It's a more powerful way to communicate 

Visual facilitation energizes meeting participants and stimulates creative thinking. When people see their own words writ large, the validation they feel as part of the group leads to increased participation. The large canvas helps to focus the conversation, enables continuity of ideas, and provides recall for visual learners.

Visual facilitation works to move people from individual perspectives toward shared vision. When applied to successive meetings of the same group, graphic recording enhances group memory and helps to maintain cohesion. Large graphics are very effective for quickly onboarding new group members; getting them up to speed on a project or goal in minutes rather than days.

People benefit from visual facilitation when

• There is a significant stake in the meeting outcomes and decisions
• The conveners need to be part of the process and want to engage in the conversation
• The presence of leadership might inhibit openness and full participation by others 
• The conversation, questions or topics are contentious, emotional or complex
• The pace of a presentation is likely to exceed the capacity of participants to absorb the information
• Issues of trust or support exist

"The mural helped us gain clarity about our future as an organization. We pulled Teresa's work out a year later and used it again as a visual guide for our organization's strategic planning discussions." - Shauna Quistorf, Director of Communication & Development, Central Oregon Environmental Center

"Visual Facilitation is a critical tool for accelerating a deeper understanding of ourselves and our world." - Julie Gieseke, Owner, Map the Mind