Live Illustration for Avanti West Coast
Innovation is often messy, energising and deeply collaborative. Capturing that journey visually in real time is one of the most rewarding parts of my role as a live illustrator.
Earlier this spring, I had the privilege of providing live illustration and graphic facilitation for a two-day Design Thinking workshop with leaders from across Avanti West Coast, in partnership with David Kester & Associates. The workshop followed the Double Diamond model, guiding teams through problem discovery, research, idea generation, solution testing, and finally pitching their concepts.
As a live event illustrator, my role was to visually capture the evolving conversations, brainstorms and lightbulb moments throughout each stage of the design process. The result? A large-scale illustrated record that brought together all the key insights and ideas in one shared visual narrative.
Visualising the Design Thinking Journey
Each day of the workshop began and ended with a visual playback. This gave participants a chance to reflect on their progress, re-centre their focus, and spot connections they may have missed. Seeing their thinking unfold in real time helped the teams stay aligned and energised, even as they explored complex challenges.
Live illustration is all about amplifying collaboration, capturing nuance, and providing an engaging visual anchor that helps groups stay connected to their purpose and vision.
Feedback from the Client
I was blown away by the enthusiasm and openness of the Avanti West Coast team. There was such a buzz in the room, and I felt genuinely welcomed as part of the group. After the event, I received this lovely feedback:
“It was amazing working with you. It felt like such a great bunch of people. I’ve met with many of them over the past few days and so many mentioned how much they loved your work. Your work is incredible and I really believe your work will be an inspiration and lasting memory for our teams.”
Live illustration for Avanti West Coast by Esther Springett
A Lasting Visual Legacy
The final illustration is now being displayed at Avanti West Coast’s head office as a lasting visual memory of the creativity, momentum and team spirit that emerged during the workshop.
It’s always brilliant to know that a piece of live illustration won’t just sit in a file somewhere but will continue to inspire, inform and engage long after the workshop ends. The visual record becomes a powerful reference point, especially for teams using frameworks like Design Thinking to drive innovation and long-term impact.
Quality Facilitation Meets Creative Visualisation
As a graphic facilitator, it’s always a pleasure to collaborate with expert workshop leaders. A special shoutout to David and Simon from David Kester & Associates, whose facilitation brought structure, energy and humour to every part of the session.
Workshops like these are a perfect example of how graphic recording and live illustration can enrich professional development, leadership training and innovation strategy sessions.
If your organisation is planning a team away day, a strategy session, or a design thinking sprint, let’s talk about how visual storytelling can take your session to the next level. Get in touch to find out more about how live illustration can support engagement, learning and creative problem-solving.
