Information Design & Visual Business

2009-02-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

Hello and thank you for visiting our site!

Please note that we are currently migrating to www.sunnibrown.com,

so visit us there for updates of our latest work,

which will be coming out of TED 2009.

Leadership Austin Essential Class Curriculum Map

2008-12-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

Leadership Austin is an organization that's been an integral part of the Austin community for more than 30 years. They offer a 9-month course that trains tomorrow's leaders, many of whom go on to be council members, business leaders, public speakers and so on. Heather McKissick, the CEO, asked me to create a large-scale graphic that would illustrate the milestones for the class and also serve as an symbolic document upon completion. So at the end of each monthly class, one of the participants is asked to color in the star next to the topic they just completed. It's a gesture of commitment and continued participation by the group, and we designed the graphic so that the digital can be modified and easily reprinted for each incoming class. Good fun.

Pluck Inc.

2008-10-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

Pluck, Inc. is a company that represents the best of Austin tech and the best of Austin creativity. They offer integrated social media for publishers, retailers and brands, and their technology platform currently powers more than 2.5 billion monthly interactions. What?! I love these guys. Some of their clients include the Lance Armstrong Foundation, The Economist, and Whole Foods. I partnered with them for Socialize, which was an invitation-only event held at The Driskill for their current clients. I can't post the series of graphic recordings I created because they're proprietary, but I wanted to mention it on my blog because it was really an exciting event. The best thing I got out of the conversations was a reinforcement that community-building (for marketing purposes or otherwise) is happening here, now and on the web, and in ways that are anti-thesis of the traditional model of marketing and branding. Word.

Say It Visually Logo Brainstorm

2008-10-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

This is one example (my favorite) of several logos I developed for SayItVisually.com, a start-up company specializing in animated shorts that tell organizational stories. The challenge was, and continues to be, how to express the idea of showing, not telling something interesting. The team will continue to work on it until we get to our best idea. We have to take into consideration if the logo itself will animate, since it will live the majority of its life in digital environments.

Sketchnotes - Virtuous and Vicious Cycles

2008-10-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

I have always admired the work of the Public Conversations Project, so I was delighted to sketch note during the presentation of one of their Senior Associates. Maggie Herzig discussed the cycles (both virtuous and vicious) that occur during challenging group processes and shared a case study of resolving the problem of air traffic/noise pollution over the Grand Canyon. I shared the notes with her afterward and she was thrilled. I would love to have an opportunity to work with PCP. They do amazing work for society and conduct very difficult dialogues with a proven track record of success. A very impressive group of people.

Reflective Panel

2008-10-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

The National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation has an annual conference and this year it took place in Austin! I was part of a graphic recording team (the Dream Team!) that was there to capture content from the plenary and from the myriad of breakout groups. The topics related to mediation, public policy, non-violent communication, etc. - all topics related to raising the standard of personal and public conversations. The image above is a live capture of the closing reflective panel.

VOIS Social Networking and Global Commerce

2008-09-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

VOIS is the first website of its kind and my client needed to show it. The purpose of this piece is to give VOIS an infographic that describes not only what VOIS does but how it does it. It's the first sCommerce website in the world, which means it's the first site that combines the social networking tools of Facebook with the service providing tools of eLance.com. I met these guys during SXSW and the project gradually evolved into a computer-illustrated presentation piece they could use when talking to venture capitalists. It was a great experience and we are now moving into animation with another start-up company called Say It Visually. This is the final version of a graphic I posted earlier.

Texas Tobacco Summit

2008-08-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

A recent mind map/graphic recording I did with UT Austin at their annual Texas Tobacco Summit. UT, in partnership with the Texas Department of Human Services and the federal government, is in the midst of a major initiative to prevent and curb smoking among various populations. I graphically recorded the presentation content of 6 coalitions in Texas and the participants loved it. It was a good way to display content outside of their PowerPoint presentations, and they hung this poster in the hallway for the duration of the conference so the messages were received, reinforced and discussed.

Leverage Plan Template

2008-08-17T12:08:00.001-07:00

Just completed a template for Dell and Interaction Design, Inc. A fairly simple project, the template is 22"W x 17"H and will be printed for participant use during a Dell training session. The facilitators of the training were looking for a "wow" factor, a useful piece that was colorful, larger than standard training materials, and designed to capture content. We brainstormed some concepts and came up with this. The gear is supposed to invoke the leveraging of current Dell global initiatives.

VOIS Infographic

2008-08-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

Whoa! I finally finished a project that was among the most complicated I've done. VOIS, which is a social networking and global commerce website (the first of its kind) saw me doing a graphic recording at SXSW and asked me to partner with them on an infographic. The challenge for this project was not only in the concept design and layout, but also in the distillation of what information needed to be displayed. VOIS is a start-up company and the guys involved are visionaries, but it was a task to have them illuminate the knowledge in their heads. I worked with them over weeks to get the right content - guiding them through BrightSpot's consulting processes - until we had what we felt was appropriate content. The is a presentation piece for venture capitalists or angel investors, to show them how VOIS works and what makes it different from other social networking or global commerce sites. I know it's busy, but when printed at the design size (tabloid), it looks good. The VOIS guys had a LOT of content they wanted on there, so the other challenge was using good design techniques to make the best of the real estate available. I really enjoyed this project and we plan to move toward an animation piece in the future.

Idea Log - Tobacco Cessation

2008-07-22T14:11:00.001-07:00

The UT Austin Tobacco Prevention Program holds a Texas Tobacco Summit every year and this year I got the opportunity to partner with them. I was to conduct a graphic recording at the conference during coalition presentations about efforts to prevent smoking, and UT also requested that I generate an 'Idea Log.' The log was included in participant handouts and is designed to give people a space to capture ideas, actions, resources, etc. I chose a cartoon panel set-up because I wanted to show (not tell) a mini-story about the real purpose of the conference.

VOIS: Social Network and Global Marketplace

2008-05-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

A black and white thumbnail sketch of an infographic I'll be producing for VOIS - the world's first online social network combined with an on-demand global marketplace. VOIS is a start-up company that needs to be able show potential investors how VOIS works and what it's value for the user is. The next phase of this project will involve tweaking the content and process flow and generating a computer-illustrated version. Good times.

Holland Board of Public Works

2008-05-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

Collaboration Unlimited, a consultancy for strategic planning and business performance, requested that I create a template for use with the Holland Board of Public Works. This was a fairly quick computer sketch made for use during group brainstorms about core values. The thought clouds are where the content they generate is captured by a facilitator.

Victor Frankl 'Man's Search for Meaning' Quote

2008-05-18T21:15:00.001-07:00

Policy Studies, Inc. asked me to create a 'goodbye' graphic dedicated to an employee who was promoted and moving to a different division in the company. Nancy Starling Ross, the woman who received this, deeply admired Victor Frankl - an Austrian neurologist and psychologist who survived various concentration camps and went on to create logotherapy and Existential Analysis.

Momentum Leadership Sales Presentation

2008-05-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

A straightforward graphic I created for use during a sales presentation. The president of Momentum Leadership, Kerry Anne Ridley, used this chart (4' x 4') to highlight her company's capabilities with respect to the needs of the audience, composed of HR professionals specific to the technology industry.

VizThink Austin, April 30

2008-05-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

On April 30, we held our first VizThink Austin Session! The goal of this session was three-fold: to get a "pulse" of the community interest, to gather content about how people want to or are currently using visual thinking in their lives and work, and to build momentum behind the larger movement toward establishing visual literacy as a skill tantamount to reading and writing. The turnout was fantastic - thank you, Austin - and there was a lot of interest expressed in what happens next. The next session will likely involve a workshop about e-Learning and, of course, we'll have to throw in a good visual thinking game. Can't wait.

Breaking Ground: VizThink Austin

2008-04-28T10:57:00.001-07:00

Exciting news! There is a VizThink community forming throughout the world and I, Marilyn Martin and Charlene McBride are the first ambassadors to Austin. We are putting Austin on the map to show that there IS a community of creative, intelligent thought leaders here and we will move the momentum of visual language toward critical mass. We're holding a ground-breaking first session on Wedneday, April 30th from 6-8 pm. The intention of the VizThink School is to employ visual language to build consensus, increase group learning and simplify complex problems. Each workshop will involve hands on activities and visual "play," and we plan to grow this community AND consequently, this movement, by bringing together current and future visual practitioners. All hail the visual word. Click on the link below to find information about VizThink and the Austin partnership.
http://www.vizthink.com/blog/2008/04/18/vizthink-london-austin/

Policy Studies, Inc. Leadership Forum 2008

2008-04-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

I just flew home from Denver, CO, after having worked with one of my favorite clients, Policy Studies, Inc. I partner with PSI as a graphic recorder and at the end of their annual Leadership Forum, I summarize the content of the charts I generated. The photograph on the top is of me reinforcing the messages of the forum, and giving the audience some good laughs at the same time. I make frequent use of humor in my presentations, because I believe humor is serious. People engage, pay attention, and learn when comedy is woven through the content.

CenTex NCDD

2008-04-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

CenTex Summit on Dialogue and Deliberation

2008-04-19T14:57:00.001-07:00

This is one of five customized templates for the Central Texas Summit on Dialogue and Deliberation. The purpose of the Summit was to bring together practitioners who focus on constructive conversations and dialogues, mostly in the public sphere. The convening committee wanted to mine the group for information about their lessons, needs and challenges around the practices of constructive dialogue. So I customized five large-scale templates which allowed the group to work together to capture this content. I created the central images and they added details around it. It was amazing to see how readily people dig in when given a tool they can actually use. Click on this link to see the flickr stream of the day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/texasforums/sets/72157604620123306/.

Affinity Space

2008-03-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

This represents a rudimentary Affinity Space - a space wherein ideas aggregate according to other ideas they relate to. An Affinity Space exercise serves to organize thoughts and allow them to be enhanced conceptually by the juxtaposition of others. The ideas in the space come from The Practical Wisdom Project, a book I am working on with a former monk and a leadership coach about the practical path to truth. The quotes are direct quotes from these two humble and intelligent thought leaders.

SXSW Jane McGonigal

2008-03-11T20:27:00.001-07:00

Who can make the case that virtual realities are superior to real realities? Jane McGonigal. Period. The Institute for the Future can explain.

SXSW Frank Warren

2008-03-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

So you can get some context on how graphic recording works: Here is a photograph of me working while Frank Warren (author and curator of The PostSecret Project) is presenting in the background. I am essentially capturing the content using visual language and iconography. The SXSW Interactive participants love it, and the mural is an excellent way to summarize his main points and allow other participants to blog (or speak, for those of you of the older persuasion) about them later. See below for the full image.

SXSW 2008 - Frank Warren and the PostSecret Project

2008-03-10T14:50:00.001-07:00

So, today at SXSW Interactive 2008, I graphically recorded Frank Warren. He's the author and curator of The PostSecret Project, which involves giving people blank, stamped post cards to be sent back to his address. His request is that people write one secret on the post card - one that is authentic and has never been told. Over time, Warren began to be flooded with post cards, some tragic, some criminal, some heroic. His presentation to the audience was eloquent but his message was simple: We don't keep our secrets; our secrets keep us. And sharing them takes courage but ultimately allows you to be free. It was a remarkable session.

SXSW 2008 - Facebook's CEO - Mark Zuckerberg Keynote

2008-03-10T09:21:00.001-07:00

On the 2nd day of the SXSW 2008 Interactive Festival, I graphically recorded the keynote from the ever-interesting CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. Other than a moment of mayhem wherein the crowd booed the interviewer, Sarah Lacy, the recording went off without a hitch. Because of the level of creativity in the crowd, they seem to naturally understand the value of visual language. Which, for someone who frequently has to make acase for it, is a beautiful thing.

SXSW Interactive - Henry Jenkins and Steven Johnson Opening

2008-03-08T16:14:00.001-08:00

SXSW Interactive 2008, baby! Henry Jenkins of 'Convergence Culture' fame (among other notable books) and Steven Johnson ('Everything Bad is Good for You') gave the opening remarks for SXSW this year. I graphically recorded their dialogue about media, youth, and the future of education and civic participation. The crowd was amazing - full of individuals brimming with ideas about reshaping the way we do...well, everything. Except for PB&J.

Customization Examples and Applications

2008-03-07T18:25:00.000-08:00

Dr. Sue Tinnish of SEAL, Inc. asked me to partner with her at the 2008 MeetDifferent conference in Houston, TX. She facilitated a session called 'Having Meeting Content Your Way: The Demand for Customized Content,' which centered around the fact that modern-day consumers expect many things - including meetings - to be tailored to their individuality. She and I engaged the group in its deliberation about how this expectation will govern the future of meeting content and formats.

Nonprofit Annual Operating Cycle

2008-02-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

This is a prototype of an infographic designed for a book being published on Nonprofit Financial Management. Fascinating, right?! The author and I decided to partner on this project - she as the context expert and I as the information and concept designer for infographics and the design of the book as a whole. This piece is a quick-reference tool for the end user of the book.

BRIGHTSPOT INFORMATION DESIGN DIAGRAM

2008-01-22T13:24:00.000-08:00

This diagram represents my company's current services. I partner with trainers, facilitators, executives, managers, educators - you name it. BrightSpot can complement the work of anyone who needs to communicate relevant information in a meaningful and visual way.

No Wonder You Act That Way!

2008-01-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

This chart is one product from working with the Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services Office of the City of Austin. I partnered with an OD consultant and facilitator to work the group through the changes that would soon affect their organization. This was a live graphic recording that detailed the personality types of members of the team so that they might understand each other and work better together.

Policy Studies, Inc.

2007-07-20T10:17:00.001-07:00

This is the first of a series of 24 charts created for Policy Studies, Inc. in Denver, CO. Dr. John Izzo gave a presentation on leadership culture and I graphically recorded his speech and all other content delivered during the 2-day retreat.

"One Throat to Choke" Concept Map

2007-06-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

This map is one of a series of three templates that were incorporated into a sales training as teaching tools. This and the other map called "Out of Time" (also shown) were used in group brainstorms. The teams were to fill in the categories of the template and use it to report out to the larger group. The templates were 2' x 3'.

"Out of Time" Concept Map

2007-06-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

This map is one of a series of three templates that were incorporated into a sales training as teaching tools. This and the other map called "One Throat to Choke" (also shown) were used in group brainstorms. The teams were to fill in the categories of the template and use it to report out to the larger group. The templates were 2' x 3'.

Service Course Overview

2007-06-14T15:39:00.001-07:00

This diagram resulted from a client request for a visual representation of the agenda for a sales training.

Yoshimi

2007-06-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

Before any of the linguists comment on this, I know the Japanese doesn't make sense. But how do you know that's not what Yoshimi intended?