Sketch Post Studio: Doodling data
KUALA LUMPUR, October 4, 2013 — PowerPoint slides, workshops, and conferences. Let's be honest – most presentations are dry and overloaded with information. Without a good dose of caffeine or genuine interest in the topic, most participants in these events would simply tune out.
Sktech Post Studio offers a solution that is appealing, attractive, and a foolproof method that allows participants to remember the key points of the seminar or presentation.
Bernie Quah, the 23-year-old founder of the company, visually records her presentation in real time, bringing the words to life and making numbers and facts shine in color. A cartoon version of the speaker, combined with witty speech bubbles and quotes, is created into an extraordinary infographic. This is finished even before the speaker has left the stage.
"It started as a kind of hobby. I attended conferences and took notes. Even during my college years, I was always taking notes. Then, during my university studies, I started drawing and handing the results to the event organizers. They were impressed and said, 'Someone took the time to take notes.'"
The young entrepreneur owns two companies – one in Singapore, the other in Malaysia. Both operate under the label Sketch Post Studio. Quah is not only the manager but also the administrator, artist, press officer, accountant, and marketing director.
“Cartoon-style drawings of the speakers combined with speech bubbles are among the best ways to remember presentations.”
In case you haven't figured it out yet – yes, it's a one-woman show by this young and creative interior designer.
“Two years ago, I graduated from university with a degree in interior design and went to Singapore to work. Then I spent three months in San Francisco, working at a creative agency. Even during my studies, I was fortunate enough to complete internships in Singapore and Hong Kong,” said Quah.
Why didn't she continue working in the field of interior design?
She explains that there were many tasks there that she realized she didn't want to do for the rest of her life. These included technical work, design, and model making. Quah preferred to travel and was happy when she found a job at a design consultancy in Singapore.
After building a network of contacts in Singapore, Quah decided to found a company called "Sketch Post Studio". She had noticed that the "Graphic Recording" method was unknown in Malaysia and saw this investment as the promising start of a new journey.
“I helped out at the last TEDx KL and created visuals for each speaker. Luckily, there were plenty of girls willing to help me color the charts,” says Quah. At the last TEDx KL, she gave each speaker a sketch from their presentation as a personal gift.
Bernie Quah, founder of Sketch Post Studio, explains the magic behind this drawing.
Quah was a great help to TEDx KL – she had already helped out there the previous year. She enjoys collecting numbers and facts and arranging them into interesting visuals.
But what if the presentation is boring? Is it then more difficult for you to put it down on paper visually?
“I’m used to attending seminars and workshops. I went to many of these events during my studies. It’s simply a matter of listening carefully and focusing on the details. If possible, I research the topic beforehand. And many of my clients send me their slides in advance. This allows me to prepare even better through research. Of course, I also have favorite topics – mine are design and technology,” she says.
Participants in the events are always enthusiastic about your drawings – they often film the drawing process.
If desired, Quah draws the images first and then edits them digitally in Photoshop. She doesn't use regular markers because she finds the ink too watery and difficult to see. Therefore, she sources her markers from Germany. (Editor's note: Guess which ones :-))
So far, your customers come from the banking sector, are consulting firms or companies that implement sustainable development projects (CSR).
“The best way to learn is like preparing for an exam. A short exam on a specific topic,” says Quah, who prepares intensively for every seminar.
She uses special markers, which she imported from Germany, for her "Data Doodles".
She was frequently asked to participate in panel discussions where prior research was impossible. No problem for Quah, as she is able to present any topic – whether boring or interesting – in a way that engages her audience.
Only when a speaker gets nervous and you can't understand what he's saying, then that's a real challenge for Quah.
Despite her numerous travels between Singapore and Malaysia, Quah is lively and full of energy.
“Graphic recording is quite common in the US and Europe. Teams there usually consist of three to four people. I really wanted to do something like that too, so I just did it – because there was nobody else here working in that field,” said Quah.
Numerous recommendations and an interview with the radio station BFM eventually led to Bernie Quah being hired by major companies. When she draws, everything happens simultaneously: her mind talking and communicating with her hand to quickly capture the right image on paper and thus record the message on paper and blackboard.
“It’s the interplay of all these small parts. I just let myself drift.”
Her love for note-taking and drawing began when she was still a student.
“My motivation is to help people see the information from a different perspective and present it in an interesting way. It's about distilling quick snapshots and summarizing the key points of the speech.”
Their drawings serve two purposes: firstly, they help participants better remember the event's content, and secondly, they are often used for press releases and marketing. Graphic recording transforms things people can't visualize into something easily understandable.
Quah is currently busy drumming up publicity. She wants people to know how Sketch Post Studio Right can support conferences, seminars, speeches, workshops, and even meetings and panel discussions.
“I want to expand my business even further and serve even more clients. My goal is to reach a level of quality that will establish a new standard for this work,” she says.
Quah's primary goal is to share information, make numbers, data, and facts more appealing, and convey the feeling that participants had during the event. She notes that her work can also be helpful to people who were unable to attend.
For those who were there, it's not about every tiny detail. It's more about the triggers that point to the important details. Young people, in particular, find graphic recording appealing. They often photograph Quah during the event while she's working visually and then share these photos on social media.
“This keeps the dialogue flowing – and for companies it is also part of brand building.”
“For me, it’s like lifelong learning, and I get paid for it,” she says.
Quah usually finishes her drawings before the speaker leaves the stage.
Learn more about Sketch Post Studio on Bernie Quah's website: www.sketchpoststudio.com .
This article was translated from English. It first appeared in the print edition of The Malay Mail on October 3, 2013. Published with permission of The Malay Mail. Click here for the original post .