Live Illustration for DEFRA: Capturing River Restoration Impact Without Adding Reporting Burden
I was invited by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to deliver live illustration at a workshop during a conference for environmental NGOs working on river restoration in England.
The brief immediately caught my attention.
The afternoon session was designed as an interactive experience. Multiple stations around the room, with participants moving between them and engaging in different conversations. One key question sat at the centre of it:
“How can we better understand and demonstrate the impact of the Catchment Based Approach (CaBA), without adding to the reporting burden?”
This is a challenge many organisations face, particularly in the environmental and public sector space: the need to demonstrate impact clearly without creating more reporting pressure on already stretched teams.
Instead of capturing responses through notes or forms, DEFRA approached me as their visual partner to create a live illustrated rich picture that visually captured the discussion in real time.
What is Live Illustration (and why use it in workshops)?
This project is a good example of how live illustration (also known as graphic recording) can support complex conversations. Rather than documenting information linearly, I created a visual map of ideas as they emerged during a workshop with around 50 stakeholders.
This approach works particularly well for:
multi-stakeholder events
systems thinking discussions
complex policy or environmental topics
interactive workshops and breakout sessions
As people joined the workshop, I listened, interpreted and drew - surfacing different perspectives and connecting shared ideas.
Using a Rich Picture to capture the Catchment Based Approach (CaBA)
The Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) is inherently complex. It involves collaboration, long-term environmental impact and work that isn’t always easy to quantify.
A rich picture allows that complexity to exist without forcing it into rigid structure.
As the conversation unfolded, the illustration captured:
where impact is already happening but not always recognised
gaps in data and challenges in measuring outcomes
the role of storytelling alongside metrics
tensions around reporting and capacity
This kind of visual facilitation helps participants see the bigger picture. Literally!
Engaging stakeholders through visual facilitation
One of the most powerful parts of live workshop illustration is how it invites people in.
As the drawing developed, attendees began to:
stop and reflect on what they were seeing
point to elements and build on them
recognise their own contributions in the work
connect ideas across different conversations
It became a shared reference point becoming something that belonged to the whole room.
This is where graphic recording moves beyond documentation and becomes a tool for engagement.
Live Illustration by Esther Springett
The outcome
The final illustration was shared after the session and was very positively received.
Danielle Edwards from the Environment Agency said:
“The product Esther created is fabulous and has been well received. Esther was highly professional and capable, even though this was an area that she was not overly familiar with prior to the event. Attendees have remarked that they found the session inspiring.”
The value of this work goes far beyond creating a beautiful image. The real impact sits in the process itself. It helps people feel heard, holds nuance and complexity, brings clarity without oversimplifying and supports better, more meaningful conversations.
Live Illustration for Environmental and Public Sector Events
This project highlights how live illustration can support environmental organisations, government bodies and NGOs in particular.
When you’re working on:
river restoration
climate or environmental programmes
cross-sector collaboration
impact measurement and reporting
…visual facilitation can offer a different way to explore and communicate ideas.
A note on working outside my subject area
While I’ve worked across many sectors, this subject matter was something I came to completely cold.
But that’s often where live illustration is most valuable.
I don’t need to be an expert in river restoration. Like I always say, you are the subject specialists.
I bring expertise in:
deep listening
synthesis
visual storytelling
making complex ideas accessible
Sometimes, not being embedded in the field allows me to see connections more clearly.
Looking for a Live Illustrator for Your Workshop or Conference?
If you’re planning:
a conference or stakeholder workshop
an interactive session or away day
a policy, environmental or systems-focused event
I offer live illustration and graphic recording to help you capture conversations in a way that people can see, engage with and remember. So before you reach for the flip chat and pens, drop me a line.
