Drawn Together Through Visual Practice

This anthology connects ideas and practitioners at a moment when our practice is dramatically expanding. 

Edited by Brandy Agerbeck, Kelvy Bird, Sam Bradd and Jennifer Shepherd. 

We’re living in a complex world where everything is interconnected, and information is more accessible than ever. But information and understanding are different. So in this changing landscape, imagine your ideas drawn out – so they’re understood clearly. Visual practices like graphic facilitation and graphic recording help us understand ourselves, each other, and society better. By using drawings, graphic recording, graphic facilitation and visual practices – we clarify our ideas, and explore new possibilities. Now is the perfect time to embrace visual practices as an essential part of our world. 

Visuals help us capture the temporary nature of conversations.

Drawings can take many forms—like brushstrokes that express movement, metaphors that connect us, maps that show how things fit together, and tools that help us resolve differences. Both individuals and groups can create meaningful images, and even large communities and companies can grasp important ideas through visuals. This way, we gain new perspectives on our thoughts and strengthen our connections with ourselves and others.

Visuals unite us.

The field of visual practice is diverse, global and rapidly growing. This anthology brings together 27 unique voices in one place. We ask, what work is out there? What can we learn from each other? What questions guide us? And how can we understand our context, and envision our futures. 

In this book, you’ll find 27 unique voices from four continents, deep expertise from the field of visual practice and broad conversations with very different, cross-disciplinary fields that inspire us. As visual practitioners, we listen to conversations and create drawings to help people understand themselves and each other. We asked experienced visual practitioners to share inspiration about their specialities, including good facilitation partnerships, conflict resolution, long term impact, cross cultural visual language, and more. And, we need to learn from cross-disciplinary practitioners like dance, kinetic models, art therapy, or improvisation – because whether you’re moving your body or your pen, we’re all seeking powerful ways to get to the core of connection and communication. The world is more and more complex and we need tools to help us make sense of it.

Leaders in facilitation, conflict mediation, education – and all other areas using visual processes to establish common ground – will find an unparalleled wisdom of experience in these pages. Read a free gift chapter and see what we mean.

What people are saying

This anthology contains exciting and varied contributions to the growing literature on visual language and its power to “draw us” together. The authors offer a wide range of experience, powerful illustrations and the core message that visual language enables us to learn, think, and grow in new ways – especially when considering the complex relationships that words alone can’t illuminate. Drawn Together through Visual Practice reflects the power of this field to help transform organizations and communities in life-affirming ways.

Juanita Brown PhD,
Co-Founder, The World Cafe

I’ve seen visual practice map ideas, refresh memories, and provoke insights in many meetings involving dozens of professionals from business, government, and education. So it’s a special delight to discover this collection representing the art, craft, and inspiration of visual practice from multiple perspectives.

David N. Perkins, Carl H. Pforzheimer, Jr.,
Research Professor of Teaching and Learning,
Harvard Graduate School of Education

Graphic facilitation is a powerful way for a group to come to know themselves and the work they want to do together. It is no wonder that it so quickly became a part of any good meeting, conference, or problem solving session! Drawn Together is a valuable book, timely and well thought through. It should be read and employed by all wanting to improve and accelerate the rate of change and innovation within an organization, executive team or community. The more diversity in the room, the more powerful visual imagery becomes.

Gail Taylor,
Co-Founder of MG Taylor, Inc.,
Founder of Tomorrow Makers, Inc.

Drawn Together offers me tools to reflect and improve on developing campaigns for Lush, and encourages personal reflection on my process. A tremendous job bringing together a picture of the evolving work and sharing best practices.

Carleen Pickard,
Ethical Campaigns Specialist,
Lush Handmade Cosmetics, North America