Breakthrough Visuals

It’s been a busy few weeks here at Breakthrough Visuals. On May 27, I spent the day at Villanova University, taking visual notes at a meeting of Catholic leaders from the Office of Mission and Ministry, thinking about how to bring the University more in line with the Augustinian teachings of Pope Leo, himself a Villanova graduate. It was a lovely gathering, especially for someone like myself who is unfamiliar with Catholic teachings.

The next week, I traveled to Penn State for the Social Science Research Institute’s CERAP Summer Research meeting, where I captured presentations and discussions about how social science researchers can more effectively connect with the communities they study. It was my second year working with the Social Science Research Institute, but the first working in person.

It was quite a diverse set of material, and it really shows how visual note-taking works with just about everything. It’s always fascinating to go through the process of starting an event feeling like I know nothing about the subject matter and, by the end, feeling like I’m almost as knowledgeable as everyone else in the room. It would be nice to retain all that information, but alas, it only sticks around as long as it’s needed. I’ll almost certainly be back to not having a clue by the time I arrive home.

As they entered the conference room, I could tell the team was nervous.

A division of an important department in a big company, they were troubled by a number of issues they felt hadn’t been properly addressed. How was the stranger with the big piece of foam core supposed to help?

But the team’s trepidation evaporated as the meeting—and the visual note-taking—began in earnest.

They described how management was disregarding their concerns and not supporting them when they were called to take risks. As they saw their comments transformed into visuals, participants became both fascinated and inspired. They started engaging not just with each other, but with the images as well.

An attendee’s statement that “no one wants to get thrown under the bus” would normally be merely a briefly noted figure of speech. But as a drawing, it had an emotional resonance that really highlighted what was at stake. That one image became a touchstone for the entire meeting and was referenced repeatedly for the rest of the afternoon.

By the end of the session, there was a new resolve to work together for change, and gratitude for the experience everyone had just shared. The group that left the room wasn’t the same as the one that entered it.

Visual note-taking is a powerful tool for making meetings truly transformative. If you’re interested in exploring the possibilities, let’s schedule a call!