We all love a good joke. And although some of us might forget the punchline, we usually remember what the joke was about!
When using graphics during facilitation, training or team meetings inject a bit of humour and see how it increases engagement. People will also remember it longer.
During a conference where digital lockers were discussed, I created a couple of cartoons showing the characteristics of the lockers – bullet proof, too heavy to carry and easily accessible. People loved it!
Look for opportunities to create a humorous picture but always ensure that it adds value to the content, and not detract from it.
A colleague recently told me about a sobering experience he had. At a local conference he was hired to graphically record a speech by a guest speaker.
As the speaker was introduced to him, he could feel deep animosity.
“I don’t want you to record me!” the speaker insisted. My colleague was baffled, and ask why. This is what he was told.
At another conference the speech was graphically recorded in front of the room. The speaker started with his presentation, which was quite personal and sometimes emotional.
But he was concerned to hear giggles and chuckles from the audience every now and then. It didn’t make sense!
When he turned around, he saw that the graphic recorder was capturing the speech, but with a humorous slant! It was completely inappropriate and made the speaker look foolish.
So, always remember that, as a graphic recorder or sketch-noter, you are in service of the speaker. It’s not the other way around.