When a room doesn’t need to make sense (yet)

Most days, I’m expected to make sense of the room but some rooms don’t need to make sense straight away.

I was invited to visually capture a Gen-AI for social science research event, drawing in real time as the keynote speakers Tamika Worrell PhD, Prof. Bronwyn Carlson and Carl Knox circled and tested ideas. There were a mix of universities present, each bringing their own lens into the conversation.

It wasn’t unclear. Just… stretching. Mashing together case studies, showing how First Nations and colonial history is colliding with future technology.

When a room is still forming

People thinking out loud, holding excitement and hesitation in the same breath, trying to name something still unfolding. Some already experimenting. Some questioning what this means for rigour, ethics, truth. Some quietly wondering where they fit in it all.

And underneath it, a shared thread: What helps us, and what harms us? How do we use this new tool well… without losing what makes the work human?

Holding tension, not resolving it

That was the thing I found myself holding. Not just capturing who said what, but listening for where it connected. Where tension wasn’t a problem to solve, but something to include.

I remember one moment in particular. Two perspectives that almost felt at odds. One grounded in rigour and caution. The other pushing for experimentation and possibility. When they were placed side by side, instead of cancelling each other out, they created a fuller picture. You could feel the shift. Nothing had been simplified, but it had landed. 

That’s the moment I’m looking for. When the visual stops being mine and starts belonging to the room.

From swirl to something you can see

By the end, what had been a swirl of ideas became something people could point to. A way to see the landscape they’re stepping into, not just react to it.

This is the work for me. Not just documenting what’s said, but mapping where things connect. Making tension visible. Giving people something they can see themselves inside.

As Evelyn Mirembe from The University of Melbourne shared:

“In an information heavy workshop, having Indi’s visual scribe helped with attention and focus. I’ve circulated the visuals with colleagues who weren’t present but were keen to learn more about the topic. It captured the key takeaways and the points that generated the most discussion among attendees. I think it was great!”

Why this matters now

Shared spaces and shared stories are how we navigate moments like this, when things are still forming and the answers aren’t settled yet.

Standing in the swirl, helping it make sense. That’s why I started Indi Dust 

If you’re working through something complex with your team, and need a way to see it more clearly, I’d love to explore that with you.