Studio GC
Project
Studio GC
Service
Workshop Project
How Visual Notes Strengthened Team Communication at Studio GC
“As architects, we’re visual by nature. This workshop helped us extend that strength beyond design and into everyday communication with our team and clients.”
Scott Zatt, Director of Operations at Studio GC
Challenge
A team’s desire for clearer and more engaging communication, and how they achieved that.
The Big Picture: Combating a common barrier through visual communication
Studio GC, a Chicago-based architecture and interiors firm known for its community-focused projects and collaborative culture, wanted to strengthen communication across its team and with clients. A custom visual note-taking workshop boosted confidence and unlocked drawing as a powerful tool for clearer, more engaging communication.
Studio GC’s leadership recognized a common barrier: Despite being fluent with drawing as a design tool, many staff members were less confident using sketching and visual storytelling as a method of communication, especially in real-time settings like client meetings.
Scott Delano, Studio GC’s Design Principal, noted, “We wanted to empower our team to not just record conversations visually, but to lead conversations—helping clients see and shape ideas in real time.”
This initiative dovetailed with the firm’s broader goal: strengthening communication across all experience levels and making client interactions more engaging and collaborative.
Solution
Design a two-part visual note-taking experience to teach the Studio GC team the foundations of the skill.
Studio GC takes professional development to the next level with a custom visual note-taking workshop.
After discovering Ink Factory years earlier and postponing the idea due to the pandemic, Studio GC re-engaged with the team in 2024. Ink Factory designed a two-part visual note-taking workshop experience:
Part I: Skillshare Course
To prepare participants for the live session, Ink Factory gave the team access to its introductory visual note-taking course on Skillshare, Draw Your Notes. Studio GC invited team members to either complete the course on their own or join a group watch session.
“We set up a conference room and went through the modules together,” explained Scott Zatt, Studio GC’s Director of Operations.”That structure and the clear format and timing guidance made it easy to go through.”
Part II: Custom In-Person Workshop
The workshop took place during Studio GC’s biannual roundtable (nicknamed “BART”)—a day focused on team-building, company updates, and professional development. The hands-on workshop emphasized:
- Visual notetaking as a skill for both listening and leading
- Tools for real-time sketching in meetings
- Techniques for distilling complex conversations into clear visuals
Ink Factory Co-Founder Dusty Folwarczny facilitated the workshop, while artist Anastasia Nesbeth captured visual notes on a whiteboard.
To keep things light and emphasize progress over perfection, Ink Factory had participants toss their first sketches–literally–before moving on to the next.
Workshop participants get hands-on tips, like choosing the right tools for the page, while watching a live demo of visual note-taking in action.
Result
Improved confidence, real-world use, and a culture catalyst.
Empowering your team with the skills to thrive
The workshop delivered immediate impact, with Studio GC noting:
Improved Confidence: Team members at all levels–creatives and non-creatives alike–feel better equipped to use visual tools when meeting as a team and with clients.
Real-World Use: During a recent client meeting, a project manager began visually documenting the conversation, drawing as she listened. The client noticed, became more engaged, and even paid closer attention to the discussion.
A Culture Catalyst: The workshop strengthened Studio GC’s collaborative, client-focused culture and commitment to clear communication. “As designers, we have to move from defending our ideas to actively listening,” said Delano. “Visual notes help us capture feedback more accurately and get closer to the truth.”
Studio GC plans to continue integrating visual note-taking into meetings, especially to make client discussions more collaborative. With the Ink Factory workshop as a launchpad, the firm now sees sketching not just as a design activity, but as a communication strength.
“Watching the artist take visual notes live during our meeting made a big impact, especially on team members who don’t consider themselves creatives. Seeing the process in action helped them feel more open to trying it themselves.”
Delano
Meet the TEAM
No, we’re not tattoo artists. We’re really big visual note-taking nerds. The kind of people who get genuinely excited about the perfect marker color and debate the best way to draw a lightbulb. Sure, we take our work seriously—but we refuse to take ourselves too seriously.
Dusty Folwarczny
Founder, Chief Vision Officer
Anastasia Nesbeth
Artist
See it for YOURSELF
Finding the next step is harder when your wires are crossed. Drawing can help you get everyone on the same page—without all the sticky notes.
You won’t regret it
