Visual notes are a combination of text and illustration, made live at events. I make these during (and in most cases, a little bit after) many kinds of events, like conferences, workshops and coaching sessions. The collection below are visual summaries that I’ve drawn digitally, while attending offline as well as online meetings. My aim is to provide the participants of these events with a useful and beautiful document about what has been said and done during them. I find that this form of note-taking can make the subject matter more accessible, memorable, and fun.

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Use of visual notes during your event

I regularly work at events where my iPad is connected to a big screen. Drawings can be shared during the programme, or as a separate segment at the end. When the process is being shared live, the audience gets to see an immediate visual interpretation of what’s being discussed. This can make people more engaged with the discussion. My screen can be shared in between segments, for instance in the form of one cartoon about what has just been said. When my work is shown at the end of an event, I can say a few words about what about the meeting has stood out to me, offering a fresh perspective on what people are working on. This is often also a moment for people to take pictures of the drawings and share about your event online.

ICLEI, Berlin

European Cultural Foundation, Brussels

Rotterdams Open Doek Filmfestival, Rotterdam

Friends Of Europe, Brussels

ICLEI, Berlin

Vrouwen In Beeld, Utrecht

Community Of Practice Rechtvaardige Stad, Rotterdam

Use of visual notes after your event

A visual about the event is often something nice to share with participants after the event has taken place. Besides the visual summary, I always send my clients a few isolated images from the summary as well. This way, the drawings can be easily shared on social media, used for reports, or printed on cards or other products as a thank you for the participants.

Other forms of live drawing

Visual notes don’t necessarily have to be one big summary of an event. They can be a collection of impressions, a series of live cartoons, interviews with portraits, and so on.