The Center for Graphic Facilitation

IFVP 2006: Evolution from Scribe to Strategy Partners

ABOVE: Graphic facilitation by David Williams, Trapdoor Media

Peter Durand of Alphachimp Studio Inc. presented a list of free (and almost free) tools for managing the business of the business of being a scribe.

The main messages:

1. Success is dependent upon proving value to your client and their stakeholders.
2. Mastering technology is a key differentiator.
3. As small businesses, we need to improve the level of service and increase the efficiency of our back office processes.

Click link below for a list of the services and products reviewed...

IFVP 2006: Jan Adkins on Symbols

In order to bring your work to life, there are essential skills to creating and capturing ideas through icons, symbols and letterforms. Jan Adkins, professional illustrator and educator, demonstrated the evolution of signs and symbols from human experience.

Adkins says, "Our modern letter forms evolved from the symbols created by our ancestors, who drew meaning from natural forms." 

For example, Apis the Bull => letter A

But he also laments, "Our cultural symbols have become more and more meaningful... and less and less meaningful. Mostly because the power and resonance has been lost over the years."

Over the course of two hours, Jan walked the group through the history of type from the Babylonians, Romans, Holy Roman Empire and Guttenburg.

So what is the key difference between icons and symbols?

• An icon is a graphic device that represents some object or action, the graphic device being ascribed symbolic meaning(s) beyond the object represented.
• A symbol has only the meanings abscribed to itself, representing only a concept and not recognizable as a particular object.

Read more for links, images and references to more on the history of images and lettering.

IFVP 2006: Keith Bendis, Basic Drawing

Many of us were crippled in Middle School when teachers began to teach that maturity means not drawing any more! At the IFVP 2006 conference, accomplish illustrator Keith Bendis, from Upstate New York, led a session for those fearful of drawing (especially in public!).

Participants rediscovered the freedom of marking marks without intention, creating images on demand, and creating stories from the resulting collage of images.

As Keith points out, "It is a lot easier with kids. Because they don't judge themselves so harshly."

Visit Keith's site: www.keithbendis.com

IFVP 2006: Jan Adkins, Illustrator

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Jan Adkins is an illustrator, museum designer, educator and expert in the profession as an artist.

For nine years he was the associate art director at National Geographic Magazine, explaining the space shuttle, lasers, submarines, Soviet rockets, satellites, nuclear physics, marine archaeology, forest fires, volcanoes and the voyages of Christopher Columbus. Directing a team of researchers and doing original field research himself, he unraveled some of the most interesting topics ever addressed by Geographic during its golden age. Jan's job, according to his editor-in-chief Bill Garrett, "was like getting a doctorate every third month."

He has written scripts and treatments for the Discovery Channel, NOVA, and the BBC, and narrative voiceover for interactive corporate training programs. He taught editorial illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design for several years, and taught illustration and graphic design at Maryland Institute, College of Art, in Baltimore. He’s associated with several exhibit design firms and frequently consults on exhibits for zoos, art museums, science and natural history museums. 

IFVP 2006: Spiral Dynamics

Download spiral_dynamics.pdf

Graphic facilitator, Brandy Agerbeck of Loosetooth.com, presented the basics of Integral Theory. This theory arises out of the body of work generated by philospher Ken Wilbur.

The Great IFVP Tech Debate: When and What to Use

The Tech Group at the IVFP 2006 conference is wrestling with technology. Within the group, there are folks who blog daily, are well-versed in digital photography, build PowerPoint presentations and live-or-die on the web.

Then there are those who are experts in the magic that happens when people gather together in person to tell strories and create large-scale maps and drawings.

IVFP 2006: Tech Talk

From Day One of the IFVP 2006 Conference...

Download IFVP-Tech-Workshop.pdf

Being able to navigate and leverage the myriad tech tools out there can set you apart from the crowd with your clients, enabling you to offer themeverything from the simple (clean, compressed images of your charts in a flash!) to the complex (professional-quality clip art images from yourcharts, interactive, digital e-Book reports, virtual meetings and beyond). It can also open up a whole new world of marketing and promotionalpossibilities for your business!

This 2-part workshop was lead by David Sibbet of Grove Consultants and Dana Wright Take Action Inc.

Click below for a list of technologies covered in the session...