The above is an example of her work, which is a graphic from a collective call for the establishment of a national school food program in Canada resource.
In this post we discuss how AFI Creative Advisor Alex Sawatzky incorporates visual methods to communicate ideas, information, and research. Alex Sawatzky (PhD) is an interdisciplinary researcher, knowledge mobilization specialist, and artist.
How do you describe what you do?
I am an interdisciplinary research-based artist. My work integrates knowledge mobilization, knowledge synthesis, and movement through visuals, often in a research context. In my work, I use relational approaches to convey ideas visually. The visual media I create depends on the ideas I am trying to convey with a partner, but might include infographics, illustrations, event or research reports, and graphic notes. I also do some mentorship and teaching, where I work with others who are interested in creating visual products to convey the story of their own individual research projects.
How did visual notetaking evolve into the career you have now?
I have always been a visual thinker. Then, during my PhD, where I worked with the Inuit community of Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Labrador, I started integrating visual elements in my research to represent ideas and understandings, which helped connect with multiple, diverse partners. Since then, I’ve found ways to blend my passion for visualizing ideas with my background in research through knowledge mobilization roles. Currently, I am the Creative Advisor for Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph and the Special Projects Manager for the Labrador Campus of Memorial University.
Relationships and connections have been the most important part of building a career in knowledge mobilization and visual storytelling. When thinking about where to invest my time, I think long-term about the partnerships I enter, and am always seeking out good collaborators and mentors.
What does the process of making a product look like?
Everything in my work starts with relationships, whether that is with a researcher, an organization, a business, or a community. When I’m designing a product, I ask a lot of questions about context. Who needs to hear it? Where is it going? What are the key themes or highlights? Answers to these questions need to be clear, so that the heart of the final products stays the same even if presented to different audiences or through different visual media.
After that, I draw up something up as a sketch and start collecting feedback, which is an iterative process. When the content and structure is clear, I take things further and add design elements and graphics. I continue the feedback process with my collaborators until we land on something we’re happy with. It’s hard to say when you’re done, artistically, but you know you have something that works when it conveys the story well and it invites further conversation.
Where are you hoping to take it next? Does AI have a place in the future of your work?
I’d like to continue creating visuals and teaching about visual knowledge mobilization, and ideally find a way to merge both. I’d like to keep mentoring as a priority as well, both as a mentor and as a mentee. I am also interested in growing the artistic side of what I do, which would include more creative collaboration, and incorporating more audio or visuals into my work with other artists.
As for AI, I’m always looking for ways to make more time and space for people and relationships, so it would be interesting to see how AI could be used to support the less exciting (but necessary) administrative tasks of my work. I’m also curious to know if there’s a way to incorporate AI as a way of reviewing my work for errors, or for enhancing its accessibility.
What advice do you have for those interested in visual notetaking and in being better storytellers?
On the technical side, just practice! I’d recommend listening to podcasts, lectures, or videos, and just let yourself try and represent what you’re learning visually, without putting pressure on yourself to make it look good, or try to capture absolutely everything. Doing this often will naturally help you improve, and find your own style.
I also think part of being a better storyteller with other people is about asking good questions. Asking the right questions at the beginning allows you to clearly define the goal of the project. Asking the right questions at the end is the best way to get detailed feedback on what you’ve done. There’s a constant conversation in this process of helping someone tell their story.
