At Sketch Group, we believe that sketching can be transformational. Our sketches solve problems, bring stories to life, and simplify the complex. Here's a snapshot of what we've been up to lately. No Images? Click here Drawn together for impact.Table of Contents
Alice Edy's graphic record of Heather Martinez's closing keynote presentation at VizConf 2019. Hi there! It's been a couple of months since our last newsletter, but as I always say: quality over quantity, right? We've been far too busy helping our clients bring their stories, events, and ideas to life to write as well as running our second ever conference—which is a pretty good reason for our silence, wouldn't you agree? A lot has happened since we emailed you last. Here are the highlights ... Video: Giving a Voice to DisabilityWe get a number of requests to donate our time to pro bono projects, and unfortunately we can't say yes to all of them. However when Mia Burg, a 16-year-old student at Lilydale High School in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, emailed me earlier in the year to ask for help with getting her message across, we simply couldn't refuse. You see, Mia has severe degenerative arthritis, and uses a walker to get around. Because of her disability, she had been having a hard time at school, and wanted to do something about it. She'd spoken to her principal, and was preparing to deliver the biggest presentation of her life—advice to able-bodied people on how to interact with someone who has a disability. With charming illustrations from our newest team member Dina, the resulting video is a reminder to those of us who don't struggle with a disability just how hard it can be to navigate social and physical barriers when faced with mobility challenges, especially as a young person. It's an inspiring—and ultimately positive—message from a young woman who is clearly destined for great things. Check it out, and share it with your colleagues, and if you like it, feel free to leave a comment of support to Mia.
Featured live sketch: Jobs AustraliaCareer Development Paths are tricky things—everyone's family background, education, experiences, goals, motivations, and level of privilege are different, which means that a conference covering careers is rich with unique stories, especially when those telling them are specific to Aboriginal job seekers. If only there was a way to capture those stories and share them in a way that was succinct, engaging, and easily shareable ... oh, hang on. There is—enter Sketch Group and our talented team of graphic recorders! Sketch Group's Maxine Harman captured the conversations at the CDP Climate conference Maxine did a great job of translating a fascinating and important conversation about the rapidly changing jobs climate, and the role it plays in building stronger communities and suicide prevention in aboriginal Australia, into the images you see here. The conference was captured on an enormous canvas (above), which looked very impressive as the backdrop on the wall to the side of the stage! We love being exposed to fascinating topics as part of the work we do, and seeing how our clients use their images after the event is over. Let us know if you have any idea for how graphic recording might have a place in your next project!
VizConf 2019 wrap-upThe second annual Australian conference for visual practitioners, VizConf 2019, hosted by Sketch Group and Visual Friends, was a huge success. Over three days in October, we delivered 5 full-day workshops, two inspiring keynote presenters, and over 30 informative open space sessions covering a range of diverse topics. Our opening keynote presenter, Melbourne-based graphic recorder Sarah Firth, challenged us to consider the ethics and obligations of the work that we do. And US-based lettering guru, Heather Martinez concluded the day by encouraging us to design our life through the lens of hand-drawn lettering. All in all, it was a thoroughly exhilarating day. Matt and Marcel, hosts of VizConf, welcome attendees and introduce the opening speaker The Graphic Gear pop-up shop was wildly popular, and we sold out of a number of items (including copies of the book that I co-authored, The World of Visual Facilitation). Shelley does her best to respond to the demand for markers and books at the Graphic Gear pop-up store The fact that we had more attendees this year than at last year's inaugural event reflects the growing field of visual practice in Australia. If you missed out on attending the conference, you're in luck—there are video recordings of both keynotes available online, for free:
Even if you don't work as a visual practitioner, these two presentations cover a lot of ground—ethics, personal development, and how to respond to challenging situtations—that are very human and resonate with just about everyone. Enjoy! B1G1: Our impact in 2019I've written before about the fact that we donate to a bunch of worthy causes every month, and that the amount we give is dependent upon how the business has performed. I thought it might be nice to look back on the year to see what kind of impact we've made over the past 12 months. Did you know that for every video, poster, or live sketch that we sell, we support a charitable project? We do this through our membership with B1G1, a marketplace connecting not-for-profits with companies wanting to embed a culture giving into their business. The "impacts" listed above depend upon the project to which we've selected to donate. For example, it costs $3.50 to plant a tree in a rainforest and help protect Orangutans, or just 20c to give a disadvantaged child access to special needs education for a day. By combining our contributions with other small businesses, we're able to deliver a real, tangible impact to causes we believe in. If you work in a charity, or know someone who does, and you think they'd benefit from being involved in a program like B1G1, I'd strongly encourage you to convince them to sign up. There is a vetting process during the application process, to ensure that the charity is legitimate. But once approved, there is huge potential for the charity to receive considerable funding to scale their charitable efforts. Also worth mentioning—if you like this idea, you can sign up for a personal account at B1G1, and start donating based on whatever criteria you like (for instance, Shelley here at Sketch Group uses B1G1 to donate a meal to a homeless person every time she remembers to bring her own lunch to the office!) Thank you for helping us to make a difference! As the year draws to a close ...OK, no more drawing puns, I promise. The end of the year—nay, the decade—is nearly upon us. I hope you find time amidst the chaos to relax with those you love. Thanks for reading, and see you in 2020. Draw on!
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