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My COP28 Visual Report is now out!
From 30th November to 13th December 2023 COP28 took place in Dubai, the 28th annual UN climate conference. This year I wasn’t there in person, but I like the previous two years, I did visually support a number of organisations there, including the UN Climate Secretariat.
In this Visual Report I have compiled all commissioned graphic recording work, as well as my own visual summaries I made to digest and make sense of the developments in Dubai.
What is visual practice?
A visual practitioner translates thoughts into images. Simple as the concept may be, the outcome is powerful. A sweeping visual landscape captures the essence of a collective thought process, whether at a conference, stakeholder consultation, strategy meeting or shared learning journey. It is a tool for live note-taking and sense-making, and acts as a parallel processing pathway for all the visual learners and thinkers among us - as visual shorthand for our brains.
My visual style focuses on both synthesising the content of the conversations, as well as capturing the atmosphere in which those conversations took place. During an event, it brings unique clarity and shared understanding, for example as a template for evaluation. After an event, it serves as a collective summary giving participants a doorway back into their memory of the full experience, while facilitating the on-boarding of those who couldn’t be present, and providing engaging PR material for event organisers.
My visual practice services
My work approach is characterised by an eye both for the content and undercurrent of a collective conversation, and a deep engagement with the subject matter, no matter how technical. Beyond an ability to visually summarise, I am skilled at reflecting back the essence verbally, and narrate and recap the key points in a collective conversation.
All my services are bespoke, but generally fall into the categories below. I specialise in visualising complex content in climate science, policy and negotiations, peace & reconciliation and leadership development, and I prioritise work with organisations dedicated to addressing climate change. I work for all sectors, from intergovernmental and public, to corporate, academic and community organisations. Contact me to start the conversation about how visual practice might support your project.
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Why is visual practice so effective?
We tend to communicate our thoughts in spoken or written words. But 80% of our sensory input is visual, and our brain is therefore specialised in processing information visually.
An effective visual is a game changer for getting your idea across. People instantly feel the difference between an idea explained with the help of a candid visual, rather than spoken and dissipated into thin air. Visual practitioners use the power of visuals to literally bring people on the same page.
Visualisation wakes up both sides of your brain, combining creativity with analysis, and lifts boring meetings to whole new levels of engagement and productivity. The contrast is profound, and for many people seeing visual practitioners at work is one of the most memorable things about a conference, and when they’re handed visual thinking tools themselves it can revolutionise their own way of working.
Inspiration
Visual practice has been developing since the 1970s and while it is still a niche profession, it is gaining traction from the corporate world to grassroots movements, and recent years have seen a proliferation in applications and styles. For example, visual practice is offered as an active tool in process facilitation, as graphic recording during events, and as animated video illustrations for talks and speeches.
I am a proud member of Drawesome, a network of independent graphic recorders and facilitators across the island of Ireland. We joined forces to share our projects and professional development journeys, and work towards establishing Ireland as a hub for visual facilitation! I represent Drawesome as Northern Ireland’s only full-time visual practitioner.
Still hungry for more? Go to my Writing page to explore my Visual Blog, Behind the Scenes articles, COP Visual Reports and workshop offerings. Or navigate to the websites of some of my own mentors and sources of inspiration…