Graphic Recording: Making Conversations Visual; with Amy Sparks

Amy’s education first led her to work with non-profits and then she began graphic recording

Amy’s education first led her to work with non-profits and then she began graphic recording

Amy Sparks shared that Graphic Recorders seek the balance between the content of a piece, and the desire for a beautiful finished product.

Amy Sparks shared that Graphic Recorders seek the balance between the content of a piece, and the desire for a beautiful finished product.

Colleagues member Rebekah Anderson (rebekahandersoncreative.com) did a live demo of Graphic Recording during the program discussion.

Colleagues member Rebekah Anderson (rebekahandersoncreative.com) did a live demo of Graphic Recording during the program discussion.

At the Colleagues of Calligraphy program on Saturday, February 15, 2020, I was taken on an interesting journey. I learned about the profession of “Graphic Recording” which I’d never heard about before, and it broadened my world.

Graphic Recorder Amy Sparks (A Visual Spark) explained how her education and interests took her into her current field of working with corporations and non-profit organizations, where she captures group conversations to assist them in their goals and objectives.

Working with an organization’s facilitator, Sparks visually captures on-the-spot group discussions in friendly lettering and symbols. While this may seem whimsical at first, the genius comes in when one must cohesively gather complex information, and share it in a manner that shows it as simple. The process allows viewers to discover solutions, concerns, and even new opportunities.

Amy was extremely generous in sharing her own process in working with clients and facilitators. She even shared her markers and pens, and explained more about the tools she and other Graphic Recorders use. Water-based markers are often selected (she has found that other more “stinky” pens have the potential to distract from a group experience).

I came away from the afternoon reminded of the intersection of hand lettering and the work of organizations. We see this in stories like that of Steve Jobs from Apple, whose design style was influenced by a calligraphy course he had taken.

Amy’s Graphic Recording provides an artistic solution for organizational needs. The examples Amy Sparks shared showed the importance of white space, directing thought flow, and the use of different lettering styles/sizes to point out what is most significant. These principles can be relevant to graphic recorders and calligraphers alike.

This is a past graphic recording by A Visual Spark on Health Disparities. Amy described how one design strategy is including "connectors.” These may be dotted lines, arrows, circular arrows, or even tangled lines, to show how main points connect. An…

This is a past graphic recording by A Visual Spark on Health Disparities. Amy described how one design strategy is including "connectors.” These may be dotted lines, arrows, circular arrows, or even tangled lines, to show how main points connect. Another design strategy is “containers,” which may group communicated thoughts, and draw the eye to important information.