This story starts a few months ago when I had the opportunity to be part of what may have been Calgary's first "graphic jam," hosted at the Calgary Public Building - a hidden gem of a heritage building right in the heart of Calgary's downtown - complete with awesome vintage elevators (and real-life, contemporary elevator operators. By the way, do you know of any other such still-in-action elevators anywhere? Let me know! I haven't seen anything like these since that elevator scene in the Hudsucker Proxy).
Anyway, this photo comes from a little piece featured in Metro enticing Calgarians to come to a more recent (and just as cool) event at the Calgary Public Building: "Continue the Conversation." To find out more about the event, take a look at this very fun-to-read online invitation (which probably won't stay online forever - read it while you can!). This event was designed for citizens to suggest and discuss ideas for public engagement, as part of an ongoing process called the Engage Review. But this was more than just a conversation with words: Calgarians were invited to come and write their ideas on the walls!
The Calgary Public Building has a few specially-coated walls which you can draw on (and - later - wipe clean). And that's where I came into this fun evening: City of Calgary Engagement Consultant Tracy McCabe invited me to do some graphic recording. So we started with a "Welcome Wall" to inform participants about the evening's agenda (only partially finished in this particular shot):
Anyway, this photo comes from a little piece featured in Metro enticing Calgarians to come to a more recent (and just as cool) event at the Calgary Public Building: "Continue the Conversation." To find out more about the event, take a look at this very fun-to-read online invitation (which probably won't stay online forever - read it while you can!). This event was designed for citizens to suggest and discuss ideas for public engagement, as part of an ongoing process called the Engage Review. But this was more than just a conversation with words: Calgarians were invited to come and write their ideas on the walls!
The Calgary Public Building has a few specially-coated walls which you can draw on (and - later - wipe clean). And that's where I came into this fun evening: City of Calgary Engagement Consultant Tracy McCabe invited me to do some graphic recording. So we started with a "Welcome Wall" to inform participants about the evening's agenda (only partially finished in this particular shot):
Some close-ups from the Welcome Wall (complete with different coloured walls, thanks to my attempts to take some intermittant non-flash pictures and avoid the glare):
Just before the event got underway, I was finishing the "Welcome Wall" and writing down the info about wifi access. I noticed someone behind me who was taking a picture of the wall. He said he'd tweet the picture. So I thought he'd be a good person to draw in my wifi illustration. He took a picture of my illustration to use for his Twitter icon. Later on I discovered that this gentleman was Brian Pincott! Well, I just didn't recognize him. At least I can say I'd recognize my own City Council member. (And he might even recognize me!)
This part of the Welcome Wall explained my job for the evening: to listen to comments and conversations and draw what was being said!
There was a photographer snapping pictures throughout the event, too - so if I see any of his live-action graphic recording shots, I'll be sure to put some up here sometime!
For now, take a look below to see the enormous group wall-writing collaboration that transpired. Just in case you ever thought there was anything dry, boring or stodgy about a municipal engagement campaign... think again!
By the way, attendees were also given maps of the event space. I drew the map too, and here it is (yes, kinda busy, I know... but so was the evening!)
There was a photographer snapping pictures throughout the event, too - so if I see any of his live-action graphic recording shots, I'll be sure to put some up here sometime!
For now, take a look below to see the enormous group wall-writing collaboration that transpired. Just in case you ever thought there was anything dry, boring or stodgy about a municipal engagement campaign... think again!
By the way, attendees were also given maps of the event space. I drew the map too, and here it is (yes, kinda busy, I know... but so was the evening!)
Kiran Somanchi got the evening off to a great start by suggesting, not only a public engagement idea that I could draw on the wall, but an idea that really got people excited (to judge by all the enthusiast comments that amassed around the picture): setting up a public "Speaker's Corner" somewhere in Calgary.
As I was drawing this, I heard someone behind me say, "It can't just be online!" That turned out to be another civic engagement pro - Nancy Close of 3 Things for Calgary.
After that, I just started to draw whatever I heard people say.
One thing I happened to hear someone say, when people began to notice what was happening: "Speak and ye shall be recorded!" Indeed. Luckily, everyone was putting out such interesting ideas, that this was all very fun to do.
As I was drawing this, I heard someone behind me say, "It can't just be online!" That turned out to be another civic engagement pro - Nancy Close of 3 Things for Calgary.
After that, I just started to draw whatever I heard people say.
One thing I happened to hear someone say, when people began to notice what was happening: "Speak and ye shall be recorded!" Indeed. Luckily, everyone was putting out such interesting ideas, that this was all very fun to do.
Probably the most fun part for me as a graphic recorder was trying to capture a discussion about how to change and improve the City of Calgary's website. With many people involved, and three sides of a pillar to draw on, this was a fast-paced real-time capture of a discussion that yielded quite a few excellent suggestions. (Feel free to take a look at the website: www.calgary.ca. What do you think? And can you recognize all those slideshowing images on the landing page? Personally, I have no idea about that modern-lookin' building in the water. Looks cool though.)
Needless to say, I think it is great that the City of Calgary is using such a fun and interactive method as graphic recording to engage citizens. Quite a few people mentioned to me that the City also just released a stop-motion video animation (is that what these things are called?) to let people know what the civic IT department is up to (I just took a look at it, and so can you). So perhaps this kind of illustrated information is part of a hot new trend!
Well - that was fun, and now I'm exhausted. It'll be cool to see what the Engagement team does with all this good feedback, and how it intersects with other innovative civic initiatives that seem to be popping up everywhere these days (CivicCamp - imagineCALGARY - which has a very nice website - Cultural Transformation - just to name a few). Are you creative types looking for a fun way to stay engaged with the Calgary scene now that Calgary 2012 is drawing to a close (as we speak, I think)? Look no further.
Well - that was fun, and now I'm exhausted. It'll be cool to see what the Engagement team does with all this good feedback, and how it intersects with other innovative civic initiatives that seem to be popping up everywhere these days (CivicCamp - imagineCALGARY - which has a very nice website - Cultural Transformation - just to name a few). Are you creative types looking for a fun way to stay engaged with the Calgary scene now that Calgary 2012 is drawing to a close (as we speak, I think)? Look no further.
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