GRAPHIC RECORDING · PROJECT STORY
A live illustrated mural for ESE'S 20th anniversary
Prague · May 2026 · 6.6 metres
6.6 m
Of hand-drawn illustrations
90
Individual milestones mapped across 20 years
4
Days of live drawing at the congress
4,000 +
Delegates at the European Congress of Endocrinology
THE BRIEF
Turn a landmark anniversary into something people gather around
The European Society of Endocrinology was celebrating its 20 year anniversary. Their annual congress in Prague bought together over 4,000 clinicians, researchers and scientists from across Europe and beyond.
They wanted something that would stop delegates in their tracks: a living, growing artwork that told ESE's story from its founding in 2006 to the present day. Something warm and human, which did justice to its history.
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01 THE OPENING CHALLENGE
Mapping the whole story
This project was about scale from the start. First, I had to see it to understand it. That meant writing up the 90 elements on tiny Post-it notes, colour coding them by category and mapping them across 20 years. Then stepping back to take it in.
Next: finding a narrative device to hold and carry the story forward.
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02 CONSTRUCTING THE IMAGE
Creating the structure to hold it
We agreed we didn't want a rigid structure bacause ESE's journey hadn't been linear. So I built the design around a single, flowing pathway.
Then I had to draw it, a continiuous line across 6.6 metres of paper, with people watching and no second chances. I practised with an empty pen, meditated in a corner, held my breath and then danced the line onto the wall.
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03 LIVE IN ACTION
Drawing, listening, responding
Alongside the mural, with the Congress happening all around it, I was gathering delegate stories on a second board. As soon as the team reframed the question for me to "How has ESE helped you?", people stopped, talked and came back with their colleagues.
A set of rope barriers became my cunning plan for managing my time. Up when I needed to make headway with the mural. Down when I could, to open the space for conversations and... the selfies.
04 ADAPTING ON THE DAY
Creating space to interact
As the timeline grew, it became a focal point within the exhibitions space, attracting conversations and personal reflections from across the endocrinology community. I watched people scanning the timeline for events they'd attended and projects they'd been part of.
Some stopped to talk and told me their stories. Others used it as a backdrop for photos of friends, colleagues and whole teams.
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05 SENSE CHECKING THROUGHOUT
Knowing when to call in help
Some decisions can't be made at a desk. By the final day I could see the ending I had wasn't strong enough. It needed to carry the story forward, not just conclude it.
I asked for help and Victoria came. Together we visited the ESE stand for inpiration. Her idea was to lift the pathway off the timeline to anchor it with the quote and include a question to the delegates to take home: what's a small step you can take towards hormone health? Because hormones matter.
It was exactly what the mural needed.
06 AFTER THE EVENT
The live event as a lasting resource
Once the congress closed, the work didin't stop there. I delivered high-resolution digital scans of both pieces so delegates could revisit, zoom into and share a lasting memnto of the event and the society's journey.
The mural featured on soical media and the scans gave ESE a lasting asset for their anniversary communications. While the original artwork is too large for any office space, the team are planning to frame and house the interaction piece.
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