Graphic Facilitation

The day started early with a rainy trek through Sheffield. I hopped on a quiet train to Leicester, using the train ride to speed-read an entire book called 'Click, How to make what people want' by Jake Knapp with John Zeratsky. My bag was packed to the brim with sketchbooks along with me I had a portfolio of posters I’ve used in workshops—ready to show how learning visuals is a process, and how messy and yukky my early attempts were.

When I arrived at the training center, I grabbed a much-needed tea and took a moment to settle in, and help get the boards all set up. I was excited to see how Penny, a brilliant facilitator, taught visuals to beginners. I was here to soak up her tips, learn her approach, and see how she made visuals click for people.

Expectations for the day

I had high expectations for the day—there was a lot to cover, and I was eager to see live visuals in action. Normally, I prepare everything in advance for workshops, but I’ve been working on building confidence to do more live graphic recording. It’s a skill that takes a lot of practice, and I was excited to learn from Penny, someone with decades of experience and a fresh perspective outside the usual Bikablo training.

Venue

The venue was just a short walk from Leicester station, with friendly staff and a bright, airy room that had plenty of space for our big boards. Tables were packed with all kinds of materials—markers, pastels, pencils, and paper—everything we’d need to dive into the day. The food was excellent, with fresh fruit, vegan options, and plenty of treats to keep us going.

We kicked off with a fun activity, pairing up to get to know each other. I was partnered with Jackie, and we introduced each other to the group. While we spoke, Penny was live scribing on a board, capturing key highlights from our introductions. It was such a simple but effective way to remember everyone and spark conversations for the rest of the day. It was useful to have this on the board to refer back to and with it being placed by the lunch and refreshments - sparkled up better conversations and connections.

I sent my gremlin on a spa break

I've always carried a little gremlin of self-doubt when it comes to my drawing skills. Growing up, my sister was the artist in the family, and I never thought I was creative. For years, I avoided picking up a pen until my career in UX nudged me to face my gremlin. Sketching was part of the job, and while my stick figures were badly drawn (see below). I stuck with it. I filled notebook after notebook with ugly visuals, started a 100-day challenge that turned into monthly challenges, and took every course I could find. Over time, I learned techniques like Bikablo, lettering, and even portraits and now graphic recording.

But that gremlin still creeps in, especially when I can’t get something perfect on the first try. Or I overthink what visual to use. That’s why Penny’s approach provided such a gentle and effective way to address this issue first thing in the morning and carry it through the rest of the day.. She has a way of helping you banish those doubts—or whatever you decide to call them—and just focus on the process. I loved her learning log template we used throughout the day. Breaking every so often to jot down our reflections and experiences.

One of my biggest takeaways was realising how set I’d become in my drawing habits. Favourite pens - deliberately kept my markers tucked away, to learn to use other ones. Preference in icons and visuals so I embraced doing things differently. Curvy banners as still a puzzle but with more practice e.g every page on my sketchbook having a banner I will get there. Like my straight lines.. I practiced this everyday on different scales, and I discovered this week I can do them literally with my eyes closed.

With Penny’s guidance, I practiced drawing basic shapes ambidextrously—a skill that’s surprisingly useful when you’re working around obstacles like flipchart stands or, in my case, the back of a door in my apartment! It’s been years since I worked on a big board when I did my Bikablo training, and I’d forgotten how much I missed it. My current setup is scaled down for portability, but those big Neuland boards are a dream—so much space to practice and create.

I remember the first time I faced a big board; it felt daunting. My doodles had always been small, and the idea of scaling up was intimidating. But this time, two years later, I embraced the space. I loved filling the board and experimenting with new techniques. One of my favorite activities was the icon exercise Penny gave us. Everyone’s interpretations were so unique, and it was inspiring to see the variety of styles in the room.

Over the past few months, I’ve been practicing lettering, and while it's incredibly challenging to master different styles, the impact they create is truly worth it. To refine my skills, we worked with various pangrams to cover all the letter shapes. When I took a step back to reflect, I was amazed at how far I’ve come in two years—especially remembering my messy handwriting from back then. While the result is still a bit wonky and I haven’t fully developed the muscle memory for every letter yet, I’m genuinely happy with the progress I’ve made. Thanks to Penny for sending my Gremlin to the spa retreat I was able to focus on getting my creative practice in.

A journey into visual thinking and doing

Looking back, I’ve come a long way since I first picked up a marker pen. Having facilitators like Penny, who not only know the ins and outs of visuals but can teach the simplest, most effective ways to communicate, has been so much fun. These skills have become second nature—I’ve found myself naturally turning everything I work on with my coach into visuals. Interestingly, some coaches who noticed this shared how it inspired them to incorporate more visuals into their own client work, seeing it provided them reassurance and inspiration for their practice.

Throughout the day, I found myself reflecting on my journey, sharing my plans with others to develop my graphic recording skills further and integrate them more into my facilitation work. It was fascinating to see how everyone in the group used visuals differently in their own contexts. The final poster exercise was awesome, this time round I knew what I wanted to draw. It was a rainbow of pastel dust and marker pen inky hands. Seeing everyone’s unique styles and ideas, offered a glimpse into their work and professions, adding another layer of insight and creativity to the experience.

The group was super friendly, the atmosphere collaborative warm and engaging. The whole day was brilliant from start to finish.

If you’re looking for a way to communicate that’s more engaging than endless slides or walls of text, this is it. Visuals connect people in a way that words alone often can’t, and this course was a perfect reminder of just how powerful they can be.

If you are looking to get more visuals in your work here is where to find Penny and the remarkable work she does in the area. https://facilitator.graphicsmadeeasy.co.uk/