Graphic Recording in Newcastle - The Catalyst, Newcastle Uni
Hello! I’m just home from a day graphic recording in Newcastle at the Catalyst building. It was an in-person event and my job was the capture what the talks were about. At internal company meetings like this, it’s so useful to have a graphic snapshot - visual notes - of what was talked about.
Why graphic recording works so well for internal events
To set the scene a bit for you - this was an internal event for a pharmaceutical company. There were approx. 100 attendees over multiple days, in-person. I was called in to summarise the final day (that’s usually the day where all the juicy wrapping-up bits happen.)
The main aim of this event was to get the whole team on the same page, motivate them for a brilliant upcoming year, and celebrate their successes from last year. It was high stakes! There were a lot of important messages in the different sessions, and they set some big ambitious goals.
Seeing your ideas and discussions visualised makes graphic recording a brilliant thinking tool. Communicating that enthusiasm to last long after the event is over? IT’S MY FAVOURITE THING.
Yes, it looked pretty, but this work does some heavy lifting when it comes to building and maintaining brilliant company culture and boosting morale ahead of a busy, ambitious year.
Live visual notes created while-u-watch
Just quickly - in case you’ve never heard of this before, my full-time job is drawing while people talk. I’m totally biased, yes, but it’s been scientifically proven to help people follow complex conversations, supports memory, keeps everyone on the same page, and *major bonus* it gives you something tangible to share and gaze lovingly at even when the event is all done and dusted and you’re all back at your desks gettin’ on with the day-to-day work again.
The venue: The Catalyst, Science Square, Newcastle
Scribing at another event at The Catalyst was so good. My last in-person event here was in 2020 just before the world shut down so it felt very strange/nice to return. Also, I studied animation at Newcastle College back in the day. TOON TOON, BLACK AN’ WHITE ARMY. And Greggs. Yesss.
The venue has an innovation hub, there’s a sustainability focus throughout, it’s owned by Newcastle University and…it just looks really cool 😆. Massive high ceilings, great lighting, loads of tech/screens/AV capability (there were power points in the seats of the auditorium so I could keep my iPad charged up - LIFE CHANGING.)
If you’re planning a creative, forward-thinking event like this pharma client, then The Catalyst’s a great choice.
What I illustrated on the day
Bullet points for you, my fellow skim-reader. This event had a bit of everything and, armed with my super-portable iPad I was able to move around the whole venue to capture:
Keynote talks
Panel discussions
Workshops
Breakout rooms
Strategy overview
Immersive sessions (say how creative they were)
Working on the iPad means I’m able to mingle, go from room to room, and even capture the immersive sections of the event which involved standing up and being…immersed.
Every event is different, but this client opted to project the illustrations from the morning after lunch, then send the rest of the afternoon’s visual notes out in their post-event communications.
Pre-event infographics (and why they mattered)
It didn’t all just happen on the day. I also illustrated some infographic visuals BEFORE the event. These additional slides were used for a presentation summarising their year’s achievements, and how they plan to tackle the new year.
No death by Powerpoint here.
It set the tone and kept everyone watching. We set up the slides so that they could click through to make the illustration build up as they progressed through their points.
Here are some more examples of our illustrated infographics work in case non-live pre-event illustration is more what you’re after.
What the client received afterwards
Shareable digital visuals (sent over before they were even on the shuttle bus to the fancy dinner. SO SPEEDY.)
Timelapse videos for each illustration
Images for internal comms
A clear visual record of the day
Because this was an internal meeting, I can’t share the finished artwork. Here’s some other work from a different pharma event.
An example of my graphic recording in Newcastle from a previous project.
Visual summaries like this help complex ideas go way beyond the room and are easily shared widely after an event.
(The LinkedIn algorithm LOVES them)
Client feedback
"Hi Katie,
A huge thanks for yesterday, I was blown away by your illustrations and how you bought all
our conversations and thoughts to life.A real talent.
Thanks again."
A behind-the-scenes look
Graphic recording in Newcastle for universities, research and internal teams
If you work in academia, research, or within a large organisation, you’ll know this problem toooo well: brilliant ideas are shared in the room… and then *poof* they’re buried in un-readable notes once the event ends.
Graphic recording helps stop that from happening.
For research-heavy and idea-dense events, live visual notes act as a shared thinking space. As talks, panels and discussions unfold, key ideas are captured visually in real time, making complex information easier to follow, connect and remember. This is especially helpful when multiple disciplines, perspectives or workstreams are involved.
For academics and research groups, graphic recording can:
Clarify complex research themes and discussions
Surface connections between papers, projects or viewpoints
Support inclusive participation by giving people more than one way to engage
Serve as a really accessible way to disseminate your findings, or the results of a project
For universities and large organisations, the value continues long after the event. Visual summaries make it far easier to:
Share outcomes internally with colleagues who couldn’t attend
Use visuals in reports, funding updates or internal communications
Keep momentum going once everyone’s back at their desks
Instead of knowledge hiding away in slide decks or traditional meeting notes, it becomes something visible, creative, shareable and genuinely useful.
If you’re planning an internal event, research workshop or conference and want ideas to land clearly and travel further than the room, you can get in touch here.
Based in the North East of England, working everywhere
I’m based in the North East of the UK, and love graphic recording in Newcastle, but my work regularly takes me much further afield. I travel to London often and I’m very happy to travel internationally for the right projects.
Alongside my own client work, I’ve built a trusted global network of graphic recorders and live illustrators. I wish I had more hands and more hours so I could say yes to every job myself, but when I’m booked, I love helping clients find the right illustrator for their event.
That match-making side of the work genuinely brings me joy. Whether I’m illustrating your event in person, working remotely, or connecting you with another brilliant illustrator somewhere else in the world, the aim is always the same: making complex ideas clear, engaging and easy to share.
If you’re planning an event anywhere and want help finding the right live illustrator, you can hire a live illustrator.
Photos by Amelia Read (who’s also based in the North East!)
Planning an event in Newcastle? (Or somewhere else!)
If you’re organising an internal event, conference or research workshop and want your ideas to land clearly, graphic recording can make all the difference.
I work with event organisers, academics and organisations to create live visual notes that help people stay engaged on the day, and leave with something genuinely useful afterwards. Whether your event’s in Newcastle, elsewhere in the UK, or further away, I’m always happy to chat through what would work best and help you find the best illustrator for the day.
If you’d like to explore graphic recording for your next event, you can get in touch here and tell me a bit about what you’re planning.
Thanks for reading!
x Katie