepts that lead to real results.
In Person Vs. Digital Graphic Recording
Graphic recording can be done in two main contexts: in-person and virtually. At The Sketch Effect, we do both with excellence. For in-person engagements, we will send an on-site live sketch artist to your event, where they will create powerful visual summaries as part of the proceedings. In some cases, they can even help facilitate brainstorming sessions.
In-person Graphic Recording works for:
- Conferences and retreats
- Fundraisers or Galas
- Live product demos
- Creative presentations
- Workshops
The process is also great for virtual events. This visual recording service, also known as “RemoteNotes”, works on the same principle as a live event and will keep your audience engaged and united. In either scenario, the artist enlivens the meeting and produces visual notes and idea maps that inspire future action.
Virtual Graphic Recording is perfect for:
- Virtual conferences, events, and summits
- Remote training
- Online meetings and webinars
- Brainstorming sessions
- Virtual presentations and product demos
Both methods are powerful additions to any meeting or conference.
Reasons to Hire a Visual Recording Artist
You should not consider graphic recordings as an unnecessary extra or “nice-to-have” add-on. A visual recording artist brings real value to your event and maximizes the effectiveness of the engagement, benefiting your company in multiple ways.
Some of the key advantages of graphic recordings include:
1. Revitalize Conferences and Company Gatherings
People expect certain things from these gatherings, and excitement is, unfortunately, usually not one of them. In contrast, a visual recording artist sparks discussion and leads people to a higher level of participation and understanding. They can “see” their ideas progress and are often inspired to continue the discussion. Brainstorming becomes a productive and enjoyable activity with immediate visual results.
2. Help Learners Process and Retain Large Amounts of Information
Graphic recording services help all types of learners, especially visual learners, understand and retain your presentation. When you deliver information both verbally and visually, your audience retains it over six times better after three days when compared to giving only a verbal presentation. Visual images also go into long-term memory compared to written and verbal information.
If you want your presentation to have a lasting effect, hire a visual recording artist. Depending on the type of engagement, you can even receive a time-lapsed animated visual recording to share with the attendees to inspire further progress after the conference.
3. Create Shareable Social Media Content
Your social media presence is essential to your company’s success. Graphic recording services produce stunning visuals that you can share on your webpage, Facebook, Instagram, etc. They are eye-catching and invite users to dig into the content.
Also, more graphics means more likes. In fact, tweets and FB posts with images get substantially more engagement. Text-based content alone does not deliver the same impact.
4. Increase Alignment and Prevent Misunderstandings
Too often, participants can come away from a meeting with different ideas about what they just heard. These misunderstandings prevent people from being on the same page and making real progress.
A graphic recording helps clarify the discussion and creates a visual record of what was actually discussed. The graphic recording can be consulted when opinions differ and guide everyone in the same direction. It also serves as a tangible reward of sorts to the meeting participants. They’ll be able to literally show what they worked on and discussed as a group.
The Sketch Effect Advantage: Highly Trained Visual Sketch Artists
At the Sketch Effect, our experienced artists offer in-person and virtual graphic recordings depending on your needs.
They use active listening skills to absorb the live content and dig for deeper concepts. Then they distill the information into key themes and big ideas. Finally, they visualize the content and create engaging graphics using compelling typography, vivid colors, and other sophisticated design elements. The results are extraordinary.
Our process involves you throughout, beginning with a pre-event call and AV test, followed by logistics support, artist preparation, and the delivered product. Our many satisfied customers attest to the effectiveness of graphic recording and also note the enjoyment it brings to the proceedings.
We offer various visual artist packages so you can choose the one that best fits your requirements. Contact us now for more information on our graphic recording services and animation offerings.
Need a great visual but not planning an event?
Check out our summary board sketches for a solution similar to graphic recording with time and cost-saving benefits.
