by Lisa | Feb 20, 2019 | Education
Keeping your students engaged in the classroom all year long can be a challenge. The first few weeks of a semester, everyone is settling in and getting the swing of thing. After a few months in, participation and grades can drop, and excitement in the classroom can almost disappear.
Creating an environment that captures the attention of your students does not have to be as complicated. Through sketchnotes, you can refresh students’ minds and captivate them again!
Here are ways that sketchnotes can inspire your students:
- It gives them a fresh way of notetaking. – You may have students that stick behind laptop screens or have notebook pages with scribbles all over. Have them put those materials aside and provide the perfect materials to introduce sketchnotes. Use budget-friendly computer paper and bring out the markers to bring some color into your lessons. *Quick note: When first introducing sketchnotes to your students, make sure the lesson you are covering that day is on the simpler side. You want to set them up for success by providing an “easy to follow” topic to start.
- You can help them show off their creative side. – Using this new way of note-taking, students can show off their creativity. Let them also have fun through their color choices and doodles. This process will help students see another side of their studies.
- Visual learning can increase their retention of information. – Our brains love visuals. Studies show that 90% of the information transmitted to our minds is visual, so utilizing a platform that can help with students understanding of materials is always a plus. Learn more about why our brain loves visuals here!
- Encourage the class to share their creations. – At the end of your lecture, ask each student to stand up and provide a short presentation of what they created. Let them walk you and their classmates through their color choices, the images or icons they drew and what they loved about the processes. It can also inspire for the next time!
Get your supplies ready and have fun with your students through sketchnotes! Need more tips? Download our FREE Visual Note-Taking Tip Sheet.
by Lisa | Feb 6, 2019 | Graphic Recording
Looking to make your notes a little bit more presentable and exciting? Sketchnotes are a great way to incorporate a fun and fresh take on meetings, client check-ins and more. You do not need to have top-notch drawing skills, just some creativity and eagerness to learn.
If you are wanting to use sketchnotes in your office or at the next conference you attend, check out our top four tips!
- Make sure you have the tools! While you don’t need to go overboard at the local craft store, having some supplies to get you started is key. We love using colorful markers like Tombow’s dual-brush option! A sketchpad is another item to invest in. Something simple will do, like this drawing pad we found on Amazon. A piece of computer paper also works if you are in a pinch!
- Try audio recording along with your sketchnotes. When you are first starting out with sketchnotes, you may feel frantic trying to get everything down at once. During your beginning stages or even if you are working on a new style of sketchnotes, audio record the presentation you are sketching. Having an audio recording to review can help you fill in any gaps of your visual and add to your initial sketch.
- Practice! Practice! Practice! Check out a Ted Talk or webinar you have been meaning to watch and test out your sketchnote skills! You can refine your style, practice your illustrations and catch up some must-watch videos. This will help you train your ability to retain the information shared along with drawing out key points.
- Check out some inspiration. Review other sketchnote creations online to get an idea of what style you want to create. Our website also has plenty of options to check out as well!
If you still need additional help with your sketchnote skills or would like to outsource visual note taking for an event, let us know! We would love to work with you!
by Lisa | Jan 23, 2019 | Education
Visual content is one of the most powerful ways to communicate with audiences. It is the type of material that your audience craves. Board members and conference attendees are tired of powerpoint slides crammed with words. Visual content is attention grabbing from the start. So why not utilize it more?
Here’s why our brain loves visuals:
- They help us store information longer. Images and visuals are an effective way for our mind to save information into our long-term memory.
- Visuals allow for information to be communicated quicker. 90% of the information transmitted to our brains is visual. Using visuals can provide a quick and easy way to engage and grasp the attention of your audience. The average attention span of a person lasts around 8 seconds, so the quicker you can share your information the better!
- They help with comprehension. Visual representation of information can help audiences understand content more clearly. The visual accompanied by the presenter explaining the info can increase understanding of the report.
- Visuals ease the learning process. For difficult topics, visual can help ease participants through the learning process. No need for overwhelming paragraphs of text or extensive summaries. Visuals provide a great starting place as you get deeper into the information.
- They provide fun for your audience. A major important part of the engagement process of your presentation is the element of fun. Encourage your participants to enjoy themselves with the creative and fun visuals you incorporate into your time with them.
Convinced yet? Think about presentations that you have sat through in the past. Do you remember how boredom started to set in? Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Use visuals to break the cycle of boring meetings. Need some more inspiration? Check out some of our previous work here and let us help you create some visuals for your next presentation today! You can get a free quote for our services through our website here.
by Lisa | Jan 9, 2019 | Event Planning
Conferences are a great way to encourage learning, networking, personal advancement and more. Companies host conferences as annual gatherings, once in a lifetime experiences or as a way to increase awareness about their business or big idea. When planning a conference, there are so many factors to put into perspective. From promoting the event to getting sign-ups to utilizing a budget …it’s a lot! You can even leverage graphic recording to sell your sponsorships.
When it comes to increasing your conference budget thanks to company sponsorships, we have some great ideas to help sweeten the deal. Check out our list of ‘3 Cool Ways to Sell Sponsorships at your Conference’!
- Increase company visibility with visual summaries. Have a graphic recorder attend different breakout sessions at your conference. While the recorder draws a visual summary, they can incorporate your sponsor’s logo. The logo positioning and size will increase visibility for your sponsor in a fresh and updated way. No more mass printing on pens or koozies!
- Spread the word with social media. Feature a business account handle or brand a specific hashtag just for them and your event. Encourage participants to tag sponsors in their post by using a graphic recorder to create a visual summary featuring this information. While people will be posting photos of the visual recordings, their company’s name and hashtag will be featured along with it. The potential reach is huge!
- Create a Tweet Board. Social media is a huge part of any event, no matter the topic or conference size. Participants always share quotes or tips they learn in their sessions. Hire a graphic recorder to take your favorite tweets and feature them in a visual to display in a main lobby or meeting area. In this visual, make sure to highlight a company’s logo or continue to promote their branded hashtag for your conference. BONUS TIP: Another way to encourage visibility is to host a social media giveaway where participants who use the sponsorship’s hashtag or account name can be entered to win a prize. This prize can be specific to the event or a giveaway from the sponsorship company.
The more creative and thoughtful you can be with your sponsorship pitch, the easier it will be to gain sponsorships! Want to learn more about how graphic recordings can enhance your sponsorship packages? Check out our website for a FREE quote and additional information.
by Lisa | Dec 26, 2018 | Business
With a new quarter approaching, there will be plenty of strategy meetings to add to your calendar. You and the team need to get organized and plan action steps to delegate across the staff. Without structure, your meeting could not only be a waste of time but could lead to no actual plan at the end of the time scheduled.
Don’t let your strategy meetings go stale, have a plan to make them successful. We have composed of three must-haves for your sessions to get you started!
- Have an agenda prepared before the meeting. This tip is key to ensuring that all of the information is covered and that your team is ready to go with their part of the program. Sending out a team agenda a week or few days before the strategy meeting will help team members understand what you will be discussing during your time together. It also provides a ‘heads-up’ to the company to have materials ready for the topics outlined, especially if their department is in charge of a particular line item on the agenda.
- Set some ground rules. Having guidelines can help keep the discussion on track and time efficient. Start a timer for each speaker during the meeting or tell everyone to hold questions until the presenter has completed their share of information. These rules also help develop a level of respect for other meeting participants while making sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to speak and share their thoughts.
- Try the Parking Lot technique. Don’t let your meeting agenda get derailed with off-topic questions or ideas. While you want to make sure each team member feels heard during your meeting, you do not want to waste time on irrelevant topics when you are trying to strategic and handle the big picture. However, there are still ways to make time for these items purposefully during your meetings. Utilize the Parking Lot technique – outlined and explained HERE – to “put a pin” in that question and address it at the end of the meeting. Just remember to allow 10-15 minutes at the end of your agenda to handle these parking lot questions or comments.
Hope these tips help you prepare the right way for your strategy meeting! It is always fun to switch things up to provide a fresh perspective and renew engagement with your team members. Want more information on how to host a successful workshop? Schedule a free consultation, it’s easy!
