{"id":175,"date":"2025-06-07T14:36:07","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T03:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/?p=175"},"modified":"2025-11-17T07:28:05","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T20:28:05","slug":"how-adding-a-graphic-recorder-to-your-event-makes-it-a-game-changer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/2025\/06\/07\/how-adding-a-graphic-recorder-to-your-event-makes-it-a-game-changer\/","title":{"rendered":"How adding a graphic recorder to your event makes it a game changer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever walked out of an event thinking, \u201cWell, that was great\u2026 but what actually happened?\u201d<\/em> You\u2019re not alone. Words fly thick and fast, but they don\u2019t always stick. That\u2019s where a graphic recorder (a.k.a. live scribe or visual note-taker) comes in. Here are 6 benefits for having one around.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve been graphic recording at public events, conferences, and meetings for about 15 years, and even with the advent of gen-AI, these 6 benefits still hold true. Actually, even while technology gives so much wow-factor, we still crave connection<\/strong>, and in many ways, these 6 benefits are more important for events than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\uddf2 1. It makes people look up from their phones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When someone\u2019s sketching the conversation live in big, bold strokes, it pulls attention in a way bullet-point slides just can\u2019t. A visual note-taker brings the vibe of \u201csomething really interesting\u2019s happening here\u201d… and suddenly, people are leaning in instead of tuning out.<\/p>\n\n\n

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There’s nothing like seeing a big drawing come to life before your eyes (pictured<\/em>: Axelle Vanquaillie)<\/em><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and sometimes my clients are worried that graphic recording distracts from the speaker. What actually happens is quite the opposite! It’s like watching a documentary; seeing the action unfold while hearing the narration over the top is the perfect combo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\udde0 2. It helps brains actually remember things<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our brains are wired for stories and visuals<\/strong>, not just talking heads and dense jargon. A graphic recorder connects the dots with succinct phrases in attractive lettering, colour, layout, and metaphor, turning a wall of words into something you can see, remember, and talk about later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here’s something nobody talks about<\/em>: a graphic recorder can make a so-so talk MUCH more appealing, since it helps to amplify the content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\uddbc\ufe0f 3. It’s like getting a Polaroid photo for every event talk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

By the end of your event, you\u2019ve got a collection of boards that are like a set of giant hand-drawn Polaroid photos, or a ‘h<\/strong>ighlight reel’ of key insights<\/strong>. Each board is part artwork, part documentation, and 100% useful. You can take a photo and boom: your post-event wrap-up just got sorted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boards (or charts) also act as postcards of each talk, for your attendees to take with them and share (see #5). Of course each ‘postcard’ doesn’t capture all the detail of what’s in the talk. But just like a postcard, each particular piece in the postcard conjures up memories of that detail, to keep those fond memories around for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Graphic recording boards making great souvenirs from a conference<\/em><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf10 4. It makes your event more inclusive <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not everyone processes information the same way. Visual note-taking supports people who think better in pictures, who don\u2019t speak the main language fluently, or who need more than just facts and figures to feel knowledged-up on the topic of the talk, or quick actions to try out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of what a graphic recorder does is to summarise a speakers’ content<\/strong> (or a conversation) by listening, synthesising and translating that summary into a visual summary. So in a way, the graphic recorder is doing the heavy cognitive lifting for the audience<\/strong>, so that they don’t have to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a win for accessibility and<\/em> inclusivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udce3 5. Hello, shareability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Graphic recordings are super snackable content. One photo of a rich, colourful visual summary can do more on social than five paragraphs of text ever will. It\u2019s a dream for your comms team. And of course your audience will love sharing it, too.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Graphic recording works super well at sponsor conference booths too!<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\udd1d 6. It sparks conversations (and a few a-ha! moments)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When people see their own words or ideas pop up on the board, it builds validation, trust and momentum. It invites discussion, reflection, insight, even laughter. A live scribe doesn\u2019t just record the moment; they shape it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83e\udded 7. it’s great for strategy and decision-making<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wait! There are actually more than just 6 benefits. This benefit is actually my favourite. Workshops, planning sessions, roundtables, offsites… graphic recorders shine<\/em> in these, and I see this play out in my own work all the time. They map out ideas in real time, reveal patterns hiding in the noise, and help groups focus better, and get aligned faster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of them as visual GPS for complex conversations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Even if it’s rough, graphic captures on a whiteboard help groups to focus and have a more productive conversation<\/em><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udf89 8. It adds that \u201cWow, they thought of everything\u201d feel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

OK, yes, there’s yet another benefit. This one’s definitely for the event organisers. Having the process and product<\/em> of a graphic recorder around is a little unexpected, a little delightful, a little premium, and always interesting. When people see a live scribe in action, it tells them your event is top-drawer, thoughtful, professional, and designed for deeper engagement, not just an information dump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bottom line? A graphic recorder doesn\u2019t just make your event aesthetically nicer and more engaging. They make it stick.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want help with getting a visual note-taker at your event, I got you<\/a> (links to my business website, Bright Pilots). If you want to learn more about how to draw for graphic recording, look no further than my Presto Sketching book<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ever walked out of an event thinking, \u201cWell, that was great\u2026 but what actually happened?\u201d You\u2019re not alone. Words fly thick and fast, but they don\u2019t always stick. That\u2019s where a graphic recorder (a.k.a. live scribe or visual note-taker) comes in. Here are 6 benefits for having one around. I’ve been graphic recording at public […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":177,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[59,58,11],"tags":[91,5,62,92],"class_list":{"0":"post-175","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-for-meeting-leaders-and-coaches","8":"category-for-project-managers-and-facilitators","9":"category-sketchnoting-graphic-recording","10":"tag-events","11":"tag-graphic-recording","12":"tag-meetings","13":"tag-scribing","14":"entry"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/blog-masthead-graphicrecordingbenefits.jpg",880,358,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/blog-masthead-graphicrecordingbenefits-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/blog-masthead-graphicrecordingbenefits-300x122.jpg",300,122,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/blog-masthead-graphicrecordingbenefits-768x312.jpg",768,312,true],"large":["https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/blog-masthead-graphicrecordingbenefits.jpg",880,358,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/blog-masthead-graphicrecordingbenefits.jpg",880,358,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/blog-masthead-graphicrecordingbenefits.jpg",880,358,false],"sidebar-featured":["https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/blog-masthead-graphicrecordingbenefits.jpg",75,31,false],"genesis-singular-images":["https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/blog-masthead-graphicrecordingbenefits.jpg",702,286,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Ben Crothers","author_link":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/author\/prestosketching_uao6s0\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Ever walked out of an event thinking, \u201cWell, that was great\u2026 but what actually happened?\u201d You\u2019re not alone. Words fly thick and fast, but they don\u2019t always stick. That\u2019s where a graphic recorder (a.k.a. live scribe or visual note-taker) comes in. Here are 6 benefits for having one around. I’ve been graphic recording at public…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":187,"href":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175\/revisions\/187"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prestosketching.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}