by Lisa | Mar 20, 2019 | Graphic Recording
Visual thinking can add some creativity and spark to your work in ways that you could not have imagined! If you are facing a slump or feel like you’re in a rut, we have some ideas on how visual thinking can be incorporated into your workplace and help turn things around!
Start goal setting – Use graphic recording to get a group thinking about vision, goals and next steps. Ask them what are the challenges they see, and what are the supports? Sketch their ideas on a flip chart or large sheet to display in the office.
Display motivational quotes – Everyone needs a little bit of encouragement from time to time and creating a fun visual to share is a great way to spread some motivation! Have co-workers submit their favorite quote or mantra to be designed and displayed using sketchnotes. Put the finished product in places they would least expect like inside a storage cabinet or behind a door in the breakroom to give a fun surprise when they discover it.
Ease stress – Zentangle is a great way to doodle while you get your mind off the pressure. It is proven to help you relax too. Ease that tension in your shoulders with a short break of drawing circles, waves, and spirals. It doesn’t matter what kind of pattern. After a few minutes, you will find your mind refreshed and ready to go.
Strategize next steps – Gather the team to create a visual timeline of what is to come in the company. This can be a helpful resource and reference point for your coworkers. Your visual recordings can provide an outline, but also a unique way to cross off project benchmarks. When major items are completed, allow for a different team member to draw something that represents a finished step or next move. Engage everyone with a participation piece to the timeline.
Do you feel inspired yet? Check out more ideas on our portfolio through our website!
by Lisa | Mar 6, 2019 | Event Planning
When planning for a conference, event or meeting, See is Colors is excited to help bring your company’s vision to life! We have a refined process and workflow that helps set you up for success! We think of it all, so you don’t have to. We want to be the easiest to-do you can cross off of your event prep list.
Below you will see a breakdown of our workflow to help you understand our event/conference work process! It is pretty simple and straightforward, but we want you to feel confident in our services and ready for all of the fun that is in store with sketchnotes.
Part of our process includes an initial meeting with you. We talk about your objectives for your upcoming event along with a timeframe. We review details such as venue, date and time, etc. Through this consultation, we will talk about the creative and fun elements included in our services. We share about our different styles of sketchnoting and present a few recommendations about what we think will work best for your event.
No matter how big or small of a gathering, we have an idea in mind for you. Each event is so unique, and we want to offer you one of a kind of experience that your participants will get excited to experience. We also take some time to talk about your goals for your conference. We want to help you achieve these targets and can’t wait to work together to make it happen!
Once we determine things are a good fit, we will send over a quote and overview of services. If you have any additional questions, we address them during this phase. Once approved, an official agreement will be signed. After the t’s are crossed, and the i’s are dotted, we’ve got things covered from here!
We will share our supply list to let you know that we will be prepared and ready to roll on the event day. We take care of everything – ordering the paper, purchasing the markers and making sure that the ink is flowing. We always make sure to pack a large roll of paper. We like to think that big paper creates big ideas!
Ready to get started? Check out more about our services here!
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.
