James Baylay - 28 years of visual thinking
I have been scribing since 1997, when there were just a few scribes globally, and have helped develop this highly visual form of note taking and storytelling into how it practised today. In that time I have scribed for pretty much every kind of organisation and am still passionate about listening carefully and crafting pictures that get to the heart of what people want to communicate. At every event I map out the most important information so my work acts as a useful summary of what was said. Within that I strive to create multiple stand alone illustrations that deliver messages quickly and clearly, with humour, empathy and imagination. These two aspects mean each scribe is a really effective communication tool - it can tell the whole story or be broken down into standout moments.
I’ve collaborated with:
“James has worked with NHS Fife on a number of complex assignments. He has a capacity to understand the content of conversations very quickly, on topics that he is not dealing with everyday. He can catch significant points of interest and difference and the related emotion and represent them with humour and intelligence. This then makes talking about difficult issues much easier.
We have used his talents to track the progress and decision making of groups, that have led to new policy and practice. His work has been invaluable.”
Scribing
I have created different categories for scribing to help illustrate different approaches but they are not self contained. Scribing is about being flexible and I mix and tailor these broad frameworks to tell each story as effectively as I can. They are also created both digitally, for virtual meetings, or with paper and pens.
RICH PICTURE SCRIBE
Use the key elements of scribing – recording, interpreting and visualising your content – to create a visual narrative.
THE LIVE EVENT SCRIBE
A live, responsive capture of your conversation in a fast-moving environment.
THE CARTOON SCRIBE
A collection of single cartoons that focus on one piece of the puzzle at a time.
DIGITAL SCRIBING
Live event scribing delivered virtually, perfect for online or hybrid events.
Recent work
Excerpt of live scribing done on paper and subsequently digitised for sharing post-event.
Rich Picture based on a scribing from an event. Made immediately post event to share content as a one page summary. Click to enlarge.
Self-initiated visualisation of Big Think interview ‘Our information is failing us’. Click on image to download A3 copy
Poster describing state of ADHD Diagnosis in UK. See Animation section to view the animated version. Click on image to download A2 copy.
A piece of live scribing drawn at a virtual event.
A piece of live scribing drawn at event on paper and subsequently coloured digitally.
A multiple slide deck redrawn as a highly graphical one page summary. This kind of synthesis makes dense slide decks accessible, engaging and memorable.
Rich picture made to encapsulate history and issues surrounding an architecture project.
Live scribing - originally on paper with a few digital additions - for two one day events on the same theme. Click on images to enlarge.
Live cartoon scribing made with pen on paper at the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Survivor Summit. An example of capturing people’s experiences with illustration.
Live scribing with digital additions and colour.
Digitally drawn cartoon made to illustrate conversation during an online event.
Digital Scribe of 2 day virtual event for Thalidomide Society and Thalidomide Trust.
