What is Graphic Facilitation?

It’s taking information, whether from discussion, someone’s notepad or an annual report, and transforming it into something visual, organised and accessible. It’s finding the right mixture of words, illustration and design to capture a subject and make it memorable.

Where can it be used?

Anywhere, pretty much, and for any purpose, as long as there is something to communicate and the most appropriate methods are applied to the situation. It could be in a meeting or for a brochure. There are numerous examples and, accordingly, there are many adaptations of the core principles of graphic facilitation.

What different types of Graphic Facilitation are there?

They range from highly complex pictures to simple, single images. Work can be made in front of a group to interpret conversation as it unfolds or back in the studio, co-designed with you over meetings, calls and emails. Really, all forms blend into each other but there are five main categories:

Scribing

That’s the scribe, a pen, a surface to draw on and a group to listen to. It’s translating talk as it happens. It helps a group follow what’s being said and, because it’s easily captured for print or web, remember it afterwards. Scribing maps out content in words and images, draws out connections and key themes, and can adapt to the flow of dialogue. It might serve the audience better to record specific details in written form one minute and concentrate on imaginative illustration the next.

Chris has recently started experimenting with scribing meetings remotely. He joins the meeting via conference call and captures the conversation by drawing directly into his computer, the images instantly transmitted to a secure url that could be viewed on a large monitor at the remote site.

Live Rich Pictures

These tend to happen over a number of conversations and are better suited to catching the ‘big picture’. It has the same ingredients as scribing but the information is collected and composed more slowly, rather than reflecting content by the moment, because the story is broader and needs sifting. This form of graphic facilitation is perfect for describing the arc of a conference or workshop in one engaging frieze. It can be entirely improvised or partially executed ahead of time and shown at the start of an event to help convey objectives and themes.

Live Illustration

This is creating the kind of illustration you might find in a magazine but within the timeframe of a gathering. The purpose is to find key moments, phrases and ideas and turn them into a series of memorable pictures. They might be displayed as they are finished and used to help liven follow-up communication.

Rich Pictures

Rich Pictures help open a window on any situation that carries a degree of complexity. It could be an IT Implementation or how the values of an organisation are put into practice. Rich Pictures can show relationships, vantage points, action, time, journeys, examples and vision. They can use a metaphor to engage with a concept or just aim to draw something with absolute clarity.

Illustration

Illustration is creating an image to complement text or a stand alone picture that communicates the essence of an idea. It is a way to employ humour, make something memorable, cut to the chase or, conversely, make complex ideas easy to assimilate. It’s also a way to visually enhance the design of web and page layout.