Business Sketching
Graphic facilitation (also called ‘Business Sketching’) is a visual technique to make notes and to capture the essence of complex ideas during a meeting or conference. The information is displayed using words and imagery, summarized and quickly synthesized to take the discussion to a higher level. The graphic facilitator makes real-time drawings on large sheets of paper on the walls of the meeting room. This displayed thinking promotes a lively discussion and supports focus and understanding, because people see their thoughts and ideas being synthesized on the wall.
The graphic facilitator can assist the lead facilitators in the meeting preparations by creating visual templates and formats to enhance and energize the quality of group thinking and communicating.
In the legal field, this work process is an innovative approach to design a trial strategy, to support mediation and arbitration, and to host engaging training sessions and legal conferences. It also is a great way to integrate logical and creative problemsolving in legal consulting, case analysis and case mapping. The graphic facilitator or recorder will collaborate with the meeting chair, mediator, facilitator, or trainer.
Visual-spatial organization of the meeting room is another aspect of graphic facilitation. This is a practical, but often over-looked detail. Who will capture what, where and how? On flipcharts, sticky notes etc? Is there enough wall space to display the charts? Visuals are intended to support the clear thinking process. I can be very distracting to sit in a long meeting with cluttered wall spaces, while looking at a random display of papers, notes, and actions. Ideally this is something that the visual facilitator will plan and organize with the meeting facilitator and host.
Susanne Hoogwater was trained in this unique consulting process by Christina Merkley of MakeMark in Canada, followed by an internship at Alchemy Consulting in Denver, CO. She is developing tools and expertise to meet the specific needs of the legal community.
This video explains and demonstrates the benefits of graphic recording.
Time travel into the animated history of Graphic Facilitation.
Watch a graphic facilitator at work.
Watch David Sibbet’s presentation at TED Soma on visual meetings.
Susanne Hoogwater | 
October 11, 2009 8:53 pm
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