I hosted a session called Listening for Diversity at the 2017 International Forum of Visual Practitioners conference. As visual practice expands, it’s an exciting time for us to share techniques about “Listening for Diversity” that work for practitioners, clients, and communities.

2. As a graphic recorder or facilitator, how do you "Listen for
Diversity"?
Many of us are working in specialized fields. It’s not one
size fits all.
Now for the first time, you can read expert advice about
Listening for Diversity from over 20 visual practitioners.

3. Image by lindsey roffe, ink factory

4. As visual practice expands, it's an
exciting time for us to share
techniques about "Listening for
Diversity" that work for
practitioners, clients, and
communities.

6. Thoughts and Tips
from Experts in the Field

8. In order to represent diversity in ways that advance it, create change, equity &
inclusion, we ourselves need to be able to see what we are not seeing...
We must question our assumptions and seek to understand what things mean to
others, what made them so, and what is really their impact as visual practitioners ...
We all know that it's hard to understand what we can't see and our gift is to help
folks see.
– Claudia Lopez

9. Image by Rosanna von Sacken

10. Shift[ing] my own frame of mind in order to listen is a conscious decision and effort,
[as is] listening without judgment.
Have the courage to ask what / how to draw something that is representative of a
particular community.
– Rosanna von Sacken

11. Image by tricia walker,

12. i. Listen for the level of social, economic or political/capital a group has or does not
have or the barriers or gateways to that.
ii. Listen for the level of risk to self or social, economic, or political capital.
iii. Listen for levels of collaboration versus consensus. Often the dominant culture of
communication will inadvertently exclude a group. A consensus is time-consuming.
iv. The concept of inclusion, exclusion, or integration might be confusing for some
or appropriated by others.
v. What voices are not there often as a result of (i)?
vi. Listen to discussion (often participation), dialogue (people stating their idea),
versus discourse (knowledge & community building).
– Bonnie Jeansonne

13. I'm a First Nations woman and visualizing diversity within First Nation groups
includes listening to people to find key images that express the cultural backbone of
each specific cultural group.
Engagement throughout the graphic recording process is the best way to empower
each group!
I research the nation before I work with them in order to learn about their specific
cultural practices. This may include speaking with people who are from the nation
or looking at their websites, newsletters, blogs and other social media.
– Michelle Buchholz

15. I’ve found that the most helpful tip is not about a particular tactic or drawing
technique – it’s about relationships.
If I can build trust with the event organizers and participants before I start drawing
anything, I’ll feel confident in trusting my own judgment about the right thing to do.
And if I’m unsure, I’ll feel comfortable asking them for guidance, even right in the
middle of the event.
– Sam Hester

16. I aim to be as neutral as possible when I’m listening to a discussion….
Participants need to see a diversity of perspectives in order to work through
challenges and find solutions.
There is also immense power in metaphor and pushing a group to think about their
work in a new context. For example, choosing to use unique metaphors (even if the
client is speaking in clichés), subtly helps to open the group’s mind to new ways of
thinking about a topic… especially if they’ve only ever thought about it in one way.
Or framing a strategic planning session around a theme or larger metaphor can
help participants step outside their usual pattern of thinking, which in turn allows
people to better hear and understand their peers.
– Tanya Gadsby

18. To visualize diversity in a meeting, I ask participants to describe attributes of a
successfully diverse team that they have served on or participated in.
I draw a group of diverse people on a flip chart and add the words they offer up. I
refer to this diversity chart throughout the course of the meeting.
– Heather Martinez

19. Drawing diversity is a prickly, tricky subject for some recorders…I try to go for a light
touch.
It’s entirely possible to draw diverse people by making slight changes in the shapes
of faces, noses, eyes and clothing.
I try to avoid drawing “costumes” if that’s not what people wear in everyday life.
I’ve also done a trick where I draw the country flag or country flag colors in the body
of the person to [illustrate a] German or Chinese or French [person]. I think it’s good
to be conscious of your visual biases when you draw.
– Deb Aoki

20. When dealing with diversity issues, sometimes it's best to put the pen into the
group's hands.
Let them reflect on issues through facilitated exercises, drawing exercises,
templates, etc.
We're only one person in the room. Sometimes it's more powerful to let someone
else draw.
– Sophia Liang

21. Let’s spread and integrate new terms in our visual vocabulary: symbols for different
ways of reduced mobility, gender, colour…
– KSt

23. Be a lifelong story listener. When you meet people, listen to their story.
When communicating diversity, do a reality check. Who are real people you have
met and communicate their diversity.
Blast stereotypes. Acknowledge their function as the top of the iceberg, but dive
deeper into the nuances of people's actual experiences and lives.
If the visual community could “Draw Change” then I wish them to draw the ugliness,
and oppressive nature of stigma.
– Ana Vargas

24. When I worked with communities in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side on a
potential redevelopment of the Woodward’s Building (which was then occupied by
squatters), we engaged with many people marginalized by homelessness, poverty,
addictions, and/or mental illness.
In facilitation, we sought to respect their passions, their own vision for a better
future, and to meet them where they were (literally and figuratively).
Checking my own preconceptions, attitudes and biases was vital for me to be open
and credible- they had to trust me enough to share their (often very private)
aspirations so that I could capture their ideas visually.
– Drew Ferrari

26. Diversity is also about differences of ideas and perspectives. Sam Kaner’s
approach to “balancing” ideas (which is, including and encouraging diversity of
opinions) is a way to show diversity on the chart.
– Brian Tarallo

27. We have done a lot of work with people with dementia. Representing their voices
and actual words on the map is so important, to change perceptions. Their carers
too, as they are often invisible.
– Fran O’Hara

28. Graphic Recorders Liz Etmanski and Aaron Johannes

29. Is there a better way for everyone to be heard? I think it’s a really good idea for us
to have our own conversations drawn by someone else.
– Aaron Johannes

30. When I am given the honour of capturing a sensitive conversation or a cherished
teaching in an Indigenous community,
and if I sense that there is discomfort around having a written document (as so
often the written word has been used against people),
I often ask to have an Elder or someone else who is willing sit with me and just give
me the nod or the head shake or even work more interactively with me
and I will draw in pencil so that we both know we can experiment or play and then
erase if we don’t like it.
– Colleen Stevenson

32. I scan the room looking for cues, but so many of them are not visible initially. I am
thinking particularly about non-visible disabilities such as deafness or autism. I
should also say I’m very anxious about representing various groups (especially
racial) since I don’t want to stereotype or ‘get it wrong’ — which is something I’m
working to overcome.
– Alison

33. I ask the participants to come to me during the breaks and tell me what they feel
should be added.
I also do speech bubbles to note down different points of view. I note down also fun
moments/random comments – this works amazingly well for the participants to feel
connected to the recording.
I also try to create a complex picture that makes sense as a whole (e.g. road to
somewhere, a scene, a street in the city with different buildings around), but it
always has to be connected with what is being spoken about.
– Bea Broskova

35. I want to reflect the people in the room, so I try to look at the actual people present,
and draw who I see.
It has also helped me to study photos online of different ethnic groups, to practice
learning ways to draw different types of people quickly, but in a manner that is (I
hope) respectful.
When I introduce myself, I let people know anything I write or draw can be
changed. I encourage people to let me know if they feel mis-heard or mis-
represented by anything on the chart, and to tell me in the moment or on a break
and I will change it.
– Emily Shepard

36. One big AHA moment I’ve had is to acknowledge the “white space”…the space
where people didn’t have ideas, or realized more thought was needed.
One particular event comes to mind. At the end of one session, there was the
dreaded “vacuum of white space” that I didn’t know how to fill.
The truth was that the group didn’t have as many ideas of HOW to execute their
vision as they did on WHAT was their vision. So I put dashed lines around it, and
labelled it “more discussion needed on how to build the archive”.
It was actually really effective, especially when compared to other graphics of the
day, which were full of diverse ideas and concepts.
– Yolanda Liman

38. How we present images on a page says everything about who WE are, how we see
the world, and how we instantiate the biases, dominant points of view, and
commonly-held reference points in our work.
It's a subjective business – and our subjectivity is both our Achilles heel as well as
our calling card. It all depends on how we interrogate it, play with it, and use it to
help groups and teams see their conversation.
My suggestions are not prescriptive, but rather, born out of inquiry. Do we have a
role in "signal boosting" voices that are not usually heard? Do we have a role in
saying directly to groups: "These are the voices I'm hearing...but what other voices
need to be heard here?" What might we offer by embracing the role of "artist" and
see the world differently, in contrast to the time-honored tradition of "capturing" only
what is heard?
– Anthony Weeks

39. Graphic facilitation is a powerful tool to support cross-cultural work.
Visuals can support us - and visuals can harm, too.
I know I’m going to make mistakes - I’m always learning. Instead of avoiding
mistakes, or being triggered when I make mistakes - I try and find ways to
understand how I made that mistake and be accountable afterwards. And it’s a
great feeling when a group is comfortable with me enough to point out my mistakes
and gently tease me about them, actually.
– Sam Bradd

41. These graphic recordings were
drawn live, during a large group
discussion at the Listening for
Diversity workshop.
This was held at the 2017
International Forum of Visual
Practitioners conference.

42. The tips were gathered in writing
from the field in 2017.
For an extended version of this
article, visit drawingchange.com.

43. With heartfelt thanks to the folks who
took the time to share their thoughts
and tips with the field!
~ SAM

44. Check out our new book:
Drawn Together Through
VISUAL PRACTICE
to learn even more!