Live Illustration Meets Systems Change

Last month, we had the pleasure of joining the first gathering of the Practice Builders Network — a programme led by The Young Foundation bringing together people working across social justice, sustainability and community-led change.

Over the course of the gathering, conversations explored everything from participation and systems change to care, collaboration and what a “just transition” really looks like in practice. Unsurprisingly, this meant there was a huge amount happening in the room at any one time — big ideas, small details, side conversations, moments of challenge and moments of connection.

Which is exactly why having two illustrators in the room worked so well.

Becky drawing live

One of the things that makes Sketchnotes UK slightly unusual is that we often work as a pair. For this gathering, Becky focused on creating large-scale hand-drawn visuals live in the room, while Mandy captured more detailed digital sketchnotes simultaneously.

The live paper illustrations became a focal point throughout the day. Participants could see ideas unfolding in real time, gather around the artwork during breaks, and quite literally watch conversations take shape visually. It added an energy and accessibility to the space that’s difficult to achieve with written notes alone.

Mandy drawing on her ipad

Meanwhile, working digitally allowed us to capture more nuance and detail — pulling together key themes, quotes, reflections and connections across multiple discussions. Because there were two of us listening from slightly different perspectives, we noticed different things too. One person might pick up on overarching themes and group dynamics, while the other zoomed in on specific language, tensions or moments of insight.

In complex gatherings like this, that dual approach is incredibly valuable. It allows us to create work that feels both immediate and reflective — something participants can engage with live in the room, and something they can return to afterwards to revisit the thinking in more depth.

We left the gathering feeling genuinely energised by the openness, curiosity and care that people brought into the space. We’re already looking forward to the next session — and to continuing to visually document the ideas, challenges and collaborations emerging through the network.

Digital sketchnotes from the day