Did you know that, according to quantum physics, merely witnessing an […] The post Can I Get a Witness? first appeared on Breakthrough Visuals ..read more

This past summer we worked with West Virginia University’s Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health to capture a series of 11 […] The post Youth Flourishing Project with WVU’s Autism Research Network first appeared on Breakthrough Visuals ..read more

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 captu ..read more

I spent an amazing 3 days in September capturing the conversations at an meeting of the FMCS, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, a department of the federal government that works to resolve labor and other disputes. The highlight was watching my work used over the course of the final afternoon as an integral part of the discussion process. All the charts I'd done the previous two days were placed around the room and the attendees went through them systematically, using the images as a springboard to envisioning how the department could change moving forward. A lot of clients have ..read more

This past summer we worked with West Virginia University's Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health to capture a series of 11 interviews with autistic young people about what they needed to flourish in various areas of life. The network also asked us to create a 2-page infographic summing up the findings. It's great example of how improvised live graphic recordings can be followed up with a more finished piece that sums up the takeaways in a way that's accessible to an audience that wasn't at the live sessions. We love working on big projects like this, especially when they're f ..read more

We were honored to be asked to capture the discussions at the Engaging Emergence Conference, held by the Agora Journalism Center, which is based at the University of Oregon, in Philadelphia from August 21st through the 23rd. Journalists young and old from a variety of media outlets came from all over the country to discuss strategies for moving journalism away from traditional, mainstream media platforms and towards more community-centered and inclusive models. It was an intense 3 days, with lots of enthusiastic participation from the many attendees. It was really a pleasure to help facilit ..read more

Coach, consultant and author Brenda K. Reynolds asked Breakthrough Visuals to do some spot illustrations for an upcoming book. The simple black and white illustrations depict the 5 stages people go through after an event that disrupts their life: Freaking Out (F), Taking Responsibility (R), Overcoming Obstacles (O), Growing (G), and becoming Sovereign over an expanded Self (S). All together, of course, that spells FROGS. The client and publisher were both very happy, and so were we. We'd love to illustrate a book, video or infographic for you as well. If you're interested, give us a call ..read more

I spent part of my birthday last week graphic recording a press conference for Philadelphia Ceasefire. The event, at Blair Mill, an old textile factory repurposed as a work and event space, featured local luminaries and community activists talking about their efforts to reduce gun violence in the city. This is the 4th event I’ve captured for this group, and it was truly gratifying to have so many attendees tell me they were delighted to see me again. It’s been great being part of this effort–and seeing all my previous work displayed around the room! The post Graphic recording for Philadelphi ..read more

Your top executives meet to strategize ways to improve how your organization works and meets future challenges. After a day of hard work they have a list of actions to take going forward. It’s a great effort—but will it result in real change? You can increase the odds of success by having a graphic recorder at the meeting to record the takeaways in visual form. When action points are made visual they’re easier to conceptualize and remember. And when the meeting is over, displaying the graphics in the office and sharing them on social media keeps the engagement going and reminds everyone of the ..read more

A year ago, most people had never heard of Chat GPT. Today, we can’t be sure anything we read was actually written by a human. A lot of folks, including Chat GPT’s creators, find that unsettling. Using AI to write emails is great, but no one wants to be replaced by an algorithm. While AI is amazing, we don’t think robot graphic recorders will take our job any time soon. That’s because the value our work adds is exactly the creativity and human touch that can’t be generated digitally. The drawings a graphic recorder creates live at an event, or the ideas that come out of a brainstorming session ..read more