The difference between live scribing and graphic recording

There are many words to describe what we do at Lim; live scribing, graphic recording, graphic facilitation. We’ve also heard conference cartoons, event illustration, and performance illustration.

Capturing content visually during meetings, events, and conferences is a valuable tool for any business. But what do all these different terms mean?

At its simplest, visually capturing content in the moment is called ‘live scribing’, but with the growing trend of live scribes, we wanted to delve into the different terminologies and the difference between live scribing and the more advanced skills of graphic recording and graphic facilitation.

David Sibbet first coined the term 'graphic recording' in the 70s, and then began working and developing this style of work with his clients.

At Lim, we're not just live scribes (although of course, we love to do this too), but we work in Sibbet’s style and are experienced graphic facilitators and graphic recorders. That’s what makes us unique.

We’ll always help you choose the best visual way of working for your project, so we’ve written this article to help you understand our different services and what sets us apart.

Live scribing captures the key messages in the form of words and icons. These visuals tend to be clear and crisp. They’re simple in structure and quick to create. There is little interaction with the group and the live scribe is often at the back of the room.

How: It could be anything from a 30-minute presentation to a 2-day conference, captured with pen and paper or digitally on an iPad. Live-scribing creates a snapshot of the content that has been shared - it’s easy to understand in the blink of an eye.

How participants engage with it: Live scribing is a great way of sharing content from and event wth a wider audience to keep the conversation going. It helps people to summarise the key messages so it can be used as a reflection piece, as a conversation starter in the room, shared on social media, to transform virtual meetings, or used to continue the conversation after the session.

A graphic recorder is savvy and experienced in working alongside business leaders. They understand why a group needs to come together and how the visual is going to support the group both during and after the meeting. 

These visuals tend to be storytelling in structure and track alongside the agenda of the meeting. They are detailed in approach and often have visual metaphors as their overarching design.

Graphic recording is a tool that engages participants and inspires new ways of thinking. Interaction with the group will often be during breaks when participants come to see the visual. The meeting facilitator will often build in contribution time during the meeting too.

These usually aren’t public facing, but used as an internal tool to steer business strategy, thoughtfully engage teams, and above all, bring a group together.

How: These visuals are typically used in a team meeting/event lasting more than half a day.

How participants engage with it: It captures different perspectives so the links between thoughts become clearer, can inspire new ideas, honour everyone’s input, builds trust and fosters mutual respect.

Graphic facilitation is the process that supports a rich working visual to be created.

The word facilitation is key here. The graphic facilitator is pivotal to running a meeting and has the ability to not only facilitate or draw but to do both things together to support the group in achieving their goal. Graphic facilitation is not focused on creating a perfectly formed visual, but on using visuals to support group learning and direction. It creates space for the group to visualise their own thoughts and ideas too.

We work very closely with our sister brand, The Facilitation Partnership when delivering this service.

How: This way of working is typically used in a team meeting/event lasting more than half a day. Whether it’s in the room, remotely, or in a hybrid meeting, we work creatively with large and small groups to visualise the conversation in order to get clear answers and achieve a successful outcome.

How participants engage with it: Graphic Facilitation brings clarity to often difficult subjects, creates a space for open, purposeful conversations that can be seen and felt, and helps unlock a team’s potential.

Head over to the TFP website to find out more.

Our foundation comes from 10 years of experience working alongside the facilitators at our sister brand, The Facilitation Partnership.

Lim’s experience working with senior leaders at some of the world’s largest organisations means that we can confidently deliver a breadth of services that others can’t.

We love to draw, but we always make sure our work serves the overall purpose of people coming together.