THE MARKER POINT IS ALL YOU NEED
The Marker Point helps turn blank canvases into bold visuals, ideas into action, and dreams into a vision that's ready to become reality. At The Marker Point, I create visual experiences that change the way people think—because sometimes you're just one marker point away from seeing what's possible.
HI, I'M KATYA
Hi, I'm Katya Balakina, the visual note-taker behind The Marker Point Studio. I create real-time visual notes for conferences, workshops, and meetings in Chicago and worldwide. My graphic recordings transform complex ideas into engaging visual summaries that capture attention and improve information retention. I believe in a human-first approach that brings a unique human element to events and creates experiences that resonate with audiences.
KATYA BALAKINA | HOW I BECAME A GRAPHIC RECORDER
In this talk at CreativeMornings Chicago, I share my journey into graphic recording, a profession where I capture conversations and ideas visually in real time during conferences, workshops, and leadership events. What started as drawing on paper turned into a career that took me to events around the world. In this talk I share: • how I discovered graphic recording • why visual thinking helps people understand complex ideas • what happens behind the scenes of live visual storytelling • how creativity, persistence, and community shape a career. If you're curious about graphic recording or visual thinking, and lookind for a graphic recording and visual notes in Chicago or elsewhere, let's talk!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Graphic recording is the process of creating a large visual summary of a meeting, workshop, or conference while the conversation is happening. As people speak, I listen and draw the key ideas, decisions, and themes in real time. It's also called live visual notes and visual note-taking.
Most teams leave a meeting with pages of notes that nobody reads.
A live visual summary makes the conversation easier to understand, remember, and share. It also gives the team one place where all of the key ideas come together.
Usually the opposite happens.
People naturally glance at the drawing, then return their attention to the discussion. During breaks, the artwork becomes a conversation starter and helps people connect ideas from different sessions.
AI can summarize what was said.
Graphic recording creates a shared experience while the meeting is happening. People watch ideas take shape in real time, gather around the artwork, continue conversations during breaks, and leave with a visual memory of the event—not just another document.
You'll receive:
- High-resolution digital files
- A visual summary of the session
- Content for internal communications
- Images for presentations and social media
- A lasting record of your event
If the artwork is created on foam board, the original boards stay with your team.
Both options are available.
I create live graphic recordings digitally on an iPad or by hand on large foam boards, depending on the event and your goals.
Yes.
I regularly work with healthcare, biotech, pharmaceutical, technology, research, engineering, finance, and nonprofit organizations. You don't need to simplify your content beforehand, that's my job.
Yes.
I regularly work with executive leadership teams, healthcare organizations, and Fortune 500 companies. Confidentiality is part of the job, and I'm happy to sign an NDA.
Yes.
I'm based in Chicago and travel throughout the United States and worldwide for conferences, leadership meetings, and corporate offsites.
As early as possible.
Many organizations book several months ahead, especially for leadership offsites and annual meetings. If your event is coming up soon, feel free to ask, I also have last-minute availability.