Press Releases

>>>February 25, 2006<<<

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Barbara Chaney
(786) 348-8998
barbchaney@bellsouth.net

HOW BIG IS “THE BIG PICTURE”? ABOUT 4 FEET HIGH AND 8 FEET LONG

Executives Ensure Groups “Get It” by Using Live Graphics at Meetings and Conferences

ATLANTA, February 25, 2006 –At your next business meeting, instead of minutes or bulleted lists, you may just get a picture. That’s because executives are using live graphics—hand-drawn images created during a meeting— as a new technique to build business plans, highlight goals and record ideas. A tool used by businesses and non-profit organizations, these “graphic records” hold an audience’s attention, while increasing understanding and improving retention.

            “We don’t just think in words, we’re actually much more efficient at evaluating patterns, colors, sounds and smells,” says Martha McGinnis, President of Visual Logic, Inc. “To solve a problem or develop a strategy, my clients build a picture of their situation. It helps them process the information on many levels. And since the picture grows as each person contributes, people can think together—kind of like having a bigger brain.”

During a meeting, participants watch as issues are recorded on a four- by eight-foot sheet of paper. As the graphic facilitator, McGinnis guides the discussion and nurtures the flow of insights, ideas, questions, and ultimately, decisions. As she connects related comments with swaths of color, the illustration takes shape and the ideas form a cohesive plan. She may even ask participants to sign the chart to strengthen their commitment to it.

“My goal is to capture the essence of what’s important,” says McGinnis. “When participants view the graphic later, they’ll remember whole conversations from just a few words and an image. People look at the chart and say, ‘Oh, now I understand.’ That happens a lot.”

            Because it’s fun to watch, many think of graphic recording as entertainment. But McGinnis, who has an MBA and 20 years of business experience, explains: “that would ignore the value of what happens during the meeting and the biggest return on investment, which comes after.” Instead of gradually forgetting what they’ve heard and discussed, her clients use printed and digital copies of murals to strengthen memories and share their plans. “You can review a chart in 2 or 3 minutes,” McGinnis says. “The important information is all there in one or two pages, like an executive summary.” For a wider audience, the hand-drawn images help clients tell the story in follow-up presentations and articles.

A typical full-day meeting fills four to eight wall charts, and a three-day conference can produce a dozen or more sheets covering the walls of a conference hall or corridor. McGinnis says, “when people ‘walk the wall,’ they get a tremendous sense of accomplishment, and the meeting sponsor also benefits: each time a participant reads a chart, his memory of the event deepens, so he’s more likely to tell others about it, take action, or return next time."

Visual Logic transforms everyday meetings and conferences into milestone events that bridge the gap from talk to action.   Through process graphics and “high-fidelity listening,” programs and conversations become wall-sized murals that capture complexity, illuminate trends, spark insights and trigger powerful, long-lasting memories. Operating out of Atlanta since 2002, Visual Logic provides strategic meeting design and graphic facilitation services to a wide range of corporate and non-profit organizations. More information can be found on the company’s website, http://www.visual-logic.net.

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