What is scribing?
The art of graphic facilitation
Born on the creative currents of the American East and West Coasts and inspired by early facilitators, pioneers in visual thinking and participatory leadership such as David Sibbet (The Grove), Dan Roam, and Otto Scharmer (Theory U) – who explored how drawing and dialogue can transform the way groups think and act together.exploring collaborative intelligence, graphic facilitation has been practiced in France for almost twenty years.
It gathers a range of visual thinking techniques used in meetings and workshops to help groups reflect together, align their ideas, and move into action.
From this approach emerged live scribing, the practice of visually translating ideas in real time while people speak.
A scribe listens, synthesizes, and draws as the conversation unfolds, allowing participants to literally see their collective thinking.
It’s a craft that turns dialogue into images, blending creativity, meaning, and collective intelligence.
To learn more about why I love graphic facilitation read this article: graphic facilitation a professional bliss.
Serving collective intelligence
A scribe turns dialogue into a living visual memory, a space where every voice leaves a trace.
By mapping ideas in real time, the scribe nurtures collective intelligence, helping teams spark insights, see connections, and transform complex situations.
Making the invisible visible
It’s a graphic mirror, both poetic and practical, that reveals meaning as it unfolds and guides the group toward clarity and action.
It connects logic and emotion, helping people listen better and think together.
By turning conversations into drawings, it reveals the essence of what is said and what is felt.
A tool for alignment
Seeing your collective ideas drawn in real time builds ownership, empathy and understanding. It anchors discussions and makes decisions tangible, inspiring people to move forward together.
What graphic facilitation looks like in action
A graphic facilitation mural is traditionally created live in front of participants, drawn on large boards with markers as the event unfolds.
In this case, the process was captured in timelapse video, then edited into a short visual teaser used for the event’s post communication.
It offers a vivid way to extend the conversation beyond the room and reveal the energy of live visual storytelling.
Graphic facilitation explained on video by Bigsista
Graphic facilitator, sketchnoter, visual artist… We are given many names. But between you and me, my favorite name is scribe. You can also explore more visual facilitation projects in the main portfolio, and if you want you can also also visit my live scribing portfolio, where ideas come alive in real time through color, gesture, and collective flow.
Ready to discover why graphic facilitation can transform your meetings?
