In graphic recording, space is never an issue. Whether it’s in an auditorium of five hundred or a meeting room of five, every message is important and all voices are heard.
When I went to work with the wonderful folks at UHN’s Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Program, the group was small. The snow that swept through the GTA the night before had impacted the already tempestuous 401 highway, and getting to North York proved difficult for some. Despite this set back, the meeting still flourished as the voices that filled the room were full of curiosity, vulnerability and power.
On that day, the discussion surrounded diet. More specifically, the Mediterranean diet. Why? Because those it was being recommended to were patients combatting cardiac diagnoses, and experts in the field of nutrition have deemed it to be the gold standard when it comes to overall health. UNESCO even classifies it as culturally significant! What was there to discuss?
Like many graphic recorders, I enter a gathering space with a loose plan of how to approach my board. I have an agenda, I’ve done some research to familiarize myself with the content, and I’ve had pre-event meetings with the client to pull from their expertise. But, often, that plan goes out the window the moment the audience starts asking questions and sharing their experiences.
It’s one of my favourite parts of the job.
Because this is where I get “the golden nuggets”, if you will. The content that brings the board to life through storytelling. Once the wonderful presentation by the UHN team was complete, the patients were appreciative but…curious. They instantly became active participants in their own care, and incorporating their experiences into the conversation. Are there ways to incorporate this diet into my cultural cuisine, so I can join my family in our traditions? How sustainable is this diet when grocery costs are so high? Where can we incorporate substitute for taste if ingredients like salt are not recommended? They weren’t denying the facts – they wondered about versatility within stringent guidelines set for their wellbeing.
And this is what the client, the audience, graphic recorders look for on the board. The facts have already been presented expertly by the UHN, but they were looking for feedback.
Now, it is up to be me and my markers to bring the session to life and follow the direction that the participants are taking me on for the next hour.
Check out the timelapse of my process
In any space, graphic recording has the unique ability to slowly immerse the audience over the course of a session as the watch the graphic unfold before them. But in the smaller, more intimate rooms, graphic recorders can step into the world of the participant and relay their direct stories onto the page. There is no better feeling then hearing “hey I said that!” as someone snaps a photo of their quote to share with their loved ones. They were heard in a time of vulnerability, and it’s now a permanent fixture – in big, colourful block letters – on a piece of art that will hang in the halls they will walk by for the duration of their care.
It’s a reminder of the big impact they had in that small space and will continue to have now with a larger audience. That they have a voice that is being celebrated in their health journey, and a voice that will inspire those walking that same path.
That’s the power of graphic recording.
