Events

Discover how to liven up your events!

Illustrate to Captivate: Engaging Participants Before, During and After an Event

Illustrate to Captivate: Engaging Participants Before, During and After an Event 2560 1707 ORTUS DRAWS

Organising events can be a daunting task, but engaging with participants before, during, and after the event can make it an even more successful experience. In this blog, we’ll provide some tips on how to engage with event participants at every stage of the event with illustrated content.

Preparations
before the event

If you want your event to be a success, you’ve got to nail the preparation and marketing. And one of the best ways to get people pumped and engaged before the event is by making sure your marketing materials are totally on point.

That means they should be eye-catching, informative visuals like infographics and illustrated portraits. After all, most people these days are visual learners. Make sure to include all the essential details about the event, like the schedule, who’s speaking, and what kind of activities are included.

Don’t be afraid to use illustrations to help explain stuff and highlight key points. With the right illustrated content, you can create marketing materials that will grab people’s attention and get them excited to come to your event.

During the event

It’s not just about getting people to show up to your event – you’ve got to keep them engaged while they’re there too. One way to do this is by using live sketchnoting. A live illustrator captures the essence of what’s going on during the event in real time through visual notes, symbols, and images.

This kind of visual notetaking can help participants better understand and retain the information being presented, and it can also make the whole event feel more personalised and engaging. Plus, having the sketches displayed on a big screen or printed out as souvenirs can be a really fun way to involve attendees and help them feel like they’re part of the event.

In fact, incorporating illustrations and visuals into your event can have a whole host of benefits. For one thing, it can make the event feel more approachable and welcoming, particularly for those who might find text-heavy presentations a bit intimidating or dull.

Visuals can also be a powerful tool for aiding memory retention since our brains are wired to remember images better than words. By incorporating illustrations and other visuals throughout your event – whether that’s through presentations, handouts, or interactive activities – you can help participants remember and engage with the information you’re presenting.

After the event

Just because the event is over doesn’t mean your work is done! it’s important to keep the connection with participants strong to retain clients and maintain a positive relationship. One great way to do this is by sharing the live illustrations or graphic facilitations created during the event. These can be shared as souvenirs of the event, reminding attendees of the key messages and insights they gained.

In addition, sharing the presentation materials and following up with participants can help keep the conversation going and allow for continued engagement even after the event. Encouraging attendees to share their experience of the event on social media and other platforms can also help to extend the reach of the event and create a sense of community around it.


Ultimately, illustrations and visuals can be powerful in engaging participants before, during, and after an event. They help to create a personalised experience for attendees, aid memory retention, and make content more accessible and engaging. By incorporating these techniques into your event planning and marketing strategy, you can create an event that truly captivates and engages your audience.

CONTACT US now!

Want to see how we can make it work? Why not have Ortus Draws listen in on your next virtual event or virtual conference? With a live illustrator present, you’ll have a concise, coherent, and colourful visual representation of the discussion ready to catch the eyes and engage viewers.


Ortus Draws is a live sketchnoting company specialising in bringing ideas to life with creative and informative mind maps. Our sketchnotes capture the key points of virtual events, roundtables, webinars, discussions, conferences, presentations, pitches, interviews, and internal meetings. Are you looking for an illustrator for your event? Contact us now!

Overcoming the Obstacles of Virtual Meetings: Best Practices for Productivity

Overcoming the Obstacles of Virtual Meetings: Best Practices for Productivity 2560 1703 ORTUS DRAWS

As we slowly emerge from our homes and venture into the big wide world, virtual events and meetings might start to lose their spark. But before you abandon the virtual meeting room altogether, let’s take a moment to acknowledge that virtual events are here to stay.

In fact, they offer many advantages, such as increased accessibility and reduced costs. But virtual meetings also present unique challenges that can hinder productivity and collaboration. Let’s dive into these common obstacles and offer a few practical tips and best practices for overcoming them, so you can ensure your virtual meetings are productive and effective.

Lack of engagement
and distractions

Attending a virtual event or meeting can be a great way to connect with people from all over the world, without even leaving your sofa.
But let’s be honest, it’s easy to get distracted when you’re not in a
physical room with other people.

When it comes to virtual events and meetings, lack of engagement is a real buzzkill. It can be tough to keep attendees tuned in when there are more distractions than you can shake a stick at.

From that new episode of your favourite show on Netflix to your furry friend begging for a belly rub, it’s easy to lose focus. Distraction can be a click away and there’s always the temptation to check your phone, answer emails, or finish that crossword puzzle. Half the time, it’s totally discreet to click on another tab and occupy your brain with something more entertaining.

Lack of the
human touch

When you’re not able to meet face-to-face, it can be more difficult to establish a personal connection and build relationships with others.

Without those casual conversations in the hallway or over coffee, it can be challenging to get to know people beyond their job titles. This lack of personal interaction and the human touch can also make it harder to establish trust and rapport, which can be crucial for successful collaboration.

Zoom fatigue

Virtual events and meetings were all the rage during the pandemic, keeping us connected and our businesses running smoothly. But now, we’re in the midst of a “Zoom fatigue” epidemic, where endless virtual events and meetings are draining us mentally and physically. It’s like a never-ending cycle of clicking links and staring at screens, leaving us feeling like we need a week-long nap.

It’s clear that virtual events and meetings are losing their touch, and we need to find ways to spice things up and keep things interesting. Because let’s face it, we don’t want to be snoozing our way through another video conference.

Here are a few ways we can help bring productivity back into your virtual events
and meetings:

1. Bring a live illustrator into your VIRTUAL event and provide a “good” distraction to the attendees

Live digital illustrator in a virtual event

By creating a real-time mind map of the discussion and key points, the illustrator can help attendees visualize the ideas and concepts being presented. It’s like watching a magic trick unfold before your very eyes. Plus, it’s a welcome distraction from the usual screen time and can help keep attendees focused and engaged. The live illustration creates a sense of excitement and anticipation, as attendees watch the mind map come to life, and can even spark new ideas and discussion points.

2. Use live sketchnotes to add a human touch to the attendee’s discussions

Ortus Draws - Google Fiber Brag Better Meredith Fineman (Virtual Event Sketchnote)

With a live illustrator at your virtual event or meeting, you can create unique and personal sketchnotes and mind maps that capture all the discussions and insights from your attendees. It’s like having a one-of-a-kind tailored piece of artwork for your group and event. This not only adds a human touch to the session but also makes it more engaging and memorable for everyone involved. Plus, it’s a great way to break up the monotony of staring at a screen all day!

3. Make virtual more fun and engaging through the live sketchnotes

Sketchnoting during a virtual event

By incorporating eye-catching graphics and a skilled illustrator, virtual events can be transformed into something fun and engaging. Attendees will be able to see the discussion come to life in real time, making it easier to follow and understand. Plus, it adds a personal touch to the event, making it feel less like a boring meeting and more like a fun collaboration. So, if you want to add some spark to your virtual events, consider bringing in a live illustrator to work their magic!

CONTACT US now!

Want to see how we can make it work? Why not have Ortus Draws listen in on your next virtual event or virtual conference? With a live illustrator present, you’ll have a concise, coherent, and colourful visual representation of the discussion ready to catch the eyes and engage viewers.


Ortus Draws is a live sketchnoting company specialising in bringing ideas to life with creative and informative mind maps. Our sketchnotes capture the key points of virtual events, roundtables, webinars, discussions, conferences, presentations, pitches, interviews, and internal meetings. Are you looking for an illustrator for your event? Contact us now!

The Benefits of Using Live Illustration in Your Events

The Benefits of Using Live Illustration in Your Events 1200 900 ORTUS DRAWS

As the world slowly returns to normal, in-person events are making a comeback, driving the gradual decline in popularity of virtual events. Once seen as a convenient and cost-effective alternative to in-person events, they are now overshadowed by the appeal of meeting people face to face. 

However, live illustrations can help bring virtual events back to life and make them a relevant and valuable tool for event organisers. By adding a visual element and creating a more engaging experience for attendees, live illustrations add to the appeal of virtual events, making them more insightful and memorable. This creative approach to notetaking brings the virtual event format back to the forefront of the events space in a world that is slowly but surely returning to normal.

Incorporating a live illustrator into virtual events can bring numerous advantages!

Engagement

Live illustrations bring a new and innovative dimension to virtual events, offering a visual element that helps increase engagement by capturing the attention of attendees. Complex information can be presented in a simple and visually appealing manner, making it easier for attendees to understand and retain.

With live illustrations, virtual events can be transformed into interactive experiences that leave a lasting impression on attendees.

Interactivity

It can offer a fantastic opportunity for event organizers to create interactive experiences for attendees. By having a live illustrator on hand, attendees can participate in the event in a uniquely engaging way. For instance, attendees can make suggestions and watch as they are transformed into illustrations in real time. This not only adds an extra layer of excitement to the event but also helps increase the level of engagement and interaction between attendees and the illustrator.

Break from the monotony

Virtual events can sometimes be lengthy and dull, causing attendees to lose interest and become disengaged. Live illustrations provide a much-needed break from the monotony of presentations and help keep attendees interested and entertained. By incorporating visually stimulating illustrations, virtual events can become
a more dynamic and engaging experience for attendees.

Increased Retention

People remember only 20% of what they read, but 80% of what they see. Studies have shown that people are more likely to remember information presented visually, making live illustrations a valuable tool for event organisers. By incorporating visually appealing illustrations, attendees can retain information better and recall it more easily after the event. This not only enhances the learning experience but also ensures that attendees get the most out of the virtual event. 

Memorable Experience

In a world where virtual events are becoming increasingly common, live illustrations can help set virtual events apart and provide a unique and memorable experience for attendees. These real-time illustrations are a creative and innovative way to make virtual events more impactful and memorable, ensuring that attendees leave with a positive and lasting impression.

Contact us now!

Let’s bring some colour to your next event! Why not have Ortus Draws listen in? With a live illustrator present, you’ll have a concise, coherent, and colourful visual representation of the discussion ready to catch the eyes and engage viewers.


Ortus Draws is a live sketchnoting company that specialises in bringing ideas to life with creative and informative mind maps. Our sketchnotes capture the key points of virtual events, roundtables, webinars, discussions, conferences, presentations, pitches, interviews, and internal meetings. Are you looking for an illustrator for your event? Contact us now!

3 Ways Visual Notes Promote Event Engagement
for Meetings & Conferences

3 Ways Visual Notes Promote Event Engagement
for Meetings & Conferences
1200 900 ORTUS DRAWS

The pandemic has greatly altered the way events are conducted, with many organisations turning to virtual platforms such as Zoom to host meetings, conferences, and social gatherings. While these virtual events have allowed people to stay connected and continue with their work and social lives during lockdowns and quarantine, they have also led to a phenomenon known as “Zoom fatigue.” Many people are experiencing burnout and, as a result, are seeking ways to mitigate its negative effects.

Here are three ways in which visual notes can help to enhance the attendee experience when it comes to virtual events and promote better engagement:

Active listening

Ortus Draws - Virtual event

One of the key benefits of visual notes is that they encourage active listening. Instead of just passively absorbing information, attendees are actively processing and summarising the information in their own words and images. This can help to increase comprehension and retention, as well as keep attendees engaged and focused.

Collaboration

Ortus Draws - In-person event

Visual notes can be used to facilitate collaboration and idea-sharing. By creating visual notes, attendees can work together to capture key points and ideas and explore new perspectives on the material. This can foster a sense of teamwork and community and can also lead to the generation of new ideas and solutions.

Review and retention

Ortus Draws - LinkedIn post mockup

They also provide a valuable resource for attendees to refer back to after the event. The visual elements help make the information more memorable, and the notes can be used as a tool for reviewing and refreshing knowledge after the event.


In addition to these benefits, visual notes can also be used as a form of storytelling, adding a personal touch to the event and making it more memorable. Visual notes can also be used to create a visual summary of the event and be shared on social media, making it more engaging and reader-friendly for both attendees and those who could not attend the event.

In conclusion, visual notes, or sketchnotes, are an effective way to promote engagement and understanding in meetings and conferences, and this applies to both virtual and in-person events. They take advantage of active listening, promote collaboration, and drive retention. They also add a creative and personal touch to the event and make it more memorable and accessible. So, next time you’re planning an event, consider incorporating visual note-taking to enhance the attendee experience and lessen the burden of Zoom fatigue for your attendees.


Want to add some colour to your next event? Have Ortus Draws listen in! With a live illustrator present, you’ll have a concise, coherent, and colourful visual representation of the discussion ready to catch eyes and engage viewers.


Ortus Draws is a live sketchnoting company that specialises in bringing ideas to life with creative and informative mind maps. Our sketchnotes capture the key points of virtual events, roundtables, webinars, discussions, conferences, presentations, pitches, interviews, and internal meetings. Looking for an illustrator for your event? Contact us now!

Ortus Draws - Find out more!

Don’t forget to BREATHE:
Breaks that’ll energise your next virtual event

Don’t forget to BREATHE:
Breaks that’ll energise your next virtual event
1200 900 ORTUS DRAWS

It looks like virtual events are here to stay. Now that they’ve become a viable discussion platform for professionals, you’ll have to discover how to keep your virtual participants interested throughout your events.

Here’s a suggestion: don’t forget to BREATHE. These interesting break ideas can help you energise your next virtual event—and provide your guests with a more memorable knowledge-sharing experience.

Boost brain power with a bit of movement

Research conducted by UCLA has shown that stretching improves heart rate and blood flow, reducing stress and enabling higher brain functionality. A 30-second stretch break after every segment of your discussion should help your guests shake off the fatigue and clear their heads for the next part of your event.

Some of your participants may even be joining you on their mobile devices. You can encourage them to take a short walk outside so that they can get a bit of fresh air while they listen in on the conversation (only if the weather permits, of course).

Remember to break the ice

Virtual events are a great way for professionals to expand their networks and connect with like-minded peers. This is why holding icebreaker activities at the start of any event is important. As their host, you must encourage them to feel comfortable with one another before they engage in your discussion and in the socials at the end of your event.

Looking for the right icebreaker for your next virtual event should be a breeze. There are so many interesting games and activities to choose from, and Ortus Draws has compiled a list of creative icebreaker ideas that your guests can enjoy as fun warm-ups before their discussions.

Energise the mood

Staying energetic all throughout the discussion is a challenge for most virtual event hosts. Read the room from time to time. Yawns, awkward silences, and glances at their phones are clear indicators that your guests are losing interest in the discussion.

Here’s a creative solution to keep the mood lively during your event from start to finish. Ditch the slide decks and project a live sketchnote instead so that your guests can actively see their contributions to the discussion. These illustrations will surely add more colour (literally) and entertainment to what could otherwise be another bland conversation.

Allot time for team building

Aside from sharing and gaining insights into new trends and pressing issues, people participate in events to expand their professional network. As a virtual events host, you can help your guests build meaningful and lasting business relationships with one another.

Team-building activities provide opportunities for your guests to discover during event breaks whom they vibe with the most among the group. One fun and entertaining example is creating team logos. Cluster your guests into teams of three or four and give them five minutes to come up with a company logo that reflects their collective professional identity and goals. You may find that, after the event, some of them will have connected with one another over LinkedIn after the event.

Take a moment to decompress

Mindfulness breaks are perfect for the midpoint of your event. Give your guests 15-20 minutes to re-centre themselves after a lengthy discussion. That way, they can clear a bit of mental space for more new information during the rest of your discussion. 

You can also take this time to let your guests ponder on the ideas shared in the discussion thus far. This allows them to reshape their perspectives on the topic at hand and develop new insights that they can share throughout the rest of the event. Either way, what matters most is that they’re prepared and energised for another round of knowledge sharing.

Hype the group with mini-games

Nothing spells excitement more than the thrill of winning, and, as professionals, your guests know that a bit of healthy competition is good, clean fun. 

You can even add a new dimension to your sketchnotes by using them for a memory exercise. Have your assigned illustrator erase the captions under each sketch and ask your guests to recall each caption correctly. They’ll certainly relish the challenge—and appreciate the extra mile in helping them retain the things they’ve learned in your discussion.

Enjoy a meal together

No matter the occasion, food always brings people closer together. Breaking bread with peers fosters a more cozy and familiar atmosphere during virtual events, even if your guests are thousands of miles apart from each other. 

That mindfulness break you’re thinking of could be a great time for you and your guests to share a meal together. A hearty lunch or dinner can even open up conversations that lead to new discussion points later on in your event. To make your guests feel even more appreciated, you can have food delivered to them before your event. Here’s an amazing example of how The Ortus Club treats their roundtable guests to scrumptious meals they can enjoy before their discussion. 


Looking for more ways to energise your next virtual event? Ortus Draws makes conversations more engaging and exciting by illustrating ideas shared in live discussions. With sketchnotes, knowledge-sharing experiences become more interactive, vibrant, and insightful for all participants.


Contact Ortus Draws today to book a live illustrator for your next event!

A dash of colour:
Sprinkle creativity throughout
your next event with fun art breaks

A dash of colour:
Sprinkle creativity throughout
your next event with fun art breaks
1200 900 ORTUS DRAWS

At their core, discussion events and meetings are about the insights that matter to the participants involved in the conversation. But, sometimes, these insights get lost if the conversation grows stale or the participants start losing interest in the discussion.

To eliminate this monotony, you can throw in a few exciting and engaging art activities during your breaks. Here are some great ideas that can add a dash of colour to your next event or meeting.

Desk Alphabet

The best events and meetings always start with a good icebreaker. It’s an excellent way to fire up your participants for the discussion, which is why you must get creative with your activity to ensure this.

Desk Alphabet is a fast yet engaging way to get your participants’ thinking juices flowing. The premise is simple: going around the room, each participant has to doodle a desk item whose name starts with the letter of the alphabet on which they are. 

Before you begin, prepare one sheet of paper (or a virtual whiteboard if you’re on a video call). Pass it to the first player who, naturally, has to think of an item with ‘A’ as its first letter, like ‘alarm clock’. The next player does the same, this time with an item that starts with ‘B’, and so on until all the letters of the alphabet are done. To save time, players can skip their turns. Smarty pantses beware: ‘a’, ‘an’, and ‘the’ don’t count.

Pix-cell Art

Let’s face it: spreadsheets are an integral part of our workflow. Sure, working with them may feel a little too serious most of the time, but no one ever said they can’t be used for a bit of fun now and then. So, in the middle of your next event or meeting, give your participants a fun breather by using spreadsheets to create ‘pix-cell art’. 

Think of it like doing a colour-by-number activity, but on Excel, Sheets, or Numbers. What makes this activity even more fun is that there are so many formatted templates available for you to download. Or, if you’re up to the challenge, you could create your own!

Playing this game is also really quick and easy. Split your group into three different teams and provide each team with a copy of the same template. Whichever team completes the illustration first wins! To make things even more exciting, you can even set a time limit, giving the W to the team which completes most (if not all) of the template once the timer hits zero.

Art Director

This drawing activity’s a great way to sharpen your participants’ listening and critical thinking skills. Run this as an impromptu recharge exercise in the middle of your discussion if you start to notice a lot of yawns and droopy eyes around the room.

In this exercise, you, as the host, will direct your participants to recreate your own illustration. It’s up to you to decide whether to give them as much time as they need or if you’d like to raise the stakes by setting a time limit.

The catch? As the art director, you can choose between giving clear and specific instructions or being vague about how your prepared illustration looks. For instance, you can sketch a house before the start of the activity. Your first instruction could either be, ‘Draw a horizontally-oriented rectangle on the bottom third of your sheet,’ or simply, ‘Draw a rectangle.’ It should be proper good fun! (Just make sure those yawns turn into laughs, not groans.)

Pictionary

This is a tabletop classic that has stood the test of time. A favourite among people of all ages from different walks of life, Pictionary is one of the biggest pillars in the space of illustration games.  

Many of us know how the game works. Players take turns sketching ideas provided to them by the host, and the rest of their team attempts to guess what the sketch is depicting. Winning the game is as straightforward as it’s always been: score the most number of correct guesses. 

For the sake of adding more creativity to your art breaks, let’s put a spin on it. Instead of players creating sketches for their own teams, have them illustrate their selected idea for the other teams to guess. If any of the other teams get it right, that team gets the point. If they fail to guess correctly, the illustrator’s team gets the point. What’s a bit of healthy competition to spice up an event or meeting, right?

‘DIY’ Sketchnote

Last but certainly not least, you can ask your participants to curate their own insights and turn them into sketches for a live illustration of the ideas they bring up during the conversation. Research has proven that sketching or doodling whilst listening during a conversation helps people retain key information from the discussion.

The best part is that your participants don’t have to do all the work! You can tap an expert live illustrator to bring your group’s insights to life. A team like Ortus Draws is the right fit for your sketchnoting needs. They have some of the most talented artists in the knowledge-sharing sphere, and their live illustrations have been praised by business leaders across the globe.

It may not seem like a one-off breaktime activity, but watching their ideas take shape in real-time is sure to keep your participants engaged throughout your event.


Looking to discover other creative ideas to keep your events engaging? Stop by Ortus Draws here. With so much experience in adding colour and breathing life into live events, they have the solutions you need to make your next event more memorable.


Interested in creating a more engaging knowledge-sharing experience of your own? Contact Ortus Draws to book one of their expert illustrators to sketchnote your next event in real time!

I illustrated my first in-person event:
Here’s how it went

I illustrated my first in-person event:
Here’s how it went
2560 1705 ORTUS DRAWS

Having grown up as a digital native, I’m no stranger to the virtual world. When life in the physical world screeched to a halt and businesses had to adopt remote work arrangements, adapting to a more digital life was a breeze for me. I’d been familiar with the cyberspace and its limitless potential for so long, and being behind a screen is where I’ve always been most comfortable. 

I joined Ortus Draws at the height of the pandemic, and in my first couple of months, I created live sketchnotes solely for virtual events. After having trained for weeks and illustrated countless discussions in real time, I had, in no time, grown confident in my skills. 

But now, physical events are back, and there’s an undeniable need to adapt once more. This had always been inevitable, but nothing could truly prepare me for D-day. 

I was excited, nervous, and curious. I had a million thoughts racing through my head—and even more butterflies in my stomach—as I entered the venue for my first in-person event.

Ortus Draws - In-person event

After setting up my live illustration equipment, I felt like I was underwater as I sat there, waiting for the event to begin. As executive after executive entered the room, pockets of conversation turned into noise, sounds became increasingly muffled, and a heavy, sinking feeling started to bubble in my chest.

My only silver lining was that I had this little all to myself, facing away from all the guests while I focused on my live sketchnote. I could find respite in pretending that this was just another virtual event where nobody could actually see me. Plus, I was fortunate enough to have the support of my Ortus Draws team to ease my nerves.

But when the in-person roundtable finally started, it felt as though I had broken through the surface. A wave of adrenaline rushed through me. All of a sudden, my nerves settled. I was as prepared as I could possibly be for this in-person event, and I finally felt like it. My ears, hands, and head were in lock-step, working double-time and in perfect synchronicity. From time to time, I’d feel a presence behind me, just watching me work my live sketchnote magic—but I remained unfazed. I was in the zone, and nothing was going to break my concentration.

Ortus Draws - Illustrator

The only real obstacle was the difficulty I encountered in listening to participants whenever they opted not to speak with a microphone. Curse my human ears. I would discreetly lean back and cup my ear in an attempt to make sense of the murmurs. But even then, my hand was steady. Fortunately, guests at these roundtables, virtual or in-person, always speak eloquently, so their non-amplified volume was nothing that a bit of focus couldn’t overcome.

Ortus Draws - In-person event

This in-person roundtable truly was a special experience. Meeting the guests, hearing their thoughts, and seeing their reactions—virtual doesn’t come close. Actually being with them in person at this event reintroduced the human side of the knowledge-sharing experience. To be able to shake guests’ and clients’ hands and have actual conversations with them about my work is leagues above the oohs and ahhs we’d usually get within the confines of Zoom chatboxes. Despite being in my own little corner, I felt seen, and my live sketchnote somehow felt more alive than anything I had ever made before. 

Ortus Draws - Mind map sample

At the end of the day, the reality is that in-person events are back. Although I was incredibly nervous at the onset, I found my groove, and the end-product reflected that confidence and focus. As an introvert and a creative that appreciates a private workspace, I never would have imagined that I would say this, but I thoroughly enjoyed live-illustrating my first in-person roundtable. 

I loved the feeling of connecting with people in person. Webcams and computer screens just can’t completely capture the light in people’s eyes when they take that first look at the final product. Sketchnoting is sketchnoting, whether in-person or remote, but it’s the little things like handshakes and gleaming awestruck eyes that make the work more fulfilling. 

Now, if only I could craft live illustrations at an in-person event in my pyjamas, that would be perfect. But slipping into a smart casual outfit is a small concession I’m more than willing to make, because I absolutely cannot wait for the next opportunity to live sketchnote an in-person event. 

Ortus Draws Blog Mind map Sample
Ortus Draws - Find out more!
Ortus Draws - Blog

Personalising virtual events:
Sketchnoting and why it matters

Personalising virtual events:
Sketchnoting and why it matters
1200 630 ORTUS DRAWS

Sketchnoting is a fairly new but incredibly effective form of note-taking that you may or may not have heard of. So what is it really? Read on through to find out and get the answer to some of the questions we get asked most frequently.

What is sketchnoting?

Short and sweet, it’s turning verbal into visual. It’s taking the most pertinent points in any discussion—be it a seminar, interview, roundtable, masterclass, you name it—and adding a creative spin! Fun and apt visuals corresponding to each point are illustrated, and by the end of the session, you’ll have a full and engaging mind map of what’s been tackled. It’s stimulating, it’s easy to digest, and it’s a far cry from the boring old meeting minutes gathering dust in everyone’s inbox. Even better, it can be done live and for everyone to watch! As participants speak, their ideas come to life. What can be more engaging than that?

Ortus Draws - Verbal to Visual

Do I have to be an expert?

Nope! All you need is a creative mind and something to draw on. Drawing a cabinet of servers and computers to go with a discussion about AI servers doesn’t really sound like a ‘creative spin’ now, does it? What makes sketchnoting so wonderful and engaging is it takes you out of the restrictive world of whatever you’re discussing and connects with imagery from other walks of life, making it all the more memorable. Now, how about having an image of a robot serving you tea to represent AI servers? AI? Check. Server? Check. Instant memorability? Double check!

Ortus Draws - Creative Spin

Isn’t it distracting when done live?

Not at all! Sketchnoting serves as a supplement to the discussion, not a replacement. At the end of the day, no matter how comprehensive the mindmap, what’s being put to paper is what’s coming out of the speakers’ mouths. Ideas are amplified, not drowned out. Statistics show that 65% of the population are visual learners. One study even found that purely auditory stimulus was far inferior to purely visual and a combination of the two, and the disparity only grows as individuals get older.

Ortus Draws - Go, Humans!

If anything, live sketchnoting helps participants be immersed even further in the discussion. Nowadays, with Zoom fatigue as rampant and widespread as it is, anything that can pull participants back into the discussion and keep their attention can be a huge boost. Plus, don’t underestimate the human attention span. The human brain can process images in as little as 13 milliseconds. Go, humans!

What about non-visual learners?

Worried about the verbal learners out there? 35% is still a huge chunk of the population. Well, news flash! We’re all visual learners in one way or another. In another study, researchers aimed to find a correlation between subjects’ preferred learning style and the one effective for them. Conclusion? Hardly any correlation at all. What they did find is that most everyone benefits from a form of visual aid. ‘Visual presentations produced better free recall than did purely verbal presentations.’ Loose translation: Words alone don’t cut it! We shouldn’t be surprised. From the age of cave paintings to the rise of hieroglyphs and ideograms to the memes and social media platforms of today, humans crave visuals. 

Ortus Draws - Humans crave visuals

What do I do with a mind map?

Ortus Draws - What do I do with a mind map?

There’s a lot you can do with your final mind map. First, you can share it on social media! To say that engagement is difficult to gain online is an understatement. Social media managers around the world will agree. Instead of having a forgettable text post on LinkedIn telling everyone about an event you just had, post your mind map. Nothing like a colourful and beautifully drawn illustration to catch people’s eyes and stop them from scrolling. Second, send it to your colleagues! So many ideas and insights can be drawn from these virtual events, but not everyone can attend. Sending over meeting minutes or reports bears the risk of having it be ignored by busy bees and go-getters. We’ve all been guilty of this. At first glance, mind maps demand attention and have a way of keeping it. Plus, going through them is both easy and enjoyable. Furthermore, you can leverage your mind maps for following up with your guests. Want to reach out to a guest or participant? Send the mind map over, and you’re sure to be met with delight. Plus, it helps them recall your event and keep you fresh on their minds.

What can I do?

Everyone has their strengths and specialisations. Not everybody can be a live illustrator, but not to worry, everyone here is! Save Ortus Draws a seat at your next virtual event, and we’ll take care of the rest. You can also just send over a recording of your event, and we’ll have a mind map ready for you in a jiffy!

Ortus Draws is a live sketchnoting company that specialises in bringing ideas to life with creative and informative mind maps. Our sketchnotes capture the key points of virtual events, roundtables, webinars, discussions, conferences, presentations, pitches, interviews, and internal meetings. Looking for an illustrator for your event? Contact us now!

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Level up live events with sketchnoting

Level up live events with sketchnoting 2560 1707 ORTUS DRAWS

Gone are the days of mundane slides and meeting minutes gathering dust. Now, it’s all about personalised experiences. And when it comes to live events and roundtable discussions, what’s more personal than a live illustration of you and your guests’ thoughts coming to life as you speak?

What is sketchnoting?

Sketchnoting is a visual representation of a live event. Think of it as a collective mindmap for you and your attendees. As the discussion progresses, a live illustrator puts pen to paper—or, in this case, a tablet—and creates a visual depiction of the pertinent ideas, concerns, and talking points brought up. It’s a creative and effective way of documenting your event.

why is this important?

Break the monotony

High-level discussions and corporate meetings aren’t made up of just the boardrooms, generic suits, and monochromatic graphs we all see on TV and in cinema. At the end of the day, no matter where we sit in a company’s pecking order, we’re all human, and we crave engagement.

Instead of discussing over a series of slides and Q&As, having a live illustration can allow guests to stay engaged and interested. Studies have shown that imagery can reach and trigger the human brain in ways that words cannot. So live illustrations not only allows participants to immerse themselves in the discussion better, but it also activates emotions and imagination.

Live illustrations not only allows participants to immerse themselves in the discussion better, but it also activates emotions and imaginations”

A unique and

personalised experience

In any collaborative activity, visual aids should serve the discussion and not the other way around. Prepared slides lead the conversation down a pre-made path, while a sketchnoting follows wherever it goes. You will need a flexible roadmap for truly productive and open communication, not a rigid structure. 

Sketchnoting gives you the power to tailor your visuals to the discussion and the personalities in the room. Your event may be a part of a longer series tackling a singular topic, but no two discussions will ever be the same. These illustrations ensure that differences big and small have the spotlight, creating a one-of-a-kind record that properly represents each event. 

Imagery is an incredibly powerful tool that can do wonders for any activity but, if used wrong, could become counterproductive. The effectiveness of image-based communication lies in its relevance to the context. We have a limitless supply of stock photography and corporate artwork at our fingertips, but these come with the risk of being uninteresting, irrelevant, or even distracting.

Effective learning

Statistics show that approximately 65% of the population are visual learners, meaning that most people absorb and retain information more effectively with the aid of visual cues instead of plain text, verbal communication, or hands-on experiences. In addition, the human brain can process an image in as little as 13 milliseconds. Live illustrations capitalise on these innate human characteristics.

With digital illustrations, a myriad of perspectives are brought to life, and a choir of opinions is given a structure. As a result, participants can easily visualise challenges and solutions, all while having the luxury of a visible flow, the direction of which they can dictate.

Post-event matters

Studies revealed that humans have immense recall abilities for images, remembering thousands with up to 90% accuracy for days following initial exposure. That’s why, at the end of the discussion, participants are given a copy of the final sketchnote. This serves as an engaging and easily digestible reference covering significant points brought up in the discussion, whether it be from experts or fellow guests. 

Knowledge-sharing does not end when the discussion does. The availability of a concise, engaging summary can be instrumental in the post-event dissemination of newly procured knowledge to colleagues, subordinates, and leadership alike. Guests do not need to take notes, draw from memory, or waste valuable time reading through meeting minutes that are often bloated, repetitive, or simply uninteresting.

What you can do

Want to add some colour to your next event? Have Ortus Draws listen in! With a live illustrator present, you’ll have a concise, coherent, and colourful visual representation of the discussion ready to catch eyes and engage viewers.

Ortus Draws is a live sketchnoting company that specialises in bringing ideas to life with creative and informative mind maps. Our sketchnotes capture the key points of virtual events, roundtables, webinars, discussions, conferences, presentations, pitches, interviews, and internal meetings. Looking for an illustrator for your event? Contact us now!