One of my mentors, James Gilmore, just completed and sent for printing his latest book called “Look” on observation skills. I think this will be a great tool for designers and planners. Can’t wait to get my first copy.
So keep it a secret. It becomes available on Amazon in August 2016. Here’s where to get it.
There’s a growing trend in America. A trend where the world of art and artists are collaborating with businesses and business leaders to generate a richer offering as well as a new perspective on creating healthier and stronger businesses. There is no better avenue for this thinking in St. Louis than the SPARK Conference hosted by COCAbiz at COCA.
I was honored to be able to perform the graphic recording of the event, for Sharon Price John’s morning presentation and for the evening’s Keynote address by John Maeda. Below is the large-scale graphic recording of the full day event of SPARK at COCA.
Please check out the wonderful services and programming that COCAbiz has to offer by contacting Steve Knight at COCAbiz. Just follow the link and get creative with business solutions.
What is the role of a graphic facilitator? How does a graphic facilitator impact a gathering? Is it merely to provoke and record replies or is it much more?
For me, it is so much more. I see the role more than a recorder or facilitator, I see a function which goes deeper than what a participant may observe or be even aware is happening. The role of a graphic facilitator can be compared to the effect that a prism has on light. Graphic facilitators are visual prism for ideas.
For a graphic facilitator, I view the most important function is not the recording nor is the clever tools in the box, rather, the ability to filter a singular idea into a full spectrum of possibilities and discoveries. A single idea is more than a simply thought; for hidden deep inside it can be an endless collection of new possibilities and by applying various techniques and tools we become a prism for those ideas. Taking a single thought and splitting it into multiple ideas through creativity, investigative and mechanical channels, we enrich the conversation, uncover possible and multiple solutions as well as offer a larger view of opportunities for those we serve.
So the next time some ask you what you do, tell them this…
“I am your idea prism.”
So, continue making those ideas visual and keep your prism clear and clean.
I love the malls. My biggest enjoyment in these massive places is people watching. You can learn so much about how we humans interact and react. Also, there is great inspiration in these shopping meccas. One inspiration I use came from a sign that almost all shoppers have see, read and referred. It’s a sign predominately display for all to see.. I am referring to the mall map. The sign that plots out all the shops by place and group of services or goods.
The mall map tells us so much about our environment. However, this sign in its entirety was not the source of my inspiration, rather the simple red dot icon and three words accompanying it. “You Are Here.” As a statement to anyone planning strategy, this hits home quickly and strongly. In order to plan, we need to know where we are on this very spot and in this current time. We need to know where “You Are Here” is.
Here is a visual exercise that I challenge anyone who is planning to move forward to answer ‘Who’ and ‘What’ holds you bank and drives you forward.
Before you can move forward you need to know your “You Are Here.”
Over the past 25+ years working with businesses of all sizes, you come to believe one simple truth; size does not matter when it comes to decisions. All can be life changing or devastating. Sure, the number of people, dollars or customers may change, but at the end of the day, all businesses owners need to make decisions that will impact their business.
I have been told by some of the best business minds, psychologist, and many entrepreneurs, ‘focus on one major decision at a time.’ This is good advice about 90% of the time, because if you making those decisions all at the same time, you’ll go crazy and eventually destroy what you are trying to build. Stay focused.
That leads me back to the title and the graphic below. In my years of listening to owners, executive management teams, board members and entrepreneurs, I have identified, in most of my meetings, the four main decisions that groups face that creates action fear.
I am not going to label these except by a single letter. I’ll let you create the narrative. If you’re facing any big decision, I am sure you can identify very clearly by one of these four images. Which one stands out to you?
I use this sets of images to help groups and individuals to uncover their underlining issue(s) so that I can help them understand all the issues facing them at this point. By begin the process with these images, it guides the conversation and visual thinking towards a solution. So ask again, which one stands out the most to you now?
Try it out for yourself
Draw the image that most stands out to you in the center of a piece of paper small enough so you are able to add comments around the image. Now ask yourself the question that you feel relates best to that image. Write down that question just above the image. Highlight this question so that it stay predominant on the page. Now, jot down simple, short answers as they come to you over the next day or so. See if an answer doesn’t present itself, even if it’s the one you may not like, but must do.
Good luck and happy visual thINKing.
To learn more about this type of visual thinking called Mind Mapping, check out some of these sites for more ideas.
Video File; Tony Buzan “How to Mind Map”
WikiHow: “How to Make A Mind Map”
