There’s an assumption I come across surprisingly often in my work: “Our subject is probably too complicated to illustrate.” Usually, this comes from people working with scientific research, policy, technical information, organisational strategy or some gloriously complicated combination of all four. And I understand the concern. If you’ve spent years researching something, or you’re communicating information where accuracy really matters, the last thing you want is for someon

One of the slightly confusing things about my job is that there are approximately 47 different terms for what I do. Information illustration. Graphic recording. Live illustration. Visual facilitation. Sketchnoting. Illustrated summaries. Rich pictures. If you’re already working in this world, those terms make perfect sense. If you’re an event organiser, communications lead or Head of People thinking, “I just have a lot of complicated stuff and I need people to understand it,”

If you’ve never worked with a graphic recorder before, you might have a fairly logical idea of what we do. We go to conferences. We listen to people talk. We draw what they say. Which is technically true. In the same way that saying a chef “puts ingredients on a plate” is technically true. Because the drawing is actually only the visible bit of graphic recording. Most of the work is happening somewhere between my ears. I’m listening, filtering, making connections, deciding wh

There’s a common misconception about live illustration and graphic recording that I think is worth clearing up. When you hire someone like me for your event, you’re not really booking an illustration. I know. Confusing. Especially as I am, technically, an event illustrator. But the drawing itself is only the visible part of the job. What you’re actually booking is for someone to sit inside your fast-moving, dynamic, very human conversations and make sense of them in real time

Here’s a slightly awkward truth about booking a live illustrator: If you wait until you’re 100% sure you need one…you’ll probably be too late. Why Live Illustrators Get Booked So Early This isn’t about scarcity for the sake of it. It’s about timing. Here’s what usually happens. An event gets planned. The agenda comes together.Speakers are confirmed. And then - somewhere further down the line - someone says: “Should we get that illustrated thing?” At which point… most of the g

There’s a common assumption about live illustration at events. That it’s a nice extra . A bit of creativity. Something that makes things look good. And don’t get me wrong - it does make things look good. But that’s not where the real value is. Live illustration isn’t decoration.It ’s a communication tool . And when it’s used well, it changes how people experience your event entirely. The Problem With “Content-Heavy” Events Most events aren’t short on content. They’re full

Your event happens. The speakers are great. The conversations are interesting. The ideas are strong. But what people actually leave with ? That’s where things start to diverge a bit. Because there’s a big difference between an event where ideas are simply shared……and one where they’re actually captured, understood, and remembered . When You Hire a Live Illustrator When you bring in a live illustrator (or graphic recorder, if we’re being fancy), something shifts in the room. P

If you've ever seen someone standing at a large whiteboard during a conference, drawing the speaker's ideas in real time while everyone else watches in mild disbelief - that's graphic recording. Or at least, that's one version of it. Graphic recording has been around for decades, but it's still one of those services that most event planners and L&D professionals have heard of without quite knowing what it does, why it works, or whether it's right for their event. This post a

When I left employment to become… employed by myself (highly recommend), one thing became very clear. A lot of stress at work doesn’t actually come from the work itself. It comes from the murky bits around it. The unclear decisions. The mixed messages. The “ohhh… I thought you meant something else” moments that somehow multiply after a strategy session and leave everyone operating from slightly different versions of reality. You know the ones. A meeting happens. Lots of g

Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) can be one of the most sensitive subjects we teach in schools. As a former Year 5 teacher, I’ve been in those classrooms. I know the careful planning that goes into every lesson. I know the parent emails. The thoughtful conversations in staff rooms. The balancing act between being factual, age-appropriate, and emotionally intelligent. RSE matters deeply. And because it matters, it can also feel confronting - for schools, families

Visual summaries aren’t needed for every piece of work. But when ideas are complex, conversations are fast-moving, or you actually want people to remember what happened afterwards? That’s where they really shine. One of the questions I’m asked most often is: “What kinds of projects are visual summaries best for?” So here are six situations where information illustration and graphic recording make the biggest difference. 1. Conferences and Summits Conferences are brilliant -

“But what if we’ve got more than one speaker?” This is one of the most common questions I hear when organisations are considering graphic recording or illustrated summaries for their event. Panels.Multiple talks. Different perspectives. Different angles on the same topic. And here’s the important thing to know: That’s not a problem. That’s exactly where graphic recording shines. Why multiple speakers can overwhelm audiences... When an event includes several speakers or pan

As AI tools become faster, cheaper, and more capable, it’s natural for organisations to ask: “Could AI replace graphic recording or illustrated summaries?” The short answer is: AI can help with information. But it cannot replace meaning-making, deep listening, or human connection . What AI Can Do When Creating an Information Summary AI excels at processing large amounts of existing information quickly and consistently. When it comes to information summaries, AI is particular

Corporate doesn’t have to be beige. And neither does your event. Somewhere along the way, the word “professional” became code for: tiny text endless slide decks and a room full of people quietly switching off But here’s my (slightly spicy) opinion: People don’t remember slides - they remember meaning Let’s be honest. People don’t remember: slide 36 bullet point 9 “as per my previous email” They do remember: meaning moments clarity And that’s the difference between an event

If you’ve ever organised a conference, away day, staff inset, webinar series, or big internal event, you’ll know this feeling: You’ve poured weeks (months!) into the content… and then, two weeks later, it’s like it never happened. People remember they were busy.They remember the coffee was decent.They might even remember the venue had “good vibes”. But the ideas ? The decisions? The key messages? They often disappear into the great black hole of “I’ll catch up later”. And tha

The most forward-thinking organisations aren’t asking: “How much content can we fit into our conference?” They’re asking something far more important: “How will this actually land with our audience?” That shift in thinking is exactly why I’m lucky to work with innovative, people-centred teams who are choosing information illustration and sketchnoting for their events. They get it. They understand that attention is limited, cognitive overload is real, and audiences don’t reme

The event is over. The speakers have headed home, the attendees have closed their laptops, and your team is left with hours of raw video footage and a stack of "grey" transcriptions. The challenge? Nobody actually wants to sit through a three-hour recording to find that one "aha!" moment. As a non-live event illustrator based in Cardiff, I help organisations bridge that gap. I turn your recorded talks, workshops, and summits into visual stories that people actually wa

Hey sketchnoters! 👋 As a seasoned sketchnoter, I see it all the time: beautiful drawings, clever connections… but something's missing . And usually, that "something" is the most crucial step of all: Planning. 🤯 Yes, I know, planning sounds boring. You're itching to dive in, let those creative juices flow, and just doodle! But trust me, skipping the planning phase is like trying to build a house without a blueprint. You might end up with a wonky structure and a whole lot o

Hey everyone! 👋 Ever think about how humans have communicated visually throughout history? It's mind-blowing! 🤯 As a sketchnoter, I'm fascinated by the evolution of visual communication. So, let's take a little trip down memory lane, shall we? 🕰️ THEN: Imagine our ancestors chilling in a cave, sketching bison on the walls. Talk about a prehistoric mood board! 🎨 These cave drawings weren't just doodles; they were a way to tell stories, share knowledge, and connect with ea

As a seasoned sketchnoter, I've made a TON of mistakes on my sketchnoting journey! Here are some of the biggest mistakes I definitely made... 😱 Fear of "Not Being Artistic" : This is the BIGGEST one! People think they need to be Picasso to sketchnote. Nope! It's about capturing ideas, not creating masterpieces. Embrace the imperfect! (I'm still working on this one!) 📐Overthinking the "Perfect" Layout : Getting too hung up on perfect boxes and lines can stifle the flow. Let