|
What
is a Visual Practitioner?
by
Christina Merkley
page
1 | 2 | 3
| 4
WHERE
ARE WE GEOGRAPHICALLY AND HOW MANY VISUAL PRACTITIONERS ARE THERE?
|
Visual
Practitioners are scattered throughout the globe and our
numbers are surely in the 1000s, perhaps tens of thousands,
depending on how one defines the term. The International
Forum of Visual Practitioners (IFVP) has its roots in the
San Francisco Bay Area, as this area was a nexus point in
the 70s for the development of the facilitation field and
its graphic facilitation offshoot. The IFVP and its yearly
conference generally draws a core group of 60-70 members.
Membership
is primarily American (currently), with several members
from Europe (Wales, Germany, Denmark), Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, Korea and other far-flung spots. The majority
of Visual Practitioners work in English, however we do have
members who record in other languages, including Spanish,
French, Korean, Danish and German. Each year our ranks grow,
as folks working in relative isolation discover one another
and join together (via the internet and via the yearly conference).
Organizers feel a "hundredth monkey" or a critical mass
phenomenon is underway … as more and more people are turned
onto the graphic way of working and the popularity and familiarity
of the field grows.
|
 |
WHAT
ARE THE BENEFITS OF WORKING VISUALLY?
As human
beings our world is speeding up and the amount of information
that we are forced to digest is growing exponentially. One of
the prime benefits of working visually is that it is humane! The
human brain processes information visually - pictures help convey
reams of data efficiently. Visual Practitioners know and use the
efficiencies of visuals. We know how to extract and distill the
key messages, wisdom and knowledge held within an individual or
group.
Working graphically
is efficient and effective - as such it saves time, money and
much aggravation. Comprehension increases, participation increases,
the quality of decision-making tends to increase … all in all,
working visually helps people more effectively see their circumstances,
understand themselves and one another, and results in smoother
decisions and agreements.
The ease
of reproduction is another large benefit of working visually,
particularly in the case of business meetings or settings where
meeting minutes and summary notes are of prime importance. No
longer does someone have to slave over the transcription of an
important meeting - most of the approaches that visual practitioners
use do not require additional writing work … the minutes are literally
created as we go (particularly in graphic recording and graphic
facilitation venues).
|
BENEFITS (INTERACTIVE,
HIGHLY FACILITATED APPROACHES):
- Increases
Clarity And Comprehension (People Literally See What They
Mean);
- Boosts
Learning For Visual And Kinesthetic Learners (Over 88%
Of People);
- Heightens
Thinking Levels (Enables Higher Level Of Dialogue And
Discussion);
- Saves
Time And Increases Efficiency By Reducing Repetition And
Redundancy;
- Lowers
Misunderstandings And Helps Resolve Conflict;
- Increases
Quality Of Decisions And Understanding Of Commitments
And Accountabilities;
- Shrinks
The Need For Traditional Meeting Minutes And Reports (The
Charts Become The Report).
BENEFITS (PASSIVE,
OFF-ON-THE-SIDE SCRIBING APPROACHES):
- Collects
Key Information Without Invasive Questioning Or Interruption;
- Expands
Retention And Understanding Of Key Themes And Main Ideas;
- Increases
The ROI For Speakers & Presenters (Documents Their Crucial
Points);
- Builds
A Graphic Summary That Leaders Can Use To Summarize/Interact
With;
- Equips
Participants With A Unique 'Takeaway' Of Their Experience
(Paper Or Digital)'
- Makes
For Easy Sharing And Communication Of The 'Gestalt' Of
The Event.
|
 |
HOW
CAN THIS WEBSITE AND THE INTERNATIONAL FORUM OF VISUAL PRACTITIONERS
(IFVP) ASSIST YOU?
Perhaps you
are a colleague who has heard of us or who has stumbled upon us
for the first time. If so, feel free to peruse the site for information
about resources, practice tips and check out how other colleagues
represent themselves and their work. We'd love to see you at the
yearly conference if you are interested to meet others face-to-face.
And, as a new Association, we are always looking for new members
and those who want to contribute their time, talent and skills
to move our profession forward.
Or, perhaps
you are a potential client checking out this Visual Practitioner
'stuff' for your own needs. If so, we have a directory of members
that lists out the many locations, skill sets and specialties
of our members - a great resource should you be trying to locate
the right professional for your meeting, conference or coaching
needs.
THANKS
FOR VISITING … WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AROUND!
Thanks for
checking us out. We hope you found this overview article a helpful
starting place in terms of navigating the "Visual Practitioner
World". Feel free to drop us a line at info@visualpractitioner.org
should you have any questions, comments or just want to take
the next steps in terms of contacting us or becoming a member.
We'd love to hear from you.
Author
Bio: Christina Merkley, M.A. is a Graphic Facilitator, Coach and
Mapmaker with Make Your Mark Graphic Facilitation. She 'has paper
and will travel' and can be reached at Christina@makemark.com
or by phone at 250/383-1894.
©2003 Make
Your Mark Graphic Facilitation
page
1 | 2 | 3
| 4
|
