Is Real-time Graphic Recording Truly Real-time?

What to expect from real-time graphic recording by the end of the event...

Let’s first align on the scenario and expectations - say an hour long keynote speech or panel discussion, captured digitally in a simple yet colorful style.

Most of the time, this type of Graphic Recording is booked by event organisers looking to surprise their attendees with this visual experience, and/or to have something stunning and tangible to share at the end.

Whatever happens by the end of that hour, I will be sharing my canvas on their screen.

Looking back, I've had many sessions where I was proud to share my screen and was ready to send it over to them right away. Other times, I’m still adding the finishing touches as I share my screen and will spend an extra hour working on the details. And then, there are those (thankfully not in recent times) where I spend an hour re-organising my canvas after the event. Why?

Whether I deliver a complete visual map by the end of the event depends on many factors....

Real-time Graphic Recording requires preparation

If a Graphic Recorder wants to impress real-time, they'll have to put in the work before the event!

I wrote an article on how we can prepare for successful Live Illustration, if you're curious!

Resources for Real-time Graphic Recording

Knowing the structure of the event is quite essential when planning for Live Illustration! Apart from asking for the agenda, title, perhaps even slides and notes, this is our moment to ask the right questions that will guide us during our real-time Graphic Recording! We’d like to use our canvas space wisely, and knowing what to listen for and what to expect is quite helpful.

The flow of the Event during Graphic Recording

Sometimes, when a graphic doesn’t quite make sense, it’s not a failure of the visual work. Events don’t always go as planned, especially discussion-based ones. Topics may come up again and again, get dropped halfway through, or spark disagreements. This is one of the many reasons I like working digitally; I can edit what I've captured and work out how the graphic could tell the key ideas in a logical way. Because regardless of what actually happened, I feel that it is my task to visually convey the key insights in a cohesive way.

So does Graphic Recording happen in real-time…..?

The answer is - yes, it’s absolutely possible.

Ultimately, the more the graphic recorder prepares for your event - spending the time, having the resources, and asking the right questions -, the better output you can expect in real time!

If it was a hectic event, I can spend some time touching it up due to pure perfectionism - if you can relate to that, you might enjoy my article on the Fine Art of Graphic Recording!

If you'd like to learn more about the world of Real-Time Graphic Recording, please read on!

LIVE GRAPHIC RECORDING