by Lisa | Jan 16, 2017 | Business, Community, Leadership
On Sunday, January 15th I created this 4’x8′ chart in real-time for the AFL-CIO. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil & Human Rights Awards took place at the Hamilton in Washington, DC. There were 8 award recipients, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and actor Jussie Smollett.
Graphic recording by Lisa Nelson for #1uMLK. The Hamilton, Washington, DC
I enjoyed working on this project for so many reasons. One reason is because I come from a family of union workers. When award recipient, Carmen Perez, mentioned the 1199 union it made me smile.
Another reason I enjoyed this project was because of the program itself. It was so rich with stories of ordinary people doing amazing things.
I love this quote that was printed on the program. It speaks to the labor movement and matched the occasion perfectly.
“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I used pieces from the music selection, video segments, and stories from the honorees to make the chart a collage.
Click here to see a 15 second video of the complete chart.
by Lisa | Dec 15, 2016 | Business, Graphic Recording, Technology, Uncategorized
This week I had the privilege of working with Wildman Event Group and GE for the #AdvancedManufacturing Summit. Speakers included Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio and Steve Case, founder of AOL. This event brought over 300 attendees together to discuss the future of Advanced Manufacturing (#futurefactory).
The Advanced Manufacturing Summit was held at Dock5 Union Market, Washington DC. This was my first time at this event space and it was an awesome venue.
This ceiling had tons of light bulbs hanging down and it was so reminiscent of GE. I even included some light bulbs in my chart!
#Futurefactory Completed Chart of Graphic Recording
Here is the completed chart showing the key points from the presentations, panel discussions and input from attendees.
I even saved space for ideas from attendees during the reception. My favorite response from an attendee was about the future of Advanced Manufacturing, his answer was “Making things is going to be COOL”.
What stands out for you in the chart? Leave a comment and let me know.
by Lisa | Oct 20, 2016 | Business
How can you make sure the people in the room will remember the key points of your meeting?
According to Hubspot, 80% of users recall a video they saw in the last 30 days. I’m not surprised at all. As a matter of fact, I started my graphic recording business as a result of stumbling on a YouTube video and I still remember it! Here is another factoid from Insivia, 75% of executives watch work-related videos on business websites at least once a week.
So… I found a really effective way to EXTEND graphic recording with video. You might be saying, “what is graphic recording?”. Graphic recording is a skill used to capture and summarize meeting content by using hand drawn pictures and text.
On Saturday, I attended the Reinvention Weekend business conference. My setup was very simple, I was sitting in the audience drawing in my sketchbook as I listened to the keynote speaker, Melinda Emerson. When I finished graphic recording, I scanned the picture (see photo) and used the image in a short video that walks through the key points of Melinda’s presentation.
Sharing a video will help your participants refresh their memory after your meeting or event. Don’t forget the people who could not attend, they will really appreciate it and say “I felt like I was there!” The video below is only 1 minute long but a rich takeaway for participants. Imagine sending your attendees a video like this.
We can help you use the power of visuals at your next event, to learn more click here.
Leave a comment below.
by Lisa | Aug 25, 2016 | Business, Productivity, Uncategorized, Visual Thinking
The International Forum of Visual Practitioners (IFVP) had their annual conference in Washington, DC this year.
You know what that means. It means I had to be there! I live in the DC metro area, so I was delighted to spend 4 days with a group of folks that love visual thinking as much as I do.
Here are 5 ways to make the most out of your next conference. I will use IFVP as an example, so here we go…
- Have a Plan. Conferences can be overwhelming, especially when it spans several days. One hack I tried that worked very well for me is setting an intention each day. Each day before I arrived, I determined what I wanted to practice and what I wanted to learn from others. For example, on Day2 I wanted to practice graphic recording using my iPad. At the end of each day I felt a huge sense of accomplishment because I was focused and intentional.
- Participate. The best way to learn is to DO. After all, that’s why you are at the conference. I know it’s tough, especially when sessions run one after the other and it seems like you have a IV drip of coffee. Make an effort to participate no matter how small. Ask questions during your sessions, talk with your neighbor, and jump in on the exercises and group activities. That’s what I did and it always helped me connect with the people at my table.
Group exercise for building a mobile.
Completed mobile. WOW. Designed by Team Sculptures
- Make time to meet up. Conferences are the perfect time to meet up with friends you don’t see often. The best advice I have for this is to plan before the conference. Find out who is attending and connect with them early so you can make plans for a morning walk or happy hour. I was so happy to see my buddies from the #CincyTakesOnPoverty project.
- Talk to the Vendors. The vendors participating at a conference can give you fresh ideas on how to help your clients. They also have insight on trends in your industry, so learn what’s hot and what’s not from them. You can usually buy supplies, get significant discounts and save on shipping.
Neuland was in the house, so that means stock up on ink and markers. I picked up my free gift too, love the marker bag!
Scribes-To-Go shared ideas on using print materials to make our events POP!
- Have Fun! Look at this crowd. Yes, the photographer told us to say cheese or something like that. But we were all genuinely having FUN together. Such a supportive community to be a part of. The conference theme came true in this picture for us, United We Scribe!
What’s your best tip for getting the most out of a conference? Please share and comment below.
by Lisa | Apr 28, 2014 | Business, Entrepreneur
The George Washington Women in Business recently held their annual Spring Conference #DrivingVision and I was the official Graphic Recorder for all the keynotes. This day long event focused on real world business advice and fostering relationships. This event included over 300 students from George Washington University and 80 professionals across the country.
The first keynote was from Marne Levine, VP, Global Public Policy, Facebook. Below is an action shot of me graphic recording real-time at the conference during her speech.
These visual summaries help participants retain more of what they heard at the conference so they can stay engaged to take action. Here are the completed images from the graphic recording of all the keynote speeches
For a larger view, click the image to expand.
For a larger view, click the image to expand.
For a larger view, click the image to expand.
I love Marla Beck’s tip to always “Be Scrappy.” What was your biggest takaway? Please comment below.
by Lisa | Aug 13, 2013 | Business, Productivity
I recently worked with Interpret America for their annual international conference. It was so fascinating to me because I was in a room full of language and sign interpreters. I felt right at home because I am also an interpreter… but I use a visual language with sketchnotes and graphic recording.
The keynote speaker for the conference was Michael Hyatt. This was a great opportunity for me because I follow his blog and listen to his podcasts all the time. His keynote was tailored to the audience of interpreters and focused on Building a Platform. I created sketchnotes of his presentation. When I asked him if he would sign my sketchnotes on my iPad, he was happy to do it 🙂
I also created sketchnotes for a panel discussion on Social Media Success Stories. The panel mas moderated by Michael Hyatt. The panelists included Ian Anderson, Nataly Kelly, and Brandon Arthur. They each shared unique stories and tips on using social media for the interpreting profession.
For a larger view, click the images to expand.
For a larger view, click the image to expand.
For a larger view, click the image to expand.
For a larger view, click the image to expand.
Please share and comment below.
