After capturing hundreds of meetings and discussions for all sorts of organizations, I’ve observed most audiences tend to go through a very similar series of reactions, which I call The 4 Stages of Graphic Recording.
- Curiosity: People wonder who the person with the foam core sheets and easels is and what they are going to do at the meeting.
- Amazement: As the first chart takes shape people see their ideas transformed into images, and it seems like magic.
- Delight: As the event space fills with completed charts, people love seeing how their experiences and conversations have been captured. They smile, laugh, and try to anticipate what will happen next.
- Gratitude: At the end of the day, people take pictures of the completed work and many personally thank the graphic recorder for making the meeting so pleasurable and exciting.
Graphic recording doesn’t just improve comprehension, foster connection, and provide a shareable visual record of key takeaways—it takes your entire audience on an engaging journey of creativity. Sound good? Let’s talk!