In the very first episode of Design for Every Mind, I sit down with illustrator and live graphic recorder Bex Gilbert, whose journey from high-pressure communications to creative entrepreneurship is as inspiring as it is relatable. I first met Bex back in 2006, when she was working for the British Red Cross and I had just returned to university to study for my postgraduate qualification in architecture. Even then, her creativity and energy stood out, but her career path took her deep into the world of crisis communications – covering events like the Grenfell Tower fire, the Manchester Arena bombing, and the Covid-19 pandemic. After years of carrying the emotional weight of other people’s stories, Bex reached a turning point. Picking up a sketchbook during lockdown, she discovered the power of visual storytelling – first as a personal outlet, and eventually as a whole new career. Today, she uses live illustration and graphic recording to help people understand, connect, and remember in a whole new way. In our conversation, Bex shares her story of career reinvention, the role of visual note-taking in learning and focus, and how following your creative instincts can open unexpected doors. It’s a reminder that the skills we quietly nurture in the background can sometimes lead us to the work we were meant to do

Bex can be found here - https://www.bexgilbert.com/