Bringing Universal Design to Life at MTU

Client: Munster Technological University (MTU)

Project: MTU Universal Design Symposium 2026

Services: Creative Facilitation • Visual Communication • Live Illustration • Participatory Engagement • Graphic Harvesting

The Brief

How do you move beyond presentations and create an event where people don’t just hear about Universal Design—they experience it?

For the MTU Universal Design Symposium 2026, Drawesome was invited to design and facilitate a creative, participatory experience that would encourage conversation, capture insights and help attendees explore Universal Design through interaction rather than observation.

Working closely with the symposium team, we developed a series of large-scale visual installations and live engagement activities that transformed delegates from audience members into active contributors.

Our Approach

Across the two-day symposium, participants were invited to explore three interconnected themes:

• Reflect on the journey of Universal Design so far.

• Connect people, ideas and organisations through a collaborative ecosystem map.

• Imagine future possibilities for Universal Design at MTU and beyond.

Rather than asking people to contribute in one formal session, the experience was designed to be informal and free-flowing. During breaks, delegates could have their portrait drawn, share ideas, celebrate achievements, add connections and watch the visual landscape evolve throughout the event.

As conversations developed, the Drawesome team identified emerging themes and translated them into a large live visualisation, creating a collective picture of the ideas and opportunities shared by participants.

The result was an evolving installation that became a destination in itself—encouraging people to return throughout the symposium to discover new connections and see the conversation continue to unfold.

The Impact

The visual approach created opportunities for participation that felt welcoming, accessible and enjoyable. Portrait drawing provided a gentle invitation into conversation, while the evolving boards encouraged people to contribute in ways that suited them.

By the end of the symposium, the installations had become a living record of the event—capturing not only ideas and insights but also the people, relationships and shared ambition behind Universal Design.

Client Feedback

“Drawesome’s work with us at the MTU Universal Design Symposium 2026 was very professional and collaborative from our first point of contact, through planning, delivery during the two days of the symposium and beyond.

I had a vision that their engagement could enhance the attendee experience, model Universal Design in action and demonstrate a non-traditional use of the arts as a research approach. Drawesome not only understood that vision—they expanded it and delivered beyond my hopes.

The powerful impact of their work, approach and facilitation brought the principles of Universal Design to life through accessible and engaging visual communication. As one attendee commented, ‘Drawesome’s work is an amazing model and their capacity to capture and reshare (live!) is really impactful.’

The graphic recording was remarkable—creating an additional layer of meaning and connection. The scale and design of the boards meant you couldn’t walk past without stopping, and I loved watching them evolve. The portrait booths were a fabulous idea too, creating a warm, playful atmosphere that made attendees feel seen and part of a community.”

— Margaret Finch, Academic Lead-Universal Design and Student Engagement

Following the symposium Drawesome digitised all the hand drawn outputs providing MTU with memorable sharable assets.

Looking Ahead

This project demonstrated how creative facilitation and visual communication can do much more than document an event—they can become part of the experience itself.

By creating spaces for reflection, dialogue and imagination, the symposium generated not only valuable insights but also stronger connections between people. The final visual outputs continue to provide a lasting resource for MTU, capturing the collective knowledge, experiences and aspirations of everyone who took part.

If you’re planning a conference, symposium or engagement process and would like to explore how participatory art and creative facilitation could enrich the experience, we’d love to hear from you.

Photo credit: Drawesome team and photographer https://www.dwalshphoto.ie/