Big Ideas In Useful Pictures; Newark Graphic Facilitation
One of the techniques used at Newark’s Green Future Summit to help establish a conference narrative is a communications platform called graphic facilitation. A young Chicago-based artist, 34-year-old Brandy Agerbeck, spent nearly every hour of the conference standing on her feet, colored felt marker in hand, drawing and writing on a landscape-size stretch of white paper.
Brandy, whose work is timed to start and finish with each panel discussion, begins with a blank paper canvas. When she finishes, 60 minutes later, the canvas is a colorful display of pictures and language, arrows and boxes and circles, color-coded. One idea links to the next, and priorities are conveyed by graphic attention and dimension. It’s a tremendously adept way to communicate big ideas that aren’t easy.
Brandy did this for two days resulting in ten graphics. She showed visually how green building, open space, economic development, and youth participation add up to a sustainable city. The graphic representations from summit sessions follow:
| I. Introduction |
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II. Green Building
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III. Open Space
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IV. Economic Development
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V. Building
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VI. Economic Development
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VII. Open Space
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VIII. Youth and Community
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IX. Green Workforce Development
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X. Sustainability
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