As many of my regular clients and readers know, a large part of my work as a strategist starts with listening. Typically, I listen to help CEOs and executives get their strategic story out of their head so that they can lead their company to greater success.
However, a few times a year, I have the opportunity to combine my listening skills with art to design creative representations of speeches, talks, and fireside chats.
This is known as “graphic facilitation”. If you haven’t seen it in action, here is a sample from the Geekwire Summit I attended in October 2019, featuring a conversation with Microsoft President Brad Smith about his book Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age.
Graphic facilitation of Brad Smith's talk at GeekWire Summit 2019 by Guillaume Wiatr
One of the most interesting aspects of graphic facilitation is that I do it during the live presentation. I sit in the audience with an iPad connected to a giant screen and arrange the presenter’s main talking points in a way that is easy for the audience to understand. This also gives me the opportunity to analyze strengths and weaknesses of their message, just like I would do it when I work with clients.
Guillaume Wiatr works on one of his GeekWire Summit graphic facilitations. (GeekWire Photo / Kevin Lisota)
For the audience in the room, this artwork makes their experience memorable. Those who were unable to attend can get a high-level overview of the key takeaways they missed. That’s a win-win.
I’ve conducted graphic facilitation at hundreds of events over the years. My clients love how they summarize the context of a presentation into a piece of art. Many of them ask for a copy to share around the office.
After my most recent conference, I realized that I had so many great pieces that I would like to share with all of you. With that in mind, I have created a gallery for graphics facilitation, which I will refresh several times throughout the year.
The images in this gallery are free to share, and if you or someone you know would like to consider graphic facilitation at your next event, please get in touch!
Graphic facilitation of Brad Smith's talk at GeekWire Summit 2019 by Guillaume Wiatr
Guillaume Wiatr works on one of his GeekWire Summit graphic facilitations. (GeekWire Photo / Kevin Lisota)