IFVP Newsletter
July 2015
Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for their generous support of AustinTX 2015!

 

Neuland  

 

 

 

The Grove

 

 

Visioneering pwered by OGSystems 

  


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News from the Board

 

This issue of the IFVP monthly newsletter was compiled in early July to ensure it would reach you at its usual time so it doesn't include any news from Austin - you'll just have to wait til the August issue! We were very fortunate to have a roving reporter with us in Austin. Karyl Davis came to us through Jenny Trautman and proposed a communication campaign, hour by hour, day by day. I do hope you were able to 'attend from afar' through the tweets and posts and blogs Karyl and our SMC (social media committee) put out into the world.

 

As I packed up and headed out for Texas I couldn't help but smile to myself about the 'numbers' I'd learned about our conference participants. We have members from 17 countries coming to Austin, as well as four Canadian provinces and 23 US states. And in attendance are 40 new members who have joined since EuViz 2014. I think that's a pretty great turnout, don't you agree?

 

Later in the newsletter you'll find a terrific report from a recent Capital Region Local Gathering, the 'Capital' being Washington, DC ... where we will gather for our annual conference in 2016. Stay tuned!

 

This is my last newsletter. We returned from Austin with Jenny Trautman as your new president. I know our organization and community is in good hands with Jenny leading the Board. She's a smart, brave, ballsy gal and she has great plans for the future of the IFVP. Reach out to Jenny to congratulate her on her new role, and give her all the support you can.

 

Here are two updates from Jenny:

 

1. Board Elections Update

This year there were five open seats on the IFVP board. In June the Board put out a call for nominations, inviting all IFVP members to indicate their interest in joining our board. Three people answered our call to become Board members and filled out candidate questionnaires. Check out the diverse backgrounds and strengths of our newest members, and welcome them to the IFVP Board!

 

Philip Bakelaar hails from the United States, where he teaches organizational communication studies at Montclair State University and incorporates visual practices in his public speaking as a clergyperson. He would like to help expand the presence of visual practice in university and academic settings. Participating on the board will provide Philip with a strong connection to our field and support integration of our work into academic settings. Research and academic connections are part of the strategic vision developed by IFVP members in 2012.

 

Nitya Wakhlu built her graphic recording and visual facilitation business from the ground up after she moved to the United States from India seven years ago. Nitya has a good perspective on what it takes to be successful in the United States and also what the profession looks like globally. She was a creator of the IFVP Business Barometer Survey in 2014 and would like to do more research demonstrating the value of our profession. Nitya's skills and passion align with the IFVP vision of becoming a professional organization that serves our community all over the globe.

 

Brenda Tan has been a visual practitioner in Singapore since 2008. She offers services and training in graphic recording and graphic facilitation. Brenda sees Asia as a key growth area for IFVP membership due to the great interest in visual practices there. She would like to help the IFVP be more strategic and take the lead in creating value for members of our community around the globe. Brenda also plans to draw from her valuable experience in the field to help the IFVP develop and nurture the ecosystem of visual practitioners.

 

Heading into AustinTX 2015 there were still two seats to fill on our board. If you are interested in becoming more involved with the IFVP, you can find information about becoming a Board Director and a nomination form on the IFVP website. Not sure you want to step up to that level of commitment? Consider joining a standing committee. Full information about our committees is also on our website.  

 

The IFVP Board of Directors is dedicated to our mission of supporting and promoting the visual practitioner as well as growing the professional field. As our industry continues to expand, members of the Board are transforming themselves and the IFVP to keep pace with the change. We hope you'll join us!

 

2. Website Update:

Ready, set, launch! We're launching a new website for the IFVP and need your help to make it successful.

 

Promote yourself: Our new website was designed to help you promote yourself as a visual practitioner and member of the IFVP. It provides a searchable map and profile page that clients can use to see where you are located and what type of services you provide. In the profile you can provide a bio, describe your services, create a showcase gallery of videos and images, provide contact information, and list your website and social media points of contact. The profile information connects you to a map that shows clients where IFVP members are located around the world.

 

Update your profile: Much of this profile information is not contained on our old site, so you will need to enter it. Log on today and follow the instructions to set up your profile. If you want to start fresh, this is a great time to update your profile picture and provide images of your current work. But don't worry if you had some old images that you would like to use on the new site.

 

The old site has not disappeared: The old IFVP site is running at http://ifvpcommunity.ning.com, completely intact. This site will stay live until September 30, 2015, giving you the opportunity to archive your old content or load it onto the new site if you wish. 

 

Stay tuned! Our new site was developed using modern website technology and will become a platform for more capabilities over time.

 

We hope you take advantage of this refresh and help us make IFVP.org the go-to site for clients who are looking for visual practitioners and for IFVP members who want to stay connected with each other.

 

One last note from Lynn:

The IFVP is a volunteer organization, led by a volunteer Board, serving our hundreds of members and our field as best it can. It's not an easy task being the president of a volunteer-led organization, but the benefits, both personal and professional, are great. I wouldn't trade these past two years for anything. Thank you all for supporting the IFVP!!

 

Lynn Carruthers, on behalf of the IFVP Board: Renatta Algalarrondo, Jill Greenbaum, Tim Hamons, Dean Meyers, and Jenny Trautman.

 

 
CAPITAL REGION LOCAL GATHERING    
Sunday June 14, 2015
From Heather Martinez  

Immersed in the maker's world and surrounded by pro am bicyclists and torrential downpours, dedicated IFVP members recently had a Local Gathering at TechShop in Crystal City, Virginia. From newly-established to long-lasting friendships, IFVP members of the Capital Region traveled from the Washington DC metro area, Northern Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Many of the group already meet regularly through the DC Graphic Facilitation Meetup group - which offers graphic jams and classes geared toward graphic recording - while others frequently team up for gigs and non-profit events. This diverse, regional band of creatives spans the spectrum from beginning graphic recorders to full-time, professional practitioners with long-standing careers in the field.
 

The group kicked off the Local Gathering by drawing self-portraits focusing on three main areas: passions, interests, and background. The report-outs allowed participants to express themselves through past, current, and futuristic versions of themselves. Through this activity we discovered that amongst us we have odd hobbies, funny views of ourselves, and are very passionate about the work we do.  

 

 

Using a World Café-style approach we next identified the challenges we each face as visual practitioners. Taking markers in hand, we "drew out" our challenges and shared ideas about how we can work together in support of one another. From business development to learning digital recording to providing constructive feedback to further grow our skills, the spirit of generosity was prevalent.

 

Then things got crazy! An improv exercise got us out of our heads and loosened us up to really explore how we can use this opportunity as a foundation to work together in the future. We explored what we would like from this local member community that differs from our other local forums and how we might contribute to the greater organization.

 

The fun did not end there. It carried on at the Highline, a favorite nearby watering hole for more casual and intimate conversations about our lives, our work, and big ideas for the coming year. Best practices, tips, techniques and favored resources flowed along with the libations as we celebrated our community spirit.

 

Organized by Stephanie Brown and Heather Martinez, the group looks forward to taking its newly formed bond to the next level through various graphic recording and facilitation opportunities throughout the community.

 

TechShop, a playground for creativity, is part fabrication and prototyping studio, part hackerspace, and part learning centre, with access to over $1 million worth of professional equipment and software. TechShop is located in Crystal City (most of which is underground), southwest of Washington, DC. The space was chosen for its accessibility on the Metro and proximity to restaurants and other activities.

 
ON THE CALENDAR
IFVP 2016, our 21 bst Annual Conference, will take place in Washington, DC.
Watch this space for more news as details become available!


 





 IFVP - International Forum of Visual Practitioners
http://ifvp.org