Welcome to Visual Inquiry

Art | Research | Social Justice

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Here I showcase the outputs, approach and visual images that have been created through my consultancy work with third sector organisations and partners in academia, to explore and help capture the lived experiences of ‘seldom heard’ communities.

A feminist, intersectional theoretical lens informs my practice; I strive to platform the voices of people who have experienced inequality and marginalisation.

As an artist-researcher and educator, I combine creativity with knowledge of academic research practices to produce visually compelling narratives that make complex ideas accessible, impactful and engaging.

My approach to visual scribing

The process of visual scribing, also known as sketchnoting or graphic note taking, involves the creation of images, diagrams, text and pictures in response to conversation and debate.

Visual scribing is more than visual representation, concept mapping or storyboarding. I consider how my drawings can be used to enhance data collection and complement the interpretation of the analysis and maximise impact. There is a power in combining visual notes and qualitative research to convey meaning and capture people’s stories.

My graphic style is distinctive and recognisable. My visual notes have been showcased in conference proceedings, journal articles and government briefings. Check out my projects and journal page to see more.

examples of my work

SAY Women: Impact of Stigma Public Information Comic

Working with SAY Women and the Village Storytelling Centre, I co-facilitated and visually documented workshops that explored mental health stigma. Together we created comic strips and shared stories, and I created visual notes based on discussions.

These notes and images were transformed into a Public Information Comic, which is now used by both SAY Women for the service users and the University of Glasgow to teach undergraduate medical students about the impacts of mental health stigma.

Please use the interactive buttons to flip through the comic.

Alternatively follow the link: Dickson, N. , Dickson, O., Cowie, S. and SAY Women, (2024). Impacts of Stigma: A comic about mental health created by women who have experienced sexual abuse and homelessness. University of Glasgow. (doi: 10.36399/gla.pubs.325780).

Testimonials

We heard of Nic and her amazing work from a partner organisation who had witnessed her unique way of capturing conversations and insights and creating art that sends simple but impactful messages. We commissioned Nic to work at our partnership event on tackling economic abuse in Glasgow, Nic was set up in the corner of the room and watching her work was a spectacle in itself. Nic created images that have gone on to be used across our marketing and branding and tells the story without having delve into screeds of information, as the old saying goes "a picture tells a thousand words!"

Nic is the most fantastic arts-based researcher and adult educator that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, let alone working with. She has the kindest heart to embrace and empathise with those in the worst of all situations, but still keeps the boundaries tight to enable the project delivery on time with superb outcomes. If you work with Nic you are in safe hands for your project and for your clients. And you will be blown away with the results of her work!

Working with Nic Dickson is an absolute joy and an unforgettable experience. Her boundless creativity and contagious enthusiasm are truly inspiring. Nic has an exceptional ability to bring words to life in ways we never imagined possible. One of her most remarkable works is her illustration of the Chance 2 Change workshop, where she uniquely captured the discussions and transformed them into powerful visuals, beautifully conveying the essence of collaboration and shared learning. Her unwavering dedication and positive energy have elevated our work and inspired our team to explore innovative ways to share our knowledge. Nic doesn't just meet expectations; she consistently exceeds them, leaving a profound and lasting impact on everyone she collaborates with. If you're seeking someone who can elevate and enhance your work, look no further than Nic Dickson - she is truly exceptional.

The International Adult and Continuing Education (IACE) Hall of Fame Conference and Induction was held at the University of Florence, Italy from November 7-9, 2024. A major aim of the conference was the building of transnational and transatlantic partnerships across 10 working groups as they gathered to dialogue on issues critical to the field and its learners. I served as mentor to the working group, “Gender, Equity, Leadership, and Aging,” and part of my charge was to concisely summarize the discussion points over three discussion sessions, one via zoom and two face to face. That was a daunting task with many participants sharing ideas, experiences, and perspectives on each of the four components of the topic. With Nic’s visual note taking talents, the task, in the end, proved not to be as daunting after all. She concisely captured the essence of our discussions with a pictorial one-page representation that left us in awe. Using her talented work, we were able to move from discussion to a plan for action. We remain grateful to Nic and her visual noting skills for her excellent contributions to our work.

‘The process of creating an illustration with Nic at Visual Inquiry was extremely easy, fun, and helpful for my project! Nic was fantastic to work with as she was so enthusiastic and keen to get the illustration just how I wanted it. Her creativity brought numerous solutions and ideas for transforming the numbers into appealing pictures that instantly told the story of the research findings. And all for a very reasonable fee. The illustration (and separate components) has enhanced the impact of my research through presentations and academic posters which has made the research much easier to grasp for a wider audience. I can’t recommend Nic and her team highly enough.’