A graphic facilitator draws the conversation as it happens. On a large paper wall or a digital tablet, they turn what people say into pictures, headings, arrows and quotes, so the group can see its own thinking and refer back to it. Some also run the session; others work alongside a facilitator as a graphic recorder. The result is a visual record that is easier to share than pages of minutes. Tell us the event, its length and the format, and we pass your request to independent graphic facilitators who quote you directly.
Graphic recording or graphic facilitation?
The terms overlap. A graphic recorder listens and draws, usually at the side of the room, while someone else runs the session. A graphic facilitator uses drawing to lead the group: they might sketch a blank road map or a "rich picture" template and ask the group to fill it in. Many practitioners do both. If you already have a workshop facilitator, a recorder is usually what you need.
Where it works best
- Strategy sessions, where a picture of the vision and priorities hangs in the office for the year
- Conferences, with one drawing per keynote or panel, displayed in the foyer by lunch
- Community and stakeholder workshops, where pictures help across languages and literacy levels
- Visual minutes of a long meeting that people will actually read
Paper or digital
On paper, the artist pins a roll to a wall or boards, often several metres wide, and works with chisel tip markers and pastels. Ask the venue whether you may pin or tape to its walls, or hire pin boards. Afterwards the drawings are photographed and stitched into a high-resolution file. For digital recording, the artist draws on a tablet, and the image can be shown live on a screen or shared on a video call, which suits virtual and hybrid events. Digital files are ready the same day.
Briefing a graphic facilitator
Send the programme, the speakers, any key terms and acronyms, and your colours if you want them used. Say how the drawings will be used: printed as posters, turned into a summary booklet or shared with delegates. Agree who owns the artwork and whether the artist may show it in their portfolio. Ask about setup time, often an hour before the start, and what wall space or supplies you must arrange.
Give the artist a good spot. They need to hear every speaker clearly, so a seat near the PA speakers or a feed from the sound desk helps, and the wall should be visible to delegates without blocking the screen. Leave a clear path in front of it so people can walk up at tea and look. Many groups find the drawing becomes the talking point at breaks, and the conversations there often add to the session itself.
What to include in your brief
- What the event is and how long it runs
- Paper, digital or both
- Number of rooms or sessions to cover
- How you will use the drawings
- Your colours or style, if any
Graphic Facilitators for business, government and communities
- Companies and head offices: strategy pictures, conference walls and visual summaries of change programmes for staff
- Government departments and municipalities: lekgotla and summit recordings, and visual reports of public participation workshops
- Schools, colleges and universities: conference recordings and visual summaries of staff planning days and research symposiums
- NPOs, churches and community groups: pictures from community workshops that work across languages and literacy levels
- Small and family businesses: a single visual plan from a team strategy day to hang in the office
- Mines, plants, factories and farms: safety and improvement workshops captured as visuals for shift briefings
- Event organisers and associations: live drawing of keynotes and panels, displayed for delegates during the conference
- Training and skills development providers: visual summaries of programme design sessions and learner graduation events
Frequently asked questions
How long does a graphic recording take?
Can a graphic recorder cover several breakout rooms?
What do we get at the end?
Do you provide the graphic facilitators yourselves?
Graphic Facilitators by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg