The World of Visual Facilitation

THE WORLD
OF VISUAL FACILITATION
JEROEN BLIJSIE, TIM HAMONS, AND RACHEL S. SMITH
THE WORLD
OF VISUAL FACILITATION
Unlock Your Power to Connect People and Ideas
The World of Visual Facilitation: Unlock Your Power to Connect People and Ideas
by Jeroen Blijsie, Tim Hamons, and Rachel S. Smith, editors.
Initiator and Project Manager: Jeroen Blijsie

Co-editors: Jeroen Blijsie, Tim Hamons, and Rachel S. Smith
Copyeditor: Sonja Stone
Cover and Interior Design: Visuality.eu
Copyright © 2019, The Visual Connection Publishers. All rights reserved.

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www.theworldofvisualfacilitation.com
www.thevisualconnection.nl
July 2019: First Edition
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ISBN 978-9-082-86850-0
ePub ISBN 978-9-082-86851-7
Mobi ISBN 978-9-082-86852-4
Visual Facilitation:
Graphic [or visual] facilitation is the use of large scale

imagery to lead groups and individuals towards a
goal. The method is used in various processes such as
meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences. This
visual process is conducted by a graphic facilitator.
Wikipedia contributors. “Graphic facilitation.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 1 Mar. 2018. Web. 25 Jun. 2019.
MEET THE AUTHORS
NEVADA LANE
Visual Meeting
Warm-Ups
MARSHA ACKER JILL GREENBAUM J
SAM BRADD ROSANNA VON SACKEN I
RACHEL SMITH Multi-Sensory Facilitation Using the Geography Coaching with
P
The Camera as a Visual of the Room to Access Templates
Co-Editor Tools and Applications C
Tool to Close a Meeting Collective Intelligence
My Journey as
Visuals at Large Events a Visual Facilitator
DEAN MEYERS
Facilitating Human-Centered
LAURIE DURNELL
WITH How
VISUALS
to Get
Design: People Come First
Teams Unstuck
Facilitating with
All Hands at Play
LISA ARORA BRIAN TARALLO KELVY BIRD

Visual Facilitation Using Color
LYNN CARRUTHERS Visuals Meet
Mediation in 3D
The Joy of Templates Attending to Tone
DAVID SIBBET
Foreword
JERRE LUBBERTS
Live Digital
Mapping in Teams
AMY LENZO TIFFANY FORNER Graphic Formats
Storymap Project
Connection, Collaboration,
Lessons: A Designer's
Creativity: Using Visuals for
Online Engagement
Perpective TRENT WAKENIGHT
Your Future as
a Visual Facilitator (editor)
NORMA NARDI
MALGOSIA KOSTECKA Book Design
ANTHONY WEEKS
Facilitating for Story The FUNdamentals
of Visual Language
Centering Listening
in Visual Practice HEATHER MARTINEZ
Lettering for Legibility,
Hierarchy, and Speed
BEN TINKER RENATTA
Honoring People
and Process through
ALGALARRONDO
The Right Tool for the Job
Visuals
SOPHIA LIANG
DANA Tackling our
WRIGHT WASSON Listening Mindset M
JULIE STUART
Gr
Using Stickies To Create Sensing into Emergence
Metaphors in Visual an
Exciting Ideas and MARY ALICE ARTHUR
Practice (editor) Creating a Visually-Immersive wi
Engaged Participants
Experience from Start to Finish An Integrated Approach to
In Defense of Meetings MIKE ROHDE Visual Facilitation of the Future
Sketchnoting:
Creating Impactful Your First Step into
Employee Engagement Visual Thinking
with Templates
GREG WHICKER JEANNEL KING

Creating Immersive
JI
One Visual Meeting JENNY TRAUTMAN BRANDY AGERBECK Po
Visual Enviroments Creates One Huge Shift Multi-Sensory Facilitation The Value of Visual Organization fo
Tools and Applications
TOMOKO
TAMAARI
Visualization of Human Emotion
Visuals for Recovery:

A Story of the Great Eastern
Japan Earthquake
MARKO HAMEL
Visual Selling®: RethINK Customer
JEROEN BLIJSIE Conversations On Paper and Digitaly
TOMOHIDE
Initiator and
Project Manager RENATE KENTER 13 Most Common Visual Selling® OSHIMA
IMAGEning the Future Pitfalls and How to Overcome Them Visuals in World Café
Co-editor
A Multilocation
World Café in Japan
JILLIAN
LEE
FRANK WESSELER
MATHIAS WEITBRECHT Future Heroes:
Understanding Business Graphic Facilitation
Processes Through Future Casting Our Field
MIA LILJEBERG for Industry 4.0
Presentation Skills: Visualization
Let the Picture Do the Job
PHILIP GUO
Digital Graphic Recording,
Live on Chinese Television
TUL LEKUTAI
SABINE SOEDER My Journey as
Visuals in World Café a Visual Facilitator
An Integrated Approach to GERAULD WONG

Visual Facilitation of the Future What Do You Mean?!
Creating Purposeful
Dialogue from Visuals
TIM HAMONS
Co-Editor
HOLGER NILS POHL
Graphic Formats
My Journey as a Visual
Facilitator
Using Color
Designing Meetings with MICHELLE WALKER

the Clarity Framework
The Growing Edge for
Visual Practicioners
The Case for Digital
Facilitation
App Magic: Presenting

and Facilitating Using
Digital Media
TRACEY EZARD
Conversations that
Matter: Visual Collaboration
MARTINE VANREMOORTELE among Educators
Graphic Recording:
an Improvisational Dance
with the Facilitatior
MATTHEW MAGAIN
Better Communication with
JESSAMY GEE LYNNE CAZALY the Empathy Forecast
Visual Note Taking Agile Ways of Working
Elements & Principles A Bullet Proof Process for
Creating Sketch Videos
Shooting a Sketch Video:

JIM NUTTLE Tips and Tricks
Polish Your Charts
for Clarity and Impact MARA CALLAERT
How to Set Up a Room
for Visual Facilitation
THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION IX
CONTENTS
Meet the Authors VI Jessamy Gee
Online Bonus Material XII Visual Note Taking: Elements & Principles 113
From the Editors XIII
Foreword XVII Martine Vanremoortele
Acknowledgements XXI Graphic Recording: An Improvisational
The Book Behind the Scenes XXIII Dance with the Facilitator 125
Dana Wright Wasson

Getting Started
Using Stickies To Create Exciting Ideas
VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING and Engaged Participants 133
Holger Nils Pohl
My Journey as a Visual Facilitator 3 Holger Nils Pohl
Designing Meetings with the Clarity Framework 137
Malgosia Kostecka
The FUNdamentals of Visual Language 9
Meetings and More
Kelvy Bird and Holger Nils Pohl
Using Color 19 MEETINGS
Dana Wright Wasson
Heather Leavitt Martinez In Defense of Meetings 147
Lettering for Legibility, Hierarchy, and Speed 27
Nevada Lane
Tomoko Tamaari Visual Meeting Warm-ups 153
Visualization of Human Emotion 37
Mia Liljeberg
Tim Hamons and Jerre Lubberts Presentation Skills: Let the Picture Do the Job 161
Graphic Formats: Start with the Right Structure 45
Rosanna von Sacken and Jenny Trautman
Jim Nuttle Multi-Sensory Facilitation Tools
Polish Your Charts for Clarity and Impact 59 and Applications 169
THE BASICS Sam Bradd

Mara Callaert The Camera as a Visual Tool to Close a Meeting 177
How to Set Up a Room for Visual Facilitation 73
LARGE SCALE MEETINGS
Renatta Algalarrondo Tomohide Oshima and Sabine Soeder
The Right Tool for the Job 79 Visuals in World Café:
How to Prepare, Host, and Harvest 181
Mike Rohde
Sketchnoting: Your First Step Into Visual Thinking 99 Sabine Soeder
Co-Creation of the First Tirolean
Entrepreneurs’ Day in Austria 189
X THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
Tomohide Oshima Renate Kenter

A Multilocation World Café in Japan: IMAGEning the Future 329
Big Plans for a Big Visual Event 199
TEMPLATES
Sam Bradd Lynn Carruthers
Visuals at Large Events 211 The Joy of Templates 339
VISUAL LISTENING Jill Greenbaum

Anthony Weeks Coaching with Templates 347
Centering Listening in Visual Practice 221
Dana Wright Wasson
Sophia Liang Creating Impactful Employee Engagement
Tackling Our Listening Mindset 229 with Templates 355
Brandy Agerbeck TEAM PERFORMANCE

The Value of Visual Organization 239 Laurie Durnell
How to Get Teams Unstuck Using Visuals 363
Julie Stuart
Sensing into Emergence 253 Jeannel King
One Visual Meeting Creates One Huge Shift 371
DIALOGUE
Gerauld Wong
What Do You Mean?! Beyond the Paper
Creating Purposeful Dialogue from Visuals 263
VIRTUAL AND VISUAL
Tracey Ezard Holger Nils Pohl
Conversations that Matter: The Case for Digital Facilitation 381
Visual Collaboration among Educators 273
Comparing Paper and Digital Media 387
Matthew Magain
Better Communication with the Empathy Forecast 285 Holger Nils Pohl
App Magic: Presenting and
IMAGES AND STORIES Facilitating Using Digital Media 389
Sophia Liang
The Metaphor in Visual Practice 293 Jerre Lubberts
Live Digital Mapping 395
Anthony Weeks
Is Your Metaphor a Box or a Catalyst? 304 Amy Lenzo
Connection, Collaboration, Creativity: Using Visuals
Anthony Weeks for Online Engagement 405
Facilitating for Story 305
OFF THE PAPER
Tiffany Forner Brian Tarallo
Storymap Project Lessons: Visual Facilitation in 3D 415
A Designer’s Perspective 315
THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION XI
Greg Whicker INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS

Creating Immersive Visual Environments 425 Ben Tinker
Honoring People and Process through Visuals 531
Dean Meyers
Facilitating with All Hands at Play 431 Dean Meyers
Facilitating Human-Centered Design:
Marsha Acker People Come First 543
Using the Geography of the
Room to Access Collective Intelligence 439 Lisa Arora
Visuals Meet Mediation 555
Matthew Magain
A Bulletproof Process to Creating Sketch Videos 449 Lynne Cazaly
Agile Ways of Working 563
Matthew Magain
Shooting a Sketch Video: Tips and Tricks 459 Marko Hamel
Visual Selling®: RethINK Customer
ConversationsOn Paper and Digitally 575
Pro Stories
Marko Hamel
VISUALS IN ACTION The 13 Most Common Visual Selling
Tul Lekutai Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them 587
My Journey as a Visual Facilitator:
From Buildings to Court Rooms 471
Your Future as a Visual Facilitator
Julie Stuart
Creating a Visually Immersive Experience Trent Wakenight
from Start to Finish 477 Future of the Field: Introduction 599
Tomoko Tamaari Mathias Weitbrecht

Visuals for Recovery: A Story of the Future Casting Our Field 601
Great Eastern Japan Earthquake 485
Kelvy Bird
Philip Guo Attending to Tone 609
Digital Graphic Recording,
Live on Chinese Television 491 Michelle Walker
The Growing Edge for Visual Practitioners 617
Jillian Lee
Future Heroes: Graphic Facilitation Sabine Soeder and Mary Alice Arthur
for Industry 4.0 499 An Integrated Approach to
Visual Facilitation of the Future 627
Jill Greenbaum
My Journey as a Visual Facilitator 511 Trent Wakenight
Future of the Field: Conclusion 635
Frank Wesseler
Understanding Business Processes About The Editors And Co-Authors 637
through Visualization 517 Index 647
XII ONLINE BONUS MATERIAL THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
ONLINE BONUS MATERIAL
Free resources available for all readers!

To access your bonus material, visit:
www.TheWorldOfVisualFacilitation.com
Downloads
Videos
Checklists
Templates
Glossary
Further reading
Works Cited
And much more!
Check back often or subscribe for regular updates!

THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION FROM THE EDITORS XIII
FROM THE EDITORS

Get a Marker in People’s Hands:
The Power and Opportunity of Visual Tools
to Effect Positive Change
The co-editors, from left to right: Rachel Smith, Tim Hamons and Jeroen Blijsie
You hold in your hands a sizeable guidebook—a rich resource illustrating a rapidly expanding industry.
We hope this book brings you and those with whom you work much value for years to come. As co-au-
thors, we believe fully that the power of these processes (and the content in these chapters) will support
you and your clients in doing remarkable work. As facilitators, team leaders, and designers of learning
experiences, we are always looking for new ideas and innovative frameworks to increase the value and
engagement we create during our events. We believe you’re looking, too—that’s why you’re here.
You might also share the experience that when visual tools or processes are introduced into the
room, groups generally show equal measures of resistance and intrigue. Fears and challenges
like I can’t draw or this doesn’t make sense press up against possibilities like I can see what you
mean and we can see a path emerging. As facilitators, we need to navigate this potential mine-
field and guide a group to safe passage. We introduce the following three strategies.
XIV FROM THE EDITORS THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
1. Draw Live. Of the three strategies, only one specifi- invitation to create in an environment that supports
cally involves you (the facilitator) drawing. This is it. As creative expression. Putting a high quality, colorful,
the facilitator standing at the front of the room, you creative tool in people’s hands is empowering and
are, after all, the visible focal point for the group. So liberating! It sends the message to participants that
why not draw? On a flipchart, draw a simple model of their ideas matter; that they will be called to create;
your idea, and then capture participants’ comments that something different and important is going to
alongside in a visual way to let them know that their happen here today. Getting a marker in people’s
voices are heard and considered. Our brains are far hands sets your participants up to be valuable
more engaged by information which is presented and successful contributors to your meeting.
spatially than linearly, and by information which is
suggestive rather than complete. This is why the “pull” Make these creative tools easily accessible.
of drawing on a flip chart, whiteboard, or digital surface Have great markers available on the table in an
will always win the battle of attention and engagement attractive display. Give instructions on how to
over the “push” of PowerPoint slides in any meeting. use them. (You’ll learn more about markers and
As facilitators and trainers, we want to demonstrate other creative tools throughout this book.)
the actions we would like to see from the group.
Whenever possible, be a good model and draw live.
Many co-authors of this book agree. Their chapters, PEOPLE:
in particular, explore live drawing in more detail.
Who are you working with and what do
2. Use Templates. Templates are a great way to they hope to accomplish? Many of us work
invite and harvest ideas and input from a group in at ground level with teams and team
a structured and consistent format, both as single leaders. These are the hands, hearts, and
visual frameworks, or as a series. We’ve included minds of every organization; their deci-
an entire section on templates and a chapter sions, words, and actions directly impact other peo-
on graphic formats to help you get started. ple’s performances and experiences. You may work at
the strategic level with key decision makers who
3. Get a Marker in People’s Hands. This is the real analyze the landscape and set the direction for
magic of the work we offer as visual facilitators. workplace culture and organizational transformation.
While the directive is straightforward, let’s break it Perhaps you work with coaches and facilitators, the
down a little further by looking at the keywords. trusted practitioners who use their knowledge, experi-
ence, and tools to help groups navigate the unchar-
tered territories of change. At the heart of every
MARKER: business, community group, or change initiative are
people with ideas, hopes, and stories.
A marker is, in its most basic form, an instru-
ment with a felt tip designed for writing or This book is filled with stories and examples
drawing—but there is so much more to it. of different groups overcoming challenges and
Marker options include a variety of tips, identifying opportunities. Regardless of position,
colors, functionality, and design. role, or tenure, everyone can make a meaningful
contribution to and benefit from a visual process in
What’s significant about a marker? For most adults, their meetings. Many of the visual tools presented
it’s been many years (perhaps since childhood) here work alongside the process facilitation models
since they intentionally held a creative drawing tool and frameworks that you already use. For those
in their hands. There is something visceral about who would like to add a visual component to
good quality materials for mark making—it’s an your meetings but would prefer to leave it to the
THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION FROM THE EDITORS XV
professionals, we’ve included a number of chapters draw a simple model to introduce their objectives for
about selecting and working with visual facilitators. a meeting or to represent a concept for discussion.
Many case studies of visual tools used in specific With markers in their
client situations can be found in the part called Pro
Stories. Here you’ll learn about the power of visual hands, groups become
tools to manage group bias, solve organizational
challenges, support disaster recovery, celebrate key more creative, connected,
milestones, and bond together a community.
and productive. They will
HANDS: remember and follow through
With so much focus on technology, speed, more effectively, and will
and efficiency in our business communica-
tion and work environments, we are becom- have a more enjoyable and
ing increasingly disconnected from the
wisdom of our bodies, feelings, and kines- fulfilling time oing so!
thetic experiences. Our hands are busy
tapping away on keyboards, or putting together slide Getting a marker in people’s hands means being okay
presentations and spreadsheets. But it’s through our with imperfection. By extension, this means we don’t
hands that we bring forth and shape our ideas into always have the right answer or the perfect picture.
physical form. Hands working together are the manifest When we draw something, we’re giving form to our in-
symbol of collaboration. Hands connect us back to our ternal pictures and frameworks; we make choices about
bodies, ground us in our emotions, and unlock deeper how ideas are connected as we bring potentialities
intuitive connections. There’s wisdom in our hands that into being. Drawings parallel the creative process: the
comes from putting things together, moving things first humble sketch is simply a seed for a better result
around, sketching out an incomplete thought, iterating in the future. A simple visual form is a tangible thing
and giving life to our ideas. which others can add to and build upon; it energizes
the process and output. Teams collaborate, draw
Once people have a marker in their hands, there are so connections, see the bigger picture. Stories, narratives,
many meaningful things they can do. Our co-authors and possibilities emerge and visibly fill the room.
describe many impactful activities, including warm-
ups, check-ins, organizational maps, large-group Getting a marker in people’s hands is a philosophy—a
engagements, templates, formats, models, and more. guiding principle—which also works using other
With a marker in hand, we can visualize our challenges, materials. We’ve worked with senior bankers who,
the team’s vision, our organization, a change process, after two days of high-level presentations on strategy,
an ecosystem, and give tangible structure to complex structure, and culture, exchanged their suits for
and abstract systems. Placing cards with visual painting smocks to paint a series of symbolic murals
models on the table next to a box of your favorite to represent the story of their new merger. Learn
markers is an invitation for participants to draw on how to facilitate groups with kinesthetic tools like
and personalize these materials. Invite participants to modeling clay, building blocks, writing ideas on
complete a hand-drawn visual template on the wall, cards, and creating signage or props. These and
on their table, or in their learning materials to spark other three-dimensional methods are discussed at
individual and group creativity. Task participants to length (see the section entitled Off the Paper).
XVI FROM THE EDITORS THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
I always find it intriguing that when it’s time for As everyone holding this
an activity, participants at a table will grab a
single-colored marking tool (pencil or ballpoint book intuitively knows,
pen) over a high-quality colored marker. It’s a visible
reminder of the power of habit, but it also reflects the our brains come alive with
habitual resistance to picking up a creative marker.
These are good teaching moments: introduce the colors, pictures, and stories.
tools you have brought, explain how to use them to
get the best results, and discuss the benefits they Putting a marker in people’s hands activates
bring to our brains and our learning processes. this. It makes you, your meeting, and your
message stand out as a creative and valu-
Watch people’s faces light up as they put marker able facilitator and thinking partner.
to paper and see, often for the first time in many
years, a rich olive green, teal blue, or lemon Are you ready to jumpstart your journey into visual
yellow, where there would ordinarily be a simple facilitation? Hop aboard, and let’s get going!
ballpoint blue or black, and a ho-hum palette
of filling-in-the-blanks on plain white paper.
THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION FOREWORD XVII
FOREWORD
When Jeroen Blijsie, Rachel Smith, and Tim Hamons Many remarked on the value of the concentration
organized a multiday ‘book sprint’ to create the book and depth required by writing and editing.
World of Visual Facilitation in early 2018, I knew the
field of visual practice was not only established, Subsequently, Jeroen, Rachel, and Tim took on the
but exploding with invention and change. Some fifty enormous task of facilitating a massive co-editing
visual practitioners participated and collaborated. process. Instructions and guidelines were shared
A good three dozen met at The Grove Consultants through The Grove’s Global Learning & Exchange
International; Rachel facilitated this group. Another Network (GLEN)1 website. Chapters and articles were
team wrote from the Netherlands at Jeroen’s initially posted on a Trello board, with comments and
offices. A few more connected with Tim Hamons in rewrites continually added for more than a year. The
Singapore. Check-ins at the end of the day (facilitated scale and breadth of the contributions left everyone
by Mary Alice Arthur) kept the group feeling like feeling amazed by how broad our field has become.
a whole, even though most were working on indi-
vidual pieces, writing and posting through common I met Jeroen around the time of the first EuViz® confer-
online platforms like Google, Zoom, and Trello. ence in Berlin, in 2014. Many people joined this field,
and some of them share a passion for providing help
to others. He showed me early versions of his book.
I could tell from his energy (and his graphics) that he
This global book writing had stepped into a world of infinite new fields waiting
to be explored. He was already getting great results
event had all the crackle with clients. When I heard that he and Rachel and Tim
were organizing a collaboration to create a book, I en-
and excitement that people couraged it immediately. The results were impressive.
have come to expect from

the annual gatherings of
the International Forum
of Visual Practitioners,
except this was different.
1 To learn more about the GLEN, visit glen.grove.com.

XVIII FOREWORD THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
As contributions emerged, they began to fall into I’ve always thought of visual practice as a kind
categories. You can review all the individual chapters of conceptual jazz, in that simple basic structures
in the table of contents, but a sweep through support complex improvisation and meaning-making
the themes will give you a flavor of its richness. through interaction and play. From this book you may
well see that visual facilitation also includes other
kinds of meaning-making, perhaps qualifying as
PART 1: GETTING STARTED opera, movie scores, or ballads. And you can’t escape
This section includes chapters covering visual thinking about metaphor; this shared understanding
language and drawing, the visual facilitation is at the very heart of human communication.
basics, and roles in visual facilitation.
Visual practice is
PART 2: MEETINGS AND MORE a very big phenomenon.
These chapters cover visual meetings, large-
scale meetings, listening, dialogue, storytelling, When we began this kind of work back in the 1970s,
templates, and team performance. drawing inspiration from architects and designers
who worked visually as a central part of their
professions, we didn’t even have fax machines.
PART 3: BEYOND THE PAPER Now technology is transforming all of us—and this
Embracing digital work and working without field, as well. What will it be like with immersive
paper (including LEGO® bricks, using video, digital environments, augmented geophysical
and facilitating in 3D) can be found here. data, print- and projection-on-demand in every
imaginable format, on every kind of screen?
PART 4: PRO STORIES

This section contains a collection of cases and stories
from professional practices, and discusses how visual
work has begun to cross disciplines and domains.
PART 5: YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL

FACILITATOR
The book concludes with several essays on the But the basic interface for humans will still be the eye
growing edges and emerging trends of our field. perceiving an object, no matter how robust the tech-
nology. We are still shaped by how fast our nervous
What is especially interesting are the contributions systems can adapt to new patterns. Our bodies will still
from different cultures all over the world. For example, be fascinated with the rich channels of face-to-face
Tomoko Tamaari’s description of Japanese cartoon communication, and the way visual facilitators can
contentions in Visualization of Human Emotion will ‘dance’ the energy of the room on non-verbal levels.
be a favorite if you’re seeking to jump out of west-
ern-world ruts. Matt Magain shares his secrets on Like jazz as a movement in music, visual facilitation will
making sketch videos, Sabine Soeder discusses visual- be marked by invention, and different kinds of mastery
ization in World Cafe, and Kelvy Bird explores presenc- in many forms, mediums, and modes. That is what is
ing and the importance of tone (just to name a few). so wonderful about this book. It mirrors the emergent,
THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION FOREWORD XIX
experimental quality of this field, and is prima facie readers who find yourselves walking through the
evidence that we have just begun. It’s not all neat and door of this guide into the wonderful world of making
organized and finalized and codified—although, all of meaning with visualization. You act in the service of
that is happening as naturally as trees grow rings. But others as you listen, collaborate, and help people
right now, it abounds with freshness and life, which articulate (and face) the big problems of our time.
is exactly what this way of working brings to groups.
Best,
Thank you, authors, for birthing this irrefutable
statement with your words and images. Thank you,
editors and designers, for the patient, laborious
process of crafting first drafts into a real publication
we all can use. And thanks in advance to all you David Sibbet
THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS XXI
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Teamwork Made our Dream Work
What can I say as we wrap up a few years’ work did it anyway. Writing the first version of your chapter
and present The World of Visual Facilitation? was just twenty percent of the work you ultimately
Making this book was an interesting and bumpy gave. You really pulled through to the very end.
road—bumpy in the very best sense of the word.
I will never forget the moment Mara Callaert stood
The saying teamwork makes the dream work was in front of me during the IFVP Conference in Decatur,
especially true for this project. The team grew to Georgia, in 2017. “I am going to design your book!” At
an inspired group of more than fifty people. Oh the time, Mara didn’t know the amount of work she
yes, and another saying (this one from Mary Alice and her design team, Norma Nardi, Teresa Vetter,
Arthur, our wonderful ‘book sprint’ host back in and Edona Balaj, would eventually contribute to this
2018): “Watch out, it will be like herding cats.” Now project. Their colleague, Agata Smok, blew my mind
I can say you were more than right, Mary Alice! with the cover design. (I am wondering what the book
Thank you for your leadership and friendship. will be called once it has survived its childhood: by
its actual title, or maybe “You know, that book with
Pulling off a project like this couldn’t be done without the hand and the marker.”) Thank you, also, Avigail
an amazing team of co-editors. Rachel, with your focus, Klous, for serving as our fourth designer to help
discipline, vision, and honesty, I was so glad you said us get the book ready for our ultimate deadline.
yes to this challenge. Thank you so much for ‘herding’
the group of North American authors. And Tim, I highly It can’t go without saying that we would be nowhere
value your creativity and your ability to work in the without the support of our families. Working on the
middle of the night, despite your family obligations and book sometimes felt like a second job; the good news
the client that always needed you the next morning. is that it was just temporary. So thank you Craig, Irene,
Above all, you’ve become great friends—hopefully for and Gunilla. Also, my son Rinse for giving that spark
life. A special thanks to author Jill Greenbaum for her to the final title, and my daughter Mila for her focus
dedication and extra support to the editorial team. on finalizing the world map with all the authors.
She stepped in to offer a fourth pair of eyes and
hands. Sonja Stone, our dear copy editor, no detail Dear reader, a final thank you for your trust by taking
escaped your critical eye—you were our indispensable this book in your hands. Read, get inspired, and
teammate to edit and streamline all text from the start enjoy your work in the field of visual facilitation.
to the very end. Merit Roodbeen, thank you for sharing We look forward to meeting you on the journey.
your experience by becoming my personal book coach.
And a great gratitude to all authors! We feel honored

to have a gem from each of you bundled in this Jeroen Blijsie
book. You’re true professionals in the field of visual Initiator and Project Manager
facilitation and specialists in your own areas. None
of you knew exactly what you’d stepped into, but you
THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION THE BOOK BEHIND THE SCENES XXIII
THE BOOK BEHIND THE SCENES

Creating a Masterpiece
In 2014, while vacationing with his family in the south-

western United States, Jeroen Blijsie visited The Grove’s
offices, located at the beautiful Presidio of San Fran-
cisco, complete with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
During David Sibbet’s coffee break, they had a ten min-

ute chat. Jeroen told David he had just stepped into vi-
sual facilitation. David commented, “Jeroen, our field is
exploding!” At that moment, Jeroen got the idea to write
a new book on visual facilitation—never guessing that
one day, fifty people would join him as co-authors, and
David himself would write the foreword to the book.
But it was three more years before the action started. Jeroen Blijsie and David Sibbet in August 2014. David said,
“Jeroen, the field of visual practice is exploding!”
XXIV THE BOOK BEHIND THE SCENES THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
JULY 2017: COMING UP WITH THE PLAN TO emerged: an intense week of writing and editing to
PULL IT OFF generate content for the book in one huge push.
During the annual conference of the International
Forum of Visual Practitioners (IFVP) in 2017 in Decatur, While at the conference, Jeroen approached Tim
Georgia (United States), Jeroen met with story activist Hamons (Art of Awakening, Singapore) and Rachel
Mary Alice Arthur, who was hosting the conference. Smith (then at The Grove, San Francisco) with an
He shared his idea and, together, they created a plan invitation to join him as co-editors of the book.
for building the editorial team and organizing a group They accepted, and the core team was formed!
of co-authors from around the world. It was during
this conversation that the idea of the ‘book sprint’
Mary Alice Arthur and Jeroen Blijsie putting together a rough plan.
OCTOBER 2017: DETAILING THE PLAN

A few months later, over the course of a few weeks,
Jeroen met with Rachel, Tim, and Mary Alice to put
together the plan and design the book sprint. Around
the same time, he began a conversation with Norma
Nardi of Visuality (Brussels, Belgium) that would
result in an ongoing partnership and a beautiful
design for the book. The co-editing team (Jeroen,
Tim, and Rachel) met remotely with Norma to create
a plan for the design and layout of the chapters.
.
Rachel, Jeroen, Tim, and Norma during a
meeting about the design plan.
THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION THE BOOK BEHIND THE SCENES XXV
JANUARY 2018: THE GLOBAL BOOK SPRINT Each region had daily check-ins and check-outs at
The book sprint was held in January 2018. The the beginning and end of their workdays, hosted by
aim was to produce as many of the chapters as Mary Alice. Co-authors worked around the clock with
possible while bringing the global co-authors an overlapping schedule to make the most of the
together (both physically and remotely) so that three-day sprint. They met at all hours—in person or
their combined energy would provide the mo- virtually—to exchange ideas and receive feedback.
mentum needed to complete a solid first draft.
During the sprint, authors drafted their chapters
The sprint was organized in three regions: North and shared them for review, then reviewed one
America, with a physical hub at The Grove, facil- another’s chapters and made suggestions. At the
itated by Rachel; Asia-Pacific, including authors end of the sprint, some forty chapters had been
from Australia, Singapore, Korea, Bali, and Japan, drafted and reviewed at least once, and often twice,
and anchored by Tim in Singapore; and Europe, by two or more authors. Co-authors worked in shared
hosted by Jeroen and Mary Alice, in a house at Google documents and used a digital kanban board
Nyenrode Business University in The Netherlands. (Trello) to track the progress of each chapter.
Co-authors working at the San Francisco book sprint hub, The Grove.
XXVI THE BOOK BEHIND THE SCENES THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
Book sprint meeting with the North American co-authors.
Book sprint meeting of the Asia-Pacific region.

THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION THE BOOK BEHIND THE SCENES XXVII
Book sprint meeting of the European region.
Working at the European book sprint venue.

XXVIII THE BOOK BEHIND THE SCENES THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
Brainstorming the book’s concepts.
Visual notes made by Holger Nils Pohl during the book sprint.
THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION THE BOOK BEHIND THE SCENES XXIX
FEBRUARY 2018: EDITORIAL WEEK IN SAN organizational session, writing chapter titles (and
FRANCISCO topics) on sticky notes, the team completely restruc-
tured the book into its current format.
Most co-authors finished up their chapters in the
days following the writing sprint, and in February the In May 2018, the co-editors launched a Kickstarter
co-editors gathered in San Francisco for an editing campaign to fund the production of the book, which
sprint. They met at The Grove and at Rachel’s house concluded successfully with 126% funding in early
in Sonoma County. During this time, the co-editing June. The team was then able to hire a professional
team read the chapters, captured suggestions for the copy editor, Sonja Stone, who would play a key role
next revision, and created a plan for marketing, fund- in unifying the chapters and making sure the book
ing, and copy editing. remained consistent, despite its variety of authoring
styles.
During this review, the team realized that the planned
structure of the book wasn’t working. In a marathon
Meeting and having fun during the editorial week in San Francisco.
Restructuring the book during the editorial week in San Francisco.

XXX THE BOOK BEHIND THE SCENES THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
APRIL 2018 – JUNE 2019: COPY EDITING AND With more than seventy chapters—all in different
DESIGN stages of this process—and with the team spread out
The initial plan was to complete the draft of the book across the globe (The Netherlands, San Francisco,
during the week-long editing sprint, but it became Singapore, Phoenix, and Brussels), it was critical to
clear (very quickly) that this was an unattainable select a smart system to keep track of everything. The
goal. Instead, the editorial team created a more team turned to Trello once again, creating an editor’s
long-term plan that involved several steps: board to keep track of all the steps and where each
chapter was in the process. It took more than a year
∙∙Working with the design team to create to work through all the chapters from draft to layout.
a “look” for the entire book
∙∙Reading and editing each chapter
∙∙Working with each co-author to

finalize their chapter(s)
∙∙Having each chapter professionally copy edited
∙∙Working again with each co-author to

finalize the copy-edited version
∙∙Sending each chapter to the design team for layout
∙∙Proofreading the layouts Trello helped structure and organize the

editing and design process.
The design team working on the layout of the book.

THE WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION THE BOOK BEHIND THE SCENES XXXI
The result of this extraordinary

global effort is the book that
you now hold in your hands.
We, the co-editors, are deeply
grateful to all the people
involved. It is an understatement
to say that we couldn’t have
done it without all of you.
GETTING
STARTED
Getting Started
Holger Nils Pohl
MY JOURNEY AS A
VISUAL FACILITATOR
The Journey of a Reluctant Artist.
Visual Language and Drawing
EUVIZ.com / photographer: Orest Tabaka

4 MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING
MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR

THE JOURNEY OF A RELUCTANT ARTIST Around tenth grade (at the age of seventeen)
I officially called myself a visual practitioner something changed in my way of working. Homework
for the first time in 2010. Actually, as I found became more solution-oriented. By drawing the
out later, I’ve been one all my life. connections between different topics, I more suc-
cessfully learned my subjects at school. These visuals
Drawing has always been my passion. It’s the were highly personal and very unprofessional—mind
way I express myself best, and it’s the best way maps, if you like. The highlight was the ‘learning map’
to talk to myself without other people looking at I created for my final exam in biology. I taped nine
me like I’m crazy. Drawing is a conversation with double-sized sheets of paper together, then connected
my own brain—or with the brains of others. all the content on this huge, absolutely messy-looking
map. This enabled me to mentally recall the content by
following the connections on the map. It really helped.
MY CREATIVE BEGINNINGS
As a child and adolescent I did it all: tracing and copy- For a long time after, I struggled with my drawing
ing my favorite comic artists, experimenting, creating style, technique, and capabilities. I still loved to
whole new universes on an A4 (letter sized) sheet draw and paint. The smell of a fresh oil painting
of paper. In school I tried to build as many graphics or cleaning brushes with turpentine...that’s the
and drawings into my homework as I could (which smell of heaven! But I was hesitant...I had to force
often led to hours and hours of doing homework!). myself to continue drawing. I had a hard time.
VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR 5
Actually, I still struggle with this every day. I have But being present, staying
to force myself to take a pen in hand. I fear the
GETTING STARTED
judgement of others, but first and foremost, in the moment and creating
I fear the judgment of my inner critic.
a connection to the people
Somewhere in this tension—between my urge to
draw and my lack of skill in doing so—I began to I’m interacting with—that’s
teach students how to draw. That was during my
time at the University for Applied Science, studying easy. That’s my strength.
architecture. I broke off my studies after three
semesters, realizing that a lifetime of engineering
was not what I wanted. I took an apprenticeship
to become a carpenter. That was me at the age
of twenty-three. Still no valid job description.
Becoming a carpenter happened to be just the

right thing to do at that moment in time.
There is a distinct connection between drawing

and creating something out of wood. It requires
the same moment of concentration to get the
perfect line, the perfect surface, when working with
something organic, like wood or your own hands.
It was one of my best life decisions to learn this
craft. I took this with me when I decided to study
communication design after my apprenticeship. I STUMBLED ON GRAPHIC RECORDING
Naturally when I stumbled on graphic recording
I was still teaching drawing while getting my diploma in in 2010, I immediately felt, “This is my thing!” And
communication design. In case this sounds like an easy do you know why? It’s a job strongly connected to
road into the future, let me pause for a moment. At this people. But even better, it forces me to draw. There
point I was twenty-eight and married. Our daughter was is no way out! The perfect technique to overcome
eight months old when I had my final exam. Busy times. my personal resistance when it comes to drawing!1
I went into my first job as a self-employed designer at Graphic recording was great! But when I stepped into
the age of twenty-nine. I knew I was good at design, visual facilitation, I knew at once that I’d found my
and even better when working with people. That’s calling! For starters, facilitation is deeply connected
a pattern that has stayed with me ever since. Planning? to people in process. Furthermore, facilitation
Organizing? Structured working? Not so much. forces me to draw. I really like the combination of
preparing tools and templates for group processes,
and then drawing live (or switching to writing,
depending on the situation in the workshop).
Long story short, visual facilitation has allowed me

to add another layer to my work. I enjoy working with
the iPad, but the application I loved most was being
phased out. I decided to create my own drawing tool,
1 For a great definition of resistance, see Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art: Break Through Blocks and Win Your Creative Battles.
6 MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING
and I managed to bring the WorkVisual App to life (with WORKS CITED:
the help of my colleagues and team at the WorkVisual
Institute, my friends at rausgegangen, The App Guys, Holger Nils Pohl. Holger Nils Pohl,
and a lovely community of visual practitioners around www.holgernilspohl.com.
the world). Yes, it slowed me down. Yes, the team is still Accessed 11 June 2019.
small and would be bigger if we hadn’t created the app.
But it was worth it. (I’m saying was worth it because Pressfield, Steven. The War of Art: Break
by the time this book comes out, I will have shut the Through Blocks and Win Your Creative Battles.
doors for the WorkVisual App. It was a great time. Black Irish Entertainment, LLC, 2002.
Great learnings. But not easy. However, I don’t regret
anything.) And on those difficult days that come from Steven Pressfield. Steven Pressfield,
time to time, I try to imagine some other visual fellows www.stevenpressfield.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
feeling something similar while drawing out the world.
WorkVisual Institute. WorkVisual Institute,
www.workvisual-institute.com.
SHIFTING MY FOCUS Accessed 02 Jan. 2019.
Nowadays I’m focusing (more or less solely) on visual
facilitation as I support companies with their complex
projects and wicked challenges (which are basically
challenges in which you don’t know what the solution
will look like, or where there is no single right solution).
If I should point to the one single thing that has

been constant throughout my journey, it is this:
I strongly believe that if we spend time to set our
focus right, then opportunities will open up along the
way. The success I have today is based on helping
people; I find a good connection in the relationship.
I do this without wanting anything in return.
I’m curious by nature and

believe in the strength of
positivity. In one way or
another, what you give to
others will always come back.
VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR 7
GETTING STARTED
Getting Started
Malgosia Kostecka
THE FUNDAMENTALS
OF VISUAL LANGUAGE
Text and images are mighty friends, and when paired together
they make information more memorable and easier to process.

10 THE FUNDAMENTALS OF VISUAL LANGUAGE VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF VISUAL LANGUAGE
When I ask an adult to draw something, most time Though I was blown away by this field of graphic ninjas,
they come back with the same excuse, “Oh no, at that point in my life I was too scared to pick up
I really can’t draw.” When I ask kids to do the same a pen and draw a picture, especially if other people
thing, they fearlessly grab a marker and immediately would be watching. All those years not developing my
start doodling. What happens in the years between drawing abilities created a deep inner critic around
picking up a pen to draw everything, and picking my visual skills. I was afraid my drawings wouldn’t be
up a pen only to write words and numbers? taken seriously if they weren’t beautiful and realistic.
I thought back to my sixth-grade self and wondered,
In sixth grade, my teacher caught me doodling in what would have happened if my teacher had encour-
class and reprimanded me for not paying attention, aged me to express my thoughts visually, the same
saying something like, “A good student sits still and way I’d been encouraged to express them with words?
listens.” From that point on, I separated drawing from
learning. It wasn’t until years later that I learned an It turns out that learning how to draw is similar to
entire field was dedicated to using visuals to support learning how to spell. Just as you learned to write your
clarity of thinking and communication with others. ABC’s to create complicated words, so can you learn
This collection of visual practitioners includes graphic to draw anything using basic shapes. David Sibbet,
facilitators, who use graphics to support a group in the pioneer of graphic facilitation, identified seven
achieving their outcomes, and graphic recorders, who seed shapes, out of which any image can be built.1
create real-time, detailed, graphic renderings of ideas,
questions, and themes that evolve from a conversation.
Figure 1: The Visual Organizational Scale (VOS).
1 Sibbet, Visual Meetings.

VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF VISUAL LANGUAGE 11
If you can draw these seven shapes, and I’m willing the office, and someone comes up with a great slogan.
to bet you can, then you can draw anything! If you Instead of just letting that comment slip away, write
don’t believe me, consider this: when learning the slogan down and then draw a corresponding
how to write the letters in the alphabet, you had image. Why draw an image next to the text? Text and
to memorize which shapes made up each letter. images are mighty friends, and when paired together
they make information more memorable and easier
to process (think infographics and advertisements).
Maybe you decide a tree would be a good image
GETTING STARTED
to pair with the text. Naturally, your inner critic
expects your tree to look something like this:
Figure 2: Letters are made of shapes.
Well, it’s the same story when learning to draw

images. First you have to memorize which
shapes to combine to create the image you
want. Then you combine them, and voila!2
In actuality, maybe your tree turns out like this:
Figure 3: Select your shapes to create your image.
Maybe you’re still thinking, “Nah, I’m just not the

creative type. In any case, drawing won’t help me with
serious work stuff . . . right?” Well, I’m glad you asked!
Though the first drawing is more detailed and realistic,
When ideas and decisions are captured visually, the the second drawing equally reinforces the text, not to
information is more memorable, people are more mention it only took five seconds (versus the ten
likely to participate, and there’s a tangible record of minutes spent on the first drawing). For more on
the conversation that can be used in the future. creating custom icons for your team, see Jerre Lub-
berts’ chapter, Live Digital Mapping.
For example, let’s say you’re having a conversation
with your colleagues about reducing paper waste in
2 King, Draw Forth: How to Host Your Own Visual Conversations Without Having to Be a Professional Artist or a Full-On Facilitator.
If there’s one thing I want you to get out the faster they are to draw and the more they invite
of reading this section it’s this: a participant’s imagination to fill in the blanks.
When using drawing as a tool

to communicate or capture
ideas, focus on the key
identifying factors of what
you’re trying to draw, and
use the seven seed shapes
to create your image.
You needn’t be Picasso to pick up a pen in the

boardroom. In fact, the more simple your images,
So here’s where you leap out of your seat, grab the nearest pen, and realize that you, too, can draw! Before we
begin visualizing complex concepts, let’s practice a few basic shapes.
We’ll connect them to create simple graphics .
SQUARE
CIRCLE
GETTING STARTED
ARROW
Try drawing this arrow, which can be used to illustrate growth:

TEAM
EARTH
LIGHTBULB
GETTING STARTED
Now we’ll combine the simple shapes and graphics you just learned to illustrate more complex concepts.
TRANSFORMATION
INNOVATION
HIGH PERFORMING TEAM
CULTURE
Congratulations, you’ve just ex- WORKS CITED:

panded your icon library!
Horn, Robert. Visual Language: Global Communi-
Whether this is the start of your journey, or you’ve cation for the 21st Century. MacroVU Press, 1998.
been dabbling in visual language for years, I encourage
you to expand your practice with one simple action. King, Jeannel. Draw Forth: How to Host Your Own Visual
Each day write down one word you frequently use, Conversations Without Having to Be a Professional
then challenge yourself to create an icon. If you Artist or a Full-On Facilitator. Papumiho Press, 2014.
need some inspiration, use the magic of the internet
GETTING STARTED
to search for examples of what others have done Noun Project - Icons for Everything. Noun Project
(I especially recommend the Noun Project’s website3). Inc., thenounproject.com. Accessed 06 June 2019.
The more you activate this part of your brain, the
better you’ll become at communicating with yourself Sibbet, David. Visual Meetings. John
and others. I’ll leave you this quote by Robert Horn.4 Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010.
“Visual language is emerging as any other language

does by people creating it and speaking it . . . it is
being born of people’s need, worldwide, to deal
with complex ideas that are difficult to express
in text alone.” – Robert Horn, Visual Language
3 For more information, see: thenounproject.com.

4 Horn, Visual Language.
Getting Started
Kelvy Bird and Holger Nils Pohl
USING COLOR
No color is an island; as soon as one is applied to
a surface, it has a home and a neighbor.
Photo: Alfredo Carlo

20 USING COLOR VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING
USING COLOR
The color wheel serves as

your basic tool to finding
the right color combination.
Selecting colors from the
same family conveys harmony
and stillness. Complemen-
tary colors provide high
contrast and activity.
Using large or small areas of color will

highly influence your final visual.
The brightness of your colors helps

create depth in your visuals. Darker
colors will pop, whereas lighter
colors blend into the background.
VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING USING COLOR 21
COLOR IN CONTEXT MEANING OF COLORS AROUND THE WORLD

Here are some examples of color variations, illustrat- Some colors have universal meaning. Other
ing the impact of relativity. Notice how the same color colors are highly personal and may be determined
appears to a be slightly different shade, depending on by regional culture. Find your own ‘color voice’
its context. Grey is especially changeable in pairings by experimenting with unique applications that
and, depending on its position as foreground or only you would create. The included diagram,
background, can take a more active or passive role. though simplified and omitting a range of subtlety,
Likewise, areas of color can appear bolder or weaker, demonstrates some basic interpretations.
given the proportions of other areas around them.
GETTING STARTED
NOT PURE COLORS, BUT IMPACTING VALUE
∙∙ White: known, open, projected
∙∙ Black: unknown, mysterious, receptive
restful, sustainable, growing
fluid, joyful,
internal, enthusiastic,
cerebral relational
strong,
spiritual, extending,
reserved, creative
royal
powerful, passionate, active

UNLOCKING CLARITY
By Holger Nils Pohl
When it comes to using color, I like to use less, contrast for examples and relevant words to be written
rather than more. In terms of guiding our atten- in black. I use grey for things that shouldn’t demand
tion, color is one of the most active elements focus. I use the primary color for the most essential
available to us. Therefore, as visual facilitators, parts of the visual, to help guide the eye of the viewer.
we need to be careful about how we use color.
STAYING CLOSE TO CORPORATE IDENTITY

THE RIGHT COLOR PALETTE I frequently work for corporate clients, so my primary
When I embark on a project, I immediately decide color choice is often based on the corporate design
on my color palette. I use one primary color and one guidelines. If my client has red as their primary
secondary color. Additionally, I’ll select black, and one color, I use red for positive aspects of the company,
or two gray tones. I don’t use any more color than that. and something like grey for negative aspects. This
may feel counterintuitive, because in the Western
Hemisphere, we use green for positive and red for
THE POWER OF GRAY negative. But in this particular case, red helps to
I prefer a dark grey (over black) for my outlines. The identify with the corporate identity. Corporate identity
grey blends nicely with the colors and provides enough overrules some of the stereotypical color selections.
VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING USING COLOR 23
GETTING STARTED
A BALANCED APPROACH
By Kelvy Bird
BRING ENERGIZED BALANCE paper gives another, and on brown cardboard, another
My goal when using color is to bring energized balance still. Same ink, three unique combinations and effects.
to a picture. My use of color is strongly influenced
by Concerning the Spiritual in Art, by Wassily
Kandinsky, in which he assigns meaning to color. THROUGH A PAINTER’S LENS
Kandinsky’s work, along with Josef Albers’ seminal Opting for an intimate and subjective use of color,
volume Interaction of Color, make clear that color I consider elements through a painter’s lens. By
is interdependent and exists in relative contexts. including hues that represent fire, air, earth, and
water, I try to acknowledge a kind of life force found
in nature. Along these lines, the painter Gregory
NO COLOR IS AN ISLAND Amenoff 1 once suggested during a studio critique
No color is an island; as soon as one is applied to a that I engage a range of rich dark colors, lights and
surface, it has a home and a neighbor. Green on white pastels, ‘ugly’ acids, and neutrals. This advice has
paper offers one relation; the same green on black become foundational; it is always considered as I
1 For more about Amenoff, visit www.gregoryamenoff.com.

choose materials for a session or project. Sometimes

this color approach can be included through direct
inks; sometimes I rely on well-crafted palettes
to digitally enhance hand-drawn images (for an
example, see the cross of color pictured here).
I choose unique palettes for my workshops, too, based

on the same principles, and take special delight in
custom mixing inks based on the tone of workshop’s
location, season, and overall setting. I usually use
a hotel carafe or pitcher to contain the necessary
volume, mixing up to ten full bottles of Neuland®
ink in various proportions; then I fill up to twenty
marker shells at a time. Participants usually like the
color twist, and sometimes I get emails asking for the
formula when the ink runs out. To this I reply (with
a grin and a wink), “You can mix your own, too!”
WORKS CITED:
Amenoff, Gregory. Gregory Amenoff, www.gregoryamenoff.com. Accessed 20 April 2019.
Albers, Josef. Interaction of Color. Yale University Press, 1963.
Kandinsky, Wassily. Art of Spiritual Harmony. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1914.
Kandinsky, Wassily. Concerning the Spiritual in Art. Dover Publications, 1977.

Getting Started
Heather Leavitt Martinez
LETTERING FOR LEGIBILITY,

HIERARCHY, AND SPEED
Letters are the building blocks of written communication. Master
them so you can focus on listening, drawing, and synthesizing.

28 LETTERING FOR LEGIBILITY, HIERARCHY, AND SPEED VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING
LETTERING FOR LEGIBILITY,

HIERARCHY, AND SPEED
THE IMPORTANCE OF LEGIBILITY Begin by asking yourself,
Whether at the front of a packed room or alone in
our studio, legibility of our writing is key. And in “What is this tool designed
our work, the speed at which we write is a critical
part of how well we deliver. Oftentimes, the faster for, and what else can it do?”
we write, the worse our handwriting becomes.
We misspell a word, lose track of spacing and A few notes on nibs...
placement, forget to write in a straight horizontal
line, lose control over the size of our lettering, and There are many different kinds of markers on the
occasionally find ourselves writing right off the market. However, there are three categories of nibs.
page! (Note to self: this happens to all of us.)
Round (also known as bullet)
We tend to take lettering for granted. Because our
handwriting is based on what we learned as children, ∙∙Provides a monoline to your work—simple and
it’s often second nature; an afterthought. Most of us beautiful, but requires preciseness when writing.
have had a mark-making tool in our hand since before
we were making memories. How we communicate with ∙∙Many practitioners like the simplicity of this nib. How-
our lettering is just as important as how ever, good form is of utmost importance when writing
well we draw and synthesize information with this nib. There is very little room for error.
to include in our captures. Words are what
our audiences listen to and refer to as Wedge (also known as chisel) or Flat
we write. Therefore, the content must be
both accurate and legibly presented. ∙∙Both wedge and flat are considered broad-edge nibs.
Lettering is the foundation of our written language, ∙∙Smaller wedge nibs provide nice line variation;
and one of the most important building blocks in large, flat edges are great for writing titles.
our efforts to communicate with one another. This
chapter will guide you to write more legibly, explain Brush
how to utilize tools to make sense of your lettering,
offer best practices, inspire you to letter creatively, ∙∙The brush nib offers maximum line
and empower you with some basic skills to boost variation due to angle and pressure.
your confidence as you step up to the wall.
∙∙Takes the most eye/hand coordination and
practice to control AND has the most potential
TOOLS OF THE TRADE in differentiating your lettering from others.
If you take lettering as seriously as I do, finding
the right tools for your lettering styles is critical.
VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING LETTERING FOR LEGIBILITY, HIERARCHY, AND SPEED 29
Fast Tip: Want to level up your lettering? Learn a specific
GETTING STARTED
lettering style, then use a different marker nib to write
in the same style. This forces you to think about letterforms
while advancing your hand-eye coordination.
Figure 1: Play with different markers to discover new styles.

These are Neuland® markers (see Works Cited for product information).
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE TRADITIONAL! water-based acrylic markers on board substrates,

In addition to markers specifically designed such as sustainable products like Neuland Brown
for visual practitioners, many other tools Pin Board and Eaglecell, allows the paint to sit on
can be used during content capturing. the surface, which allows for good color saturation.
Nontraditional tools and materials, either ∙∙You can fill water brushes with Neuland® or fountain
purchased or homemade, add visual interest pen inks for a brush-stroke look to your recordings.
to your work. As a visual practitioner, consider
experimenting with some of the following: ∙∙ Suede pens allow you to dip into any color and
still work vertically on the wall. You can customize
∙∙ Chalk and chalkboard markers look great on tradi- the width and work in any size imaginable.
tional chalkboards, blackboard,1 and black, dark, or
kraft paper. Many of these markers also come in
round, wedge, and flat nibs.
∙∙ Graffiti artists often use felt-tipped or metal

ballpoint pens and acrylic paint to quickly leave their
vibrant marks. While we may not fully adopt spray
paint, mops, or solid paint sticks in our work, we can
leverage the same kind of pump-action acrylic mark-
ers used by our graffiti writing counterparts. Using
Figure 2: The task determines the speed.
1 To purchase EagleCell or Gaterfoam Boards, see www.foamcore.com.

SPEEDS OF LETTERING ∙∙Glance (this would be large, like a subheader)

Always know your purpose when writing—your
GETTING STARTED
grocery list doesn’t need to be a work of art. ∙∙Scan (smaller, but still big)
∙∙Read (normal body text)

FAST / PERSONAL NOTES
When writing for yourself, do just that—write for your- ∙∙Study (smallest, like a caption)
self. Whether jotting down an idea or making a to-do
list, you’ll typically write with speed. Fast writing often
makes our handwriting unreadable, even to ourselves.
Forgive yourself; these letters are for your eyes only. The fastest and easiest way
to create lettering hierarchy
MEDIUM / RAPID CAPTURE
Visual practitioners, sign painters, and graffiti artists is by using the right-sized
create works for others to see. They all work quickly,
but for different reasons. A sign painter gets paid tool and lettering style
by the piece. A graffiti artist works fast because
their work is usually illegal. The visual practitioner for the project at hand.
works quickly to keep pace with the conversation
in the room. During live visual recording, working Let the marker do the heavy lifting: the larger
too quickly can sacrifice legibility—but working too the marker, the larger the letter. The smaller
slowly results in lost content. Finding lettering styles the marker, the faster you can write.
that allow you to work quickly and legibly is key!
SLOW / STUDIO WORK

Sometimes we have the unique opportunity to
work at a comfortable pace in our studio as we
create customized visuals for a client meeting or
event. In these instances, we can turn our lettering
into in-depth studies of form as we take time
to lay out, design, and embellish our work.
HIERARCHY OF LETTERING
There are many ways to show hierarchy on our wall- Figure 3: The hierarchy of lettering is easily achieved
sized recordings through placement, color, and size. by choosing the right-sized tool for the job.
When it comes to the hierarchy of lettering and the
reader experience, one easy model to keep in mind is:
VERSATILE LETTERING STYLES
While size matters, simply writing larger, bolder
letters doesn’t necessarily add value to your chart.
You likely took the time to plan a color palette and
icon library; you should also plan which lettering
styles to use. There are several styles that work Architect and Sign Painter could easily become
well at any size and with a variety of nibs. two of the most valuable lettering styles in your
lettering library. Not only do they scale well,
The lettering style Architect looks best when written but they have many variations. You can use the
with a Neuland NoOne® round nib. However, there same lettering style throughout your chart and
is no reason why it wouldn’t work with a Neuland still keep it interesting. Additionally, mastering
BigOne® or FatOne® to create a chart title. While these styles will allow you to match the speed of
the Neuland ArtMarker® best reflects the casual a co-practitioner while recording in tandem.
lettering of the Sign Painter lettering style, this too
can be scaled down using a Neuland FineOne® round
nib (and enlarged all the way up to a FatOne®).
Note that to ensure adequate room for counter spaces

in large letters, use five pen widths as a measuring
@ KEY TAKEAWAY: Let the marker
do the heavy lifting.
tool (see the scale of the letters in Figure 2.).
TITLES
Why use a Neuland NoOne® or a Charters® Marker2 to make a four inch (ten centime-
ter) letter when a BigOne® is a better tool for the job? The stroke of the larger marker will
not only finish the large lettering faster, but you won’t have to worry about the little things,
like too much ink on the paper, bleeding, running out of ink, or overlapping lines.
Speaking of large letters, titles can make or break a chart. Reading from left to right, the viewer
sees the title first. It’s the first impression the audience has—especially if we have predrawn the
title in the studio and hung the paper on the wall as we wait for the meeting to begin.
Figure 4: A breakdown of letter sizes based on the aforementioned

hierarchy (Sign Painter on the left, Architect on the right).
2 To purchase Charters® Markers, visit grovetools-inc.com/collections/supplies/products/charters-markers-set-of-8-assorted-colors.

GETTING STARTED
Figure 5: A few ideas for letter fills (examples
provided by Ben Tinker3).
WHY PRACTICE IS SO IMPORTANT

Practice doesn’t make perfect. I’ve filled up an
entire sheet with letters only to see my style getting
worse as the practice session progressed.
FORM VERSUS RHYTHM
“Hope is not an action “Learn form first, then rhythm,” said every calligraphy
teacher I’ve ever had. If you are not happy with your
plan, critical practice is.” natural handwriting, start with Roman majuscules,
Foundational, or Italic. Practice slowly to improve your
– Carol DuBosch form. Once you’ve got that down, you don’t need to
practice speed, simply apply your improved technique
The first time I heard Carol DuBosch speak these to your work. Sketchnoting and graphic recording
words in a lettering workshop, I immediately wrote in real time will provide all the rhythm you need.
the mantra in my sketchbook. I now design my
lettering practice with clear intentions and goals, and
continuously look at my work with a more critical eye. TABLE TOP VERSUS THE WALL
As you sit and practice, it’s likely you are working
Critical practice is critically important. Here are some smaller and can position your paper in any direction
suggestions to improve your lettering through practice. you like. When standing at the wall, you will need to
write larger, and since your paper doesn’t move, you
may find yourself in interesting positions to get the
letterforms on the page the way you have envisioned
3 See more of Ben Tinker’s work at www.common-clarity.com.

them. Don’t pull a rib! Just notice that it’s different. THERE IS NO CONCLUSION...
Remember that when writing small letters, you will You will likely make letters for the rest of your
use your fingers and wrist more. When you get to the life. You might as well feel good about it.
wall, you may notice you are engaging your elbow and
shoulder more to write larger letters. You might need To this end, be sure to:
to hold the marker differently—notice and adjust.
∙∙Take the time to learn each letterform.
GUIDELINES ∙∙Practice words (not just letters) frequently

Want to write in a straight line? Practice with and with intention—put them to work!
guidelines. This is especially effective when practicing
brushlettering—the slanted guidelines will help you ∙∙Make letters you enjoy and constantly improve
make more consistent letters. Practicing with guidelines their legibility. Let your style evolve!
builds muscle memory; use your ability to visualize
the lines when you get to the wall. You can also use After completing a chart, take a step back and cele-
a pencil to draw a baseline to guide you. It's allowed! brate your lettering! Here are a few things to notice:
∙∙Is the lettering legible? Are the letters

PANGRAMS consistent in size and shape?
A pangram is a sentence containing every letter of
the alphabet (also known as an alphabet sentence). ∙∙Is there a clear hierarchy? Is the vari-
Writing pangrams allows you to write your letters ety of lettering styles balanced?
in relationship to one another, the way they were
intended. My favorite pangram is: Jovial zombie graphic ∙∙Are the baselines of text straight (or
recorders quickly fill their markers with galaxy ink. drawn as they were intended)?
∙∙How will you build on your lettering

strengths for the next chart?
Letters are the building blocks of the foundation

from which we communicate. Don’t just rely on your
handwriting to get you through a project. Make your
lettering marks as intentional as your drawings.
Make your lettering marks as

intentional as your drawings.
Image 1: Use pangrams to practice letterforms
in relation to one another.
WORKS CITED:
GETTING STARTED
“Charters® Markers.” The Grove Consultants International,
www.grovetools-inc.com/collections/supplies/products/charters-markers-set-of-8-assorted-colors.
Accessed 8 Oct. 2018.
"Foamcore Eaglecell Board.” Foamcore, www.foamcore.com/products/eaglecell-board-48-x-96-x-1-2-12-sheets.

Accessed 07 June 2019.
Neuland®. Neuland, global.neuland.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“Sign Painter.” House Industries, houseind.com/hi/signpainter. Accessed 06 June 2019
Tinker, Ben. Common Clarity, www.common-clarity.com. Accessed 8 Oct. 2018.

Getting Started
Tomoko Tamaari
VISUALIZATION OF
HUMAN EMOTION
To have deep empathy, simply sharing emotion is
not enough. Only an honest dialogue about our
feelings will help us understand one another.

38 VISUALIZATION OF HUMAN EMOTION VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING
VISUALIZATION OF HUMAN EMOTION
When graphic recording, I always pay attention In Japan, many graphic recorders draw in a Japanese
to drawing two particular things: the context—the cartoon-like style. Characters are shown with colorful
environment around a speaker, their relationship with and detailed emotional expression. Such an expression
the other participants—and the speaker’s emotion. is an outcome of Japanese culture. We communicate
with people by studying their facial expressions and
People do not experience the same emotions, even body language carefully, and paying attention to
in identical situations. To have deep empathy, simply subtext more than text. Japanese people grow up with
sharing emotion is not enough. Only dialogue about Japanese-style manga comic books and graphic novels
what we feel at that time leads to really understanding as staples in their lives, so they are familiar with the
each other. In order to effectively capture and draw emotional expressions used through this medium.
out a speaker’s delicate emotion, I incorporate
these elements into my graphic recording: In Japan there are a variety of manga, not only
for children, but also for adults to learn history
∙∙emotional expression using manpu1 and science (manga for learning). Manga is also
(which will be explained shortly), and used to help adults get a better understanding of
complex human management concepts, such as
∙∙the relationships between two people, between Peter Drucker’s Theory of Management, and Otto
a person and a thing, and within organizations. Scharmer’s TheoryU. For many reasons, manga remains
popular. Because of its widespread application,
Japanese practitioners enjoy drawing in manga styles.
JAPANESE CARTOON-LIKE EXPRESSION Pictures can be drawn quickly, simply, and are varied
and flexible enough that the numerous available
expressions are well suited to graphic recording.
One outstanding use for Japanese manga is the

colorful expression of human emotion. Besides
facial expressions and gestures, there are many
other ways to illustrate human emotion, including
manpu, lines, balloon shapes, and onomatopoeia.
Manpu2 is a visual code (or technique) to communicate

human psychology in faces. By using simplified codes,
it instantly adds a variety of delicate emotional expres-
sion to drawings. In my work as a visual practitioner, I
draw simple characters with manga-like methods that
express human emotion (see Figure 2—I’ll use this
Figure 1: An example of Japanese cartoon-like graphic recording. basic character to illustrate a variety of emotion).
1 Manpu is a term that specifically describes the expressions used in Japanese manga art.
2 For more, see Takekuma’s article, “Hito me de wakaru ‘keiyu’ zukan (Pictorial Guide of ‘Keiyu’ Understandable at a Glance),” from the
book Manga no yomikata (How to Read Manga), p. 80.
VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING VISUALIZATION OF HUMAN EMOTION 39
GETTING STARTED
Figure 2: A simple character expressing basic human emotion.
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS Figure 3: Simple facial expressions.

The basic face is quite simple; dots and lines
within a circle show mild emotion. For additional Adding manpu to the face allows us to describe
emotion, we can vary the eyes and mouth, or maybe different emotions when drawing only the face. If you
add eyebrows. For example, to draw a smiling and combine facial expressions with different manpu, the
warm-hearted face, the smile itself extends over meaning of the facial expression differs. For example,
the face. To draw an angry face, the face tenses up manpu of rosy cheeks show happiness when used on
and everything focuses on the center of the face. a smiling face. But rosy cheeks might communicate
shame when combined with an eyebrows-going-down
facial expression. The combination makes it different,
as can be seen in the examples in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Slight variations allow you to express the desired emotion.

BODY EXPRESSIONS BODY EXPRESSION

After drawing these basics of the human body, the next
step is to add body movement and facial expressions.
For example, spreading out hands and legs of a person
means happiness. Drawing a shrunken body expresses
unhappiness. A big, wide chest shows energy, and
drawing a shrinking back indicates a feeling of
discouragement.
Figure 5: The body, like the face, can be used to express emotion.
Human anatomy is a complex structure. It takes

time to draw the human body correctly. Graphic Figure 7: Adding body movement and expression.
recording work requires drawing quickly while
listening to conversations. Therefore, simple
drawings of the body and face are desirable. INTERACTION AND RELATIONSHIP
Expression of the whole body (body language) and eyes
show the condition between two people. When two
THE BASIC STICK FIGURE people have equal status, the eyes are at the same lev-
A stick figure (Figure 6, left below) with a circle for a el. For example, when a person is accusing another per-
head and five lines for a body does not express human son, the accuser’s eyes are drawn in a higher position
emotion. To add emotion, the first step is to draw (above) than the accused. They won’t have eye contact.
a three-dimensional picture, such as a sphere of a
head; cylindrical figures for the torso, arms, and legs
(including joints); and hands and feet (Figure 6, right).
This figure will become the foundation of the picture.
Figure 8: Adding interaction and denoting relationships.
Figure 6: The stick figure morphs into something more.

ADDING FLESH
The last step is making the figures look more
GETTING STARTED
natural. To do this, add “flesh” in line with the
hands and legs. The more you practice, the
easier it becomes to bypass the stick figure
and directly draw the fleshy human body.
Figure 9: Adding flesh humanizes the figures.
ADDING EFFECTS
LINES
Effective use of lines generally occurs in the space
behind your figures. Lines can describe a variety
of conditions, chiefly about a person’s emotional
expression and the atmosphere of their situation.
Effective methods to communicate expression and
atmosphere include overlapping lines, a cross-hatching
technique called KakeAmi, or crossing net, and a
rope variation called Nawa-Ami, or rope net.
Focusing line expresses a happy feeling and

the influence of strength. When focusing line is
used with crossing line, it denotes an unhappy
atmosphere and silently conveys the message,
“I am not happy with this situation!” Vertical line
shows human emotion like sadness or pain.
Figure 10: The line technique that you

choose will help reflect emotion.
KakeAmi (which includes three degrees of cross hatch-

ing: the single net, the double net, and the rope net) is a
technique to draw wide space instantly by repetition of
simple line drawing. Kake indicates a cross shape and
ami means net. Single net is drawn in one direction and
uses lines of the same length. Double net is done by
crossing lines. In graphic recording, I use this technique
often (single net or double net) because it’s quick. Figure 12: Balloon shapes add emotion to
Rope net is made with single nets in trapezoid shapes, spoken words and internal thoughts.
connected like a rope. When using pastel colors, this
is an easy way to draw a wide swath of background.
ONOMATOPOEIA
Japanese onomatopoeia is full of many kinds of words
and expressions. It is said to include more than 4,500
expressions,3 and is not limited to the expression
of sounds. They can illustrate feelings, personal
mental conditions, or external circumstances. (This
type of onomatopoeia is called a mimetic word, as it
mimics the situation or objects that it describes.)
For example, a crowd of tense people who are unable

Figure 11: The net techniques of KakeAmi. to speak are expressed with shiiin (silence).
BALLOON SHAPES
Balloon shapes convey thoughts and words using
an expressive shape and line quality. Also known as
thought bubbles and dialogue bubbles, they reflect
external dialogue and internal voice. The shapes and
line quality change to reflect the nature of the dialogue. Figure 13: The Japanese onomatopoeia shiiin expresses silence.
My typical balloon shapes include: If something is energetically growing, its state

is expressed with goon (gaan), or energy.
From a speaker
∙∙Spoken words
∙∙Expressed thoughts and emotions
From a listener
∙∙Responses to (or thoughts about) what a speaker says
Figure 14: Energy.
3 For more information about Japanese onomatopoeia, visit: onomatopelabo.jp/column/index.html.

Imagine people who are mentally and physically

exhausted, caught in a gloomy atmosphere. This
GETTING STARTED
scene is expressed with donyori (bad atmosphere).
Figure 15: Gloomy or tired. Step 3: Draw the atmosphere of circum-

stances using lines and onomatopoeia.
MY STRATEGY FOR ADDING EMOTION: A

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
The following is my secret strategy to drawing
human emotion when I do a graphic recording.
It always works and really gets me in the flow
when creating drawings with emotional impact.
Step 1: Draw a human’s emotion by facial Step 4: Using balloon shapes (or other containers),
expression and body expression. group items for clarity.
Step 2: Draw necessary words or icons Step 5: Finish the drawing by adding words in the bal-
to describe the situation. loon, an explanation of each scene, and giving titles.
IN CLOSING
Using Japanese manga as a way of expressing
human emotion can have a very positive impact on
meeting participants. They feel heard and—even
better—they feel your expression of empathy!
WORKS CITED:
Takekuma, Kentaro. “Hito me de Wakaru ‘keiyu’

Zukan (Pictorial Guide of ‘Keiyu’ Understandable
at a Glance).” Manga no yomikata (How to Read
Manga), Takarajimasha EX, 1995, pp. 78-105.
Getting Started
Tim Hamons and Jerre Lubberts
GRAPHIC FORMATS: START

WITH THE RIGHT STRUCTURE
The Power of a Good Format.

46 GRAPHIC FORMATS: START WITH THE RIGHT STRUCTURE VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING
GRAPHIC FORMATS: START

WITH THE RIGHT STRUCTURE
Image 1: Having a selection of graphic formats in your toolbox,

whether in physical or digital form, adds value to the conversation and the facilitation.
Organizations and teams use visual formats all the your work with clients and events and help create
time to move ideas and conversations forward. A a cohesive narrative throughout the process.
look through any business presentation will reveal
basic process maps, timelines, flow charts, and more, Tim’s Graphic Formats Card Deck
all representing a range of communications. These
models are employed to help tell a story about data, When I meet with a client, I bring along a
people, and processes, thereby gaining insights basic visual facilitation tool kit. Aside from
into larger questions about strategy, culture, and a handful of markers and a clipboard, I also
principles. This helps a group get from where they bring a series of cards with various graphic
are to where they want to be. As visual facilitators, formats, process tools, and templates of
we can take these familiar visual frameworks out of graphic formats that can be filled in with the
the confines of the slide show and dry document group. During the discussion, I listen and draw
packet, and transform them into a series of com- and create various sketches on whiteboards
pelling and dynamic graphic formats to support or paper to reflect what I heard, including
our clients and teams through a single meeting, the client’s challenge, their current situation,
or a larger process of organizational change. what they hope to achieve, and possible
solutions. Next, I bring out the cards and
Maybe it is your experience that in many sessions templates with the various formats, discuss
there is an overemphasis on the data, logic, and how each format can fit into the context of
analysis. Getting groups working collaboratively, the discussion, and together we work out
making drawings and stories on large sheets of a storyboard for their event or meeting.
paper or filling in digital format templates, brings in Clients love actively participating; excitement
physical, emotional, and social engagement. Whether builds as they begin to visualize their event
you work as a change facilitator or a graphic recorder, taking shape. Be sure to bring a few blank
digitally or on paper, a foundation in the variety cards to sketch out ideas for additional
and application of graphic formats will support graphic formats (or other tools) on the spot.
VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING GRAPHIC FORMATS: START WITH THE RIGHT STRUCTURE 47
∙∙ Can it easily be shared (digitally) with other (not

CHOOSE THE RIGHT FORMAT present) members of the target audience?
Whether we call them a container, guide, map,
structure, template, or schema, graphic formats help to ∙∙ How does it link together the steps in the process?
shape and contour the story that emerges from a con-
versation. They give structure to our listening, clarify ar- ∙∙ Is it self-explanatory, or does it need
guments in a dialogue, help us understand complexity, an introductory description?
and facilitate the free flow of ideas. When chosen with
purpose and intention, formats lend clarity and legi- ∙∙Before selecting which graphic formats will best
GETTING STARTED
bility to both the process and the product of the work. serve your client, take a moment to apply the
Think–Decide–Do–Learn1 model. Following these
Different stages in a larger change process require guidelines will clarify your objectives. In turn, the
different types of thinking, and the graphic formats best-suited graphic formats will reveal themselves.
we use can support a design process across all
stages. We’ll dive into the specifics of these formats
in a moment, but consider the following examples: THE THINK - DECIDE - DO - LEARN MODEL
∙∙ When building a team, you might start with a blank

page and build a cluster map of roles and activities.
THINK DECIDE DO LEARN
STORY MANDALA ARGUMENT DESICION CLUSTER FLOW CHART CAUSE METAPHOR
BOARD TREE MAP EFFECT
∙∙ When brainstorming about the objective or

MAP
mission of the team, use a mandala or concept

map to explore underlying connections.
MINDMAP CONCEPT MATRIX JOURNEY TIMELINE
MAP MAP
WHAT
∙∙ When moving into the planning stages, you will ARE THE
THINKING
use formats like a timeline or decision tree. STEPS? SYNTHESIS ANALYSIS
FINDING
PLANNING
BRAIN MAKING
STORMING COMPARISONS NARRATIVE
Before choosing your format, think about the following: Figure 1: The Think–Decide–Do–Learn model,
including suggestions on where and how to
∙∙ What is the outcome we want to realize? use some of the graphic formats.
∙∙ Which ‘thinking steps’ will lead us there?

WHETHER PLANNING A HOLIDAY OR
∙∙ What did we (or others) learn the REVAMPING A COMPANY
last time we did this? If you are planning a family holiday, you begin
with the big picture and ask questions like:
∙∙ What is the experience we want the group to have?
∙∙ Where do we want to go? What are
∙∙ Will this format serve the needs of the our main destinations, as well as the
target audience and the conversation? smaller points along the way?
∙∙ Will it help us to listen in a particular ∙∙ What are the ideas each family member
way? Is the process clear? has about the destination and trip?
∙∙ Will it help us see what is not being mentioned? ∙∙ What are the key experiences we want to create?
1 To help participants understand complexity and stimulate reflection, learning, and continuous improvement, World of Minds
developed the Think–Decide–Do–Learn model. This model works when designing a single session or a series of sessions. On the
book’s website, we present real-life cases with detailed explanations of what to do in each step. For more about World of Minds, see
www.worldofminds.com.
Then you gather information about various desti- During the Think phase you begin with the end in mind.
nations, transportation, and costs, and begin to put What are the objectives of the session? Big-picture
together some options. After considering alternatives, thinking and ideation support visioning, as do individ-
you select and book the accommodation, travel, and ual and group brainstorming. Journey metaphors and
tours. You pack your bags and the right accessories concept maps might support these thinking steps. We
for the beach or the mountains, and make your can also expand on the discovery process to identify
way to what will (hopefully) be a very memorable relationships and connections, harvest data, and re-
family holiday. Once back home, you sit down to think and regroup ideas. Process maps and storyboards
look at the photos and reflect on the experiences, help us to think through plans and build scenarios.
the most memorable takeaways, and consider
what areas you might improve for next time. During this phase, it is also important to reflect on
what you learned the last time you worked with this
The same approach can be used during an group (or with similar formats). Consider the research
organizational change process. The four stages that has been done in the particular field, as well as
in this process are Think, Decide, Do, and Learn. any other learnings you might apply during this stage.
We call this the Idea Realization Cycle.
In the Decide phase, we evaluate alternatives
When deciding which format to use in a session, ask generated in the thinking phases. We identify
yourself, “What are the ‘thinking steps’ that I need to solutions, weigh applied values to each alternative,
take to realize the objectives of the session?” Thinking summarize key points, and agree on the steps to
steps include brainstorming, analysis, synthesis, take during the next phase (the Do phase). Graphic
comparing, exchanging arguments, observing, or giving formats that support decision making include
meaning to a story. While some formats will fit more argument maps, decision trees, or expanding the
clearly into this framework than others, this gives you matrix with pros and cons for each alternative.
a starting point: based on the stage in the process and
the specific objectives of the group (and each phase), During the Do phase, we execute the session
which format should you select? Do this for each using the chosen formats, and observe the group
thinking step, as well as for the session as a whole. dynamics and remarks while using these formats.
When deciding which In the Learn phase, we harvest the learnings, observa-
tions, and outcomes. What might these observations
format to use in a session, mean? What can we learn from them? What should we
do differently the next time we’re in the same setting?
ask yourself, “What are
We often use a number of different graphic formats
the ‘thinking steps’ that I to help us realize the outcomes of one session.
For example, brainstorm the 5W+H,2 then lead
need to take to realize the the group through a process map, followed by a
decision tree or timeline. Considering these options
objectives of the session?” in advance helps to realize the overall objective
of a number of sessions. For example, we might
Let’s talk about each phase in a little more detail. move through a collection of sessions by going
from a mandala to a storyboard to a timeline to a
project dashboard and, finally, to lessons learned.
2 The 5W+H stands for the basic questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how.
JERRE’S REASONS TO GO DIGITAL formats (sometimes in combination with

paper or electrostatic sheets—which can be
Maybe you’re comfortable working with large stuck anywhere and act as an impromptu
sheets of paper. But what about digital – whiteboard) helped us to quickly process and
working with computer, projector, and screen? check input during the session. In this way,
When I started World of Minds, I moved from we ensured that participants felt heard. We
conducting single sessions to supporting were also able to report to all stakeholders
and accelerating change processes. My team within hours of the session’s end.
GETTING STARTED
and I suddenly worked for and reported to a
multitude of stakeholders. We needed to get In my experience a digital format:
them on board, make sure they felt heard,
find a way to ‘empty their brains,’ facilitate • Can be used as a design for a single
their creativity, and all work together session, or a series of sessions;
without any misunderstandings. We had to:
• Serves as a template to complete
• Come up with a method that quickly allowed (together) with the group;
us to capture input; structure data; combine,
analyze, and synthesize the material; add • Can be created on-the-fly and adapted
relationships and tags to the collected quickly to whatever is needed in the process;
information (to filter out different viewpoints
and report what happened in each session); • Is easy to share, making it very practical
and to keep stakeholders engaged. when the recording needs to be shared with
a larger audience.
• Help stakeholders understand the
(complexity of the) change process and
their individual, corresponding roles.
Because of these challenges, we selected live

digital mapping.3 Using different graphical
3 For more on live digital mapping, see the chapter entitled Live Digital Mapping, also by Jerre Lubberts.
FREQUENTLY USED FORMATS used to generate ideas and new insights, to struc-
Besides those mentioned below, there are many other ture information, to analyze problems, to get an
formats and visual templates you can use to support overview (the big picture), or to formulate a strategy.
a wide variety of team processes. Many are outlined in According to Tony Buzan,5 mind maps stimulate
other chapters of this book.4 Each format we feature creativity, problem-solving abilities, and memory.
here has its own logic. We invite you to familiarize
yourself and become more fluent in these formats. How is it used?
With familiarity, you’ll have the power to improvise,
creating your own modifications of these formats Mind mapping is done by clustering infor-
to best suit your clients. When a particular format mation and breaking down large chunks into
doesn’t seem to fit, always come back to your initial detailed pieces, adding relationships, color, and
objectives and the needs of the group. Here we go! informational tags (icons or pictures).6 There
are three ways to build your mind map.
MIND MAP ∙∙Start with a blank slate (brainstorming from scratch);
∙∙ Begin with predefined branches, providing a structure

(for example, the 5W+H, as described earlier);
∙∙ Chart information as it flows in a chronological order.
You can also use a combination of the three ways of

mind mapping: for example, start with chronological,
then transform to a 5W+H (structure); or start with
a blank slate, and then transform to a process map
(structure). Before transforming a chronological mind
map with multiple parts (like a conversation, for
example), you might want to color-code the various
Figure 2: Mind Map elements to help transform it into a structure. You
might use brown for information, green for goals or ob-
What is it? jectives, red for pitfalls or risks, and blue for next steps.
In addition to helping ease the transformation process,
A visual representation of ideas connected to a this also stimulates your creativity and memory.
particular subject. Like a tree or neutron they radiate
out from the center into main topics and subtopics,
revealing an overall structure and relationships. A
mind map represents the branches or pathways We invite you to familiarize
that emanate from a central idea or subject.
yourself and become more
When is it used?
fluent in these ormats.
Mind maps can be useful in many contexts; for
brainstorming, planning, meeting minutes, and
organizing ideas around a theme. They are effectively
4 See Lynn Carruthers’ The Joy of Templates; Jill Greenbaum’s Coaching with Templates; and Dana Wright Wasson’s Creating Impactful
Employee Engagement with Templates.
5 The concept of mind mapping was first introduced by Tony Buzan. For more, see www.tonybuzan.com.
6 For more on mind mapping and other clustering methods, see the chapter entitled The Value of Visual Organization, by Brandy
Agerbeck.
ARGUMENT MAP DECISION TREE
GETTING STARTED
Figure 3: Argument Map
What is it? Figure 4: Decision Tree
An argument map illustrates the consequences What is it?

of two (or more) courses of action. The map
follows each pathway to its logical conclusion, Often used together with the argument map,
including the rationale for one course of action the decision tree supports decision making,
over another, visualized across various levels. and documents the steps needed to carry
an idea or initiative to its conclusion.
When is it used?
When is it used?
Sometimes the sense-making process is an exercise
in choices. Should we do this, or should we do A decision tree identifies the necessary checkpoints
that? Visualizing the choices helps groups to see on the path to a decision, or clarifies actions and
what their possible decisions look like, as well as milestones that are required to move something from
illustrating the process of the decision itself. concept to prototype to action. It provides an objective
map for looking at a landscape of alternatives.
How is it used?
How is it used?
For groups that are far enough along in their
conversations to make decisions and commit to a It shows groups what they need to do to make
certain path or direction, the argument map can a decision or bring an idea to fruition. As a
be instrumental in helping them to understand the decision-making tool, the visual representation
liabilities and assets of moving in an intentional needs to clearly represent the distinct and
direction. For the argument map to be most useful, particular ways in which a decision is made or an
however, the two (or more) pathways need to be idea comes to life—steps, milestones, actions.
distinct, clear, and offer a definitive point of view.
TIMELINE CAUSE/EFFECT DIAGRAM
Figure 5: Timeline
What is it?
Figure 6: Cause/Effect Diagram
A timeline shows a linear, chronological pro- (also called an Ishikawa or Fishbone Diagram)
gression of an idea, process, or initiative. The
timeline can be historical or future-oriented. What is it?
When is it used? People often jump to conclusions. Taking time to

find the root cause of an issue can help prevent
By chronologically plotting and discussing the imple- future problems or unwanted situations. The
mentation and motivation of an idea or initiative (and cause and effect diagram helps to identify, sort,
the concepts behind it), the group comes to better and display possible causes of a specific problem,
understand the process and the theory of change. situation, or quality characteristic. It illustrates
the relationship between factors that influenced
How is it used? an outcome or led to a specific situation.
When we identify markers of time (years, months, quar- When is it used?

ters, etc.) and plot milestones against them, we develop
a deeper understanding of how quickly change hap- You can use it to structure causes leading up to
pens, incrementally and systemically. We also see how a specific effect, defect, problem, or situation.
change occurs amidst the constellation of a variety of
events, whether they are institutional and organization- How is it used?
al, political, social, economic, or cultural. Timelines can
go beyond chronological markers to include social, eco- Ask participants to describe and identify the problem;
nomic, political, and other factors influencing change. this forms a problem definition. Then brainstorm all
possible causes, grouping and naming them along
the diagram, starting with the backbone and then
connecting the groups in sequence. The finished
diagram will reveal (in one image) the complexity of
causes and sub-causes leading up to the final effect.
CONCEPT MAP PROCESS MAP
GETTING STARTED
Figure 8: Process Map
What is it?
Figure 7: Concept Map
“A process map is a simplified graphic representation
What is it? of a process.”7 A process is a succession of tasks,
activities, and performances for the creation of
A concept map is a dynamic and organic representa- products or services, which are directly connected
tion of an overall system, highlighting relationships with one another and, in their sum, determine the
through threads of connection. It allows participants business management, technical production, technical
to see the system in its entirety, as well as the administration, and financial success of an enterprise.8
impact of each component on the whole. By labeling
the threads of connection, the system becomes When is it used?
enlivened and annotated. We’re able to see the
factors or players that contribute to or affect others. When a process is poorly structured or understood,
the efficiency of the intended end result can be
When is it used? undermined. A process map serves to initiate a
further and more intimate understanding of a
Understanding a complex system can be difficult complex process. This format is often used to help
without some form of visual representation. A concept people understand the process before taking part
map draws out connections in the underlying in it (onboarding), to fine-tune a process already
structure, giving a clearer picture of the constellation in place (honing), or to uncover why a process isn’t
of factors at play. Understanding the now gives leading to a desired result (finding problems).
participants a great starting point for change.
How is it used?
How is it used?
Start by asking the people who are involved in the
We start by defining the playing field or situation, its process to describe their part, and then list and
boundaries, and actors. Then we connect all actors describe the necessary steps and surrounding condi-
with each other, describing their relationships in tions. Depending on the type of process, participants
terms of strengthening or weakening. By adding might also be asked to describe risks, resources, roles,
bubbles, arrows, anchors, and annotation, the and other important information. This information
concept map will portray a view of the present. is then gathered into one process map to illustrate
Tip: be sure to include a variety of impact zones the big picture. The finished diagram helps the group
so that the concept feels full, rich, and current. understand the whole process and, therefore, assists
as they make decisions to remove or combine steps.
7 For more information on visual process maps, see the chapter entitled Understanding Business Processes through Visualization, by
Frank Wesseler.
8 Striening, Prozess - Management, p. 57.
MANDALA How is it used?
Mandalas are useful in many group settings. For

example, a mandala can illustrate a particular universe,
such as a team, organization, or ecosystem. The
mandala can map elements of a system while providing
more understanding about the unified whole. Mandalas
can also be used to map more intangible concepts,
such as wisdom and energy. Create a circle of wisdom
outer layer on the team mandala to map out how
wisdom is defined, acquired, shared, and distributed.
Figure 9: Mandala CLUSTER MAP
What is it?
The mandala (which means circle in Sanskrit) is

characterized by a circular format and a central
axis point. The circle implies inward and outward
movement, and includes rings radiating from the
center. The mandala can serve to create a narrative
around a central theme, as well as highlight
relationships between tangential elements.
When is it used?
Mandalas can be useful during conversations in Figure 10: Cluster Map

which groups are seeking deeper knowledge and
truth about their own system or ‘container,’ or when What is it?
they wish to determine how their work fits within a
greater ecosystem. This format brings value to team A cluster map is exactly what it sounds like—clusters
introductions and team-performance conversations or groupings of information or data around common
by clarifying individual contributions in the context themes or topics. The clusters help to make sense out
of the bigger-picture objectives. In strategy devel- of large amounts of data, and help focus, organize, and
opment, values clarification, competitive analysis, categorize thinking. Similar to affinity maps, the cluster
and mission or vision work, mandalas can provide map helps to identify possible nodes (or buckets) of
a contextual understanding of a system. This allows data that can be mined later for insights and action
a team or group to see itself in relationship to steps, and to stimulate new patterns of thinking.
other elements, and as part of the whole system.
When is it used?
Clustering is used primarily as a data-gathering,

sorting, and categorization activity. What are the
subtopics around a main topic? What are the details
around each of the subtopics? Whether you are
brainstorming, exploring a topic or idea, or trying to When is it used?

understand the points of convergence within a field
of data, a cluster map can provide a useful structure. Metaphors can serve as the guiding frame for a
conversation. Popular metaphors often feature natural
How is it used? elements, like landscapes (mountains, rivers, cliffs,
etc.), journeys, gardens, trees, icebergs; mechanical
During an ideation process or brainstorming session, elements, like machines and vehicles; and human
it is helpful to create clusters (with sticky notes,9 for elements, such as the brain, body, and nervous system.
example) by grouping similar ideas together and then
GETTING STARTED
naming the clusters afterwards. At other times, it works How is it used?
better to pre-chart subtopic headings around a main
topic in the center, and then solicit details and ideas If you want a central image to guide the conversation,
around each of the subtopics. Additional subtopics a central metaphor can be pre-charted. Alternatively,
can be added as presented by the group’s discussion. a metaphor might emerge naturally from a brain-
Cluster maps may also be color-coded in order to storm or ideation session. Once it reveals itself, the
highlight and differentiate each of the subtopics. metaphor can be named and explored visually and
contextually. Sometimes, the conversation might
revolve around testing the metaphor to see if it
METAPHOR helps the group to understand a difficult concept.
A picture paints a thousand words, and a metaphor The group might visually prototype a number of
paints a thousand pictures. metaphors to assess the merits—and learning—of
each one. In most circumstances, it is good practice
to allow the metaphor to emerge from the group.
As the facilitator or visual scribe, one should refrain
from imposing a metaphor. It may not feel authentic
to the story of the group, and it may derail them from
their storytelling11 around their data or content.
In most circumstances,
it is good practice to
Figure 11: An example of a visual metaphor allow the metaphor to
to reflect harvesting ideas
emerge from the group.
What is it?
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which

a word or phrase is applied to an object or
action to which it is not literally applicable—
something symbolic of something else.10
9 For more information, see the chapter Using Stickies To Create Exciting Ideas and Engaged Participants, by Dana Wright Wasson.
10 For more on metaphor, read the chapter entitled The Metaphor in Visual Practice, by Sophia Liang.
11 For an example of metaphor-gone-wrong, see Anthony Weeks’ chapter entitled, Is Your Metaphor a Box or a Catalyst?
JOURNEY MAP We have also used this metaphor as a central

organizing idea behind strategic conversations, to
introduce the idea of change in a visual format.
MATRIX
Figure 12: Journey Map (also known as a Road Map)
What is it?
Figure 13: Time Block Agenda Visual Matrix Planning Tool
A journey map (or road map) is a form of visual
metaphor. As the name implies, it represents a What is it?
journey from one reality or experience to another.
Implicit on any journey are milestones or progress A matrix is a grid diagram with two (or more) categories
steps, challenges and obstacles, and comparisons in columns and rows to create a series of combinations.
between current reality and future visions.
When is it used?
When is it used?
Great for evaluation and decision making across
As one of the more preferred forms of visual metaphor, all possible combinations of the multi-cate-
you might use this when you want to inspire your gory criteria. Use a matrix for comparing and
audience with a narrative. More specifically, a road analyzing information, mapping data, forcing
map is a useful metaphor to convey change across analogies, and organizing team tasks.
time, highlight milestones, or identify interim targets.
It can be applied to processes like strategic visioning, How is it used?
change initiatives, learning journeys, visualizing
agendas, training programs, and customer journeys. First, create clear categories for the rows and
columns. A suggestion when working with groups
How is it used? is to use sticky notes to work through each item
in the grid, making combinations and re-ordering
Similar to the guidelines on metaphor noted above, a criteria according to group consensus. We
journey map is best applied when it comes from the frequently use this format when discussing the
group itself. Explore the metaphor in conversation agenda for a multiple-day event, with agenda items
with the client as you discuss their needs. In one as the columns and time blocks as the rows.
way or another, many organizational initiatives
are like a journey. Sketch it out and discuss the
format, along with other aspects of the initiative.
STORYBOARD per sticky note, post them up, then play around
with the sequencing until it feels right. Next, add
visual elements to clarify each step. Add connecting
elements, such as arrows, to the surrounding
process to highlight relationships and thinking.
CREATE YOUR OWN GRAPHIC FORMATS

Sometimes specific initiatives require specialized
GETTING STARTED
solutions. Each of the formats above can be
modified to meet the specific requirements of your
event. You might want to venture out and create
your own formats. Your page is a blank canvas;
nevertheless, it is guided by certain understood
Figure 14: Storyboard rules of perception, process, and structure.
What is it? Consider these guidelines and suggestions when mod-

ifying a graphic format, or when designing your own:
Most people are familiar with the format of a story-
board,12 perhaps through experience with movies or 1. Left to right movement shows progress over time.
cartoon panels, where the artist presents a story in a
sequential, time-based manner, one panel at a time. 2. Lower placement on the page can suggest pro-
This creative approach allows the storyboarder to cesses and how-to steps, while higher placement
zoom in and out as dictated by the story, highlighting implies visions and big-picture thinking.
specific details or showing the overall picture.
3. A grid is the underlying structure in
When is it used? every map or navigational tool.
It is a versatile tool that works with almost any 4. Create visual emphasis for your main idea by
communication media. Presentations, meetings, using size, color, location, and contrast.
change processes, training programs, sales processes,
and mapping out a pitch can all benefit from the 5. Different sides of an argument can be
storyboard. A kanban board is a storyboard-in- visualized at different locations: left and
spired project management tool that reflects a right, or top and bottom (of the page).
group’s to-do, doing, and done lists. This entire
book was initially mapped out as a storyboard, 6. Metaphors (like a compass, clock, or scales for
with sticky notes pasted on large sheets of paper. balance) can add layers of meaning to your formats.
Eventually, the notes were incorporated into an
online project management tool called Trello.13
How is it used?
The key to storyboarding is the sequential process.

Sticky notes and storyboards make great creative
partners. Start with a stack of sticky notes (or
sheets of paper). Get groups to brainstorm one idea
12 The storyboard is also discussed in the chapter entitled, A Bulletproof Process to Creating Sketch Videos, by Matthew Magain.
13 For more about Trello, trello.com/en-US.
IN CLOSING: framework for an engaging event (or series of events)

START WITH THE RIGHT STRUCTURE using visual facilitation tools and graphic formats.
Think of the bigger picture of what you want to achieve
in your client engagement or meeting. Now see that Whether you are designing a single meeting or a larger
big picture as a series of images: visual formats and series of sessions, using the Think–Decide–Do–Learn
tools, each carefully considered to meet the specific model when choosing graphic formats will give you
needs of your engagement. Incorporate your knowledge a visible, tangible structure to design, deliver, and
and experience in facilitation and learning design with follow through with an engaging and valuable event.
the insights you learned from your last job (or from
other facilitators); now map these out as a storyboard.
Together with your client, you have just designed the
WORKS CITED:
Buzan, Tony. Tony Buzan: Inventor of Mind Mapping. www.tonybuzan.com.

Accessed 17 May 2018.
Striening, Hans-Dieter. Prozess - Management: Versuch eines integrierten Konzeptes

situationsadäquater Gestaltung von Verwaltungsprozessen (German Edition).
Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, 1988.
Trello. Trello, trello.com/en-US. Accessed 26 April 2019.
World of Minds. World of Minds, www.worldofminds.com/nl.

Getting Started
Jim Nuttle
POLISH YOUR CHARTS FOR

CLARITY AND IMPACT
Remember, it’s about content first. Visuals come second.
By leaving the drawing unfinished until the very end,
you leave yourself open to capture the big revelations.
Photo: Emily Scott Pottruck

60 POLISH YOUR CHARTS FOR CLARITY AND IMPACT VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING
POLISH YOUR CHARTS FOR CLARITY AND IMPACT
Graphic recording sessions tend to be fast-paced

and dynamic. Even with the best facilitators,
conversations often take unexpected directions. To
keep up, the graphic recorder must be quick and
@ Start with the Basics
nimble. Initially, because these conversations can be Graphic recorders use the same basic
non-linear, charts might seem random and chaotic. elements as all visual artists: line, shape,
But patterns will emerge, and it’s up to the graphic size, color, texture, and space. With these,
recorder to make sense of the information and build we can add emphasis, make connections,
a structure. What follows are a few tips and tricks for and build flow within our charts. Visual
capturing conversations in real time, and then using elements are there to clarify content.
visual elements to add structure and meaning.
1. LINE: ADD DIRECTION, FLOW, AND ENERGY
∙∙Straight lines are simple and ∙∙Sinuous curvy lines invite the eye
direct—the quickest route from A to B to follow along on a journey
∙∙Short, sharp lines radiating from

a central point depict a burst of energy
VISUAL LANGUAGE AND DRAWING POLISH YOUR CHARTS FOR CLARITY AND IMPACT 61
2. SHAPE: CONTAIN ELEMENTS AND ADD

STRUCTURE TO A CHART (BUT DON’T BE
GETTING STARTED
AFRAID TO LET THE CONTENT BREAK OUT)
∙∙Circles are about the smooth continuous curve, ∙∙Squares and rectangles need straight
not a perfect shape edges and sharp angles—resist the urge
to ‘cut corners’ for the sake of speed
∙∙Cloud bubbles can expand in any direction to contain large amounts of information
3. SIZE: SIZE AND SCALE OF ELEMENTS

COMMUNICATE THEIR RELATIVE IMPORTANCE
∙∙Elements can look large based on their size on

the page, but they can also look large in comparison
to other elements—a tiny figure next to an object
makes the object appear larger-than-life
∙∙Adding color and weight makes an element look

bigger; subtracting color and weight makes it smaller
4. COLOR: GROUP RELATED ELEMENTS, 5. TEXTURE: ADD ENERGY AND FORM

ADD EMPHASIS AND ENERGY
GETTING STARTED
∙∙Cool colors (greens, blues, and purples) are
soothing and tend to recede away from the
viewer; warm colors (yellows, oranges, and reds)
are energizing and tend to pop from the page
∙∙Start with the outline of a flat square—add some

dots to the inside and it becomes a stone block;
a few diagonal lines make a pane of glass
∙∙ When adding color to a shape, to keep

the texture from looking flat, let the white
of the paper show through in spots
∙∙Placing cool and warm colors in close

proximity makes them appear to vibrate
∙∙The strokes you use can communicate as

∙∙Colors with a medium value (not too dark, not much as the drawing itself: smooth, straight
too light) contrast well with both the white of lines, choppy splotches, or a frantic scribble
the paper and the black used in line art each have an emotional impact
6. SPACE: CONSIDER THE OVERALL ∙∙The illusion of three-dimensional space

COMPOSITION OF YOUR CHART, THE FLOW can be created using color, shading,
OF INFORMATION (LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP TO and overlapping elements
BOTTOM, FROM THE CENTER OUT, ETC.)
Building on these six basic elements, consider two
other components:
7. IMAGES: SIMPLE ICONS AND EMOJIS,

OR DETAILED FIGURES AND SCENES
∙∙When interpreting a drawing, our brains tend to see

the bottom edge as down, and all the parts of that
drawing appear to be affected by gravity—this is ∙∙Depending on your skill level, a great deal of
why we talk about weight and balance in drawings nuance and content can be communicated
through facial expressions and body
∙∙Strong, solid shapes act as an anchor in language (even with stick figures)
a composition; light, flowing lines seem to float
∙∙Focus on gesture and expression rather than
realistic proportions when drawing people
∙∙Use simple circles for heads and dots for eyes, then
focus on the mouth and eyebrows to express emotion
∙∙Get dramatic—exaggerate the body

language of your figures
GETTING STARTED
∙∙Avoid specificity in the objects you draw
(think smartphone rather than iPhone)
8. TEXT AND LETTERING: CLEAR AND

CONSISTENT HANDWRITING CAPTURES THE
BULK OF CONTENT; FREER, ILLUSTRATIVE
LETTERING HIGHLIGHTS HEADLINES AND
ADDS EMPHASIS TO CRITICAL WORDS
∙∙Use color to add depth; for example, add color

outside the letter on the right and bottom
sides to create the illusion of shadows
∙∙Underlining and highlighting emphasizes key words
∙∙Simple shifts in your lettering help differentiate

blocks of text: consider various weights and
colors; straight writing versus slanted; all capitals
versus lowercase; block lettering versus script
WALKING THROUGH THE PROCESS service providers, so I started the chart with only
Graphic recorders are called upon to capture a few words. From there the conversation delved
different types of content: presentations, panels, into the experiences—positive and negative—of both
reports, small group discussions, and so on. Each sides. I listened for the key points and insights to
has a unique structure, which will dictate how you capture. Graphic recording is not about capturing the
build your chart. In the following example, I’ll walk conversation verbatim: I constantly make decisions
you through a recent business meeting. The twelve about what I’m hearing—what’s important and what’s
people in attendance wanted to figure out how best not important—and only write down a small part of
to revamp their university’s call center. Each person what’s said. Verbal cues such as tone of voice and the
represented a different department, and each had their group’s reactions guide my internal filtering process.
own perspective on the problem and the solution.
Unless you’re capturing an extended list of bulleted
The beginning of any successful graphic capture items, think in terms of ‘sound bites’—individual
is preparation. Tools are at hand; the drawing blocks of information that you’re piecing together.
surface is well-placed and sturdy; distractions in the Avoid long lines of text (a maximum of four to
environment are minimized; and you’re fed, rested, five words). Shorter phrases make it easier to
and ready to go. The less you have to think about, group information and add shapes later.
the more you can concentrate on the conversation.
At this point, you may have some idea about how
If you’re working with a facilitator, you want to be clear these blocks relate to each other; you might be
on the desired outcome of the session, and the types picturing a mind map and its various connections.
of information to be listening for. In this case, I listened Just as likely, there’s no apparent connection
for multiple points of view, while trying to capture the from one thought to the next. Keep going!
insights of the group so they could see the big picture,
reach alignment, and begin to make some decisions. Eventually, patterns start to emerge. People will
circle back to a thought or idea, or the facilitator
@ Some graphic recorders prefer to prepare

their charts in advance, with a heading
will call attention to a particular insight. Now you
can begin to envision how the information should
be grouped—major themes, related ideas, points
and client logo, and perhaps a visual of contention—and you can identify portions of the
related to the theme. I prefer to start with chart that need extra emphasis, or where a visual
a blank sheet of paper as people enter could reinforce a particular idea. This process of
the room—it shows that there are no filtering and synthesis can be daunting at first, and
preconceived ideas, and that all viewpoints it takes practice to develop your ear and instinct
will be heard and treated equally. to pull out the thread of a conversation.
As often happens, this group had to talk their way

I usually start with a black marker in hand—color toward real insights. What started as a discussion
comes later. This enables me to focus on the content of unanswered phones and malfunctioning printers
of the conversation, and to capture what I’m hearing eventually turned into a broader debate, covering
in the moment, rather than think about color. topics like culture of service and real measures of
success. As these ideas came out in conversation,
The facilitator began the discussion by asking the I added them to the chart, with only the vaguest
group about ‘lenses,’ and how people view the current notion of how they would relate to each other.
system. The group quickly focused on customers and
GETTING STARTED
Figure 1: The initial capture: key words and phrases
In this example, I decided to use drawings of people to As the conversation wound down and the participants
represent the two lenses through which these problems headed for a break, I stepped back to look at the
were viewed. Personifying the viewpoints made them big picture. I’d recorded my two stakeholders, the
more relatable to the group, and I was able to capture customer and the service provider. The illustrations
the nuance of their experience with expressions and for each were captured with simple, bold outlines.
body language (Figure 2). Speech and thought bubbles The two stakeholders were given characteristics to
recorded spoken and unspoken views (Figure 3). easily distinguish them from one another (in this
case, long versus short hair). I prominently displayed
the problem (the broken printer) and the measure of
success (a happy customer); off to the side was the
secondary conversation about the culture of service.
Figure 2: Images added to reinforce key points

Figure 3: Adding phrases and viewpoints; shapes and boxes highlight critical information
I chose two shades of green (cool and soothing with just detail, I could choose either to fill them in with color,
enough energy) to bring the illustrations to life, and to or use color in the background to bring them forward.
group the main blocks of content. The lighter, brighter
shade helped the characters and areas of text stand As previously mentioned, cooler colors recede into
out from the white background. The darker green added the background, allowing the characters to pop even
more emphasis to particular portions (notice the bot- more. In the upper left, the lavender ties the two
tom of Figure 4: the white of the paper in the woman’s characters together. In the upper right, it provides
hands pops out from the surrounding color). Because a background for the the service representative
the figures were drawn with simple outlines and little (a head with a headset and the shape of a monitor
Figure 4: Color added for emphasis and grouping

is all that’s needed). At the bottom, strokes of lav-

ender radiating out from the character express her @ Embrace the Ambiguity
GETTING STARTED
happiness at getting her problem solved.
Graphic recording can be messy. People go
In addition to the illustrations, other areas of the off on tangents. They get into arguments.
chart were emphasized with colors and shapes: Add to that your own lack of knowledge,
a green spiral behind ‘Empathy and Understanding,’ and it’s easy to feel lost. That’s okay.
and the cycle of arrows around ‘24/7/365.’ This Sometimes the central thread of a two-hour
gave each thought a focal point so it could stand conversation becomes apparent only in
alone from the rest of the chart. A mix of rectan- the last five minutes. The important thing
gles, clouds, and circles served to encapsulate is to keep going, even if you’re only writing
different sound bites in the composition. Notice down snippets of unrelated information.
how the text is rarely fully contained in a shape: by
breaking out of the shapes, I added a bit of energy
to the composition (and allowed for the addition
of text without having to cram it into a box).
@ Ignorance is Bliss
No one expects you to be a subject-matter

expert. In many ways, your lack of knowledge
ENCOURAGEMENT is an asset to the group. You’re a fresh set
One of the great joys of graphic recording is the end- of ears (and eyes), with no stake in the
less variety of topics and conversations we get to listen outcome of the conversation. By listening
to and capture. Every session brings a new challenge. and capturing the conversation with no
The downside is that we’re often the least knowledge- preconceived notions, you’re providing the
able person in the room when it comes to the topic of group a new perspective on the problem.
the session. Don’t be discouraged if you’re feeling lost
and confused in the middle of a conversation—chances
are, you’re not the only one! Trust that the thread of
the conversation will emerge (it will), and that you will
@ Not just a Pretty Picture
be able to make connections as you move forward. The first measure of success for any graphic
recording session is about content. Did
Resist the tendency to want to make the drawing look I accurately capture the key elements of
good, especially when the initial capture appears the conversation in a way that was easily
haphazard and disconnected. Remember, it’s about understood by the participants? It’s not
content first. Visuals come second. By leaving the about creating a pretty picture (although
drawing unfinished until the very end, you leave aesthetically pleasing drawings are more
yourself open to capture the big revelations. appealing). It’s all about the content.
@ Keep it Simple
Limit the number of colors you use.

Avoid using too many shapes to separate
the text. If you’re not confident in your
drawing abilities, stick with the basics.
Emojis are a ready-made visual language
that are simple, yet expressive.
METAPHORS THAT LIVE ON WORKS CITED:

I was working with a consortium of emergency
response groups as they worked to improve their Nuttle, Jim. Jim Nuttle: Graphic Recording, Illustration,
mutual support efforts. After several hours of sharing Design, www.jimnuttle.com. Accessed 06 June 2019.
pain points and disagreements, one of the conveners
made an important observation. “Just remember, folks,
at the end of the day, your disaster is my disaster.”
I captured that sound bite, then illustrated it with
a drawing of two people going over a waterfall in
a canoe as an alligator circled below. Years later,
as a reminder of what’s important, the group still
uses that image in many of their presentations.
Author note: For more examples about the use of line

and color, visit my website at www.jimnuttle.com.
GETTING STARTED
Getting Started
Mara Callaert
HOW TO SET UP A ROOM FOR

VISUAL FACILITATION
It’s not about the world of design,
it’s about the design of the world.
The Basics
Photo: Vaclav Bacovsky

74 HOW TO SET UP A ROOM FOR VISUAL FACILITATION THE BASICS
HOW TO SET UP A ROOM FOR

VISUAL FACILITATION
THE BASICS: SPACE AND COMFORT
CHANGEABLE
LIGHT CONDITIONS
PROJECTOR
SUPPLIES AT HAND AND SCREEN
FACILITATOR NATURAL
FUNCTIONING LIGHT
WORKING SURFACE:
• BIG ENOUGH AGREEABLE
• SMOOTH TEMPERATURE
ACCESS TO • MOVABLE
TOOLS FOR
PARTICIPATION INDIVIDUAL
FUNCTIONING
WATER AND
SNACKS
GROUP
FUNCTIONING ENOUGH CLUTTER OUT
PERSONAL OF SIGHT
SPACE
ADAPTABLE
SET UP
BASIC INFO
IN SIGHT
THE BASICS HOW TO SET UP A ROOM FOR VISUAL FACILITATION 75
DESIGN THE INTERACTION

How do you want your group to interact? The first The way you arrange the space will also depend on the
GETTING STARTED
impression people get when entering the space will size of the group you’re working with. The possibilities
give them clues on how to interact with you and for setup will be different for big groups, small groups,
between each other. Look for inspiration from real-life or for individual work.
situations, then arrange the space to fit your purpose.
"THE BAR"
"THE CAMPFIRE"
"THE CLASSROOM"
FREE EXCHANGE
STORYTELLING, OF IDEAS
LISTENING, AND
SHARING
LECTURE
COMFORTABLE
TALK
"THE DINING
ROOM" OBSERVATION
AND FEEDBACK
RELAX
INDEPENDENT
WORK "THE GALLERY"
"THE LIVING
ROOM"
"THE ATELIER"
76 HOW TO SET UP A ROOM FOR VISUAL FACILITATION THE BASICS
Image 1: At Visuality we created a Visual Hub, a space designed for co-creation sessions.
We facilitate our clients through a process where we map out their thinking, stories, and needs. The cozy,
living room setup makes people feel at ease. The colorful design and daylight spark creativity.
We’re sure this design influences the success of the co-creation sessions we hold in this space.
Images 2, 3, 4: These pictures were taken at the meetup for visual practitioners in Prague in
the spring of 2019. Visuality’s partners, Mara Callaert and Sven Retoré, facilitated the meeting
with the support of the page team, led by Bea Broskova. The room was an attic, not ideal for
visual facilitation, as there were few walls suitable to work on. We created working space with
one huge graphic wall and eight pinboards from Neuland®. This created enough working space
for all practitioners! Though it was small, the attic gave a cozy feeling. That’s why, for moments
of reflection, we chose to work in very informal ways (as shown in the picture above).
Getting Started
Renatta Algalarrondo
THE RIGHT TOOL

FOR THE JOB
Let your talent shine through using the right materials.
The Basics
80 THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB THE BASICS
THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
We have so many options when it comes to the INK

tools of our trade that I could write an entire If you’re working on paper most of the time, I rec-
book about them. So, when writing this chapter, ommend water-based ink. It does not bleed through
I’ve tried to narrow my focus on the very best. like alcohol-based ink. Since you’ll be standing
close to the paper with your marker, it’s important
Everything sends a message: the way we talk, the that the ink not have toxic fumes. Professional
clothes we wear, and the work we deliver. So do the suppliers offer non-toxic, water-based inks.
materials with which we choose to work. In order
to achieve both consistent, high-quality results and For outlines, I recommend water-based permanent
a professional look, exceptional materials are key. ink, so there won’t be any future smearing when
coloring on top with a water-based marker.
Different materials do different things. This chapter is
about choosing the right tools for your purpose. The If you are working on whiteboards your ink will
Grove Consultants International1 delivers a range of be alcohol-based, dry-erase ink. This special ink
markers designed for visual facilitation. In addition, is designed specifically for dry erase surfaces like
Neuland2 delivers the broadest range of products whiteboards or glass. The alcohol medium dries
and systems for visual facilitation. They very actively in- quickly, leaving the colorful dust on the board. Once
novate in collaboration with professionals in the field. completely dry, the dust can be removed with a sponge
or cloth. Enamel and glass surfaces clean most
These two brands have proven to deliver the highest easily. Painted surfaces might need a special spray
quality materials over a long period of time, spe- and miracle sponge to get rid of any ghost marks.
cializing in tools for professionals. It is no surprise
that facilitators, visual practitioners, and graphic When you’re working with electrostatic notes like
recorders use these brands for everything—from the Neuland® Estatics,3 the ink of choice will be
the simplest tasks to the most complex jobs! permanent and alcohol-based. Take care not to
write on dry erase surfaces with this ink! But if
you accidentally do, you can write over it using
GET THE RIGHT MARKERS a whiteboard marker, and then wipe all of it away.
So, which markers are the perfect choice for your
visual work? Considering that the marker is your
most important tool, and is key to writing quickly
and keeping pace with the group’s thoughts and
ideas, there are a few things you should know.
1 To learn about tools from The Grove, visit grovetools-inc.com.

2 For more about Neuland® products, see global.neuland.com. Their online shop carries a wide range of materials specially designed
for facilitators, graphic recorders, and all sorts of visual practitioners. They offer worldwide shipping.
3 “Estatics L” by Neuland® can be found here: global.neuland.com/paper-co./workshop-cards/estatics-l.html?c=745.
THE BASICS THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB 81
DURABILITY Neuland FineOne® Sketch markers come with

Two things have an effect on the durability of your a half-millimeter round nib, ideal for small-scale
GETTING STARTED
marker: the ink and the nibs. The more you work, visual recording, capturing details, and sketchnoting.
the more ink you use and the more the nibs show They also work really well when adding fine outlines
signs of wearing out. Refillable markers help you to to your lettering, or for small-scale calligraphy.
save money and the environment. Perfect markers
are refillable and their nibs can be replaced. Neuland FineOne® Art has a brush nib that creates
lines between one-half and five millimeters, due
to the flexibility of the nib. This is also ideal for
SHAPE AND SIZE OF NIBS small-scale note taking, small-scale calligraphy, or
Marker nibs come in lots of different shapes to quickly and smoothly highlight and shadow.
and sizes. Let’s have a closer look at some
of the most used markers in the field.
Neuland No.One®4 provides a wedge nib that creates

a line between two and six millimeters. It is ideal for
capturing a large amount of content. It can be used at
different angles to achieve the style that suits you best.
Neuland BigOne® is a thick marker with an extra wide

wedge nib that creates a bold line width between six
and twelve millimeters, and allows quick coverage for
large drawings or shadows; its bold lines are perfect
for quickly and easily creating titles and frames on
flipcharts, signage, or graphic recording paper. Image 1: A few Neuland® markers.
The Neuland No.One® Art creates gestural lines

between one-half and seven millimeters, depending
on the amount of applied pressure. These are great
for writing in your own handwriting, practicing
hand lettering, or using calligraphy. They are also
very helpful when coloring detailed drawings,
or shadowing words, titles, and drawings.
Neuland No.One® Metallics come with a wedge

nib. They are water-based and contain metallic
particles. To avoid settling, they must be stored
horizontally. They provide a glossy, metallic effect.
@ Pro Tip: When working on brown or black

paper, metallic markers give your work
an extra finish and special contrast.
Image 2: Neuland® Outliner markers.
4 For all Neuland® markers mentioned in this chapter, please see global.neuland.com/markers-more.
The Neuland Outliner, with permanent, water-based plastic, foam core, cardboard, wood, and much more.
ink, is refillable. This black marker has the advantage They dry fast and have an opaque, smooth finish that
that it can be used in conjunction with light colored will make your work stand out. These markers do have
markers. Why? The permanent black ink prevents the a fluid tank and valve inside, so you have to shake and
light colored markers from smearing; additionally, the pump them before use.
light marker tips won’t be stained with black ink. As the
name says, these are the markers for perfect outlines!
@ Pro Tip: Use these markers for an extra

opaque or eye-catching effect in your visuals,
especially on brown and black paper.
Charters® Markers from The Grove are water

soluble, have a durable chisel tip, are non-re-
fillable, and don’t bleed. These markers have
a wider felt tip, and are great for flipcharts.
STORING MARKERS AND INK BOTTLES5

Figure 1: On the left, an example of drawing For best results and longevity, store markers like this:
with light marker over the Neuland® Outliner markers;
on the right, a regular black marker. ∙∙First, make sure the cap is on tight.
∙∙Store markers in a dedicated container—ideally

one made specifically for storing and transporting
these markers (like the Neuland Novario® boxes).
∙∙Store Neuland No.One® (except Metallic) and

Neuland BigOne® with the nib pointing down. This
way, the ink runs toward the nib keeping it moist,
and you can see the marker color from above
due to the color-coded ring near the refill tank.
∙∙Store Neuland® AcrylicOne markers with the

nib pointing up to prevent the inside valve
Image 3: Neuland® AcrylicOne markers. from clogging with sediment from the ink.
Neuland® AcrylicOne markers are refillable, odorless, ∙∙Store metallic markers flat to prevent
water-based acrylic paints. They are available in metallic pigments from clogging the nib.
three line thicknesses and many colors; wedge nibs
from eight to fifteen millimeters; or round nibs from Recommendations for storing ink refill bottles:
one-point-five to two-point-five millimeters. They all
provide good light fastness, high coverage, and do ∙∙Close them properly before storing.
not bleed through paper. They work great on several
kinds of pre-cleaned surfaces like metal, glass, leather, ∙∙Store standing, not lying flat.
5 A graphic entitled, “How to Store Neuland® Markers” can be found at www.neuland.com/markerpedia.

∙∙Do not expose the bottles to sunlight ∙∙If you are working with the Neuland Outliners:
for long periods of time. after refilling, wash the needle with warm
GETTING STARTED
water. This prevents the ink from building up
∙∙Shake both Neuland AcrylicOne and the dry layers, which leads to a clogged needle.
metallic ink bottles before refilling markers.
Image 4: Charters® Markers from The Grove.
HOW TO REFILL NEULAND MARKERS
Image 5: Refill ink for Neuland Markers.
All Neuland Markers can easily be refilled,

saving money and protecting the environment.
The complete manual about how to refill
these markers can be found online.6
6 To access Neuland’s manuals, visit “Markerpedia,” at global.neuland.com/markerpedia.

PASTELS
I’m also a big fan of using pastels on charts. They
are a great way to add shadows, highlight a specific
piece of content, and finish off your designs.
Image 6: PanPastel® soft pastels.

Figure 2: A selection of colors. This chart includes Neuland
PanPastel®7 uses a unique manufacturing process that shades 102 light gray, 203 soft rose, 303 pastel blue, 403 pastel
requires a minimum of binders and fillers, resulting in green, 502 pastel yellow, 503 lime, 702 pastel violet, 804 sand,
rich, ultra soft, low dust formulations. Its unique format and the S’more tones (gray). The Grove’s Charters® Marker in
pan (cake-like) allows it to be mixed and applied like yellow is also featured.
paint. Both chalk pastels and PanPastel® colors are
great to use. However, if you happen to be allergic When it comes to preserving your charts after
to the dust they generate, a fine alternative is using they’ve been created, there’s one thing you
soft-toned markers to give your work colorful shadows. should know: not every ink acts the same way.
For example, some inks are more stable when
Figure 2 shows a selection of soft-toned markers to it comes to light-fastness than others.
use for shadowing, if pastels are not an option.
THE FOLLOWING TIPS WILL HELP PRESERVE

YOUR WORK:
∙∙Take a photo and store it on a safe

medium, such as digital storage.
∙∙Roll your paper (with the visual toward the inside)

and store it in a tube or other dark, dry place.
∙∙If your work includes pastel chalks or

PanPastel®, be sure to fix the powdery medium
with a special fixing spray (or hairspray).
7 For more information, visit www.panpastel.com.

SURFACES: WHERE TO DRAW, LARGE AND SMALL
GETTING STARTED
Sketchbook (Paper Notebook)
Use this for making your personal sketchnotes, to draft large-format work, outline a project, take
notes at briefing meetings, practice your drawing skills, draw during your leisure time, and more.
Image 7: Sketchbook in action (photo by Marzena Seidel).
Advantages: Keep in mind:
∙∙You can take it anywhere. ∙∙If you want to sketch in a business meeting, be sure
to communicate at the beginning of the meeting what
∙∙Keeping sketchnotes helps to focus. you are doing and why. That way, you create clarity.
∙∙Connecting images with information ∙∙Be prepared—sketchnoting can be highly

significantly increases our ability to addictive. It’s easy to start a collection!
remember what we’ve learned.
∙∙Several sizes, styles, paper weights,

textures, and colors are available.
Flipchart
The flipchart is the perfect surface for visual work with small or medium-sized groups.
This is a good first choice for practicing writing on a larger format while standing.
Image 8: Flipchart in action (photo by Orest Tabaka).
∙∙Flipcharts provide a lot of working ∙∙A flipchart should be stable, not wobbly.

space (compared to notebooks).
∙∙Keep an eye on the paper quality, as it
∙∙By flipping each sheet over, you’re able varies between brands and types.
to generate more blank surfaces.
∙∙Because of the portrait orientation, the space
∙∙Effortless portability. can feel narrow. (Neuland makes flipcharts that
can be turned to landscape orientation.)
∙∙Easy and affordable access, and widely found
in training venues, offices, and schools. ∙∙A good paper holder will not obstruct the
flipping and tearing off of single pages.
∙∙When working with a large group, consider

projecting a live video on a big screen, or
work with pinboard or a graphic wall.
HANGING A FLIPCHART ON THE WALL8

To create a removable adhesive, prepare several loops
GETTING STARTED
of tape. Using painter’s tape, which will not damage
walls, tear off five one-inch (twelve centimeter) pieces
of tape and stick the ends together to form a loop.
Apply the tape loops to the back of the flipchart

paper or onto the wall where you want to later
hang the sheet. That way you’ll have prepared
your work area to quickly and easily hang
the paper during or between workshops.
Image 9: Neuland sketch@work FlipChart in landscape mode.
@ Pro Tip: To tear the sheet off cleanly

without ripping the paper, place the
thumb of one hand just above the tear
edge, exerting slight pressure. With your
other hand, simultaneously give a short
pull to the bottom of the sheet and
voilá, you have the whole sheet in your
hand! This method also works well when
tearing off a couple of sheets at once.
@ Pro Tip: For straight, clean work, use flipchart

paper printed with a gray crosshair. That
way, you can record freely while still using
a guideline to keep your writing straight. To The flipchart is the
take advantage of the guidelines without
including them in your work, turn the flipchart perfect surface for visual
pad over and work on the back side. This
way the lines are not visible from a distance, work with small or
but you’ll still be able to see them.
medium-sized groups.
8 An instructional video called “How Does a Professional Hang up a Flipchart?” is available on the book’s website.
Static Plastic Sheets On a smaller scale, electrostatic adhesive pads, such

Electrostatic plastic sheets, usually flipchart size, as Neuland Estatics, can help facilitate brainstorming.
can be used on top of your working surface without These self-adhesive notes stick to almost any
needing any tape or drawing pins (due to their electro- surface, including paper. The pads come in multiple
static properties). Magic Whiteboard Products9 makes sizes and are available in many colors, including
a variety of electrostatic sheets designed to use with a transparent version which enables layering.
dry erase markers; these products are available online.
Image 12: Neuland Estatics and Neuland

No.One® Estatics markers.
Image 10: The Magic Whiteboard, by Magic Whiteboard Products.
Advantages:
∙∙You can move Estatics around by sliding them

across any surface you are working on, such
as paper, whiteboards, pinboards, or a wall.
∙∙Using white Estatics, you can draw outlines

with permanent marker, then fill in with
colored, water-based Neuland markers.
Keep in mind:
∙∙For labeling use a fast-drying marker,

Image 11: Neuland Estatics XXL are reusable, dry-erase sheets. such as Neuland No.One Estatics.
Neuland has a product called Estatics XXL, which ∙∙The transparent Estatics work well with
are electrostatic dry-erase sheets (available in permanent Estatics markers. Color can
white and clear) that can be easily attached to be added with AcrylicOne markers.
any flipchart. The perforated sheets are sixty by
eighty centimeters (23.6 x 31.5 inches) in size. The ∙∙Stickiness depends on surface, climate, and other
transparent film is ideal for outlining, or for protecting factors. For example, if you’re in an air-conditioned
your original ideas while continuing to work on the environment or a breeze is blowing in from an
same thoughts or drawings. These static film sheets open window, the stickiness will not last as long.
can be used with whiteboard markers like Neuland
No.One Whiteboard, or permanent markers like the ∙∙Stickiness is also reduced when the cards
Neuland No.One Estatics and Neuland AcrylicOne. are handled by sweaty hands, which can
discharge the necessary static electricity.
9 For more information, visit magicwhiteboardproducts.com.

Pinboard
Pinboards are the number one choice for facilitation,
GETTING STARTED
group processes, discussions, displays, and teaching.
Advantages:
∙∙The perfect board for brainstorming and for

presentations with groups larger than five people.
∙∙Effortless portability.
∙∙Pre-cut paper sheets are available

in white and brown.
Keep in mind:
∙∙Do not forget to carry pins to attach the paper to

the board; otherwise, you’ll need to use tape.
∙∙V-shaped feet facilitate environments that

require a half-circle configuration.
Image 13: The Neuland EuroPin®
Pinboard (photo by Marzena Seibel).
Graphic Wall
Graphic walls are the perfect surface for graphic
recording, graphic-facilitation trainings, active
workshops, large groups, and trade shows.
Neuland offers a selection of graphic walls.
The Neuland GraphicWall LW-X is a scalable system.

Single boards can be connected with each other
to form an extra-large work surface; the length is
limited only by the number of available boards.
A carrying case is available for purchase separately.
Image 14: The Neuland GraphicWall LW-X10 in action.
10 For a link to the assembly video, please see “Neuland - LW-X GraphicWall - Assembly Instructions” here: youtu.be/VD-Mriv73MY.
Image 15: The Neuland GraphicWall V3.
The GraphicWall V3 is available in standard and extra-large.

Once folded, it’s easily transportable, and setup takes only minutes. The board
is two-sided, which doubles the available working space.
Advantages:
∙∙All Neuland graphic walls are portable and have

a wide surface on which to work.
∙∙Some can be used on both sides at the same time,

so multiple people can work simultaneously.
∙∙Effortless portability.
∙∙Paper winders make it easier to roll the paper,

and to continue working without tearing the paper apart.
Keep in mind:
∙∙Assembling graphic walls takes a bit of practice,

but an instructional video is available on the book’s website.11
11 “Setting Up the Neuland V3 Graphic Wall.” Watch the video here: bit.ly/graphicwalldemo.
Foam Core Boards
GETTING STARTED
Resting a foam core board on an easel provides a suitable working surface for
graphic recording, graphic facilitation, idea walls, and displays.
Image 16: Easel and foam core boards (photo by Stephen Weinstock).
∙∙You can cut foam board into any size. ∙∙Foam boards can feel a bit shaky on the easel.
Also watch out for audience members leaning
∙∙You can build a tower of charts. on it, thinking that it is an actual wall.
∙∙Foam board is available in many ∙∙Due to their large size (usually 1.20 X 2.40
colors, including black. meters, or 4 X 8 feet), even when scored and
folded, transport can be cumbersome.
An Actual Wall
Use it for graphic recording, graphic facilitation, Keep in mind:

template display, group work on templates, ideas,
very large visuals, and long timeline work. ∙∙It’s important to receive permission in advance
from the venue or client if you plan to use
the wall for hanging paper. Many venues
are resistant to potential wall damage.
∙∙Be aware of wallpaper, artwork, or fabric

wallcoverings that will prevent using
the wall as a working space.
∙∙The surface can be too rough for tape to stick

to, or unsuitable for writing and drawing.
∙∙Be aware that the wall’s position in relation

Advantages: to the group is not always ideal.
∙∙It is a steady surface on which to work. ∙∙To prevent ink from accidentally bleeding
through the paper and onto the wall, use an
∙∙It is suitable to display a series of charts extra sheet to underlay the writing surface.
during multiple-day events.
HOW TO HANG YOUR WORK ON THE WALL
Paper from a Roll12 Use the Right Tape
To hang it up properly, it is important to: ∙∙I am a big fan of the fifteen-millimeter-wide tesa
brand painting tape available in Europe. You
∙∙Apply a piece of tape every four inches can find these in every do-it-yourself shop. In
(ten centimeters), across both the top the United States, I use artist’s tape, usually one
and bottom edges of the paper. inch wide (or fifteen millimeters), which can be
found in art supply stores. Blue painter’s tape
∙∙Apply the tape in such a way that the majority is repositionable but, unfortunately, doesn’t
of the tape sticks to the wall (not the paper). look professional. Be mindful of stocking up
on artist’s tape; as it ages, it loses quality.
12 For a demonstration, see “How a Professional Attaches a Large Sheet of Paper on the Wall,” available on our website:
theworldofvisualfacilitation.com.
Whiteboard
Some working spaces have built-in or mobile whiteboards. White-
GETTING STARTED
boards are easy to use, and require no learning curve.
Image 17: A whiteboard in action.
Keep in mind:
∙∙The height might not be appropriate for you.
∙∙There may be too much space on which to work.
∙∙Because the surface is usually glossy, reflections

make it difficult to take proper pictures of your artwork.
∙∙If somebody bumps against the wall, your work

might accidentally be erased.
∙∙Sometimes the positioning of the wall is not the best place to record,
or the ideal spot for the audience to view your work.
PAPER SIZES
Flipchart-Size Paper & Pinboard Paper Paper Rolls

Flipchart pads (68 X 99 centimeters, or 26.5 X 39 inches)
carry twenty sheets of paper. Multiple colors are
available. The paper quality varies in thickness. A good
quality paper has a weight of 80 g/m² (30 lbs) or more.
This is weighty enough to prevent previous drawings
on pages below from showing through. Printed
crosshair guidelines help you keep a straight line.
Image 18: Graphic recording on Neuland paper roll V3 black.
Paper rolls are the first choice, when working on large

scale surfaces, like walls or Neuland GraphicWalls.
A common choice is plotter paper in a weight of 80
g/m² (30 lbs), and 1.20 meters (or 48 inches) tall.
Specialty suppliers like Neuland offer paper rolls for
the graphic wall in white, brown, and black. These rolls
measure twenty-five meters (eighty-two feet). The
rolled pre-cut sheets of pinboard sized paper (116 X
140 cm, or 45.7 X 55 inches) come in white and brown.
FLIPCHART-SIZE PAPER ROLLED PRE-CUT SHEETS PAPER ROLL
To use for Flipchart Pinboard Large scale on Walls or

Neuland GraphicWall
Material Varying thickness, 80 g/ 80 g/m2 (30 lbs) 80 g/m2 (30 lbs)

quality m (30 lbs) is advisable
2
(weight)
Height 99 cm (39 inches) 140 cm (55 inches) 1.2 m (48 inches)
Length 68 cm (26.5 inches) 116 cm (45.7 inches) 25 m (82 ft)
Color Multiple White and brown White, brown, and black

Special travel bags for transporting rolled pinboard TRANSPORTING YOUR MATERIALS
paper are also available. Since quality matters, it
GETTING STARTED
is important to have paper with a smooth surface; Working Locally
otherwise, your drawings will look blurry. Furthermore, If you want to be sure that all the tools you need are
rough paper soaks too much ink out of your markers. in proper condition, you might want to transport your
own tools to the job. Though you can use any type of
Sticky Notes suitable bag, a good quality tool bag or case is needed.
Sticky notes are great tools to encourage group Specialty suppliers carry a variety of professional
collaboration. They come in a variety of sizes, workshop cases. They’re like toolboxes, but designed
shapes, and colors, so that groups can create their especially for facilitators, trainers, coaches, graphic
own color scheme or organizational flow. It’s best recorders, or anyone else who wants neat, well-
to stay with the larger stickies, which are easier organized workshop tools at hand. Having proper
to write on, and easier for groups to read. containers increases the durability and longevity of
your materials, keeps them organized, and makes it
Use sticky notes to gather lots of ideas during a brain- easier to pack and unpack.
storming session. Hexagon-shaped stickies connect
thoughts and ideas. The sky’s the limit in terms of how
to use stickies to allow individuals to contribute and
collaborate. You can assign colors to people or teams,
making it easy to check back when there are questions.
Or you can randomly assign colors for anonymity. Using
larger-sized stickies to identify category headings or
names of clusters is a great way to show hierarchy.
Using the right markers on sticky notes is important

to ensure that ideas can be read and understood.
To prevent bleed-through, select a black permanent
marker, a Neuland FineOne®Art, or a Neuland Fine-
One® Outliner. These markers create clear marks, and
legibility matters. Depending on the size of the sticky
note, markers typically used for graphic recording may
be too big or too wide for the lettering to be readable.
If you want to use bigger sticky cards or stand out
a portion of your work, Neuland carries a wide range
of sizes, shapes (like people, speech bubbles, round,
and so on), and colors (white, black, gray, beige, red,
etc.) that come in both stick-it and pin-it versions.
Image 19: Neuland PaperQuiver, Novario®BigOne-Box III,
Novario®No.One-Box, and Novario® WorkshopCase.
Workshop cards, markers, sticky notes, voting

dots, pins—a quality tool kit has a dedicated
space for everything. The Neuland Novario® box
systems offer a perfect way to organize with
enough flexibility to suit any individual’s needs.
Flying to Your Work Site ∙∙Store the bottles upright in a Novario® No.One-
Box, or laying flat in a Novario® AccessoryBox,
Be aware that when you are flying to your work site and place them in your checked luggage.
there is always a risk of your checked luggage being
lost or misplaced. If you usually put your materials ∙∙Protect big, fat markers individually by sealing
in there, I strongly recommend you include a small them in snack-sized bags, and then putting those
kit of workshop cards and fully filled markers in bags in another, larger, plastic zipper bag. This
your carry-on bag. This way you can easily improvise will confine any leaks that may occur as a result
with flipchart paper and adhesive tape from any of changing air pressure during the flight.
local office supply store; at least you will have
a kit with your must-have markers available. You can ship paper rolls, black flipchart paper, and
foam core directly to the work site. Just remember
to make sure you know all details for the shipping
label: room number, name of the event, contact
person, event code, and who is responsible for
receiving and storing your items onsite until
you arrive. And always track your package!
If you are taking refill bottles onboard, here is the

system I use. It has kept me leakage-free while
traveling locally and overseas for ten years.
Use the original cap (with no bulb) that comes with

the refill bottle. In the original box you’ll find a cap
attached to the bottle and another (loose) cap with
bulb and needle to be used in the refilling process.
∙∙Double check that the cap is securely Many of the images in this chapter were used with per-
screwed down to the refill bottle. mission from Neuland. We would like to thank Neuland
for their generosity and collaboration on this chapter.
∙∙Keep the bulb ink-free and squeeze the air out.
Place each bottle in a snack-sized plastic zipper bag,
then tuck the bottles back into their original box.
WORKS CITED:
GETTING STARTED
“Charters® Markers.” The Grove Consultants International,
grovetools-inc.com/collections/supplies/products/charters-markers-set-of-8-assorted-colors.
Accessed 8 Oct. 2018.
“Estatics.” Neuland®,
www.neuland.com/estatics.
“How a Professional Attaches a Large Sheet of Paper on the Wall.”

The World of Visual Facilitation, theworldofvisualfacilitation.com.
“How Does a Professional Hang up a Flipchart?” The Visual Connection, 18 March 2017,
thevisualconnection.nl/zo-hangt-professional-flipovervel-op.
“How to Store Your Neuland® Markers.” Neuland®, global.neuland.com/markerpedia. Accessed 06 June 2019.
Magic Whiteboard Products. Magic Whiteboard Products, magicwhiteboardproducts.com.

Accessed 11 April 2019.
“Markerpedia.” Neuland®, www.neuland.com/en/markerpedia. Accessed 10 April 2019.
Neuland®. Neuland®, www.neuland.com.
“Neuland - LW-X GraphicWall - Assembly Instructions.” YouTube, uploaded by NEULANDcom, 27 Mar. 2013,
bit.ly/graphicwalldemo.
“Neuland® Markers & More.” Neuland®, www.neuland.com/markers.
“PanPastel®.” Colorfin LLC, www.panpastel.com. Accessed 22 May 2019.
“Setting Up the Neuland V3 Graphic Wall.” YouTube, uploaded by The Visual Connection, 22 May 2018,
bit.ly/graphicwalldemo.
The Grove Consultants International: Visual Facilitation for Teaming, Collaboration

and Change. The Grove, www.grove.com. Accessed 09 April 2019.
“The Grove Store.” The Grove, grovetools-inc.com. Accessed 11 April 2019.

Getting Started
Mike Rohde
SKETCHNOTING: YOUR
FIRST STEP INTO
VISUAL THINKING
Ideas, not art! When you draw to communicate ideas,
your lack of skill as an artist doesn't matter.
The Basics
100 SKETCHNOTING: YOUR FIRST STEP INTO VISUAL THINKING THE BASICS
SKETCHNOTING: YOUR FIRST STEP

INTO VISUAL THINKING
WHERE DID SKETCHNOTES COME FROM? of these ideas into my notes. In my old, text-heavy
In early 2007, I found myself in a strange situation: notes, I’d left no time to squeeze in sketches.
I was a great note taker who hated taking notes.
My notes were text-dense and I felt a burden to
capture everything, and capture it perfectly. Worse
still, I resisted reviewing my own notes because
they were as impenetrable as a rainforest.
LISTENING
I was confronted with the need for a sustainable and FOR IDEAS ANALYZING
enjoyable way to take notes, because the old way didn’t IDEAS
work any more. I had a crazy idea to try something I’d
been thinking about—an experiment that would con-
strain on my note taking—just to see what happened.
MAPPING
To bring this experiment to life, I established new
limits around my note taking. Instead of the large,
IDEAS
lined books I’d used to capture text-heavy notes, I’d
switch to a pocket-sized notebook by Moleskine®.
Rather than the mechanical pencil that had
allowed me to erase mistakes, I’d try a gel pen.
I wondered: what else I could add to my notes? Could
Using a small book, and making a commitment to put my love of typography be useful for hand lettering?
ink on the page, I was forced to rethink my note taking. Using different sizes and weights of lettering, I could
Instead of word-for-word notes, I started capturing emphasize important ideas and create a hierarchy. Bit
the big ideas that mattered to me. If an idea didn’t by bit, my notes became more and more visual. Most
resonate or apply to my life, why capture it? importantly, I was having a great time creating notes!
The mindset of focusing on relevant ideas freed me
from the pressure of recording verbatim notes. As I continued taking visual notes at conferences,
the name sketchnotes emerged as the clearest
Because I was writing less, I suddenly had time to way I could describe the new visual note-taking
listen, think about, and analyze what was being method with which I was experimenting. Both
said. Instead of capturing every detail, I took time sketching and note taking were wrapped up in my
to visualize the ideas in the moment, adding images work, and, as a bonus, sketchnotes sounded good.
THE BASICS SKETCHNOTING: YOUR FIRST STEP INTO VISUAL THINKING 101
WHO CREATES SKETCHNOTES?
GETTING STARTED
Sketchnotes are created by regular people whose opin-
ions and perspectives are bound into their work. This
differs a bit from professional graphic recorders, who
may strive for neutrality and typically work on large-
scale boards in front of audiences. Of course, there are
@ What Are Sketchnotes?

professional sketchnoters who work as graphic record-
ers, but they generally prefer to capture visual notes on
smaller canvases, like notebooks or electronic tablets.
Sketchnotes are rich visual notes created
from a mix of handwriting, drawing,
hand-drawn lettering, and other visual
objects, like arrows, boxes, and lines.
Sketchnotes are designed to capture big
ideas visually, so the creator can review
them later or share them with others.
Anything you experience, imagine, or

analyze can become sketchnotes. Lectures,
group brainstorming sessions, processes, Sketchnotes are most often created at a small scale:
travel and food experiences, books, films hardbound or spiral-bound sketchbooks, on plain
and television shows, podcasts, and much sheets of office paper, or with electronic tablets and
more, can be captured as sketchnotes. high-resolution drawing tools, like Apple Inc.’s iPad
Sketchnotes make your thinking visual. Pro2 and Apple Pencil3. The small size and proportions
of sketchnotes have an additional benefit—they
In my book, The Sketchnote Handbook,1 I use are perfectly suited for viewing and sharing on
the phrase ‘ideas, not art’ to change the smartphones, tablets, and computer screens.
reader’s judgement criteria from creating
fine art to communicating ideas. I want to Sketchnotes are created all over the world by
encourage new sketchnoters to visualize all sorts of people. From industrial workers to
ideas simply, and not compare their sketches top-level executives, from grade school students
against professional illustrations or fine art. to nuclear physicists, people who sketchnote
aim to capture their thinking visually. Recording
Sketchnotes should emphasize the effective notes in this manner encourages verbally-focused
capture of ideas first and foremost, with thinkers to awaken the visual skills buried deep
beautiful illustrations as the cherry on top. inside—skills they developed as young children,
There are many examples of beautifully when they drew to express their view of the world.
illustrated sketchnotes, and the best
sketchnotes always place ideas at their core.
When emphasis is placed on appearance,
at the expense of core ideas, the spirit
and value of sketchnotes are lost.
1 For more information or to purchase a copy, see: rohdesign.com.

2 For more information, see: www.apple.com/ipad-pro.
3 For more information, see: www.apple.com/apple-pencil.
Any time a person wishes than students who took notes longhand. We show
that whereas taking more notes can be beneficial,
to capture and visualize laptop note takers’ tendency to transcribe lectures
verbatim rather than processing information and
their thinking, and would reframing it in their own words is detrimental
to learning” (Mueller and Oppenheimer 1).
like the option of sharing
In a nutshell, handwritten note takers were required
it with others, sketchnotes to analyze concepts as they worked, and as a result,
had better recall of conceptual information than
provide a solution. keyboard note takers. Because the keyboardists were
able to type quickly, they captured near-verbatim
notes at the expense of analyzing concepts. Even in
follow-up testing, when keyboard note takers were
told to avoid verbatim notes and capture concepts
in their own words, they still had lower retention
rates as compared to those taking longhand notes.
Sharing
Your sketchnotes are shareable, providing other

people access to the ideas you’ve captured.
WHY SKETCHNOTING? Because of their small format, they’re ideal for
Sketchnoting takes a little more effort than tradition- sharing on social media, distributing as PDF
ally written notes—and definitely more effort than no files, and printing on standard office paper.
notes at all—so why should you bother sketchnoting?
Enjoyment
Engagement
Creating sketchnotes is a fun activity. You’re given
Sketchnoting is the mental and physical practice of permission to write text and capture ideas visually,
turning what you hear, see, and think into a map of which opens up a variety of ways in which you
rich, visual notes. It engages your entire self—mind can represent ideas. If you have fun sketchnoting,
and body—as you work to capture ideas visually. you’re more likely to sketchnote again and again.
Recall and Retention
Sketchnotes create a long lasting relationship to ideas

you’ve captured, and can deepen your retention of
concepts. Creating sketchnotes strengthens the details
in your memory, for days, weeks, months, and years.
A 2014 Psychological Science article4 provides

insights into the benefits of creating notes by hand.
Researchers discovered the following: “In three
studies, we found that students who took notes on
laptops performed worse on conceptual questions
4 Mueller and Oppenheimer, “The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking.”
GETTING STARTED
WHAT MAKES A SKETCHNOTE?
The basic elements of the sketchnote are:
Separators
Titles Separators are elements used to divide the page
Titles define the sketchnote, and can include into sections, or visually separate elements.
topic, speaker name, date, and location.
Arrows
Lettering Using arrows visually connects objects
Large, hand-drawn lettering (of all types) together to show context or flow.
emphasize ideas and create hierarchy.
Bullets
Handwriting Can be applied to identify and connect
Standard-sized handwriting can be used a series of handwritten elements.
to capture detailed written ideas.
Containers
Sketches, Drawings, and Diagrams These are used to wrap several elements together in
These elements are visual representations of concepts. a single grouping to represent an overall idea or topic.
Icons Signature
These are reusable visual elements that And of course do not forget to indi-
represent commonly used concepts. cate who created a sketchnote.
SKETCHNOTE PATTERNS
The patterns below provide methods of organizing sketchnotes. Each type of pattern has its own set of pros
and cons, so experiment to find which best fits your situation. Mix, match, and then create your own patterns.
Linear structures information like the Modular divides a space into separate sections. Each
flow of a book, diagonally from the top module holds different parts of the overall idea.
left to the bottom right of the space. Drawing lines to separate each section is optional.
Radial focuses on a central topic with the ideas

radiating from it, but the topic doesn’t need to be Skyscraper uses vertical columns for speakers
exactly in the center of the space. in a panel or ideas being discussed, with
details organized in the column below.
Vertical displays information from the top to the

bottom of the page, with new details added at the Popcorn emphasizes capturing information
bottom of the sketchnote. over structure. Topic, speaker name, draw-
ings, and text can appear anywhere.
Path displays details across the page in a directed flow;

as zigzags, c-shapes, w-shapes, or any organic path you
can imagine.
HOW YOU CAN APPLY SKETCHNOTING

Sketchnotes are used in a wide variety of ways.
GETTING STARTED
Here are a few sample sketchnote applications:
Talks and Presentations
Talks, lectures, sermons, and other spoken presentations, live or recorded, are particularly well
suited to sketchnotes. By visually recording talks, you’ll understand the concepts more deeply, and
you’ll be able to share your sketchnotes with others. For highly technical talks, conducting research
in advance helps to build a critical base of understanding before the presentation begins.
Idea Generation
You can use sketchnotes to generate and capture

ideas, on your own or with a group. Keep things
flexible; the focus of idea generation is to brainstorm
many ideas that you or a group can review, evaluate,
and iterate. Idea maps are ideal for seeing the big
picture, as well as the fine detail, of a concept.
Planning
Sketchnotes can be helpful for planning presentations,

projects, family vacations, work assignments, and
more. Adding visualizations to written text provides
another dimension and level of detail to your planning.
GETTING STARTED
Documentation
Sketchnoting is an effective way to convert process information into concise visual docu-
ments that communicate the context of a step-by-step process. From recipes to cheat sheets,
sketchnotes are a great way to capture and share processes with other people.
Travel or Food Experiences
Sketchnotes are a fun way to capture and document memorable travel experiences with draw-
ings, lettering, and other visual elements. By using sketches to illuminate your travel adventures,
you embed more meaning into the experiences you want to remember. The same is true for
dining. You can capture delicious meals with sketchnotes using sketches and lettering. Create
visual records of your fantastic food experiences to enjoy and share with other people.
Sports
Capture sporting events with sketchnotes to fully experience every play. Focusing on the dynamics and action of
sports is a great way to become more attentive to the shifts in momentum, and identify key plays of the game.
Movies and Television
GETTING STARTED
Michael Clayton
Sketchnotes can be a great way to convert your favorite movies or television shows
into visual maps. By visualizing these experiences, you can better understand nar-
rative arcs, character development, conflict, and resolution of the story.
Audio
Podcasts and audiobooks are great types of media to visualize, because you can listen and work at
the same time, without other visual stimulation diverting your attention. You can even interpret music
as sketchnotes, and capture how the music and lyrics make you feel.
Books
WORKS CITED:
“Apple Pencil.” Apple Inc.,

www.apple.com/apple-pencil. Accessed 16 June 2019.
“iPad Pro.” Apple Inc., www.apple.com/ipad-pro.

Moleskine® Official: Diaries, Notebooks, Journals, Bags.

Moleskine, us.moleskine.com/en. Accessed 16 June 2019.
Mueller, Pam A. and Oppenheimer, Daniel M. “The Pen Is

Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand
Over Laptop Note Taking.” Psychological Science, vol. 25,
no. 6, 2014, pp. 1159-1168, journals
.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797614524581.
Melinda Walker Accessed 24 April 2018.
By sketchnoting books, you distill the ideas of a larger Rohde, Mike. The Sketchnote Handbook: the Illustrated
work into a compact space. As an added bonus, Guide to Visual Note Taking. Peachpit Press, 2012.
creating sketchnotes of books you’ve read means your
notes are separate from the books themselves, so if Rohdesign: Mike Rohde, Designer. Rohdesign,
you lose or lend a book, you’ll still have your notes. rohdesign.com. Accessed 06 June 2019.
Sketchnotes serve as a flexible tool. They keep you en-

gaged and in the moment. They help you capture and
remember key concepts. They can even help you find
your way through difficult problems, no matter how
small or rough your sketches might be. Keep practicing,
and you, too, will discover the joy of sketchnoting.
Brian Tarallo Steve Weinstock
Getting Started
Jessamy Gee
VISUAL NOTE TAKING:

ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES
Visual practice is like baking a cake.
You must know your ingredients—and how to combine
them—to create the result you’re after.
The Basics
114 VISUAL NOTE TAKING: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES THE BASICS
VISUAL NOTE TAKING:

ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES
How to Bake a Cake
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? WHY DO HUMANS of something—like hot fries at the beach—will create
LOVE VISUAL NOTES? a stronger memory than just seeing the beach.
People love visual notes. They love looking at them,
love sharing them, and love creating them. Yes, visual American magician and memory expert Harry Lorayne
note-taking is novel and it looks cool, but our love of (best known for remembering the name of every
visual notes goes much deeper. Visuals tap into our single audience member on The Tonight Show . . .
most innate human characteristics and preferences. multiple times!) has a similar concept which he calls
original awareness. He states that the most common
The value of graphic recording, graphic facilitation, problem of recalling memories is that they weren’t
or sketchnoting falls into four main categories. formed well in the first place. He uses vivid imagery
as one of his primary memory formation techniques.
Engagement
The reader is better able to engage with the content. According to Medina, when it comes to memory recall,
This is why Facebook posts with images are liked visuals trump all senses. He states that an audience
and shared more often than those with text alone. will experience three times better recall for information
that is visual only (rather than verbal only), and six
Comprehension times better recall if the information is both visual
Subject matter is better understood with an image. and verbal (spoken). That’s pretty powerful stuff!
Visuals help us organize, synthesize, and simplify
information into easily digestible pieces. They also Connection
help to communicate relationships and connections Visuals help us connect on an emotional level.
that are difficult to verbally articulate. Consider a set Imagery, even simple or abstract colors and shapes,
of text-only instructions versus a visual instruction will elicit an emotional reaction. Using visuals
manual. Not only are the visuals far more clear, allows us to communicate a deeper level of meaning
but they remove language barriers, as well. that can’t be transmitted through words alone.
Retention Visuals engage us on a

Visuals aid in memory formation, retention, and
recall. In his book Brain Rules, molecular biologist visceral level, and capture
John Medina states, “Most of the events that predict
whether something learned also will be remembered not just what something
occur in the first few seconds of learning. The more
elaborately we encode a memory during its initial is, but how it feels.
moments, the stronger it will be.”1 How do we elab-
orately encode a memory? By stimulating multiple Incidentally, creating an emotional response also
senses. If we can see something as well as hear it, aids the creation and encoding of strong memories.
we create a stronger memory. Just like how the smell When you have an emotional response your brain
1 Medina, Brain Rules, p. 119.

THE BASICS VISUAL NOTE TAKING: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES 115
releases serotonin, indicating something important that words alone can’t capture (for example,
is happening. This ‘flags’ the memory as critical adding imagery that describes the mood of the
GETTING STARTED
information as it’s being created, making it more likely room), or amplifying the meaning of the words
to be retained and easier to access at a later date.2 (by your choice of color, size, layout, etc.).
Everything you do in your visual practice,

HOW DOES IT WORK? whether as a graphic recorder, graphic facili-
Visual notes deliver these awesome outcomes for one tator, or sketchnoter, should come back to this
fundamental reason: they create or amplify meaning. intention: to create and amplify meaning.
By adding visual elements to your note-taking

practice, you are either creating additional meaning
Follow the recipe to create the flavor you desire.3
2 Medina, Brain Rules.

3 Graphic by Jessamy Gee, of Think in Colour. For more, visit www.think-in-colour.com.au.
PUTTING IT IN PRACTICE: ELEMENTS AND ELEMENTS

PRINCIPLES OF VISUAL NOTE-TAKING In order to create or amplify the meaning of our
Let’s think about visual note-taking like baking a content—whether it be delivered as a presenta-
cake. You have an array of ingredients (elements) tion, meeting, conversation, or otherwise—first
available to you, and a range of methods (principles) we need to explore the elements available to
for combining them. You need to choose the right us. These are the ingredients for our cake.
ingredients, in the right combination and measure-
ments, to make the right cake (intended meaning).
Text
∙∙Headings
∙∙Subtitles
∙∙Lists
∙∙Writing and detail
∙∙CAPS versus lowercase
∙∙Fonts
Elements of text.
Organizers
∙∙Containers
∙∙Connectors
∙∙Bullet points
∙∙Dividers
Organizing elements.
Color
GETTING STARTED
∙∙Positive / Negative
∙∙Color coding / Color key
∙∙Social connotations
Elements of color.
Pictures
∙∙Diagrams
∙∙Icons
∙∙Drawings
Icons, diagrams, and drawings.

PRINCIPLES color. Using a color code (or key) is an easy way to com-
If the elements are the ingredients, then the four municate contrast or unity of ideas throughout your
principles are the method—the recipe—of how you notes (for example, green = action, red = red flags, yel-
combine the ingredients together. This determines low = big ideas). This is something you can easily create
the type of cake (or meaning) you’ll create. to suit your own objectives. Just remember to annotate
somewhere on the page so you know what’s what!
If you take a bunch of these ingredients and put them
together, you will create something. You will create
or amplify meaning in some way. However, if you
don’t use them with consciousness and intention,
you may not create the type of cake you planned.
For example, when you make some words bigger than

others, you’re telling the reader something about those
words. The meaning you are assigning to them through
their size is that they are more significant than the
other words on the page. If you are making words big Consider the inferred meaning of symbols,
without intending to make them more significant— and draw with intention.
maybe just to fill a space, or because you draw a nice
cursive S, then your cake won’t be satisfying. Imagine How you communicate the hierarchy of ideas in
expecting chocolate ripple and being served carrot relation to each other is also important to consider,
cake! The choices you make—the combinations and and you can use practically any combination of the ele-
measurements of ingredients—are how you ensure ments to do this. Using capital letters versus lowercase
you’re baking the right cake for the right audience. denotes hierarchy in content. Using a thick starburst
container as opposed to a simple circle; selecting a
1. Relationships ‘pop’ color (a bright color that stands out, usually from
Relationships are at the heart of how we put elements all-black text) for important words versus no color . . .
together to create or amplify meaning—both in the Be aware that the elements you choose create mean-
elements we choose, and how we choose to use them. ing. Make sure that you’re baking the cake you want.
Containers and connectors are a simple and 2. Tone

effective way to show relationships. The type of Tone is the magic of visual note-taking. This is how
container or connector we use is what really amps we capture the feeling of something. This is where we
up the meaning. For example, how does changing create meaning that words alone simply can’t convey.
the direction of an arrow alter the meaning? What if
the arrow is a broken line? Straight versus coiled? The most obvious way to create tone is through
the use of pictures. You might not realize it, but
You can start adding layers of elements here. What you probably do this every day. We instinctively
does a straight green arrow say, as opposed to a curly use images in our text messages to add a tone
red one? Contrast or unity among various elements that words alone cannot entirely capture.
tells us something about their relationship—whether
the variations (or similarities) be in shape, size, or
fade out as we become more open-minded about

gender!). These connotations may vary depending
GETTING STARTED
on the region or culture in which you’re working.
3. Clarity
Clarity refers to both legibility of the markings
themselves, and clarity of content—how clearly
you can see how one idea relates to another.
Legibility
Taking time to ensure your writing and drawing is
Emojis perfectly illustrate the magic of visual note-taking legible may seem obvious, but it’s something that’s
—the ability to express tone. often forgotten when the pace picks up! Take a
breath. Make confident, deliberate lines. Use a little
According to one source, 92% of people online use bit of pressure behind your marker or pen . . . and
emojis; 70% of those people claim that emojis help practice your handwriting! Most people seem to
them more accurately express themselves, and 65% believe that good handwriting is something you’re
say that emojis help others understand them better.4 born with, but it’s actually quite easy to change with
a small (but consistent) amount of practice. I was
But pictures are certainly not the only way to create certainly not gifted with neat handwriting! In fact,
tone! Have you ever accidentally started typing with my handwriting was messier than most people’s
the caps lock on to look up and REALIZE YOU’VE BEEN because I wanted it to look stylish and cool. Below
SCREAMING YOUR EMAIL AT SOMEONE BY MISTAKE? are two examples of my work—the first from 2012,
the second from 2018. You can see how much neater
Color is another effective way to add tone. There are my writing has become—each letter has room to
colors that we instinctively interpret to be negative or breathe, and it’s much easier to read. It still has a
arousing (reds, browns, oranges), and those we view nice style to it, it’s just more user-friendly. When
as positive or calming (blues and greens). We can we’re working fast to keep up with a speaker, there is
draw on broad social connotations to add meaning a natural tendency to rush (which gets messy). Try to
to certain colors. For example, green represents consciously slow your hand a little—you might find
the environment, purple symbolizes royalty, red that this actually allows you to capture faster as you
is hazardous, and blue is masculine, while pink is are more calm and more present.
feminine (though I’m hoping these last two will
4 Curalate, “Fact or Fiction? How to Use Emojis In Visual Marketing.”

My handwriting before 2012.
My handwriting, circa 2018.

Negative Space Layout

Having enough negative space between your Properly managing various elements in your space
GETTING STARTED
elements is also key to legibility, and shouldn’t be can be one of the hardest learning curves for new
compromised. If you need to start a new page or a visual note-takers. Having a plan for how to work
new screen, do it! There’s nothing worse than trying around your page can be helpful to guide your
to decipher a squishy mess of notes. thinking and avoid the dreaded ‘squishnotes.’
Different layouts can be more or less useful for
Again, compare the two examples above. Notice how different situations (for example, capturing a
much easier the second picture is to follow, and how narrative looks different than capturing a panel
much more pleasant it is to read. discussion, which looks different than capturing a
quick report-back of ideas surrounding a theme).
Annotation Think about how to best present your content
Clear annotation of the ideas that are captured as based on what you know about the session, and
pictures is critical to creating accurate and useful which layout will make the most sense for each
meaning. If you are choosing to add a drawing into particular instance or client. If working for a client,
your notes, its relationship to the other content ask how they’ll use the post-event graphics; this will
must be clear. This is a union of the text and pictures help inform which layout is the most useful and
elements mentioned above. A floating picture logical. Layouts can also be somewhat of a personal
without relevant annotation (whether it relates to a preference, so it’s good to experiment with different
block of text, a single word, or a list item) will very types to see what feels natural for you!
quickly lose its meaning. You want to be able to pick
up those notes in one, three, or fifty-two weeks’ time
and still understand what you’ve captured. When
done correctly, this combination is memory gold!
4. Flow
In order to create a quality piece of commu-
nication, your elements need to be used in
such a way that the reader can clearly see the
logical flow of information. It must be clear
where to begin reading, and where to end.
A common way to guide your eye around the page is

the use of connectors. Or you might use background
colors to direct the reader. Your direction can
be as simple as how you lay the text across your
page, with headings, subheadings, and detail.
Having a logical flow helps avoid miscommunication.

It also helps those in attendance later recall the
session by visually recreating the conversational flow.
Examples of different layouts.

PRACTICE, EVALUATE, AND PRACTICE AGAIN! Once you’ve got the fundamentals down, you can throw
As a novice visual note-taker, experimenting away the measuring cups and trust your instincts!
with various elements and principles will help Just remember, regardless of the ingredients, and
you discover which combinations you’re most no matter how you put them together, you will make
comfortable using, and which work best in different a cake. Using them consciously and thoughtfully
environments. Eventually, this practice will inform will make the cake you want your reader to enjoy.
your own personal style of visual note-taking.
WORKS CITED:
As a seasoned visual note-taker, consider these
elements and principles as part of your practice, to “Fact or Fiction? How to Use Emojis In Visual
deepen the meaning of your communication. You can Marketing.” Curalate, 29 Sept. 2016,
also use them as an evaluation tool when reflecting www.curalate.com/blog/emojis-visual-marketing.
on your previous work. Check in with yourself—what
elements and principles did you use to create or Medina, John. Brain Rules. Pear Press, 2014.
amplify meaning? Did you get the cake you wanted?
Think in Colour. Think in Colour,
The more you practice, evaluate, and practice www.think-in-colour.com.au. Accessed 18 Mar 2019.
again, the more natural these elements and
principles will become. No one is born a brilliant
chef. Knowing what kind of cake you want and
following a trusted recipe are the first steps to
a delicious practice in visual note-taking.
Kelvy Bird
Getting Started
Martine Vanremoortele
GRAPHIC RECORDING: AN
IMPROVISATIONAL DANCE
WITH THE FACILITATOR
How to work together to serve the audience, support
participants, and achieve the organization’s goals.
The Basics
126 GRAPHIC RECORDING: AN IMPROVISATIONAL DANCE WITH THE FACILITATOR THE BASICS
GRAPHIC RECORDING:
AN IMPROVISATIONAL DANCE
WITH THE FACILITATOR
“Hello, Martine. Welcome! I’ve heard a lot about you.” It turns out, I managed to exceed expectations.
The drawing of the three-year strategic plan was
From the look on his face, I could tell my client had framed and hung prominently in the office. Three years
high expectations. I’m taking you back roughly ten later, I was invited back to work on the next one.
years, to one of my first assignments. I remember it as
if it were yesterday. I arrived, armed with markers and What I have learned is that many principles of
a roll of paper, ready to graphically record a strategy improvisation (improv for short) are useful to a
session. My co-facilitator and I had already been graphic recorder. They help me while I silently
briefed on the purpose of the meeting. So in theory, work on the wall recording keynote speakers, but
I was prepared. And still, in my mind, my role was even more when collaborating with facilitators.
unclear. The client had planned to use many visual
tools, large printed models, and collages. How was I When the whole
going to contribute to the session? What would be my
added value? (Did I mention the level of expectation?) facilitation team builds
Palms sweaty, I hung my paper and started upon the self-organizing
drawing part of a frame. This was a trick I used
frequently in the beginning of my career as a graphic principles of improv,
recorder, to get started and to counter the fear
of the giant white paper. As I was getting these collaboration becomes
initial lines down, I frantically tried to come up
with a way to contribute value to the session. natural and effortless.
And then—suddenly—it occurred to me.
I remembered a core principle of improvisational

theater: everything is a gift. Whatever happens,
whatever people do or say, whatever activities
the facilitators run: as a graphic recorder, it is all
a gift to me, to transform into something special
for the group. And that is exactly how I decided to
handle the session. I dove in head first, took what
I got, and ran with it. I started with the group’s first
interactions, then built upon them, bit by bit.
THE BASICS GRAPHIC RECORDING: AN IMPROVISATIONAL DANCE WITH THE FACILITATOR 127
@ WHAT EXACTLY IS IMPROV? tunes in, and joins the song. They follow the beat and
the rhythm of the keynote speaker. This is what
GETTING STARTED
Improvisation (improv) is about making the happens in the majority of sessions.
best of whatever is available at any given
moment. In the performing arts (theater, It doesn’t always have to be this way, though. In my
dance, etc.), improv is a spontaneous opinion, during some facilitated sessions, graphic re-
performance, given without specific or scripted corders should take the lead. Inhabit the role of visual
preparation. The skills of improv can be facilitator, turn around, show your face instead of your
applied across a whole range of disciplines. back. Visuals are meant to be a thinking tool. Working
visually is both a process and a product.
CO-FACILITATING IS LIKE AN Taking on a more active role can provide

IMPROVISATIONAL DANCE a valuable contribution to the session. En-
Facilitating with someone else is very different than sure you’ve made clear arrangements be-
doing the work on your own. When you work alone, fore the meeting. The better you know your
you have all the power in your hands. When you partner, the easier it will be. After all, not
co-facilitate, you need to be attentive to all dance partners are created equal: some
your co-facilitator, like you would with a dance are awesome and flexible and welcome the change.
partner. If you don’t take your partner into Others . . . don’t. In any case, when dancing, it’s good
account, toes will be stepped on, and egos to practice how and when you’ll change roles from
can get bruised. The performance suffers. follower to leader. After all, it takes two to tango . . .
Here are a few principles of improvisational dance that

can help as you co-facilitate meetings. After that, we’ll YOU HAVE AN IMPACT, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT IN
talk about some general improv principles to apply. THE SPOTLIGHT
One day while working on a drawing, I had a great
idea for making my titles pop more. The participants
had started talking in circles, so I had a little time
to play around. I wanted to form the letters by
making dots around the shapes of the letters, without
drawing the actual shapes. It looked stunning, but
I underestimated the amount of work involved.
I accepted the situation and resolved to continue
drawing dots—tons of them—during the break.
DECIDE WHO LEADS AND WHO FOLLOWS
In most partner dances, one leads and the other Meanwhile, however, the discussion was going nowhere
follows. In some styles of partner dancing, there fast. Instead of waiting for content to be captured,
is no leader or follower; instead, the couple I decided to work on the dots. Dot after dot after
dances side-by-side, maintaining a connection. dot on the paper, somehow sending a silent—yet
Be sure to agree on roles before the dance visible!—signal, time to get to the point, people!
begins. And beware of back-leading.1 Otherwise, Though the participants were still knee-deep
the dance just becomes a chaotic push-and- in the politics of it all, the facilitator got
pull. The same is true of co-facilitation. the message, and recentered the group.
When recording a keynote, it’s obvious who takes

the lead. The graphic recorder steps on the dance floor,
1 Back-leading is a dance term describing the situation that occurs when the follower tries to lead.
FOLLOW THE STEPS AND THINK AHEAD By focusing away from how you and your chart
The dance of the visual meeting requires a natural flow. will appear, and concentrating instead on
Great dancers build on a collective repertoire of moves. serving the whole, you will have more resources
A graphic recorder needs to think ahead about the available to you at any given moment.
moves yet to come. This allows you to have the neces-
sary tools—your markers and enough paper—at hand.
LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM
There are other ways in which you must think IMPROVISATION
ahead. When working in big international meetings, The improv principles are a tool to guide the dance
some participants may not be native between facilitator, visual co-facilitator, and
English speakers. Not everyone is participants. They give dance partners the
fluent, some participants have strong rules of engagement to create chemistry and
accents, and sometimes the acoustics deliver a great experience for the group.
are horrible. Speakers are not always
easy to understand, especially when Let’s look at some of these guiding principles more
your back is turned to the group. closely, so you can improve your performance and
deliver seamlessly while working in sync with a partner.
In this type of situation, you can use a cue to
communicate to the facilitator that not everyone
has been understood. My cue is typically making CONSIDER EVERYTHING AS A GIFT
eye contact and deliberately holding up my I once witnessed a graphic recorder who integrated the
marker, as if asking what to do next. Upon receiving sound of rain beating against the roof onto her chart. It
such a cue, the facilitator can then rephrase, actually added to the feeling of the meeting being visu-
allowing everyone to get back up to speed. ally represented. She had clearly adopted the foun-
dational—and most important—principle of improv.
PLAN LOGISTICS It’s the idea of, “yes, and . . . ” or the “everything
Identify the logistical issues and decide how to handle is a gift” principle. It is a very simple principle:
them. As a graphic recorder you can research topics; accept and say yes to any situation or idea that
you might prepare some imagery and decide on a color crosses your path, then build on it. This is important
palette and general layout ahead of time. Determine during co-facilitation, as you never know what will
how you will work (surface, size) and what kinds of happen. And often, what happens spontaneously
tools you will use (marker size, acrylic- or ink-based is better than anything you could have planned.
markers, pastels). Prepare, so you have a decent foun-
dation and you can focus on dancing in the moment.
LOOK GOOD BY MAKING OTHERS LOOK GOOD
In improv, people shine brightest when they
FOCUS ON THE DANCE focus on the other.
Always ask yourself, “How can I best serve in this
situation?” It will provide This implies not having to justify yourself or your
you with a better sense position—your co-facilitator should do that for you,
of when to move into the and you will do the same in return. A good facilitator
spotlight, when to stay will properly introduce you and explain your role,
back, and how to best particularly in settings where participants aren’t
support your co-facilitator used to having a graphic recorder in the room.
and the participants.
That way, questions about your role, the purpose If you’re listening to your
of your work, and what will be recorded are
GETTING STARTED
answered at the outset. inner critic, you’re not
Without the burden of competition, everyone is free to listening to the room. Going
create the best meeting possible. And in improv, being
average is the best thing you can be. This means never with the flow is the best
obsessing over being better than the other or pressur-
ing yourself to be brilliant. It means simply doing your choice you can make.
part, genuinely and honestly. Just let yourself be and
trust that your co-facilitator will do their part, as well.
LET GO: AWARE AND IN THE MOMENT, OPEN
If you didn’t capture all the points during a recording AND FLEXIBLE
session—maybe because of the dialogue pace, or due Staying in the moment and maintaining awareness
to distracting noises—a facilitator who wants to make of our surroundings allows us to focus on what’s
her partner shine will conduct a recap or reflection, actually happening (versus what we think is supposed
so it’s easy to catch what you’ve missed. And most to be happening). At each moment, new information
of the time, this doesn’t only benefit invites us to have a new reaction; this
you as a graphic recorder, but all the naturally unfolds into whatever comes
participants, who are probably not next. For the graphic recorder, it’s good to
concentrating fully at all times. let go of control, and the need to control,
which might manifest in over preparing
the charts. Eliminate your preconceived
SHUT UP AND LISTEN notions about what should occur.
Improv is about noticing and accepting what others are
offering, and then building on it. As graphic recorders,
we use our ability to listen well and reflect what we’re KEEP THE ENERGY GOING
hearing in a visual way. Listening is one of the core In improv, you have to keep moving. One way to
competencies of a good graphic recorder. Several accomplish this is by interacting with co-facilitators.
chapters of this book are dedicated to this important Usually, the graphic recorder is silently listening and
topic, which are in a list at the end of this chapter. recording. Why not play together more? I love sessions
that feel like a game of ping pong between facilitator
How can you draw something relevant if you and graphic recorder, or participants and graphic
don’t know what was just said? Being too focused recorder. When people start asking, “I wonder how
on drawing specific images (instead of taking Martine will draw that,” or “Yes, please add this funny
in the conversation) can create blocks. Instead, piece of information to the chart,” I know I’ve drawn
when genuinely listening, you’ll often find that them in, which generates energy for the whole group.
everything you need is right in front of you.
For the visual facilitator, this also THERE ARE NO MISTAKES

means silencing the inner voice In improv, there are no mistakes or bad ideas, only
and not engaging in self-criticism interesting choices. Everything that happens is an
during the creation of the chart. opportunity. This mindset enhances collaboration
and innovation. It is also a great foundation
for partnership between co-facilitators.
In a good partnership we can rely on our partner to

have our back, and they can rely on us to do the same.
@ A GROUP EXERCISE IN VISUAL IMPROVISATION
CONCLUSION: DANCING, IMPROVISING AND I want to leave you with a improv exercise
DRAWING AS AN ENSEMBLE to try at your next meeting. I learned
Working together, a facilitator and graphic recorder (or this technique at a conference of the
visual facilitator) move together as dance partners. Applied Improvisation Network2.
Dance is a model for cooperation and unconditional
support. When we think of graphic recording and The goal is for the group to create a
facilitating as a dance, we contribute jointly to a picture together. The group is given one
performance that truly serves the audience. marker and a large sheet of paper. The
group stands back (about six-and-a-half
Inspiration for our dance also comes from improv. feet3 from the paper), forming a semi-
Improv teaches us to keep the energy of a session circle. The instructions are minimal:
flowing. It demonstrates that when we stay open,
flexible, and curious, we do a better job. Improv ∙∙Draw only one line at a time
shows us why being a good listener is paramount
to being a good graphic facilitator. Finally, accepting ∙∙Work in silence
that everything that happens is a gift, in true
improv fashion, makes us better at what we do. ∙∙Make your mark and then wait,
facing the group, until someone
Whether we’re borrowing on the art of dance or improv, takes the marker from you
it’s important to understand that the aim of graphic
recording and facilitation is to support participants ∙∙The final drawing should appear as though
in achieving both their own and their organization’s it were drawn fluidly, by one individual
goals. Facilitation is not about our performance, it’s
about working together as an ensemble to succeed. ∙∙When the group feels the picture is
complete, they reach a non-verbal
agreement and stop drawing
This exercise introduces the process of making

room for the ideas of others. It also ensures
that people take turns and, in doing so, give
up some control. It helps to hear the voices
of others, to consider their marks, and to
consider them in the context of what was
drawn before and what will come after, as part
of the whole process of creating together.
Author note: Thanks to Lisa Arora, who inspired

much of my technique. For more information
about Lisa’s work, visit: getthepicture.ca.
2. For more information, visit: appliedimprovisation.network.

3. The metric equivalent is approximately 2 meters.
WORKS CITED:
GETTING STARTED
Applied Improvisation Network. Applied Improvisation Network,
appliedimprovisation.network. Accessed 06 June 2019.
Get the Picture: Mapping Conversations that Can Change Your World.
Get the Picture, getthepicture.ca. Accessed 06 June 2019.
Getting Started
Dana Wright Wasson
USING STICKIES TO CREATE

EXCITING IDEAS AND
ENGAGED PARTICIPANTS
Stickies, when used effectively, are a great way to generate
and build on ideas and create collaboration and teamwork.
The Basics
134 USING STICKIES TO CREATE EXCITING IDEAS AND ENGAGED PARTICIPANTS THE BASICS
USING STICKIES TO CREATE EXCITING

IDEAS AND ENGAGED PARTICIPANTS
One of the best collaborative tools to use during Participants often comment that this helps them
meetings has a legendary and innovative backstory, focus on what the speakers are saying, because they
but we’ll let you look that one up on your own.1 Sticky listen purposefully to catch thoughts and ideas.
notes, including 3M’s Post-it® Brand notes, are a great
way to quickly gather lots of ideas from a group. Sticky
notes can be used to create hierarchies, organize, and SHARING INDIVIDUAL IDEAS
then decide on the best solutions to any problem. Let’s After numerous stickies have been generated, they
break down various ways sticky notes can be used, can be shared with the whole group. Again, there
and then discuss tips for using them most effectively. are different ways to do this. All the stickies can be
put up at once by the participants, or they can be
read out one at a time, either by the facilitator or the
person who wrote them. In either case, it’s important
to invite people to ask questions if things are unclear.
Be sure to have a surface available, like a whiteboard
or a large sheet of paper, to collect all the stickies.
BRAINSTORMING LOTS OF IDEAS QUICKLY

Stickies are a great tool to use during brainstorming
sessions. In addition to rapidly collecting many
ideas, sticky notes allow quieter group members
(the introverts) to participate and contribute ideas
without feeling drowned out by the more vocal
contributors (the extroverts). Stickies also force ORGANIZING AND CLUSTERING
extroverts to slow down a bit with their contributions. When all the ideas are up on the board, the real
It’s good to put a time limit on the brainstorming fun begins. Individual ideas need to be clustered or
activity; the time pressure often forces the emergence organized in a way that makes sense to the group.
of ideas without censorship or judgement. Sometimes this happens organically as the group
members add their sticky notes to the board. If not, you
Stickies can also be used throughout a series can ask the group to reorganize the notes, or the facili-
of presenters as a way to gather the aha mo- tator can do the organizing, checking in with the group
ments or best practices. Provide stickies and to make sure the gathered clusters have captured
markers on each table, inviting participants to related ideas. The great thing about stickies is that
write down their ideas as they hear them.
1 To read the story, visit www.post-it.com/3M/en_US/post-it/contact-us/about-us.

THE BASICS USING STICKIES TO CREATE EXCITING IDEAS AND ENGAGED PARTICIPANTS 135
they are easily moved—it’s hard to imagine how people Colors make a difference.
worked to generate ideas before they were invented! Stickies (and markers) come in
GETTING STARTED
lots of colors. Don’t just take what
you get. Keep in mind that darker
NAMING stickies are hard to read and
Finally, after groupings are agreed upon, it’s harder to photograph. Use lighter
important to name the cluster. The group should colors, like pastels or the classic yellow. As for markers,
help with this. Asking questions like, what is this darker is better. Throw out the yellows, oranges, and
cluster about? or, what does this group of stickies reds. Black, blue, and purple are best for reading.
have in common? can help focus the conversation.
Focus on headlines and big ideas.
Remind your group the idea is to come up with
TRANSCRIBING big ideas and quick thoughts—this is not the time
Make sure that whoever transcribes the clusters of to write all the details. Have them focus on the
stickies captures not only the titles, but also the headlines, and only write one idea per sticky.
individual sticky notes underneath each headline. That way, the ideas can effectively be rearranged
Sometimes, in an effort to come up with a title, much as needed. Also, ask participants to write big and
of the detail is lost; without the detail, the headline write legibly so others can easily read their ideas.
loses its meaning. Just as you would never assume
a news headline summarized all the detail of an
article, the same is true for a headline describing a
cluster of ideas listed on individual stickies. Think
of these instead as the detailed bullets that provide
the richness behind the high-level headline.
TIPS FOR GETTING THE BEST RESULTS

Choose the right pens.
I’ve been to many meetings where people
pull out their regular writing pen to write
on the stickies. This causes two problems:
first, from a distance, the sticky will be See Renatta Algalarrondo’s chapter The Right
unreadable, and second, participants will Tool for the Job for more information about
generally write too much. It’s best to use a specific tools to use with sticky notes.
thin, permanent marker (like a Sharpie®).2
WORKS CITED:
Experiment with big stickies.
The right size sticky note isn’t always the most common “History Timeline: Post-it® Notes.” post-it.com,
or the easiest to buy at your local office-supply www.post-it.com/3M/en_US/post-it/
store. The information written on the stickies must contact-us/about-us. Accessed 13 July 2018.
fit comfortably and be large enough to read from a
distance. In the world of stickies, bigger is better. Sharpie—Permanent Markers, Highlighters, Pens &
More. Sharpie, www.sharpie.com. Accessed 13 July 2018.
2 For purchasing information, visit www.sharpie.com.

Getting Started
Holger Nils Pohl
DESIGNING MEETINGS WITH

THE CLARITY FRAMEWORK
If you use this framework for your thinking, you’ll be amazed at

how easy it is to gain clarity—not by accident, but by design.
The Basics
Photo: Jeroen Blijsie

138 DESIGNING MEETINGS WITH THE CLARITY FRAMEWORK THE BASICS
DESIGNING MEETINGS WITH

THE CLARITY FRAMEWORK
Is there a way to work visually and tangibly The Clarity Framework is a mental framework.
without needing to draw something? Can a mental It helps you sharpen your mind in the context
approach increase creativity? How do I decide, of meetings, workshops, and events. If you use
as a visual facilitator, what kind of tools and the Clarity Framework as your mental model in
methods to use in a workshop? These are the your role as a visual facilitator, you will be able to
questions I’ve pondered for the last years. create exceptionally compelling workshops with your
clients. And all you need is an awareness of the three
phases involved: understand, create, and share.
@ Pro Tip: Mental Frameworks Can

Deliver Awesome Results
A mental framework (or model) is a set of

rules or a structured thinking process. It
can help you navigate through complex
issues. This has proved true for many
leaders, past and present. Elon Musk, for
example, is famous for utilizing diverse
mental models. One of these models,
design from first principles, declares that Figure 1: The Clarity Framework
you approach projects as if nobody ever
before had done something similar. Musk
approached the first space rocket design
of SpaceX1 as if nobody had ever built
a rocket. This clears away assumptions STEP 1: UNDERSTAND
and lets you design on a fresh slate. With The Objective
this mental model in mind, Elon Musk
approaches every creation project. Mental First you want to understand what your workshop
frameworks help sharpen your thinking should look like. And to understand this, you
to create more success, get better results, raise the first and most important question:
and have more energy at any given time. What is the objective of this workshop?
The answer might differ between your ob-

jective, the objective of your client, and the
objective of the participants. For a successful
event, you’ll want to understand them all.
1 To learn more about SpaceX, see www.spacex.com/elon-musk.

THE BASICS DESIGNING MEETINGS WITH THE CLARITY FRAMEWORK 139
GETTING STARTED
Figure 2: The five possible settings
THE SETTING ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS

You also want to design and determine the type of The first thing you need to do is put yourself in
setting to best support your workshop. From my expe- question mode. Ask a lot of questions to under-
rience, we basically have five settings in which we act. stand the workshop you have in front of you.
1. Only you: Externalize your thinking Typical questions to ask include the following:
by visualizing it for yourself
1. What is the objective here?
2. One-on-One: Meeting with just one other person
2. Which of the five settings will we have?
3. One-to-Many (Presenter): You are in front of many
3. Who will be there, and what roles do they play?
4. One-of-Many (Participants): You are
a participant in a meeting or workshop 4. How is the environment or room set up?
5. Many-to-One-to-Many (Facilitator):
You are facilitating a group
5. Which kind of media can be used? Paper A brainstorming session during the workshop, for ex-
and marker? iPad, laptop, projector? ample, is not at all foreseeable in its outcome. But the
presentation you will hold to provide proper context to
6. How much time will we have available? the group is completely clear and knowable in advance,
right? First map out the different parts of the workshop
7. Which questions should be answered (sessions), then determine where you have sound
during the event or workshop? knowledge about what will arise, and where you have
no knowledge at all. Once you understand this, you can
8. What is clear? What do we know? decide how much and which kind of content to prepare
And what don’t we know? in advance. Regarding the tools you use, preparation
might include templates, visual metaphors, a simple,
9. What type of unanticipated situations blank piece of paper on which to draw, setting up your
might arise? Do we know upfront why digital device, and so on. Creating a map to see all
these situations might come up? these things (the big picture) gives you clarity on how
much you have to prepare (and how much you can ex-
pect to do on-site). This way, you create a solid ground
to understand the things you have in front of you.
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN FORESEE

How much of the content, input, and topics of discussion that will come
up during the workshop are foreseeable upfront?
Figure 3: Key questions

GETTING STARTED
Figure 4: From the known to the unknown Figure 6: Deciding what to prepare in advance
and what to create live (on-site)
STEP 2: CREATE
You know what you have to prepare. You know STEP 3: SHARE
which sessions you want to do. Now you’ll move into You’ve finished the preparation, and it’s time for the
the create phase. This is when you’ll draw all the workshop. This is the share phase of the Clarity Frame-
metaphors and prepare the templates. You might work. The share phase is the execution—doing every-
even prepare a presentation on sticky notes that thing you planned to make the workshop outstanding:
you want to dole out piece-by-piece to enhance the presenting, brainstorming, graphic recording, and so
story. Design all the exercises, working sheets, and forth. With your thorough preparation complete, you
exercise descriptions. You’ll find plenty of inspiration can easily get into the flow of the meeting, as well as
for the create phase in other chapters of this book. adeptly improvise and change your plans, if necessary.
Always go back to your big picture map of the
workshop. This helps you stay focused, and will help
you design the right balance for the workshop.
Figure 5: Creating and preparing

THE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN ABOUT THE

BOOK SPRINT
Before the book sprint, we designed the structure of
the book and its chapters. The editing team created
(prepared) a lot of documents to guide the co-authors
through the book sprint. What they didn’t know was
what would actually be in the chapters. To address
this, they carefully chose online platforms2 that
would best enable co-authors to connect to each
other, review their chapters, and have conversations
about them. This added so much depth to each
chapter! And these engagements were able to
occur without the direct influence of the co-editing
Figure 7: Share team. They had prepared the right tools for the
co-authors to perform the fantastic book sprint.
The co-creation process was the share phase of the
CASE STUDY: THE CLARITY FRAMEWORK AND Clarity Framework. The share phase included the
THE CREATION OF THIS BOOK co-authors writing into the templates, sharing their
Let me explain the Clarity Framework using the ideas, and communicating using the given platforms.
creation of this beautiful book as an example. When
the idea was born to create this book, nobody knew Out of this fantastic book sprint came quite
where it would lead. At one point in the process, a lot of chapters—which then led to the second
the co-editors (Jeroen, Rachel, and Tim) decided to round of the Clarity Framework for Jeroen,
organize a book sprint with more than forty co-au- Rachel, and Tim, beginning with the question:
thors worldwide. They entered the understanding What is our objective for the editing process?
phase of the Clarity Framework, asking themselves
to define the core objective of the book sprint.
They discovered their objective was twofold! IN CLOSING
This mental model has helped me for a long time—
On one hand, the clear objective was to have the actual for part of that time, without me realizing that I had
chapters written and reviewed by colleagues. On the a mental model at all. Getting it on paper helped
other hand, the book sprint connected the co-authors me to conceptualize it. I encourage you to take the
and created a feeling of community. The setting Clarity Framework, put in in your mental toolbox, and
during the book sprint was complex: multiple group use it to create even more compelling workshops
sessions were held in San Francisco, the Netherlands with your clients—all from the simple awareness of
and the Asia-Pacific region. (You’ll recognize this as the different phases: understand, create, and share.
a many-to-one-to-many setting.) Some co-authors
participated via virtual meeting connections, and
others were present on-site. Mary Alice, the facilitator
of the book sprint, had to build a common ground
for all of us (which she did in such a lovely way).
2 We used Google Drive, Zoom, and Trello. For more information about these platforms, see the Works Cited section.
GETTING STARTED
WORKS CITED:
“Google Drive.” Google, www.google.com/drive. Accessed 26 April 2019.
“SpaceX: Elon Musk.” SpaceX, www.spacex.com/elon-musk. Accessed 26 April 2019.
Trello. Trello, trello.com/en-US. Accessed 26 April 2019.
Zoom Video Communications, Inc. Zoom, www.zoom.us. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.

MEETINGS
AND MORE
Meetings and More
Dana Wright Wasson
IN DEFENSE OF MEETINGS
With a bit of planning and organization, meetings can be

a great way to get the best thinking out of people.
Meetings
148 IN DEFENSE OF MEETINGS MEETINGS
IN DEFENSE OF MEETINGS
Let’s face it, meetings Before we discuss how to counter the above
problems, let’s look at some of the benefits
aren’t our favorite thing. of meetings—especially good meetings.
In every company, large or small, meetings are Meetings allow people to have face-to-
held every day. Focused single or multiday meet- face interaction with each other.
ings—conferences and retreats—are sometimes held
at expensive venues, with many bells and whistles Much of our communication is nonverbal or
included to enhance the experience. A 2017 article1 implicit, like tone of voice, facial expression, and
stated that meetings have increased in length and body language. These signals can’t be expressed
frequency over the past fifty years. In the 1960s during digital communication, like emails, texts, or
executives spent ten hours a week in meetings; now it’s voicemail messages. Even with video technology, we
closer to twenty-three hours a week. And this number lose much of what creates effective communication.
doesn’t factor in all those last minute, unscheduled
meetings. And every minute spent in an unproductive Meetings help bring teams together.
meeting is a minute lost doing other work.
Effective teams are based on mutual trust and
Unfortunately, no matter the size or ex- psychological safety—when working as a team,
pense, most meetings are bad meetings, people need to know that their team members
and they’re bad for several reasons. will support and stand behind them.
∙∙There are no clear outcomes. Meetings are the best opportunity to

create employee engagement.
∙∙The wrong people are in the room; if the right people
are in the room, most aren’t sure why they’re there. Because meetings occur on a regular basis, they’re
a good way to gauge how individuals feel about
∙∙The meeting is disorganized, resulting from a their work, their leader, and the company. It’s a
lack of planning, a lack of preparation, a lack natural time to check in and ask how things are
of structure, and a lack of accountability. going, rather than waiting for an employee survey.
∙∙There are no clear roles or rules for attendees.
∙∙There are so many meetings that it becomes difficult

to get individual work done; there is no ‘white space’
for people to think, act, interact, and implement.
But here’s the good news: meetings don’t have to be

this way. In fact, these problems can easily be fixed.
1 See Perlow, Leslie, et al. “Stop the Meeting Madness.” Harvard Business Review, July/Aug. 2017.
MEETINGS IN DEFENSE OF MEETINGS 149
Now, how do we make workplace meetings like one conversation at a time, and no technology,
better? Here are ten tips you can use right help everyone stay focused and engaged.
now to get your meetings back on track.2
6. MAKE IT V•I•S•I•B•L•E
1. START BY GETTING ORGANIZED. Nothing works as effectively to maintain the
Start with why—why are you holding the meeting? focus of a meeting as putting information
Having a purpose is critical. At Sony, you can’t book directly in front of people. The idea of
MEETINGS AND MORE

a meeting room if you don’t have an objective and a notetaker writing on their pad has
an agenda. Then consider the who (attendees), become archaic; it’s also surefire a way
what (discussion topics), when (meeting date to erode trust and create misunderstandings.
and time), and where (meeting space). It’s easy enough to capture ideas and actions on
a flipchart, and a variety of apps4 are available
for digitizing and distributing chart images.
2. INVITE THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
Make sure that the people you invite are able
to contribute to the agenda and will help move 7. FOCUS AND BE BRAVE.
things forward. Don’t write a guest list like it’s Initially, the meeting facilitator must keep the
a Hollywood party—it’s not. And it frustrates group focused and on task. Eventually, however,
people when they don’t know why they’re there. everyone must be willing to demonstrate bravery
by pointing out inevitable meeting killers, like
allowing the meeting to run long, or not refocusing
3. SIZE MATTERS. a participant who has wandered off topic. If agenda
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says if you can’t feed items are taking longer than planned, discuss
everyone in a team with two pizzas, then you how to handle the situation. Table it? Move other
have too many people.3 The same holds true for items to a future agenda? Transparency is key.
meetings. Inviting more people than can effectively
hold a discussion leads to diminishing returns.
8. START ON TIME, END ON TIME.
Imagine if a movie theater restarted
4. WHAT TO TALK ABOUT. their feature film every time someone
The agenda should drive the discussion. During arrived late. It’s important, out of respect to the
the planning process, include a realistic time participants, to start the meeting on time and to
estimate for each item. It helps to have clear end it on schedule. If the meeting ends late, it
meeting roles—a facilitator to focus on the agenda, means the facilitator and timekeeper were not
a timekeeper to make sure the meeting stays doing their jobs; next time, they need to do better.
on schedule, and a scribe to write agenda The whole group shouldn’t suffer as a result.
items where everyone can see them.
9. AGREE WHO DOES WHAT BY WHEN.

5. RULES ARE RULES. It’s important to reserve time at the end of the
Ground rules keep everyone on track. They work best meeting to visually capture agreed upon actions.
if developed by the group, and should be posted Make sure each task is assigned an
so that everyone can see them during the meeting. owner and an expected delivery date.
If it’s an ongoing team, it’s important to revisit the
ground rules until they become ingrained. Rules
2 These tips originally appeared in my book, To Meet or NOT to Meet?: 10 Tips for Practically Perfect Meetings (see Works Cited for more
information).
3 For more information see: www.fastcompany.com/50541/inside-mind-jeff-bezos.
4 TurboScan is my personal favorite.
150 IN DEFENSE OF MEETINGS MEETINGS
10. CHECK IN ON HOW IT’S GOING. For more ways to create employee engagement,
Improvements can always be made, especially see Creating Impactful Employee Engagement
with ongoing teams. Every third meeting, take the with Templates by Dana Wright Wasson.
time to ask about progress. This allows an avenue
to make course corrections and adjustments. WORKS CITED:
Conferences and retreats offer an even greater op- Deutschman, Alan. “Inside the Mind of
portunity for people to learn from each other, or from Jeff Bezos.” Fast Company, 1 Aug. 2004,
experts invited to speak. They also provide opportu- www.fastcompany.com/50541/inside-mind-jeff-bezos.
nities for networking, for forming relationships that Accessed 1 May 2018.
become resources for ideas and collaboration. Unfor-
tunately, most conferences and retreats are designed Perlow, Leslie, et al. “Stop the Meeting Madness.”
with strict time constraints, resulting in jam-packed Harvard Business Review, July/Aug. 2017, pp. 62-69.
agendas and little time to digest one topic before
moving on to the next. Most people return from these Wright, Dana. To Meet or NOT to Meet?: 10 Tips for
events not energized by their experience, but rather Practically Perfect Meetings. Take Action, Inc., 2014.
exhausted from working lunches and late-night events.
@ The best events I’ve helped design have

incorporated the following elements:
• Allowing time for tables to discuss (and

digest) what a speaker has shared, rather
than rushing on to the next speaker
• Providing longer breaks to allow people

to meet, socialize, and network
• Using space to create movement and

variety so people can share their
ideas and energize their bodies
• Offering downtime in the evenings, with

occasional (optional) dinners or events
With a little thought and planning, it is entirely possible

to create meetings, conferences, and retreats that
are productive, energizing, and fun! Imagine people
saying they are excited to go to their next meeting!
Steve Weinstock Majestic Studio
Meetings and More
Nevada Lane
VISUAL MEETING
WARM-UPS
Start your meeting with a visual warm up to
prepare participants to do their best work.
Meetings
154 VISUAL MEETING WARM-UPS MEETINGS
VISUAL MEETING WARM-UPS
THE IMPORTANCE OF WARMING UP

As facilitators or meeting leaders, we ask a lot from Introduce concepts that will be covered at the
meeting participants. Whether the focus of the session meeting.
is strategic planning, operational problem solving, or
team development, we’re asking for participants’ best Are visually engaging. They get people moving
thinking and listening, often for hours or days at a time. and doing.
In the same way that the body needs to warm up be-
fore tackling rigorous physical activity, the mind needs
to warm up before diving into rigorous mental activity. WINNING WARM UPS
A well-designed warm-up activity (or icebreaker) is cru- Options abound for warm-up activities that meet the
cial in paving the way to a successful meeting outcome. above criteria. They range from the simple, requiring
little to no preparation on the facilitator’s part, to
the more advanced, requiring the preparation of
MEETING WARM-UP CHECKLIST visual templates and an ability to graphically record
“Will we have to make animal noises or hug each participant comments in real time. Visual warm ups
other?” I occasionally hear this question at the begin- can include drawing on the part of the facilitator
ning of a meeting. The answer is a most definite no!! or participants, but they don’t have to. Using a
Warm ups that are silly, have the potential to embar- selection of images, building (sometimes referred
rass people, or make any participant feel excluded to as kinesthetic modeling, and based on the work
in any way should be banned from all meetings. We of John Ward) with LEGO® bricks, craft supplies, or
can do better! In my experience, the most effective puzzles of any kind also counts as visual. Below I share
warm-up activities meet the following criteria. They: some of my favorite, tried-and-true visual warm-up
activities, ideal for groups ranging between four
Allow participants to introduce themselves and and twenty people. Note that time estimates for the
connect with one another. This feeling of activities will vary based on the number of attendees.
connection or relatedness releases a flow of feel-good
hormones, putting participants in a useful
physiological state to learn and collaborate.
Provide flexibility for different personality

types. Some people want to share a lot, some
only a little. Prompting questions that allow partici-
pants to share as much or as little as they choose are
helpful when building an environment of trust and
safety.
MEETINGS VISUAL MEETING WARM-UPS 155
Simple
Require Little Planning or Preparation
1. INDEX CARD WARM UPS

Time needed: 3-5 minutes for quiet drawing, plus 1
minute per person to report out and 5 minutes to
MEETINGS AND MORE

debrief.
The simplest visual warm-up activities only require in-

dex cards (or sticky notes) and black markers, and can
be adapted to almost any meeting topic. Ask a prompt
question that is relevant to the meeting topic, then ask
participants to draw or write a response on the card or
sticky note. For example, during a meeting about team
development, you might say, “Write an equation for be-
ing successful in your organization.” For a visioning ses-
sion, try suggesting, “Create a drawing that represents
something you’ve always dreamed of doing.” Have
participants spend a few minutes responding to the
prompt, then invite them to share their name and the
story of what they drew. To create a single graphic of
the group’s responses, index cards or sticky notes can
be posted on a large piece of paper after introductions.
2. PHOTO CARD WARM UPS

Time needed: 5 minutes to select an image, 2 minutes
per person to report out, and 10 minutes to debrief.
Photo cards are curated sets of images that give

people permission to think and speak visually—and
often in metaphor—without needing to draw. You
can purchase sets of sturdy, reusable photo cards
from a variety of sources,1 or create your own.
Image 1: Image cards, like these from Visual Explorer™,2

can be used in many ice-breaking activities.
1 See the Resources section of the book’s website for recommendations.

2 For more information, see the Works Cited section.
Ask participants to select one or two pic- to a piece of paper large enough to accommodate
tures from a set of images in response to everyone. As participants present, I like to graphically
an introductory prompt, such as: record key comments next to each image so that we all
remember the meaning of the image once the meeting
∙∙Select an image that represents how you feel about is over. During the debrief, ask participants to notice
the change happening in your organization any commonalities across images, as well as common
themes that emerged. For example, are all the photos
∙∙Choose an image or two that represents of living organisms, or are they mostly mechanical
what leadership means to you metaphors? Are the pictures of people or inanimate
objects?
∙∙Choose one image to represent a strength
you bring to the team, and another that
represents a lesson you keep learning
∙∙Select an image that represents something you’d

@ For conferences or large group
meetings where individual report
like to be mindful of over the next two days outs aren’t practical, photo cards still
work well to break the ice. Give each
Have each person come to the front of the room to table (or group of 4-8 people) a set of
share why they picked their image. Provide artist’s
tape or putty (to ease the wear and tear on your
image cards), and ask participants to tape their image
cards, ask them to respond to a relevant prompt, then invite them to share their image-related
stories in the small groups. If time permits, ask for one insight from each table.
Image 2: Image cards can be added to a simple flipchart page or for bigger groups, attached to a much larger piece of paper.
Advanced
Require More Preparation and Comfort with Graphic Recording
1. WARM UP BY BUILDING TO THINK I find that asking the group to build in silence is most
Time needed: 20 minutes to build, 30+ minutes for effective, as it allows room for deeper individual
storytelling and debrief. beliefs or metaphors to emerge. After the group
seems finished, ask each person to tell you the story
MEETINGS AND MORE

Building allows people to think with their hands as of what they built. The amazing power of the brain to
they create structures out of craft supplies (such create meaning and story out of chaos (and a bunch
as popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, twine, glue, wire, of taped-together popsicle sticks and wire) will be
modeling clay, etc.) or toys, such as LEGO® bricks. highlighted during this process. Continue asking the
group what various parts of the structure mean—as
Provide a prompt relevant to the meeting topic, then you probe deeper, you facilitate their thinking and
ask participants to work independently or in small help their story grow. You can record the
groups to build something in response. For example, debrief as a video, or graphically record
at a meeting I facilitated that focused on helping the key aspects of the story. When possible,
group be more innovative, I asked teams to build I sketch the group’s creations and build
something together that would represent a highly my graphic recording around the sketch.
innovative organization. The debrief enabled us to
uncover various meanings of innovation held by dif-
ferent people in the room, and allowed us to agree
on a common definition to use moving forward.
2. QUESTION MATRIX
Time needed: 10 minutes to write down answers on
sticky notes, 5 minutes to place them on the matrix, 2 Prepare a visual template with a large matrix. Add
minutes per person to report out, and 10 minutes to the names of each team member down the first
debrief. column and write a selection of prompt questions
across the top (four to eight questions work well).
Include statements that challenge participants
to draw their answers, such as, draw a picture of
one of your core values, or, draw something that
represents the culture of your organization. Team
members write or draw their responses on sticky
notes, and then place them on the matrix in the
row to the right of their names. The answers to each
question form columns, which makes it easy to see
commonalities and differences across responses.
• Works best in groups of 4-8 people

Figure 1: A matrix warm-up activity enables the
group to easily find commonalities among many • Make sure the squares of your matrix are big
questions by quickly reviewing each column. enough to comfortably hold your sticky notes
3. GROUP PUZZLE 4. PERSONAL PICTURES

Time needed: 10 minutes to decorate the Time needed: 5-10 minutes per person to
puzzle pieces, 3 minutes per person to share and glue, 10 minutes to debrief.
share and glue, 10 minutes to debrief.
Image 4: Combine personal pictures with real-time graphic

recording for a getting-to-know-you icebreaker.
Image 3: Using pieces they have filled in with answers to prompt Ask participants to bring two or three personal
questions, participants assemble a puzzle on the wall. photographs that will help the rest of the group better
understand who they are and what values they hold.
Give each meeting participant one or more large Prepare a large template onto which the group will glue
paper puzzle pieces (these need to be cut out or their photos. Invite participants to share their photos,
purchased in advance) and a few colored markers. and then glue the images onto the template. As they
share, graphically record their comments next to the
Ask participants to decorate their puzzle piece pictures. Debrief on commonalities and differences.
with, for example, their key strengths or values, or
a superpower they bring to to the team. When they • In your pre-work email, make sure to
finish writing and decorating their pieces, invite one tell people they won’t be getting the
person to the assembly area (a large piece of paper photos back, and that photos should
on the wall works well), and let them glue their piece be approximately 4x6 inches
to the paper as they share their response. Invite
anyone with similar or connected responses to come • Have plenty of glue sticks handy—at
up next and place their puzzle piece next to the least 2 per table or small group—and
existing pieces. Continue until everyone has glued ask for a volunteer to help glue the
their puzzle piece to the paper, and then debrief. photos to the template so you can
focus on the graphic recording
• Adding a quick, hand-drawn frame around
@ Have at least 2 glue sticks available

for every table or small group
each image helps anchor each photo
• For larger groups where individual report

outs aren’t practical, ask each table to share
photos amongst themselves, and discuss
the personal importance of their images.
5. KICK OFF WITH A MEETING METAPHOR (planets) for participants to write on. The prompt ques-
Time needed: Will vary depending on activity. In tion posed to the group was, what part of your work are
the example below, participants had 5 minutes to you passionate about? Participants were asked to ‘orbit
write on the planets, 10 minutes to orbit around around’ the room introducing themselves to as many
the room, and 3-4 minutes to glue their planets people as possible and sharing their answers before
onto the template. The debrief lasted 10 minutes. coming to the front of the room to glue their planet
onto the template. During the debrief, to help establish
If your meeting has a special theme or metaphor, group ownership of the metaphor as the meeting
MEETINGS AND MORE

create a warm-up activity that introduces the progressed, I asked participants to identify who or
theme to the participants in a visually engaging what the sun might represent in their organization.
way. For example, at a recent two-day meeting,
we used the metaphor of the solar system. I
created a large template with the rings of the solar
system and handed out colorful paper circles
Image 5: Warm-up activities can be designed to support particular metaphors or meeting

themes. In this case, a solar system was the guiding metaphor for the meeting.
YOUR BRAIN: MEANING-MAKING MACHINE ICEBREAKERS THAT DON’T BREAK THE ICE
Warm-up activities using photo cards and building sup- I was once at a meeting where the meeting leader’s
plies are remarkably effective icebreakers because they warm-up question was, “What is your favorite bottle
activate one of the brain’s most potent abilities—that of red wine?” The first two participants, salespeople
of meaning-making machine. Our brains are incredibly on the meeting leader’s team, mentioned two very
good at creating connections and developing stories expensive bottles of red wine. The third person, the
between disparate pieces of information. As Kendall new project manager for the team, was noticeably
Haven writes in Story Smart: Using the Science of Story embarrassed, and said she didn’t know much about
to Persuade, Influence, Inspire and Teach, “We invent— wine. The fourth participant, a salesperson from
as needed—story material to make the world around another group, said he was in Alcoholics Anonymous
us make sense because that is and didn’t drink. The warm-up ques-
the way our brains are wired tion, while no doubt well intentioned,
to make sense” (33). Activities created stress instead of connection.
that make use of the brain’s The meeting leader managed to freeze
story-making capabilities sur- the room instead of breaking the ice.
prise and delight participants
as they observe these skills in In another meeting I recently attended,
action. They also highlight how the facilitator introduced a warm-up
differently we interpret the activity that used a sailing metaphor
world, and how rich our various interpretations can be. and required participants to use terms like bow and
stern, and collaboratively ‘navigate’ to reach a goal. Two
of the participants were from landlocked Detroit. They
YOUR BRAIN ON ICEBREAKERS good-naturedly participated in the activity, but they
Most of us have experienced a feeling of unease (or joked throughout that they didn’t know anything about
worse) at a party where we don’t know anyone. As sailing and remained on the periphery of the exercise.
facilitators, we sometimes forget that this is the same
experience our meeting participants have when they As we choose warm-up questions, metaphors and
enter the room to a sea of strangers. In groups, your activities to create connection, we need to ask
brain craves connection with others; when the feeling ourselves if we’re being inclusive and sensitive to
of connection exists, it releases a dose of the feel-good the diversity in the room, or if we might uninten-
hormone oxytocin. That rush is like your brain telling tionally be making some people feel excluded.
your body, “You’re safe and among friends, please pro-
ceed.” Without that safe sense of connection to others, WORKS CITED:
your brain remains uncertain—Are these people friend Haven, Kendall. Story Smart: Using the
or foe?—and it releases the stress hormone, cortisol. Science of Story to Persuade, Influence, Inspire
As we have all likely experienced, we aren’t able to and Teach. Libraries Unlimited, 2014.
do our most innovative work when we’re experiencing
high levels of stress. As facilitators, it’s imperative that Palus, Charles J., et al. “About Visual Explorer.”
we begin our meetings in ways that create connection Center for Creative Leadership, 17 April
and reduce stress, so participants will be in the 2014, www.ccl-explorer.org/hello-world-2.
right frame of mind to do their best work together. Accessed 06 June 2019.
SEE ALSO:
See the section Off the Paper for more ideas
about using kinesthetic modeling with groups.
Meetings and More
Mia Liljeberg
PRESENTATION SKILLS: LET

THE PICTURE DO THE JOB
Stories make people listen,
visuals make them remember.
Meetings
162 PRESENTATION SKILLS: LET THE PICTURE DO THE JOB MEETINGS
PRESENTATION SKILLS:
LET THE PICTURE DO THE JOB
An image speaks more than We remember images; our memories are pictures.
To get the most out of any presentation, to help
1000 words, but a word participants share the vision, and to reach
a mutual understanding, it is crucial to use
can provide 1000 images. visual language when presenting information.
If you say the phrase ice cream in a room full of A study conducted by

people, you’ll hear as many unique descriptions of ice
cream as there are people in the room. That is what Wharton School of Business1
happens when we only use spoken or written words.
Imagine then what happens when, in our daily work, we shows that presentations
use abstract words like process, organization, change,
or efficiency. Words that we cannot physically see. using visuals can reduce
If we can associate an image with the word, perhaps
by associating the concept with a former client or meeting time by 24%.
employer, we can provide a clearer understanding.
If we aren’t imagining the same thing, we can’t reach The study also showed that
a shared understanding; if we don’t reach a shared
understanding, we won’t get the same result. a presenter who used visuals
was perceived to be more
effective and convincing.
I have had the good fortune to work in over twenty
countries (and in several languages) and there is
no tool more powerful than a shared image. One
of my first jobs after university was in Vietnam,
to plan a new factory. Several different partners
were involved; even with complex drawings we still
experienced huge misunderstandings. Agreeing on
a simple visual early in the process is worth the effort,
as it can eliminate misunderstandings later on.
I find it is the same when facilitating; ensuring

we are all on the same page early in the process
makes a huge difference to the atmosphere,
as it guarantees that everyone is included.
1 Oppenheim, Lynn. A Study of the Effects of the Use of Overhead Transparencies on Business Meetings.

MEETINGS PRESENTATION SKILLS: LET THE PICTURE DO THE JOB 163
MEETINGS AND MORE

Image 1: Presenter in action
PRESENTATION: A GOOD START TO A MEETING If you don’t consciously

As facilitators, we want to ensure that participants
are on the same page in terms of understanding include, you are
and background knowledge. To enable this,
we often need to include an introductory pre- unconsciously excluding.
sentation, familiarizing participants with industry
language, for example. This brief introduction Keep the above in mind when you need to present
allows everyone to start from the same place. information to a group. Have I made the message inclu-
sive for my target group and removed local excluding
references? Is it understandable by all participants
YOUR ROLE AS A PRESENTER without jargon, abbreviations, and local metaphors?
Presentations are often the least interactive part
of a meeting and therefore should be carefully Just as there can be bad slide presentations, there
managed to maintain the energy in the room. can also be bad stories. To use storytelling is no
more a silver bullet than a PowerPoint presentation;
You are not there to impress, but to inspire, storytelling is just a tool which requires craftsmanship.
instill, and introduce new content. Be respectful of the time spent in a meeting, and
be very clear on your point so that your stories are
So when you are presenting, your purpose entertaining and detailed enough to help your audi-
is to clearly communicate your message ence create an internal image to keep them engaged.
to minimize misunderstandings.
VISUAL TOOLS OF A PRESENTER

As presenters, we have so many ways to visually
enhance our content and presentations to facilitate Remember that if you
participants’ understanding. As mentioned above,
our job is to help the participant see an image, are facing the participants,
whether an internal mental image from a story, or
a visual made with one of the tools listed below. One describe your timelines
of the key points is to convert your message from
an abstract idea into a clear visual for your audience. in a mirrored way so it
In addition to presenting images on flipcharts looks logical to them.
(or other large–scale drawings), you can add visual
impact to your presentations in other ways. If you would normally describe a timeline
from left to right, you would then do it from
right to left so it looks left to right for your
audience. This takes some practice, but it
increases the perception of your message.
You can also use your body to present size,

mood, pace, and other things through inten-
tional hand movements. Be mindful of audience
members in the back of the room and how
clearly they are able to see your movements.
POWERPOINT
A presentation chapter is not complete without
the inclusion of PowerPoint, Keynote, and other
digital presentation tools. I include a gentle warning
YOUR BODY not to overuse digital presentation tools, as they
While presenting, your physical body is often can make the audience inactive and disengaged.
the largest moving object your audience sees, Use presentation tools to enhance your message,
so be conscious about your movements. If you not the other way around. You are the presenter
are wandering back and forth while talking, your and PowerPoint is a tool. In combination with
movements can distract from your message. Seek visual facilitation methods that are adaptive and
instead to become intentional in your movements, co-created, the prepared slides can be used when
perhaps moving from one side of the stage to the other you need to state what is unchangeable, such as
to represent different time frames (like the past and the frames for the topic, or particular circumstances.
the future), multiple stages in a process, and so on.
TIPS FOR AN EFFECTIVE SLIDE DESIGN

If you have slides containing photographs only,
they can be aesthetically appealing but can create
distracting associations for the audience. For example,
if you have a photo of a roller coaster, it can be
easy for your audience to mentally wander off
to their own family holiday. If, instead, we combine TIPS TO CONSIDER WHEN USING SLIDES
text with the image, we help provide context and
focus. For example, include a phrase like, “Life as • Be consistent with your message
an entrepreneur is like riding a roller coaster.” when selecting fonts and colors.
Consider the language of design and how other design • Our brains like variation; dare to break
elements can impact your audience, such as the use the pattern with some original visuals.
of warm and cool colors, or hard and soft shapes.
MEETINGS AND MORE

• Use a combination of images
Instead of cramming too much information into and words to clarify meaning and
one slide, split the information into several slides minimize misunderstandings.
so there is only one key message per slide. It
helps the audience focus and keeps them on • When using photos on slides, let them
the same point as you, rather than reading ahead. bleed out to at least three of the four
It also helps you choose appropriate images. edges of the slide to minimize distracting
empty space around the image.
Think of the outcome2 you want for your presentation.
What do you want the audience to know, think, feel, • Photograph or illustration? If your purpose
and say after your presentation? How can your slides is to evoke personal feelings to relate with
help you convey that message? Can you reemphasize a topic, pictures of people and pets can be
statements in the slides? For example, after a full day effective, as we often associate images to our
workshop with middle management, you can revisit own family and pets. If you want to gain
the strategic objectives by reviewing your previously insight into a situation, cartoons and other
used slide deck. If you consciously decide which points illustrations with generic emotions can be
are important for this activity, your focus will remain used. If you want to focus on content over
clear regarding what you show the audience. Infor- emotion, pure illustration will do the job.
mation presented on several channels (verbally and
visually) has a higher probability of being understood • Use key words and phrases instead
and remembered, so use this to your advantage and of full sentences as headers.
emphasize your key points with visuals.
• Black or dark backgrounds on your slides
will put you as a presenter in focus and will
The more I use flipcharts and prevent dark shadows on the projected
screens when you move around on stage.
simple visuals, the cleaner my
• Remove unnecessary and distracting
PowerPoints become, as well. objects from slides (like a logo, slide number,
or date in the header or footer). These
objects add to the mental requirements
of participants; furthermore, if they are
presented in bright colors, they draw
attention from the core message.
2 For more information, see Matthew Magain’s chapter Better Communication with the Empathy Forecast.
CLEAN UP YOUR SLIDES BY TAKING Image 2: A slide before and after cleanup
THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:
∙∙Simplify message to a few keywords PROPS

Props can be used if they enhance your story,
∙∙Add visual for easy recall metaphor,3 or analogy. Our brains remember variation
more than the ordinary, so if you break the pattern
∙∙Change background color with something unusual, you’ll increase audience
retention. A model of a brain is often used when
∙∙Remove distracting logos to reduce cognitive load discussing cognitive biases and neuro leadership.
A mask, hat, or glasses can be used to show different
roles or perspectives. The more variation from what
is expected, the better, especially if participants are
used to workshops and presentations. It is just like
storytelling: better to use your own stories instead of
the mainstream classics told over and over again.
THE SQUINT TEST
One way to look at your slides’ composition is to
squint your eyes and reflect on what you see. The BE READY TO IMPROVISE!
large chunks or objects, or the sections with strong To improvise well, you need to be well prepared. If
colors, are the areas that first catch your eye. This your planned method of visualizing will not work
impression is similar to the one the audience will due to unforeseen circumstances, try any of the
have when they see the slides for the first time. Ask tools discussed above. If you intended to show
yourself: Are those objects the most important ones? a triangle with three layers on PowerPoint, try
drawing it on a flipchart, or show it with gestures.
If you need to describe four steps in a process, try
walking them out onstage, one side to the other.
Your body is always available to put on a show.
3 For more about metaphors, see the chapter The Metaphor in Visual Practice by Sophia Liang.
Creating a visual with body language provides the same IN SUMMARY: MAIN POINTS
high probability that your audience will remember the IN PREPARING YOUR PRESENTATION
presentation. On several occasions I’ve had to impro-
vise on the spot (the room was changed at the last • Have I simplified the message to avoid
minute, a projector wasn’t available, the internet con- overwhelming the audience?
nection was unstable, and so on). By thinking of several
ways to present the same message, you can prepare • Have my selected tools made it possible to
for these improvisational emergencies. This technique see images (either internal or presented)
MEETINGS AND MORE

will help you become more relaxed, allow you to try to aid memory and retention?
out different styles, and provide the benefit of a clear,
concise visual message instead of abstract buzzwords. • Have I thought of ways to
emphasize the message?
“It usually takes me more
• Have I been consistent in using shapes
than three weeks to and colors so I don’t cause confusion?
prepare a good impromptu • Have I managed to explain abstract concepts

by illustrating ideas with stories or metaphors?
speech.” – Mark Twain
• Have I tested my presentation on someone
to get feedback on hidden, unclear
assumptions, logical order, etc.?
• Have I checked my slides with the squint test?
• As with the other parts of facilitation, simplicity

is the key. Always keep your participants’ point
of view in mind. If you make it easy for them to
understand and remember your presentation,
you’ve given them a good base for the process
that follows. The aim of a presentation is not
to impress with fancy visuals, but rather to
inspire, inform, and integrate information.
WORKS CITED:
Oppenheim, Lynn. A Study of the Effects of the

Use of Overhead Transparencies on Business
Meetings. Wharton Applied Research Center, The
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 1981.
Image 3: Props in action

Meetings and More
Rosanna von Sacken and Jenny Trautman
MULTI-SENSORY FACILITATION
TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS
Stimulating multiple senses—sight, sound, taste—
increases engagement among participants.
Meetings
170 MULTI-SENSORY FACILITATION TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS MEETINGS
MULTI-SENSORY FACILITATION
TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS
Many toys, games, and activities can be repurposed STORY CUBES

as practical engagement tools during a facilitated
session. Including unexpected sensory engagement
in your workshops increases the participation and
enjoyment of those who attend. The more senses that
are stimulated, the more engaged the participants.
This chapter shares five tools that involve not only the
sense of sight, but also taste, touch, and movement.
These tools are easy to use, inexpensive, have multiple
variations, and are practical enough that they can be
incorporated into almost any type of facilitated session.
The tools can be used by both novice and seasoned

visual practitioners. They do not require hand drawing,
but are complementary if drawings are used.
Each tool and application is arranged Figure 1: Story cubes have multiple applications during the
into seven components: facilitation process.
1. Purpose and Desired Outcome, 1. Purpose: Visual and creative engagement

2. Tools and Supplies, of participants. Desired Outcome: Building
3. Timing (when to use the activity) and Time Needed, community, sharing something personal,
4. Participants or Facilitator, storytelling, improvisation, brainstorming.
5. Technique and Application,
6 Variations (ways to use the same tool under 2. Tools and Supplies: Story cubes (dice with pictures).
different circumstances or applications), and
7. Potential Sources for Supplies. 3. Timing: In this example, use for introductions at the
beginning of a session. Time Needed: 10–12 minutes
total (for a table group size of 4–6 participants). 1–2
minutes to throw and pass the dice around the table, 3
minutes for individual group members to concurrently
create their own stories based on the results of the
dice, 1–2 minutes per person to introduce themselves
to their table group by sharing their created story.
4. Participants: Organized into table groups of 4–6.

MEETINGS MULTI-SENSORY FACILITATION TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS 171
5. Technique and Application: One way to 7. Potential Sources:

use story cubes is for storytelling.
a) Toy or game stores.
a) Each table group will be given three story cube dice.
One die represents the beginning of the story, one rep- b) Online retailers.
resents the middle, and one tells the story’s end. A sto-
ry can be about the individual (like an introduction),
an experience they had related to the topic at hand (a STICK PEOPLE
situation or scenario), or about the organization they
MEETINGS AND MORE

represent (type of work, the specific company, etc.).
b) Each person takes a turn, throws the dice

and notes the visible pictures. From each
throw, based on those pictures, individuals
choose a beginning, middle, and an end.
c) Each individual creates their own

story and shares the story as part of their
introduction to the table group.
d) Rationale: The outcome of the toss of

the dice is unknown; people can’t tell their Figure 2: We use stick people to identify stakeholders that are
story until they throw the dice, so they have not present in the room.
to be creative and remain fully present.
1. Purpose: Quick visual identification of stakeholders.
6. Variations: Desired Outcome: Ensures representation of all
stakeholders, even those not physically present.
a) The table group uses the same resulting throw
for everyone, and in the same sequence. 2. Tools and Supplies: People-shaped popsicle
sticks. Alternatively, draw a picture to represent
b) The table group uses the same the person and attach it to a popsicle stick. Use
resulting throw for everyone, but can arrange a glass or cup as a base, and put the stick inside.
them in any sequence they’d like.
3. Timing: Use this tool to ensure different perspectives
c) A graphic recorder can draw out or to consider how the results of the workshop might
the stories as they are shared. impact absent stakeholders. Time Needed: 15–30 min-
utes, depending on the number of absent stakeholders.
d) All the dice can be rolled at once for spontaneous
storytelling in a group. One person starts the story 4. Facilitator: Ensure that every absent stake-
using the die of their choice. The next person chooses holder group is represented by a stick person.
one of the remaining dice and builds on the story. Participants: Encourages attendees to consider
This continues with each person building on the what might be important to those not present.
story one die at a time, until all the dice are used.
5. Technique and Application: Offer
a physical representation of stakeholders.
a) Write the absent stakeholder’s COLOR MIX

name on the stick person.
b) Give a physical seat or space at

the table to the stick person.
c) Preselect a spokesperson to represent an ab-

sent stakeholder, preferably someone who can
accurately reflect the stakeholder’s perspective.
d) When a decision is being made, invite the spokes-

person to share the perspective of the absent party
first. During group discussions, consider the impact
that decisions may have on the absent stakeholders.
Record these issues as if all were present.
e) Rationale: To optimize a level playing field and

to minimize missing or forgotten perspectives.
6. Variations:
a) Instead of having a group discussion, invite

participants that are present in the room to
physically move to a stick person’s place at
the table, and share a possible perspective Figure 3: A Color Mix exercise encourages quick
of or impact on that absent stakeholder. interactions and mixing of participants to create
diversity and dynamics in small groups.
b) The graphic recorder can draw a representation
of the absent stakeholder, and can include contri- 1. Purpose: Quickly move participants from one
butions made on their behalf on the drawing. small group to another. Desired Outcome: New
small groups are formed, creating fresh group
c) Use an empathy map1 to ensure that the dynamics with minimal transition time.
relevant needs and desires are recorded.
2. Tools and Supplies: Color-coded visual cues,
7. Potential Sources: such as colored dots, images on name tags,
handouts, or cards placed on tables and chairs.
a) Hobby or art supply stores.
3. Timing: Use to mix participants during small
b) Online retailers. group activities. Time Needed: 1–2 minutes.
4. Participants: Move around the room

based on assigned colors.
5. Technique and Application: Encourage interaction

and reshuffle small groups by using colored dots.
1 An empathy map is a collaborative tool used by teams to gain a deeper insight into their customers. Much like a user persona, an
empathy map can represent a group of users, such as a customer segment. To learn more about empathy maps, see Gamestorming:
A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers, by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo.
a) For each small group that will be formed, choose CANDY FEEDBACK
a unique color (for example, for four groups of four
participants each, select four different colors).
b) Decide how many participants will be in each small

group and prepare corresponding colored dots. Be
mindful about whether the shuffling is intended to be
MEETINGS AND MORE

random or strategic (like managing group dynamics).
If strategic, you will need more preplanning.
c) Attach a colored dot to each participant’s name

tag, handout, or the underside of each chair.
d) Place one of the colors in the center of each table

(for example, place a colored dot on a white index
card).
e) When it’s time to mix groups, have each

participant move to the table displaying their color.
6. Variations:
a) You can use images instead of colored Figure 4: Match your candy color to the feedback questions for a
dots (basic shapes, for example). fun and tasty closing activity.
b) Tape the colored dots to the bottom or back of 1. Purpose: A fun way to obtain feedback from
participant chairs to create a sense of surprise. participants after a session. The candies serve
as snacks and little rewards. Desired Outcome:
c) To orient participants, the graphic recorder can Generate curiosity. Quickly gather participant
create a legend of table feedback using a structured process.
locations using the colors or images.
2. Tools and Supplies: Colored candies, such as
7. Potential Sources: Skittles® or M&M’S® (quantity will vary based
on total number of participants). Put handfuls
a) Office supply stores. of colored candies into small paper cups (make
sure there are multiple colors in each handful).
b) Online retailers. Prepare one cup for each participant. Note: avoid
using candies with nuts in case of allergies.
3. Timing: Used at the end of a session to collect

just-in-time feedback. Time Needed: 10–15 minutes
(or longer, depending on number of participants).
4. Participants: Each takes a turn during WALKING GRID

a round-robin discussion. Facilitator: Records
participants’ responses on a flip chart.
5. Technique and Application: Ensure each

participant has a small cup with candies. Invite
them to enjoy the candies during the course
of the meeting, but instruct them to leave one
candy for the end of the session (this almost
always generates curiosity among participants).
a) Prepare five partial sentences for feedback. The

number of sentences will depend on the number of
colors in the distributed candies. Write each partial
sentence on a separate piece of flipchart paper to
record participants’ feedback. Correspond
the marker color of each sentence to
the color of each candy group.
b) Typical feedback sentences include: “I learned

that . . . ”, “I really appreciate . . . ”, “I wish we were
able to spend more time on . . . ”, “I will commit
to . . .”, “One of my biggest takeaways today was . . . ”
c) Facilitate a round-robin so that every partici- Figure 5: The walking grid engages participants both physically
pant has a turn to offer feedback by completing and mentally.
a sentence. Instruct them to complete the
sentence that matches the color of the candy 1. Purpose: Get people up and moving to add energy to
remaining in their cup. Record their responses. a typically sedentary session or time of day.
Desired Outcome: Engage participants in self-reflection
6. Variations: and provide them with an opportunity to share their
insights; visually sort people according to a set of
a) Some participants may not eat their candies, criteria or questions; create space for participants to
so let them choose whichever sentence they reflect on where they are in a process or journey.
wish to complete. If they ate all their candies,
they can borrow one from a neighbor. 2. Tools and Supplies: Use masking tape on the floor
to create a grid of squares (perhaps 2x2 or 3x3). Make
b) Make one of the colors a ‘free choice,’ each square large enough for a group of people to
where the participant can choose which- stand inside. Print one- to two-word responses in large
ever sentence they wish to complete. font on letter-sized paper, and put each paper inside
a plastic sleeve. The room needs to have adequate
7. Potential Sources: space for people to move around in the walking grid.
a) Grocery stores. 3. Timing: Use in mid-afternoon when energy

levels typically drop, or any time you want
b) Confectionery stores. people to move around in a purposeful way.
Time Needed: 15–45 minutes, depending on b) Laminated cards for the responses
number of participants and ensuing dialogue. can be created by a print shop.
4. Participants: Will be organized into one group (with c) Plastic sleeves can be purchased
a maximum of 20–25 people). Facilitator: Prepare from any office supply store.
and pose a series of questions to the group.
While some of these tools are more flexible than
5. Technique and Application: Find likenesses others, they were all selected to provide variety during
among group members’ self-perceptions. different phases of your meeting (the beginning, mid-
MEETINGS AND MORE

dle, and end). To recap, consider using the following:
a) Design one or more meaningful questions to ask
the group. Sample questions such as: How do you see ∙∙Story cubes: use during any of the
yourself? How do you think your peers see you? How three meeting phases.
do you want to be seen? Questions will depend on
context, purpose, and time allotted for the exercise. ∙∙Stick people: at the beginning, during
introductions, and during a meeting.
b) Put one response in each square. For example,
a 3x3 grid might have the following nine responses: ∙∙Color mix: typically used in the middle of a meeting,
Subject Matter Expert, Problem Solver, Relationship or at the beginning of a new day during a multi-
Builder, The Authority, Detail Oriented, Big Picture day workshop (like the start of day two).
Thinker, Fire Fighter, Planner, Procrastinator.
∙∙Candy feedback: at the end of the entire meeting,
c) Ask a question and invite participants to stand or a particular segment of the agenda.
in the square that represents their response.
∙∙Walking grid: in the middle of a meeting,
d) Invite the groups gathered in each or during a low-energy time of day; can
square to have a short dialogue and re- also be used at the beginning to energize
flect on their choice of response. participants and get them thinking early.
e) Ask a new question and have participants The candy feedback is a very popular activity that
repeat the process as appropriate. has been used many times. Participants are often
curious about why we instruct them to leave one candy
6. Variations: behind; after they realize how the candies will be
used, it becomes a fun and tasty way to end the day.
a) Follow the process above, but facilitate the It also allows instant, spontaneous feedback for the
dialogue with participants within each square. Then facilitator, rather than having to wait for the post-event
invite a big group report out by asking questions surveys (where the return rate is generally lower than
like, What did you notice you have in common? What desired). And who doesn’t like treats at a meeting?
story made you select that particular square?
Of these multisensory tools, the most challenging
b) Replace words in the grid with images. is probably stick people. It’s often difficult for
participants to shift their point of view and
7. Potential Sources: understand another’s perspectives and needs. The
activity was designed to address this very issue.
a) Masking tape can be purchased from We recall an experience during which a participant
any office or home supply store. expressed tremendous appreciation: by physically
moving herself to an absent stakeholder’s spot (and

then picking up the stick person), she was able to
physically and mentally feel a shift in her perspective
and understanding. She successfully stepped into the
role of the stakeholder. The resulting consideration
and inclusion of the absent stakeholder’s possible
needs may not have been contemplated otherwise.2
What a simple popsicle stick can do is astounding!
WORKS CITED:
Advanced Consulting and Facilitation.

Advanced Consulting and Facilitation, Ltd.,
advancedconsultingfacilitation.com.
Accessed 30 Jan. 2019.
Gray, Dave, et al. Gamestorming: A Playbook

for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Change-
makers. O’Reilly Media, Inc., 2010.
Same Page People. Same Page People, LLC,

www.samepagepeople.com. Accessed 30
Jan. 2019.
2 For more on how we use these tools in our daily practices, visit Advanced Consulting and Facilitation
(advancedconsultingfacilitation.com), and Same Page People (www.samepagepeople.com).
Meetings and More
Sam Bradd
THE CAMERA AS A VISUAL

TOOL TO CLOSE A MEETING
Photography is an easy way to increase creativity
and participation in a meeting—and make it visual.
And almost everyone has a camera in their pocket.
Meetings
178 THE CAMERA AS A VISUAL TOOL TO CLOSE A MEETING MEETINGS
THE CAMERA AS A VISUAL TOOL

TO CLOSE A MEETING
Combining Graphic Facilitation with the Camera in Your Pocket
At the end of a half-day or full-day session, homework, and the facilitator may decide to print
it’s important to close the meeting in a way the photos in advance to display in a gallery.
that leaves participants energized, empow-
ered, and ready to take the next steps. Time Needed: Minimum one minute per person
to share their photo. Make sure you build
Photography is an easy in time for people to email their photo if you
anticipate that this may be a challenge.
way to increase creativity
Best Use: When you’re working with a team, need
and participation in to build relationships, or when colleagues attend
an organizational meeting or share a cause.
a meeting—and make it
Technique and Application: For all variations,
visual. And almost everyone the facilitator chooses a question to ask the
group. This may mean asking people to list their
has a camera in their pocket. individual action items (What do you commit to?),
summarize something important (What is your key
Here’s my favorite way to combine photography takeaway?), or to share their emotional state (What
with graphic recording to wrap up a half- or are you feeling?). For the examples below, I will
full-day session. The end result is an organized use the closing question, “What’s one thing you are
visual, combining participants’ photography leaving the meeting with that surprised you?”
with captions written by the graphic facilitator.
It’s personalized and meaningful to the group.
THE EXERCISE: USE PARTICIPANT

PHOTOGRAPHY TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT
Tools and Supplies: Participants will need the
camera on their cellular phones and access to the
internet, so they can share their pictures with either
the projector and computer supplied by the event
organizers, or a color printer. The graphic recorder
may prefer to capture the text on the computer
next to the photographs, or they can work on paper
(large format graphic recording size preferred).
Figure 1: Combining graphic facilitation
In variation three (below), the facilitator may with participants’ photographs
ask the participants to do the exercise as
MEETINGS THE CAMERA AS A VISUAL TOOL TO CLOSE A MEETING 179
VARIATION ONE: FOUND PHOTOS (FOR

GROUPS OF 30 OR FEWER)
∙∙The facilitator asks participants to reflect on

the question, “What’s one thing you are leaving
@ Consider if social media is another way
to upload photos. For confidentiality, it
the meeting with that surprised you?” might not always be permitted. However,
I’ve seen folks at large conference
∙∙Give participants 1—2 minutes to workshops simultaneously upload selfies
MEETINGS AND MORE

reflect on this individually. to social media using the event’s hashtag;
the caption of the photo often contains
∙∙Then, participants are invited to pull out their a commitment or next step—it’s a great
cell phones. Instruct them to find one photo that way to have fun with an event selfie, and
symbolizes their answer. Remind the group that be accountable after leaving the meeting!
there is no wrong way to choose a photo-each
person will interpret the images differently.
VARIATION TWO: PHOTO WALK IN PAIRS
∙∙Provide instructions of how to send the photo to Conferences and long meetings expect maximum
the facilitator’s computer. (You may want to set productivity from participants, but don’t give much
up this activity earlier in the day, perhaps over opportunity for outdoor time or quiet reflection. At the
a break, to troubleshoot any technical issues.) end of a full- or multi-day session, send pairs of
people on a walk with a purposeful question, giving
∙∙Facilitator places the photos on a screen so them time to reflect, and set a goal of taking one
everyone can see, one photo per slide. photograph that symbolizes their conversation. Have
them email the photograph back to the facilitator to
put up on the screen for the closing round. Use the
same format as above; the round will take half as much
time, because each pair selects a single photograph.
Groups can text the photo to the facilitator during the
walk so the facilitator has time to build the slides.
The facilitator has the option to capture the rich

context of the photographs using graphic recording,
∙∙Each person has one minute to share or to simply compile a text-only version.
their photo and answer the question.
∙∙The graphic facilitator captures the words on

a poster or chart. If graphic recording is not your
main skill set, consider using a slide program
and add 1-4 word captions per photograph.
∙∙The words and pictures become part

of the meeting documentation.
Figure 2: Photo walks in pairs

180 THE CAMERA AS A VISUAL TOOL TO CLOSE A MEETING MEETINGS
VARIATION THREE: PHOTO GALLERY ∙∙For 1 minute, each participant shares their pho-
This is an excellent technique when you want to end tograph as it relates to the topic or question. You
the meeting with a reminder of the original intent may ask how their thinking has changed, as well.
of the session.
∙∙For the graphic recording option, a grid or layout is
helpful to keep the content organized. While people
are speaking, capture a few key words with each
photo to make it personalized and meaningful.
Necessary Supplies: Supplies may include cameras,

computer, projector, tape, printer, and a large
graphic-recording surface.
A Word of Caution: If the group decides to use the

photographs outside of the room they must procure
documented consent. People can’t consent if they’re
not present; don’t release any photos featuring other
people, especially children. Have clear signs posted in
the room about photo consent, and provide options
Figure 3: The photo gallery on participants’ name tags to indicate whether
or not they want their photo taken at the event.
For prework, ask participants to provide a photo-
graph related to the meeting topic. (For example, Sharing photos on social media may be an
What does leadership look like in your day-to-day option-especially if the conference has its own
life? What is an example of a healthy, man-made hashtag. Examine your capacity for troubleshooting
environment in your city? What is an indicator of for large groups, and make sure you have a social
healthy infant development in your neighborhood?) media team handling things behind the scenes.
The facilitator prints the photos on large cards.
SEE ALSO:
To run the exercise, the photographs must be
displayed as a group. The facilitator can: 1) tape For another suggestion how the graphic recorder might
them to the wall like a gallery, 2) tape them in engage as an active facilitator in a unique way, see
a grid format on a graphic-recording poster, or Martine Vanremoortele’s chapter Graphic Recording:
3) place them in the center of a closing circle if An Improvisational Dance with the Facilitator.
graphic recording techniques won’t be used.
WORKS CITED:
Do a closing round.
Drawing Change: Visuals for a Better World. Drawing
∙∙For 5 minutes, the group has time to Change, drawingchange.com. Accessed 06 June 2019.
look at all the photos as a whole.
Meetings and More
Tomohide Oshima and Sabine Soeder
VISUALS IN WORLD CAFÉ:

HOW TO PREPARE, HOST,
AND HARVEST
Visuals can play a crucial role in the success of a
World Café. They make results tangible, bring fun and
creativity, and help participants remember both their
personal reflections and the group’s insights.
Large Scale Meetings

182 VISUALS IN WORLD CAFÉ: HOW TO PREPARE, HOST, AND HARVEST LARGE SCALE MEETINGS
’
VISUALS IN WORLD CAFÉ :
HOW TO PREPARE, HOST, AND HARVEST
WHAT IS WORLD CAFÉ? WHAT MAKES A WORLD CAFÉ DIFFERENT
World Café™1 is a powerful process used to create WHEN USING VISUALS THROUGHOUT THE
impactful dialogue, developed by an international PROCESS?
group of facilitators and consultants in conjunction Visuals can have a crucial role in the success of a
with Juanita Brown and David Isaacs. This method of World Café. They support the whole process: event
large group dialogue is used worldwide for groups of design; crafting the intention, goals and flow of a
twelve to more than 1,000 people—resulting in conver- session; and making key structural elements like
sations that matter most to participants. There have the invitation, agenda, and Café Etiquette striking
been World Cafés facilitated with up to 10,000 partici- and clear. During the World Café process, visuals
pants. Multiple rounds of conversations about concrete serve as support for the individuals and group.
topics are hosted in a structured way, to empower the The visuals reflect the dialogue and the collective
co-creation of our future through group dialogue. intelligence in a tangible form, by weaving together
the small conversational rounds into a single, colorful
The name World Café is often used casually as a fabric during the plenary session. The sketches and
synonym for various forms of dialogue that go beyond doodles on the individual paper tablecloths mirror
the classic (linear) keynote approach. Please note that the variety of individual perspectives in the room.
we are using and practicing the term World Café in the And on the collective level, the graphic recording
sense of the original approach and method, as defined shows the results of the whole group conversation.
by the seven design principles2 and the World Café
Etiquette.
Figure 1: A digital graphic recording by Sabine Figure 2: Here are some of the possible roles of visualization
Soeder, focusing on a process discussed during in the World Café process. These are based on many
one of the World Café Online Community3 events, different experiences since 2006, and include colleagues
offered monthly by The World Café Foundation.4 and clients from across Europe and the United States.
1 World Café is a trademarked term created by and registered to The World Café Community Foundation. Learn more about World Café
and the Foundation here: www.theworldcafe.com.
2 For more on the seven design principles, see “Design Principles” here:
www.theworldcafe.com/key-concepts-resources/design-principles.
3 To view the Community Calendar, visit www.theworldcafecommunity.org/events.
4 To connect with a global community of practitioners and supporters of World Café, visit www.theworldcafecommunity.org.
LARGE SCALE MEETINGS VISUALS IN WORLD CAFÉ: HOW TO PREPARE, HOST, AND HARVEST 183
Before the Event INVITE—CONSIDER THESE STRATEGIC
MEETINGS AND MORE

QUESTIONS:
CLARIFY—INVITE—ENCOURAGE ∙∙ Who should be in involved in the conversations?

The design process in a World Café is a highly strategic
phase. The use of visuals in the beginning supports the ∙∙ How do you invite participants to the World Café?
project as it grows into a powerful experience, gaining
tangible results. Visuals help the design team5 see ∙∙ What information do we want the participants to
the bigger context. This phase clarifies the intention gain? How are the results communicated afterward?
of the Café. During this phase, the flow of the event is
established, and preparation of needed materials is ∙∙ With the results in mind, what is the best
completed. Perhaps most critically, this is the time to flow of questions for the participants?
decide how results from the individual participants
and from the collective group will be visualized.
ENCOURAGE—KEY QUESTIONS REGARDING
THE GRAPHIC RECORDING WILL ENSURE
CLARIFY—WHAT IS THE CONTEXT? THE MAXIMUM GROUP SATISFACTION.
INTENTION?
∙∙ How can a visualization support the unique-
∙∙ A clear intention of a World Café is the basis for its ness and importance of this invitation?
success. What is the client’s intention for this event?
∙∙ What are the key points for the graphic recording
∙∙ Start by collecting all the ideas connected to capture? What should the focus be?
to this specific topic. Cluster the different
points in categories, using sticky notes. ∙∙ How will the threads of dialogue be made
Highlight the connections and focal points. visible for the whole plenary? What process
can support this? What types of visuals?
∙∙ Visualize the whole process—who is hosting, who
is harvesting, and how will it occur? This way, the pro- ∙∙ When might the results be shared and deep-
cess becomes more tangible for everyone involved. ened in the plenary part of the event?
∙∙ Clarify up front how and at what point your visuals— ∙∙ What is the unique value in this situation
graphic recordings, clustered cards, etc.—will be used that you want captured visually? How will you
to: show the process of the Café, reflect the collective use the graphic recordings after the event to
sense-making process, and provide a tangible result. document and communicate what occurred?
5 The team responsible for the design and preparation of a meeting or an event.
DURING THE EVENT

To foster connection, make individual and collective
perspectives and positions visible to all.
Hosting a World Café can be like hosting a party—you

have a lot to prepare in advance. Like a party, if your
preparation is done well, the event will also go well.
Everyone knows what to do and when to do it.
Attendees are welcomed by the hosts and facilitators.
A hospitable space has been prepared for the
participants. World Café Etiquette Cards are on the
tables, and a visualization of the agenda—including
the intention of the event—is posted on the wall
(or flipchart).
During introductions, the purpose of the graphic

Figure 3: World Café Etiquette Poster, by Avril Orloff. 6
recording and the capturing of visuals should be
mentioned in order to establish safety and trust.
This way, participants will know what’s going on,
PULLING IT TOGETHER— the role of the person with all the colored markers
PREPARE THE MATERIAL: in the center of the room, and how each may
contribute to the end result. Individuals can
∙∙ Provide World Café Etiquette Cards7 on the contribute to the visualizations by doodling and
tables, and hang a few as posters. Many sketching their own perspectives on tablecloths.
of these resources are free of charge.
Key things to consider during the event
∙∙ A visualization of the agenda, like the menu at include: materials, harvesting approach,
a restaurant, helps the participants get oriented and engagement with the visuals.
to the sequence of the conversations.
∙∙ The questions for each round of dialogue MATERIALS

should be visible for everybody in the room.
∙∙ Select paper for the tablecloths: flipchart paper or
∙∙ Are tablecloths (to draw on) needed to prepared templates work well. Templates8 can be
illustrate the flow of the Café? individually designed, or purchased from a variety
of online stores.
∙∙ Consider your strategy: do you want to show the
group all of the questions at once, or should ∙∙ Provide markers in multiple colors so the participants
you guide them through, step-by-step? In the can take notes and doodle on the tablecloths.
latter, the group will focus on the immediate This is an important thinking tool that will connect
question, rather than looking ahead. individual perspectives to one another and provide
a ‘table-harvest.’ Encourage people to draw.
6 For more of Avril Orloff’s work, visit Outside the Lines at outsidethelines.ca.
7 For these free and low-cost resources, visit “Image Bank” at World Café here:
www.theworldcafe.com/tools-store/hosting-tool-kit/image-bank.
8 For more on templates, see Lynn Carruthers’ chapter, The Joy of Templates.
MEETINGS AND MORE

Image 1: Cards on the table help collect ideas (photo by George Maas).
∙∙ If needed, put cards on each table for a harvesting shout out, “bingo,” while co-facilitators collect the
round. (Don’t put cards on the table in advance—oth- cards. This helps to provide a bigger picture of what
erwise, they will disappear too early as private notes.) matters for the people attending the World Café.
Bingo Harvest
HARVESTING BETWEEN ROUNDS OF
CONVERSATION At the end of a dialogue round, ask the participants to
write the main insights of their conversation on two
After three rounds of conversation, a great deal of or three cards. The host walks around, table by table,
content and results are created. Often the small asking for the main insights; a harvest team collects
group conversations are followed by a long (and and clusters the cards. This allows the group to see
very intense) sharing session in the whole plenary. all facets of a topic, question, or round. If there isn’t
To avoid a single, large harvesting round at the enough time to hear everyone’s responses, or if there
end of the event, we highly recommend a series of is no need for the insights to be shared with the whole
mini harvests between rounds of conversation. plenary, this collection can be done in silence. Once
harvested, these insights can be shared in the plenary.
Here are our most successful harvesting methods:
To avoid repetition, one participant starts to present
Popcorn Harvest one main insight; when others share the same
insight they can say aloud, “bingo!” This method
Host a popcorn harvest of five to ten minutes after a of sharing illustrates the level of importance each
round of small group dialogue. Ask the participants insight has to the whole group, and keeps the group’s
to focus their thoughts by posing a clear question attention on the big picture, rather than forcing
and requesting that participants choose only three them to hear the same insights again and again. It’s
responses, each written on their own card. The host great to cluster the cards afterwards, and creating
walks from table to table, asking approximately subtitles helps the group deepen their understanding.
five to seven tables to share their main insights in All of this can be captured in real-time graphic
‘popcorn’ style (share when they’re ready to ‘pop’). recording, if it makes sense for the whole process.
If another table has the same results, those people
Metaphor Drawing by Participants ∙∙ Graphic recording walls can be used as a precious

space for dialogue (during coffee breaks, for
After rounds of conversation, every participant draws a example) to connect people to one another.
picture. This picture can represent the main insight of
the topic, the individual essence of the conversations, ∙∙ Invite people to come to the graphic recording wall
or an emerging theme. Participants then share during the coffee break to see if anything important
their drawings at the table, exploring differences of (from their point of view) is missing. It must always
understanding and value. This process of thinking represent what has been said in the room; as
and sharing through simple visuals creates learning the recorder, it is not my personal notebook.
moments and insights for each person at the table.
Based on this individual work, all participants develop TIPS FOR GRAPHIC RECORDING
one big picture at each table. This process builds These questions will help you achieve the
strong connections as people share, listen, search for best graphic recording of a World Café:
a common understanding, and seek to synthesize their
individual contributions. At the end of the session, ∙∙ What is the main intention of your graphic record-
each table presents their picture in the plenary to ing? To serve as a reflection of the conversation
further build collective insight and inspiration. rounds for the participants in the room during the
whole event? To provide a document outlining the
different steps and decisions that were discussed?
ENGAGEMENT AND SHARING OF VISUALS
∙∙ Should you prepare a plan of how to arrange
∙∙ Make sure the graphic recording wall is visible your visuals on the paper for the different
to everyone in the room. Make an announce- harvesting rounds? How much space is needed
ment about this at the start of the event. for content? How many words are needed?
∙∙ Invite people to write, doodle, and draw on the ∙∙ Is there a common metaphor for the visuals?
tablecloths. All around the globe, everyone thinks,
“But I can’t draw.” In this respect, it seems that many ∙∙ Is there a common or critical point or phrase from
of our educational systems are similar. Everybody the harvest? How will you highlight this? Do you
can draw—it’s a simple, visual alphabet. Start need to write the questions of the conversation
with a five-minute introduction to points, lines, rounds or the harvesting questions on the
curves, and basic shapes like rectangles, triangles, graphic recording? Clarify this with the group.
and circles, and how they can play together.
∙∙ How can we make the different aspects of
∙∙ Create moments of reflection: gather people in the harvest more tangible—with a mind map,
front of the graphic recording or have a camera a cluster, or lists? What are the main connec-
pointed at the visuals. Summarize the essential tions emerging during the harvesting rounds
points for the group. This helps participants and how can you best visualize these?
remember how the results emerged and reminds
them that they have been co-creators. ∙∙ If there is something that was shared that,
due to ethical reasons, you cannot harvest,
∙∙ Digital graphic recordings should be shown leave a white space and clarify afterward with
and distributed soon after the event. the facilitator or client on how to represent
this perspective on the graphic recording.
∙∙ And last but not least: don’t fall in love AFTER THE EVENT
with your drawing – instead, stay in the Fortify common results with concrete action steps.
motion of listening and synchronizing.
What was the intention of the World Café
and the visuals? Now it’s all about the
TIPS FOR TIMING strategic harvest of the results.
If the speed of the harvest is too fast, you can:
∙∙ Digitize the analog graphic recording.
MEETINGS AND MORE

∙∙ Prepare the logo, title, date, and your
name on the paper in advance. ∙∙ Pull the visuals together with a storyline
and photos of the event, creating a kind
∙∙ Use sticky notes and ask someone to of eMagazine, a vibrant documentation of
take notes, then pull the visual together the whole process that will support:
on the paper during a second step.
∙∙ Participants sustain memories of the
∙∙ First take notes, and then transform those into conversations, connections, and insights;
a visual. This can help you listen deeply with all
your senses; eventually, you will learn to transform ∙∙ Participants and Stakeholders: com-
words into visuals in real-time. Experience will municate and roll out the process and
help you find your own pace and process. resulting decisions for a third party;
∙∙ Creating a mind map9 while listening can also ∙∙ Concrete Action Steps: including what,
help. Start with a central word or image, make when, how, and by whom; and
branches, and then draw a couple of keywords
and images. You can color-code different aspects ∙∙ Online Communication: for a con-
or rounds, and at the end, connect the main crete group, or on the internet.
points by highlighting them with the same color.
∙∙ Draw on large sticky notes and arrange IN CLOSING

them on a wall—this allows you to Visual harvesting makes results tangible, brings
re-order them in a second step. fun and creativity to the process, and helps
participants to remember the personal thoughts
and group insights in a very powerful way.
Visual harvesting of a World Café can happen in many

ways, allowing people to connect to the main topic
through a diverse set of visual and structural tools.
Through visuals, people have a greater experience
of feeling heard and seen, and leave the event with
a sense of how their individual contributions fit into
the broader context and objectives of the whole.
9 To read more about mind maps, see the index for additional chapters.
WORKS CITED:
“Community Calendar.” The World Café Online Community,

www.theworldcafecommunity.org/events. Accessed 16 April 2019.
“Design Principles.” The World Cafe,

www.theworldcafe.com/key-concepts-resources/design-principles. Accessed 16 April 2019.
“Image Bank.” The World Cafe,

www.theworldcafe.com/tools-store/hosting-tool-kit/image-bank. Accessed 16 April 2019.
Outside the Lines: Drawing Out Your Best Thinking. Literally. Out-
side the Lines, outsidethelines.ca. Accessed 16 April 2019.
The World Café.™, The World Café, www.theworldcafe.com. Accessed 16 April 2019.
The World Café Online Community. The World Café Online Community,
www.theworldcafecommunity.org. Accessed 16 April 2019.
Meetings and More
Sabine Soeder
CO-CREATION OF THE FIRST

TIROLEAN ENTREPRENEURS’
DAY IN AUSTRIA
Visuals can support the whole process during
a large and impactful event.

190 CO-CREATION OF THE FIRST TIROLEAN ENTREPRENEURS’ DAY IN AUSTRIA LARGE SCALE MEETINGS
CO-CREATION OF THE FIRST TIROLEAN

ENTREPRENEURS’ DAY IN AUSTRIA
How can entrepreneurs contribute to the co-creation CLIENT BRIEFING AND INNOVATIVE DESIGN
of a region? This was the driving question of the OF THE CHALLENGE
Wirtschaftskammer Tirol (Chamber of Commerce) The Chamber’s need to offer something special
in Tirol, Austria, an organization of more than for its members, to let the members connect
fifty-thousand members. The Chamber’s goal was in new ways, and to gain direct contributions
to actively involve more than five hundred of these from the attending entrepreneurs demanded an
members in the co-creation of the future of the approach geared toward a large group dialogue.
region; from there, the Chamber wanted to identify
how they could best support these entrepreneurs. The format of a World Café was ideal for this unique
and innovative event. It would enable the diverse
To answer the first question, the Chamber asked Ursula audience—from one-person enterprises to large
Hillbrand of AoH-Salonhosting GmbH1 to help them corporations spanning multiple sectors of indus-
create the first Entrepreneurs’ Day. In an effort to create try—to contribute, which would give the Chamber of
the most engaging experience, Ursula called a hosting Commerce the opportunity to listen to what really
team together. She invited me to co-lead this project mattered to their members. An inspiring keynote at
as an experienced World Café™2 facilitator and graphic the beginning would bring the participants to the
facilitator. In this chapter, we explore how visuals can same starting point, and initiate conversations so
support a whole-systems process in a powerful way. they could connect with each other. As few people in
the Chamber of Commerce had experienced World
Café, the first step was familiarizing the organizers
HIGH EXPECTATIONS with the format so that they could carry this new
As the first of its kind, the goal was to create a special approach directly into their different contexts.
experience for the entrepreneurs of the region. The
intention was to follow the typical format, whereby
the Chamber of Commerce would present information PREPARATORY SESSIONS
to its members. But the goal was to create something
really different, innovative, and interactive, whereby How do you address the
the Chamber could also learn something about the
future of entrepreneurial endeavors, and adapt their challenge of an interactive
offerings accordingly. The organization wanted to
listen to its members, find out what was important event with more than fi e
to them, and learn how collaboration could improve
across the region. The huge event required six hundred participants?
months of intense preparation for the more than five
hundred participating entrepreneurs. We would invite To familiarize the client with the World Café format, we
them for a late afternoon and evening function. hosted two preparatory World Café sessions focusing
on the design of Entrepreneurs’ Day. Inviting the client
to experience a World Café granted a level of comfort;
1 For more, see www.salonhosting.at/salonhosting/Prozessbegleitung.

2 For more on The World Café, see www.theworldcafe.com.
LARGE SCALE MEETINGS CO-CREATION OF THE FIRST TIROLEAN ENTREPRENEURS’ DAY IN AUSTRIA 191
the hosts felt more confident with their different roles Graphic recording was used
(in the bigger context) at the event itself. The content
of the World Café sessions had a clear focus on our as a kind of safety net: it
desired outcomes of Entrepreneurs’ Day. This way,
through personal experience, the Chamber gained enabled an immediate record
more confidence about the quality of the whole event.
of the main outcomes.
KEY ROLE FOR GRAPHIC RECORDING Also, it enabled the Chamber President to offer
MEETINGS AND MORE

These World Cafés were hosted by Ursula Hillbrand, strategic comments in his closing remarks.
myself, and an internal hosting practitioner from the
Chamber. The participants experienced the small, Ultimately, the graphic
interactive dialogue rounds, and also the role of graphic
recording. We planned the graphic recording very recording was picked up by
intentionally. One of the challenges for the hosting
team lay in collecting and strategically clustering the media. Along with several
cards from five hundred participants in real time.
photographs, it appeared on
the front page of the regional
newspaper the next day.
Image 1: Facilitating and recording for a large event requires careful planning.
STRUCTURING THE RECORDINGS A CLEAR AND COMPELLING INVITATION

The graphic recordings of the two preparatory After gaining clarity about the intention and the form
World Cafés were structured on two levels. The of the whole event, we turned our attention to inviting
first level showed the flow of a World Café, with the hundreds of entrepreneurs. We’d booked the city’s
hints and tips for everybody in the room. On the Congress Hall, but how should the actual invitation
second level, the visuals reflected content—the be designed and created? To attract the leaders,
discussions, challenges, drivers, and decisions made pioneers, and innovative thinkers to the event (rather
during the meetings. At the end of the meetings, than just the usual participants), we needed to make
a summary, created through the graphic recordings, it clear and tangible that this event was different.
supported the group to make clear decisions.
We designed a strategic illustration combining
The experience of the text and very clean drawings. One of the first
reactions was, “Oh, this could be an invitation to my
preparatory event combined daughter’s sixth birthday party.” After much positive
feedback, the key words and simple drawings were
with the visuals served as used for the corporate identity of the whole event
(posted on huge banners across Congress Hall).
powerful tools of acceleration
for the design process.
Figure 1: A well designed invitation sets the tone of the event.

TRAINING THE CO-HOSTS conversations at Entrepreneurs’ Day. To that end,

Hosting and harvesting an event for so many we designed a harvesting session to make the
participants required a large and capable team. results even more tangible. A huge team evaluated
We had four Train the Trainer workshops and two and structured the tablecloth notes, the cluster
rehearsals in the venue. Both of these events material, and the graphic recordings. It was a cata-
allowed us to practice clustering in emergence,3 lyzing process. At the end of the day we elaborated
and to grant everyone the capacity to ensure that seven strategic themes for creating the future of
all strategically important voices were heard. Tirol, Austria. The results were presented through
mind maps, and further explained in text format.
MEETINGS AND MORE

As a result, both the experienced and the less
experienced process hosts were comfortable This event had an impact
with the flow of the day. The Chamber’s training
institute even won an award for sustainable on the Chamber’s projects
and innovative learning for the occasion!
for a long time—and
LEVELS OF HARVESTING impacted the entrepreneurs
During the actual Entrepreneurs’ Day event, the
harvesting was hosted on different levels. One was who’d been called upon
a graphic recording on a ten meter (thirty-three foot)
long wall, reflecting the whole event. The graphic for contributions to and
recording included the opening, given by the Chamber
of Commerce President in conjunction with the lead fa- co-creation of their region.
cilitator, Ursula, a keynote speech regarding innovation
in Tirol, and the results of the conversation rounds.
MULTI-LEVEL BENEFITS OF VISUALIZATION
Harvesting the results of the conversation rounds Visuals supported the whole process—and
required the previously trained team of thirty runners its follow-up—on many levels.
and seven cluster people. Ursula and her moderating
team brought together the results of the tables, Before and During the Event
walking from one table to the next, while participants
shared their contributions. As similar topics arose ∙∙Before the event, to gain clarity
among the tables, participants were invited to shout during the design process
“Bingo!” to signify that they, too, had discussed those
issues. 4 The runners collected similar cards and ∙∙On the invitation
brought them to the cluster board. There, seven people
were clustering the incoming results. In this way, a draft ∙∙Experiencing visuals as an
of the different meta-topics quickly became tangible. interactive, reflective surface
At the same time, I was visually capturing the topics
on the graphic recording. Working in this way provided ∙∙Making individual contributions visible and
two separate reflection spaces for the large group. tangible; making the whole day memorable
∙∙Guiding members to make the best decisions

NEXT STEPS
The Chamber of Commerce wanted to strategically ∙∙For the creation of a hospitable space
use the themes that emerged during the
3 To learn more about emergence, see the chapter entitled An Integrated Approach to Visual Facilitation of the Future
by Sabine Soeder and Mary Alice Arthur.
4 For more on large-group harvesting, see the chapter entitled Visuals in World Café: How to Prepare, Host, and Harvest
by Tomohide Oshima and Sabine Soeder.
MEETINGS AND MORE

After the Event
The images of the graphic recording were published

in the regional newspaper, and included in the digital
publication of the event along with text. The mind
maps represented the condensed form of the results,
and served as the foundation of the action plan.
The Chamber of Commerce itself used the visuals

in a number of ways to help support their goals.
And as a very pleasant follow-up, the World Café and

hosting practices made their way into the Chamber
of Commerce as working tools, and were applied to
internal team-building events (and other workshops)
to make them more interactive and effective.
The interactive space in the form of the World Café in

connection with visual facilitation and graphic recording
were key components to connecting the entrepreneurs.
These practices enabled them to identify the needs—
and communicate those needs—to the stakeholders,
ultimately co-creating the future of their region.
Image 2: Graphic recording exposure
in the regional newspapers.
WORKS CITED:
Salonhosting: A Place for Mean-

ingful Gatherings. Salonhosting,
salonhosting.at/salonhosting/Prozessbegleitung.
The World Café.™ The World Café,

www.theworldcafe.com. Accessed 16 April 2019.
MEETINGS AND MORE

Meetings and More
Tomohide Oshima
A MULTILOCATION WORLD
’
CAFÉ IN JAPAN: BIG PLANS
FOR A BIG VISUAL EVENT
How can you create a feeling of oneness during a multilocation
event? Select a strong design concept, for starters. After careful
planning, our nine-venue event across Japan was a success.

200 A MULTILOCATION WORLD CAFÉ IN JAPAN: BIG PLANS FOR A BIG VISUAL EVENT LARGE SCALE MEETINGS
A MULTILOCATION WORLD CAFÉ IN JAPAN:

BIG PLANS FOR A BIG VISUAL EVENT
2015 was a special year. It was the twentieth anni- This event was conducted in collaboration with two
versary of World Café™,1 and we planned a series of organizations: IAF Japan2 and FAJ.3 The event was
workshop events throughout Japan to celebrate. The entitled, Power of World Café—What Difference Can
biggest event was held on October twenty-fifth, with We Make for Society, Organization, and Community?
almost 600 participants in multiple locations
throughout Japan—all connected via technology.
Image 1: We maximized the sense of connection between the multiple venues.
As we prepared for the event, ∙∙How could we prepare the physical setup
we identified four main challenges: in such a way that a feeling of oneness would be
possible throughout the different locations?
∙∙How could we create a strong, unifying
metaphor to reinforce the feeling of oneness
throughout the various locations?
1 World Café is a trademarked term created by and registered to The World Café Community Foundation. Learn more about World Café
and the Foundation here: www.theworldcafe.com.
2 International Association of Facilitators, Japan. For more, see www.iaf-world.org/site/chapters/japan.
3 Facilitators Association of Japan. For more, visit www.faj.or.jp.
LARGE SCALE MEETINGS A MULTILOCATION WORLD CAFÉ IN JAPAN: BIG PLANS FOR A BIG VISUAL EVENT 201
∙∙How could visual facilitation A MULTILOCATION SETUP FOR WORLD CAFÉ

support the interconnectedness? We connected our main venue in Tokyo with venues
in Okinawa, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kobe, Nagoya,
∙∙What technologies would be Kanazawa, Sendai, and Hokkaido. Tokyo was the
needed to support this process? largest event, with about 200 participants. The other
eight locations had another 400 in total. All locations
were digitally connected through Google Hangouts.4
CREATING A SENSE OF ONENESS ACROSS ALL
MEETINGS AND MORE

LOCATIONS From the perspective of a multilocation World Café in
As the organizing team began discussing this challenge, Japan, it was an unprecedented event. Visual facilita-
one suggestion stood out: the design concept of tion was key to connecting all participants, both across
balloons in the sky. The idea took hold in our minds tables on-site, and between the various locations.
and became the central unifying metaphor we were
looking for. One member of the team sketched it out, “This was one of the most exciting hybrid [meaning
and we agreed to develop this theme throughout both online and on-site at the same time] World
the event. The design concept of balloons in the sky Cafés I have ever had the pleasure to co-host.
worked tremendously well! The balloons were the The creativity of the Japanese IAF, FAJ, and World
metaphor for the occasion. At the end, 500 people Café communities, and their willingness to exper-
had a balloon in their hand; everyone wished for iment with new forms and explore new solutions
the future possibility of the power of the World to challenges, was inspiring and very stimulating.
Café as they released balloons of hopes and future I have used many of the ideas we pioneered in Japan
possibilities to the sky. Each balloon represented since then—with wonderful results—but nothing
a person and the various colors represented the could ever surpass the excitement and feeling of
diversity. Groups of balloons meant connections. accomplishment we shared in this first exploration.”
Balloons flying far up into the sky were a metaphor
for spreading the World Café event all over Japan. – Amy Lenzo,5 a key event facilitator in Tokyo (the main venue)
This concept united the visual practice across all

nine locations and brought consistency to the
whole graphic recording. Every participant in every
location experienced a strong sense of oneness,
even though they’d attended workshops in different
places. This was how we formed the idea for the
concept, and the way we created visualizations.
Having a central design concept helped us meet the

challenge of unification. The balloon concept matched
this occasion so well that everyone got a picture of
it; we all stood united under balloons in the sky.
Image 2: This picture shows the design concept

of balloons in the sky. Each balloon represents
a person, and the various colors represent diversity,
metaphorically spreading World Café all over Japan.
4 Google Hangouts is a communication platform (and tool) developed by Google.

To access the plugin, see tools.google.com/dlpage/hangoutplugin.
5 Be sure to see Amy Lenzo’s chapter, Connection, Collaboration, Creativity: Using Visuals for Online Engagement.
VISUAL FACILITATION FOR LOCAL

CONVERSATIONS
For all events, when the rounds of conversations
started, the graphic recorders walked around the
room with a pen and a notepad to capture spoken
words and draw small sketches. In the largest
location (Tokyo), we had a main graphic recorder
and two reporters who focused on studying and
reporting the work at each table. In the eight other
locations, a couple of graphic recorders were using
the same practice during their conversations.
In selecting words and doodles, the graphic

recorders were keen to find and repeat words that
had actually been spoken. No summarizing or
restating! The words used by the participants in their
conversations—those were the words that mattered.
Through graphic recording, we were gradually shaping

the bigger picture of the dialogue results. Words were
written on colorful sticky notes, and those notes were
Figure 1: Poster design for this visual practice, used as our main posted on the wall as part of the visual. They looked
graphic recording (designed by Osamu Fukui, a member of FAJ). like multicolored bunches of balloons. Similar sky-like
visualizations were done in every location. This was the
way we created a balloon-filled visualization at the end.
For consistency between the graphic recordings,

we considered several key questions and ideas.
Hokkaido
Key Points to Draw in the Graphic:
∙∙What do you imagine from the

atmosphere of the session?
Sendai ∙∙Did something feel critical during the session?
Kanazawa
∙∙What metaphor do you think fit for the theme?6
Hiroshima Tokyo
Fukaoka ∙∙What story do you generate from the session?

Nagoya
Kobe Key Points on Picking Relevant Words
(Spoken or Written at Tables):
Okinawa
∙∙What are the key words and phrases?
Figure 2: The World Café locations across Japan.
∙∙What words are heard often from
one table to another?
6 For more about using metaphor in visual facilitation, see Sophia Liang’s chapter, Metaphors in Visual Practice.
∙∙What is written or drawn on each tablecloth? HARVESTING THE LOCAL CONVERSATIONS

TO CONNECT PARTICIPANTS
∙∙What attracts you strongly at tables? After the rounds of table conversation in each
location, we held a harvest (also specific to each
location). Every participant wrote down their
thoughts and feelings on the sticky notes. Those
notes showed the quality of the explored ideas and
reflected the conversations that mattered in every
MEETINGS AND MORE

location. Colorful sticky notes indicated the diversity
represented in each place. By having these visuals,
we all felt a strong sense of interconnectedness
within each World Café. After all, a picture speaks
thousands of words. Our visual practice did, as well.
“The graphic recorder had collected participants’

voices and put those words everywhere on the
wall. I got to see what was happening through
a multifaceted lens, like the eye of a dragonfly, by
these visualized words. These visualizations are the
secret to connecting everyone in these sessions.”
– Yumiko Sakamoto, the leader in Kanazawa
Key Questions that Matter, Part One:
Image 3: Ideas captured on sticky notes ∙∙What words do you select from
during the rounds of conversation. participants’ ideas and comments?
∙∙What materials do you use? A4 paper,

sticky notes, cards, wall paper?
∙∙Are people engaged in personal work,

working in pairs, or group work?
∙∙How do participants express their

ideas—using words, or with pictures?
∙∙Where do we gather those ideas—in one

place or multiple places?
∙∙Could ideas from the harvest be part of the

main visual practice, or separately displayed?
Image 4: A reporter listens to conversations

and catches key words.
Key Questions that Matter, Part Two:
∙∙What metaphor fits for the theme?
∙∙What story fits for the theme?
∙∙What method will create unity of the

visual practices across locations?
∙∙Can you share the concept of visual practice?
∙∙How can we use visuals to connect people?
MULTIPLYING THE POWER OF WORLD CAFÉ

Visual practices are very helpful for connecting
people, ideas, groups, and organizations, and
supporting them in creating a brighter future.
I think there will be many more occasions to use
the practices introduced here in future World Café
(and similar large-scale facilitation) workshops.
“This was a good example of large-scale facil-

itation that connected people in many areas
Image 5: Harvest session between rounds. The graphic recorder across the whole country. The know-how for this
wrote comments from participants during the session. event can be applicable to many other cases.
I have a strong feeling that it will cause a chain
reaction of World Café events in many ways!”
– Kazuaki Katori, main organizer

and facilitator of this event
The graphics in our large-scale World Café became

a mosaic-like picture, with lots of words across the
image, and dots between them connecting a storyline
that participants could see. The visual practice we used
engaged participants at each table, as stories emerged
in each participant’s mind, leading them to form
a brighter future as they connected ideas and images.
Image 6: Ideas collected in the harvest session.

They were shared on a community board.
MEETINGS AND MORE

. Image 7: Connecting across Japan.
YOUR CHECKLIST FOR A SUCCESSFUL

MULTILOCATION WORLD CAFÉ ∙∙Document the process (and practice the
The Preparation is a Multilocation Event in Itself application of visual skills) by creating graphic
recordings of the preparation meetings.
∙∙Start creating the feeling of oneness with the
core team during the preparation stage! In core ∙∙Consider the preparation sessions as rehearsals
team meetings, together you can clarify the why, for the technology: internet connection bandwidth,
the what, and the how leading up to the event. teleconference application, and sound.
∙∙Work with the same teams who will be leading the ∙∙After each preparation meeting, have an eval-
upcoming event, and clarify their designated roles. uation process with a specific focus on the
effectiveness of the multilocation aspect.
∙∙Use your meetings as an opportunity to
practice applying the principles and techniques ∙∙Promote the event by sharing your visual
you intend to use during the event. theme posters on facilitators’ networks
and social media (IAF, FAJ, etc.).
STAFFING AND CLEAR ROLES VISUAL FACILITATION FOR HARVESTING

Assign an overall director to lead the whole AND CREATING A FEELING OF ONENESS
process and work closely with a technology
lead. Then, in every location, you will need: ∙∙Select a central design concept
to anchor the theme and objectives.
∙∙A lead facilitator.
∙∙Hang posters of this design in each location.
∙∙Co-facilitator(s).
∙∙Use these posters in promotions.
∙∙Reporters and notetakers.
∙∙Use sticky notes to harvest conversations at
∙∙Graphic recorder(s). the table level. Those notes are then collated by
notetakers and passed to the graphic recorders,
∙∙A dedicated technology expert to oversee who will then integrate them onto the large,
the setup, connection, and audiovisual needs, central graphic recording in each location.
and to troubleshoot in each location.
∙∙An extremely clear process. TECHNOLOGY TO ENSURE SUCCESS
∙∙Because of the multilocation character, quick, infor- ∙∙Prepare clear rules and guidelines for audio (when
mal realignment during the event is sometimes dif- to switch on and when to mute) and video.
ficult. Because of this, make sure that you define the
process and timing more precisely than you normally ∙∙As a backup, arrange for a non-internet reliant
would for a single-location event. And stick to it! communication channel (such as a telephone)
between the local teams.
∙∙Consider central plenary sessions (one session
held at the central location, broadcast throughout),
and locational sessions in parallel. In our case,
we had central plenary sessions at the beginning
and the end; locational sessions occurred in
the middle. They all started and ended at the
times we’d defined in our preparation.
Start creating the feeling

of oneness with the core team
during the preparation stage!
Hardware: WORKS CITED:
∙∙Computer (including a backup device) with Facilitators Association of Japan. FAJ,

a stable, high-bandwidth internet connection. www.faj.or.jp. Accessed 14 May 2019.
∙∙Projector and projection screen (or monitor) with “Google Hangouts.” Google,
the appropriate size for the local participants. tools.google.com/dlpage/hangoutplugin.
MEETINGS AND MORE

∙∙Cameras at each location to show and capture graph-
ic recordings, and to share later between locations. “IAF World: Japan.” IAF World,
www.iaf-world.org/site/chapters/japan.
∙∙Sound quality: speakers arranged in such a way that Accessed 14 May 2019.
everyone in the room can hear everything clearly.
Skype. Skype.com, www.skype.com/en.
Software: Accessed 14 May 2019.
∙∙Video conferencing applications like zoom,7 The World Café.™ The World Cafe,
Skype,8 or Google Hangouts in each location. www.theworldcafe.com. Accessed 16 April 2019.
Zoom Video Communications, Inc. Zoom,

www.zoom.us. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
7 For more, see www.zoom.us.

8 For more, see www.skype.com/en.
MEETINGS AND MORE

Meetings and More
Sam Bradd
VISUALS AT LARGE EVENTS
What if, as a visual practitioner, you could advise

on transforming the entire experience into a visual canvas
to create more engagement, focus, and better performance?

212 VISUALS AT LARGE EVENTS LARGE SCALE MEETINGS
VISUALS AT LARGE EVENTS

Increasing Engagement through Graphic Facilitation
The typical conference involves packing eight What if, as a visual

hundred people into an auditorium to listen to
a speaker on a stage. Presentation after presentation, practitioner, you could
endless slide decks, and no time to talk to the in-
teresting people around us. The most exciting part advise on transforming
of the day occurs when we all leave for a break.
the entire experience into
a visual canvas to create
more engagement, focus,
and better performance?
Here’s a scenario: a client emailed me and asked for

a quote to graphically record one day of presentations
at a conference. Before agreeing, I needed more
information. What was the desired impact of the graph-
ic recording? What could I help amplify? The client
described a three-day event; they needed to make
decisions together about a multi-year report. After
our phone call, I was ready to pitch a suite of visual
methods, and deliver the meeting of their dreams.
When I care,
Figure 1: The conference: the typical versus the extraordinary I remember the content.
LARGE SCALE MEETINGS VISUALS AT LARGE EVENTS 213
MEETINGS AND MORE

Figure 2: The redundant meeting schedule
THE ORIGINAL AGENDA

You’ll see from Figure 2 that, originally, each day was structured similarly, with hours spent sitting and
listening. The lineup of speakers was fantastic, and lot of work had gone into bringing top talent together.
But I knew the learning experience for participants could be even better. It’s difficult to just sit and listen.
To connect emotionally with the material, people need to engage, to reflect and talk to each other. Personally,
that’s what I remember most about great conferences—how I felt. When I care, I remember the content.
Envisioning an immersive experience for participants, I rewrote a proposed schedule (Figure 3):
DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3

A) Giant illustrated F) Gallery of day 1 graphic L) Slideshow of graphic recording
timeline recording images
8:30 start B) Presentations: G) Presentation: M) Keynote speaker:
1) custom illustration for 1) pre-drawn infographics Graphic recording

each speaker 2) printouts and report-outs.
2) shift agenda to of the presentation Instead of 45 minutes with
provide time to write key 3) graphic recording in 15 for questions, try 25 minute
takeaways on sticky notes tandem presentations followed by
3) graphic recording question and answer session
of each presentation
Break, C) Build knowledge wall H) Team of graphic N) Presentation:Pre-drawn

then with the sticky notes; recorders work in 7 infographic, no graphic recording
resume at Graphic recording during workshops during this section
10:30 presentations
12pm Lunch, Lunch Lunch

review knowledge wall
1pm D) Presentations and I) Workshops continue: O) Presentation:

panel: Graphic recording Graphic recording; create Custom stickers for a voting
a summary poster process
Break, E) Regional groups: J) Keynote presentation: P) Closing presentations,

then Capture ideas with Graphic recording; work including graphic recorder’s
resume at templates on summary poster presentation
4pm
5pm Close K) Create powerpoint Close

overnight
Figure 3: The proposed dynamic schedule
Summary of the New Visual Approaches, Day 1: D) Host a graphic recording session, ideally with two
graphic recorders.
E) Use visual templates1 to capture five main ideas

from regional caucuses.
MEETINGS AND MORE

Figure 5: Sticky notes on the idea wall (C)
Figure 4: Timelines (A) and templates (E)
I wanted everyone engaged and energized from

the moment they walked in—I wanted them to realize
that this wasn’t a typical conference. Working with
the organizers, I highlighted key points of each day so
people would see a balance of action and reflection.
The letters below correspond with the new schedule
(Figure 3).
A) Create a pre-drawn timeline to greet people.
B) Shave ten minutes off each presentation to provide

table group enough time to discuss and write notes.
C) Attach sticky notes to an interactive knowledge wall. Figure 6: Aggregating workshop information
into a single visual summary (I)
1 To learn more about visual templates, see the section entitled Templates.
Summary of Visual Approaches, Day 2:
On the second day, I wanted to weave the visuals

throughout the day and capitalize on having a full team
of graphic recorders. Understanding the value of graph-
ic recording, the client agreed to enlist my team
so that each workshop would have its own recorder.
F) Review gallery with the graphic recording

images from Day 1. Figure 7: Two graphic recorders working on one poster can
bring twice the insight to the session; they can also divide
G) Create infographics in advance for the data-rich up the work differently for efficiency and effectiveness (G)
presentation and provide printouts for participants.
Summary of Visual Approaches, Day 3:
H) Graphic recording by a team of seven people,
so each workshop has trained support. By the third day, participants were completely
engaged and invested. We started with our slide
I) Graphic recording summarizing the fourteen presentation, reviewing the previous days’ work.
workshops into one cohesive poster—assemble the key
takeaway information onto one page.
J) Record the keynote, continue to work

on summary poster.
K) Create a powerpoint of close-up images before

the morning session commences.
I made a client cry once, but it was a good

thing. If you have the opportunity to make
a summary poster from many graphic record-
ings, you’ll likely delight and surprise your Figure 8: Pre-drawn infographics enliven
client. In the fall of 2017, my company2 was the data-heavy presentation (N)
asked to coordinate a team of eight graphic
recorders to capture fifty sessions over two L) Use the powerpoint to welcome participants before
days with 2,500 business leaders. It was both the session starts, or to allow the host to summarize
thrilling and challenging. Toward the closing the previous day during welcoming remarks.
of the first day, each of my team members
drew quick highlights from the keynote pre- M) Graphic recording of speaker; encourage
sentations onto a summary poster. We pre- the organizers to shift timing for a longer question
sented the first poster at the end of day one, and answer session.
and the client spontaneously burst into tears.
Her gratitude was a huge gift for us. The poster N) Create a summary infographic beforehand
contained exactly the right level of detail that for the sensitive information in the new report.
her executives wanted to see—all on one page.
O) Provide custom stickers and a template
for a voting activity.
2 For more information, visit: drawingchange.com.

P) For maximum benefit and retention, allow ∙∙Educate the conference planners and facili-
the graphic recorder time to present compiled images tators with tips on how to leverage the visual
to the participants. assets: often, this skill is not instinctive.
∙∙With these edits to the agenda, and by varying

the lengths of the presentations, we’ve significantly
shifted the amount of time participants have to en-
gage formally and informally. This changes the en-
MEETINGS AND MORE

tire dynamic of the typical three-day conference.
Working with your clients in this capacity is a hallmark

of the advanced visual practitioner. Take on as much
as you can—but no more, and make sure you can
LAYERS OF ENGAGEMENT deliver. The rigorous agenda outlined above takes
Simply including more visual content won’t time to plan and co-design. If you decide there isn’t
affect the participation at a big conference. enough planning time to do the work justice, you
Consider adding layers of engagement. may choose to send a wishlist to your client, maybe
planting a seed for the following year. As visual
practitioners, it’s our responsibility to educate our
clients about the level of engagement that occurs
when visuals are fully integrated into their conference
designs, rather than relegated to the side of the room.
WORKS CITED:
Drawing Change: Visuals for a Better World. Drawing

Change, drawingchange.com. Accessed 06 June 2019.
∙∙Opportunities for engagement occur

by building in activities for people to connect
with each other and to the content.
Majestic Studio Sophia Liang
Meetings and More
Anthony Weeks
CENTERING LISTENING
IN VISUAL PRACTICE
It is the listening that adds value and context to the visuals.
Visual Listening
222 CENTERING LISTENING IN VISUAL PRACTICE VISUAL LISTENING
CENTERING LISTENING IN VISUAL PRACTICE

IT IS THE LISTENING THAT MAKES
OUR CRAFT UNIQUE Centering the listening
Yet, it seems paradoxical: centering listening in visual
practice. The visuals we create are often our calling in our practice matters
cards. The visuals have the potential to dazzle and
impress. The visuals are the artifacts of our ability because it makes the craft
to listen, organize, and synthesize. When we speak
specifically about the visual practices of graphic of graphic facilitation
recording, graphic facilitation, visual facilitation,
visual storytelling, and real-time scribing, though, an interactive, mutual,
it is the listening that adds value and context to
the visuals. For all practical purposes, our craft is and collaborative one.
a listening discipline as well as a visual one.
Without deep and intentional listening, the graphics
might be inspired by the conversation of the group, but
HOW DO WE CENTER LISTENING they will ultimately be a figment of the artist’s imagi-
IN OUR WORK? nation, a visual story told exclusively by the artist, and
How do we develop our competencies as listeners? a creative exercise that benefits only the artist. I use
How do we understand different kinds of listening? the term artist intentionally here—the visual artifacts
What are our pedagogies around listening—and how created in the room during a group conversation are,
do we translate this learning into visible results? indeed, art. The art may be beautiful, engaging, and
lovingly rendered. However, without the intention of
Like anyone, I am delighted by a vibrant, well- listening, as well as a concomitant desire to serve
organized, and visually appealing chart. As more the group by listening, the person creating the
illustrators, graphic designers, and fine artists join visuals is an artist, nothing more. It is the listening
the fields of graphic recording and graphic facilitation, that turns an artist into a graphic facilitator and
the caliber of illustration and graphic design skills has visual storyteller. Deep and intentional listening
risen dramatically. A quick glance of work samples requires the listener to pledge fealty to the speakers’
posted on the Facebook Graphic Facilitation page1 words, quotations, intentions, emotions, and
reveals the global distribution of impressive artistic connections, all while acknowledging one’s inherent
talent among practitioners calling themselves graphic subjectivity as a listener. It’s a delicate dance. It is
facilitators, or something similar. an ongoing conversation. It is an agreement that the
listening is the muse, the inspiration for the art.
When I see these beautiful works of art, I do wonder:
How did you listen in the conversation that is so gor-
geously rendered on the chart? How did the listening
inform your process of what to include? How was
your listening an added value to the artwork? How
did your listening connect you to the content of
the conversation, and to the participants themselves?
1 For more, see www.facebook.com/groups/2708716559.

VISUAL LISTENING CENTERING LISTENING IN VISUAL PRACTICE 223
Listening is Do you have discussions with your clients ahead of

time about ways in which you might listen? Maybe
a delicate dance. you listen primarily for action verbs. Perhaps you
listen for insights emerging from the conversation.
How do we center listening during this process? We You might play a role in listening for story. What is the
can start by reframing the way we talk about our work. arc or trajectory? How could you listen for the shape
When we gauge our own success on a job, or when of the story as it unfolds? Whatever the case, you are
we reflect on the work of others in the field, does not simply listening and recording what you hear.
MEETINGS AND MORE

our appreciation and admiration focus exclusively You are actively making choices, whether or not you
on how the work looks? Do we privilege the beauty acknowledge these decisions. Understanding our
of the work over the listening, synthesis, and service subjectivity as listeners is crucial in order for us
that inspired it? Most of the time, when I talk to other to speak intelligently about our roles as listeners.
visual practitioners at conferences or team-based jobs, Understanding how we listen is essential to under-
or interact with other practitioners online, we discuss standing what we do—and how we are valued.
the tools and skills that enable us to create the art. We
talk about the markers, the paper, the acrylics, the fun
things we have built on location with cardboard or
foam core, the lettering, the color palettes,
the illustrations, the digital tools, and the novel
ways in which we have reproduced and distrib-
uted the graphics. This isn’t a critique, merely
an observation. Given that we are involved in
a visual practice, it is only natural to evaluate
how we complete our visual work. And yet . . .
What about the listening? Do we assume that we’re

already experts, able to just do it through some sort Before I continue, let me interrupt your eye-rolling.
of magic or innate ability? Do we avoid talking about Maybe you’re thinking, “My clients love what I do!
the listening because we don’t have sufficient language They don’t care about deep listening. They love my
for it? Or, compared to the drawing and creating, is the graphics, they keep hiring me, and that’s all I care
listening not exciting? Sometimes I have talked to other about.” If so, I applaud you. You have created a visual
practitioners about listening, but really, what we are practice, for sure. Drawing while people are talking,
talking about is hearing. We talk about frustrations with plucking out quotes and images, and providing an
bad acoustics. We talk about how to graphically record entertaining experience for the participants takes skill.
a conversation in which one person is overbearing
or loquacious. We talk about the difficulty of under- Whether this is, indeed, graphic facilitation
standing a speaker with a heavy accent. However, we is up for debate. I resoundingly state no.
rarely talk about the art and mechanics of listening.
The practice and philosophy of listening matters when
One of the ways we can elevate the conversation we organize ourselves as a field of practice. It matters
around our listening is to engage in deeper and more when I refer work to other practitioners. It matters
sophisticated inquiry about how we listen and what we when I talk to clients about what I do. It matters when
choose to listen to. For example, consider the following I think about myself in relationship to the communities
claim: “I listen to the speaker/conversation and record of practice to which I belong, like the International
what I hear.” Do you? Do you record every word? Forum of Visual Practitioners (IFVP)2 and EuViz.3
If you filter or edit, how do you make those decisions?
2 For more, see www.ifvp.org.

3 For more, see www.euviz.com.
How does my listening expertise validate my WE CAN LEARN TO LISTEN BETTER.

belonging to a community of practice? As a listener, THE FIELD OF VISUAL PRACTICE DESERVES
to which communities of practice do you belong? IT—AND REQUIRES IT.
The insights from my research on listening offer
I delivered a plenary session at the 2016 IFVP the exciting possibility of a pedagogy for listening.
conference in Washington, DC. During the talk, I shared Listening doesn’t just happen. It is an intention, a skill,
some insights gathered from my research. Having a competency, a style, a modality, and a gift. We can
conducted dozens of interviews on listening (which learn to listen. We can learn to listen in different ways.
I continue to do) with people all over the world, from If we can learn to listen, it stands to reason that we can
an array of professions and contexts, with different also teach listening. Will there be as many offerings
purposes for their listening, I’ve learned a few things: at future training workshops and conferences around
listening as there are for Graphics 101: how to use color,
• Listening is an intention. It doesn’t just happen. lettering and fonts, and how to create and use visual
templates? I can imagine a number of topics already:
• There are many different styles of listening; how to prepare the mind for deep listening; developing
each has a different purpose and outcome. a vocabulary around listening styles; using the world
as a listening laboratory; talking with clients about
• We can learn to listen from others, if the value of listening; listening for data versus listening
we pay attention and are willing. for story; how to listen like a musician; lessons about
listening from other professions; techniques for
• Listening is not only hearing. To hear well, listening-in-service. What would you like to learn?
there are necessary conditions. Likewise, to
listen well, certain conditions must be met. The following table includes a sample of the types of
listening that have emerged from my research. Certain
• Listening is about being present, terms, like transactional listening or social listening,
connected, attentive, and generous. come directly from the transcripts of the interviews.
In other cases, I have developed a vocabulary for
the types of listening with the hope that it will be
useful, descriptive, and apt. As with any new field
of learning, the words we use—and the meaning
imbued to them—are also in development.
VISUAL LISTENING CENTERING LISTENING IN VISUAL PRACTICE 225
LISTENING STYLE CHARACTERISTICS USEFUL FOR EXAMPLES
Transactional Task-oriented; Providing time-sensitive 911 dispatcher; customer

listening for particular data; assistance; efficient service representative
strong filters (“just the facts, and specific action
ma’am”)
Empathic Open-ended; facilitated Making connections; Psychotherapist;
MEETINGS AND MORE

by questions; grounded in validation; inviting spiritual leader
the belief that the speaker’s further conversation;
words are valuable and establishing trust
important
Social Group listening; Surfacing diverse Musician; filmmaker; editor;

listening together while experiences and food critic; consumer insight
honoring differences perspectives; creating
in interpretation and a shared experience
experience; while not invalidating
equal valuing of the individual; inviting
the individual and conversation and dialogue
group experience about a common focus,
experience, etc.
Historical/Future ‘Listening’ across time Learning from the past/ Forecaster; historian;
to gain insight about its future to make better educator; post-traumatic
meaning in the present; decisions in the present; artist/theorist;
probing documents, expert summoning the past to archivist; strategist
interviews, media, and rethink it, rewrite it, and
artifacts to find insights; revise the interpretation of
orienting oneself to think it; thinking about the future
simultaneously about to prepare and be ready
different epochs, eras, or
time periods
Systemic Listening across large data Visualizing data; Scientist; quantitative

sets to derive meaning extrapolating insight from data analyst; statistician;
from them; listening for data trends and patterns; epidemiologist
patterns and trends; making moving from data to story
generalizations across data
As I continue with this research on listening, I am

curious to see how future discoveries will help
me become a better listener, how they might
help others who center listening in their visual
practice, and how they might be relevant to other
fields and disciplines. I look forward to the rows
in this column growing and flourishing with more
interview data, insights, and potential applications.
Other practitioners and scholars, like those whose Indeed, the listening is what makes graphic facilitation,
chapters appear in this section of the book, have graphic recording, visual scribing, and visual
also developed tools and models for listening. storytelling unique. Intention + listening + synthesis
+ organization + graphics is an equation that
As with most skill acquisition, being able to test our requires balance. We seem to have reached a point
knowledge and tools, exchange tips and best practices, in our maturation as a field where the listening
and learn from others makes the learning richer and element is assumed but not cultivated or nurtured.
‘stickier.’ Just as we have developed communities of To become the expert listeners that our field of visual
practice and mentoring relationships around the visual practice deserves, we must start framing our work
elements of our work (graphic jams, post-meeting as a listening practice and craft that requires both
consultations about charts, one-day workshops on intention and an ongoing commitment to learn.
drawing and lettering, etc.), perhaps we would do
well to develop communities of practice around
listening. When we listen socially, we develop both
our listening skills and our awareness of how others WORKS CITED:
listen. Professionals in the music industry frequently
participate in social listening sessions. Together, they “Facebook Graphic Facilitation Page.”
listen to a piece of music and then discuss what they Facebook, www.facebook.com/groups/2708716559.
heard. This community of listening brings new and Accessed 10 June 2019.
multi-dimensional insight to the music while giving
all participants a chance to listen differently, through International Forum of Visual Practitioners.
the ears of others. We needn’t go far to glean lessons IFVP, www.ifvp.org. Accessed 10 June 2019.
from our peers. How do we learn from our colleagues
who have come from other fields of practice—graphic The European Visual Community. EuViz,
design, organizational development, psychotherapy euviz.com. Accessed 10 June 2019.
and counseling, to name a few? What unique styles of
listening have they brought to graphic facilitation and
visual practice? Have we spent time listening together
as a community of practice? What might we discover?
Meetings and More
Sophia Liang
TACKLING OUR
LISTENING MINDSET
Listening is a muscle we must continuously and
intentionally develop. Where we choose to focus our
listening critically impacts our choices at the wall.
Visual Listening
230 TACKLING OUR LISTENING MINDSET VISUAL LISTENING
TACKLING OUR LISTENING MINDSET

With great power comes great responsibility. Marks BREAKING OUR LISTENING HABITS
made on a page by the visual practitioner can directly
impact the direction of the group. We don’t enter the
room in a vacuum. Each of us comes to the wall col- “Hearing is a physiological
ored by our personal and work experiences, which have
a direct impact on our choices and habits—consciously phenomenon; listening is
and unconsciously. Too often, we listen on autopilot
and miss an opportunity to serve the group. This chap- a psychological act . . .
ter will help reveal our habits and refresh our approach
to listening. It will prepare us to walk into the room It is against the auditive
ready to shape the conversation from the wall.
background that listening
occurs, as if it were
“Listening is a choice
the exercise of a function of
and a competency.”
intelligence, i.e., of selection.
—Anthony Weeks
. . . To listen is to adopt
Most often, we talk about listening as an interpersonal
skill. There are workshops and bodies of research an attitude of decoding
designed to teach us how to listen. But those are
focused on how one person listens to another. what is obscure, blurred,
As visual practitioners, we are witnesses in the room.
We are listening to a group of individuals, each or mute, in order to make
bringing in their own experiences, perspectives, and
opinions. It’s a different dynamic. In order to best serve available to consciousness
the group we must do all of the above and be even
more attuned to the choices we make—both the ‘underside’ of meaning.”
consciously and unconsciously—as
professional listeners. —Roland Barthes
How do we break our listening habits? How do we

decide where our listening focus should be? That’s
the tough part—as every situation, every client,
every conversation is unique. With practice, we can
identify our listening defaults, and begin to develop
stronger listening muscles in lesser-developed
areas. Ultimately, where we choose to focus our
listening critically impacts our choices at the wall.
VISUAL LISTENING TACKLING OUR LISTENING MINDSET 231
I approach our work through three listening filters—

fact, empathy, and relationship—and no single filter
is more important than another, nor
are they mutually exclusive.
@ This model challenges us to:
• Develop awareness of our

We dial up or down our listening filters depending listening biases and filters
on where we put our focus. We must exercise
due diligence when getting to know our client, • Explore our existing habits and patterns
MEETINGS AND MORE

their objectives, and the agenda in order to
understand how our work will impact the group. • Practice the model as a graphic recorder,
process designer, and graphic facilitator
It’s crucial to note that this model isn’t meant
to be prescriptive. It’s a way to frame up and • Facilitate conversations with sponsors
shape your awareness about listening as to identify where/how our listening
a practice, an artform, and a profession. would best serve the goals and
desired outcomes of the session
The more you use the model, the more robust it
will become as you start to discover your own • Reflect on changes in our
patterns of listening and drawing over time. listening patterns over time
LISTENING MINDSET—FOCUS YOUR

LISTENING AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF FACT,
EMPATHY, AND RELATIONSHIP.
∙∙Our fact filter focuses on objective

information versus opinion
∙∙Our empathy filter focuses on the vantage

points of all stakeholders (including
events, feelings, and beliefs)
∙∙Our relationship filter focuses on connections

between ideas, people, or objects
We begin to tackle our listening mindsets at

the intersections of fact, empathy, and relationship.
Figure 1: Listening Mindset: Focus your listening at the intersections of fact, empathy, and relationship.
FACTS + EMPATHY FACTS + RELATIONSHIPS

= LISTENING FOR SHARED CONDITIONS = LISTENING FOR PATTERNS
AND CONNECTIONS
MEETINGS AND MORE

What is our shared truth?
What connections and patterns are emerging?
Often we are in rooms where there are multiple
perspectives, varied experiences, and myriad person- Brainstorming, clustering, sharing ideas, and reaching
alities. The words differ, but they are interpretations a consensus can be daunting tasks for any group. As we
of the same set of conditions. The challenge is to move from divergence to convergence, we must work
work toward a shared understanding by surfacing through misunderstandings, impatience, and confusion.
misunderstanding, aligning language, and building At the intersection of facts and relationships, our role
trust. When we listen at this intersection, we listen is to surface similarities and differences to discover
for accuracy to help groups move to clarity. connections and patterns. We must also challenge
ourselves to go beyond the obvious and listen for
At a recent executive leadership retreat, I worked with the gems that break the patterns in interesting ways.
the CEO (sponsor) to design a two and half day agenda
to redefine the organization’s purpose and to start I worked with a small team in a large pharmaceutical
building trust and alignment amongst a newly-formed company to simplify their story of a new medicine that
team. The organization was highly siloed and had could change the way we treat heart failure. Partic-
faced tough challenges with ineffective leadership ipants included clinicians, marketers, researchers,
over the last two years. We needed to rebuild relation- business development experts, and medical
ships and find team alignment to create a stronger illustrators. Conversations ranged from the physio-
foundation for the executive team. Bringing together logical effects to the interactions at the molecular
a panel of former well-loved leaders, we walked level. How would I bring such diverse perspectives
through a timeline of the organization’s history. But together? Designing an agenda with this diversity in
this timeline was different: rather than focusing on mind, we led conversations that helped the group
organizational milestones, I focused my listening reach a consensus regarding their target audience,
for facts + empathy. We needed to capture not only and the level of messaging required to reach that au-
the historical milestones over the last thirty years but dience. Then the hard work began. Each small group
the heart and passion of the people who came before worked on messaging for a particular audience; we
the current team. The power of the dialogue was not then drew a visual to support that message. As they
about how the organization grew as a business, but shared ideas, I focused on listening for commonali-
how people showed up, took on tough challenges, ties—the critical elements of their story.
anchored to mission, and persevered. It was a story I listened for the bigger system as it emerged,
about family and survival. The leadership team used drew that on the wall, and added blank
this history timeline as a launchpad to rediscover boxes for layers of content. The group then
and redefine the organization’s purpose. worked to fill in the blanks together.
EMPATHY + RELATIONSHIPS FACTS + EMPATHY + RELATIONSHIPS

= LISTENING FOR HUMAN CONNECTION = LISTENING FOR STORY
What is the blurry, emerging, messy, unsaid? Stories are rooted in ourselves.
The world becomes more volatile, uncertain, complex, We begin listening to stories as children, learning about
and ambiguous every day. We communicate more and the world through pictures and words. As adults, we
more through the screen—email, web conferences, use stories to create, inform, and connect.
text messages, and social media—and across blurring At the center—the intersection of facts, empathy,
geographic boundaries. Conversations are becoming and relationships—we focus on the voice of
louder, messier, and more heated. The better we know the storyteller. Whether it’s an individual sharing
our clients, the more adeptly we can find solutions to their story as a presentation, or a group co-creating
the complex challenges we face. At this intersection, their organization’s cultural narrative, we listen
listen for the reveal—the revealing of who we are and for the storyteller’s voice. Why do they care? What
our life experiences. Listen for moments that build message are they trying to convey? Why do they
trust and relationship. Listen for stories that reveal our need us to understand their story? When we listen
universal motivations. Listen between the lines. for story, we listen for the storyteller’s truth.
Community town halls, with their multiple, diverse

The Kauffman Foundation invited the Value Web perspectives, each driven and rooted by a personal
to design and facilitate an interactive space and stake in the community and the issue at hand,
workshop for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. challenge my listening abilities. It’s incredibly
In the center of a Johannesburg exhibit space, we met emotional when everyone has skin in the game.
entrepreneurs—both novice and experienced—and The Laguna Hills Creative Placemaking town hall was
asked them to share the tools and services they no different. My client informed me that the small but
loved. We collected lists, names, and ideas, but passionate community had been through multiple
we were missing the spark that ignited a shift into assessments where they were told what was good for
action and progress. To encourage context we their neighborhood. My client wanted to involve
drew this question on the wall: “What happened, community members in the creative process. My job
when, and who were you at the time?” Engaging was to give them a voice. So what did I focus on?
participants at this level encouraged storytelling, and I focused on listening for the community’s
the context and human connections were revealed. story—their needs, their motivations, what excited
them about the proposed projects. The final
graphic visualized their experiences (past and
present), relationships with each other and their
city, and the shared challenges they faced.
MEETINGS AND MORE

WHAT’S NEXT?
Experiment. Review the three intersections and
reflect on how you intend to listen versus how you
actually listen. To be a powerful listening partner
@ Building Listening Muscles
Through Daily Practice
in the room, we must be armed with a deep and
practiced awareness of our listening filters and During your next meeting, take notes–visual
a good understanding of the intentions of the session. or text. Before you start, take a moment
This model will shift depending on your role—graphic to think about the listening filters you’ve
recorder, graphic facilitator, or sketchnoter. Make it chosen to use. Afterward, review your notes.
your own. Change up the intersections. My hope is
that this model will push us to be more intentional, • What’s reflected on your paper?
tuned in, and invested in our listening skills as a field. Are your notes filled with data and facts
about the meeting? Are there numerous
arrows to connect ideas together?
Did you emphasize the emotions?
• Did you try to listen using one filter, but

the notes reflected another?
@ Understanding the Client @ Be Vulnerable and Ask for Feedback
Review the agenda with the client. Get a learning buddy. Work with them
Walk through the agenda in detail. to see if your work reflects the listening
Ask questions—lots of them. filters you chose. Receiving honest
feedback is critical for growth.
• Find out the objectives and goals for
each section. How will they inform • Capture a session focusing on a specific
or impact the next conversation? listening intersection. Individually reflect
on your choices and write them down.
• Show them the model. Ask them where they
think it would be valuable for you to focus • Ask a trusted colleague (who’ll offer
your listening superpower. Their answer may constructive feedback) to give reflections
surface a hidden need they didn’t know they on your map. What do they see? Did they
had. recognize the listening choices you made?
(Be sure to read Michelle Walker’s chapter,

The Growing Edge for Visual Practitioners.)
A special thanks to Alicia Bramlett and The Value

Web for contributing the Kauffman Foundation story.
WORKS CITED:
Barthes, Roland. The Responsibility

of Forms: Critical Essays on Music, Art, and
Representation. Hill & Wang, 1984.
Kaner, Sam. Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory

Decision-Making. 3rd ed., Jossey-Bass, 2014.
Graphic Facilitation: Graphic Footprints

Visualizes your Ideas. Graphic Footprints,
graphicfootprints.com. Accessed 10 June 2019.
Majestic Studio
Meetings and More
Brandy Agerbeck
THE VALUE OF VISUAL

ORGANIZATION
Along a proven path, seven structures lead you toward visual agility,
richer collaboration, and flawless service to your participants.
Visual Listening
240 THE VALUE OF VISUAL ORGANIZATION VISUAL LISTENING
THE VALUE OF VISUAL ORGANIZATION
Every time we grab an ephemeral conversation Conflict dissipates when individuals can
or a spoken idea and capture it on paper, it point to a drawing to make their argument,
becomes more powerful. Transforming the spoken rather than arguing with each other.
word into something concrete and physical
shifts the energy and quality of conversation in All sorts of visual facilitation techniques help groups
the room. Individuals feel heard when they see navigate complexity together. Within these groups,
their contributions made tangible. Once listened to, individuals see their contributions and make new
a participant is more open and focused on others. meaning for themselves. Each one of us can use these
same techniques in our own personal work. A desire
Groups feel more productive and engaged when to harness these powers led you to this book.
they can see and touch their work, especially
when they see that work accumulating and There is value to making our work visual,
surrounding them in their workspace. spatial, and physical. There is even more value
when our work transcends capturing WHAT is
happening in the room, to making meaning of
HOW it is happening, and the deeper WHYs.
THE VISUAL ORGANIZATION SCALE

LEVEL NAME
LINEAR EMBELLISHED PICTO-

LIST LIST POPCORN POPCORN SCATTERGRAM
CHANGE
treatment spatial adding icons visual title,

of text organization containers
VISUAL LISTENING THE VALUE OF VISUAL ORGANIZATION 241
This chapter shares a model of meaning-making While I unabashedly praise (and absolutely thrive
that illustrates the choices and nuances of how in) the right half of the model, not all of my work
we capture, organize, and synthesize our own fits there. Circumstances call for movement across
work and the work of groups we support. the scale. A quick icebreaker activity at the start
of a meeting may be sketched in quick Popcorn
Shortly after I fell into the field of graphic facilitation (Level 2), grouping similar answers together. Later,
in 1996, I was asked to teach—specifically, a report out is drawn in Structured Clusters (Level
to teach my strength for synthesizing information. 4). A complex, open discussion invites us to enter
MEETINGS AND MORE

With strong skills but little language around my happy place, levels five through seven.
the work, I could eke out two suggestions: “Create
more flow,” and “Use more white space.” The goal of this model is to help practitioners
recognize at which levels they are currently
Twenty years later, people join me for a three-day working, identify which levels best match their
immersion I lead, called The Lab.1 Among the top client’s needs, and strengthen their own skills in
goals that bring them through my door is wanting meeting those needs. Also, I offer this as a con-
to strengthen their listening, organizing, and versation tool between practitioners, facilitation
synthesizing skills. My ‘lab partners,’ from all sorts partners, and clients, to have richer conversations
of professional roles, see the value of these skills. around visual tools and meaning-making.
To support this teaching and learning, I’ve Now I’ll walk you along the scale. Each level contains
created a model called The Visual Organization a description, a visual example, and a short list of
Scale (VOS). This model provides an index and pros ( ), cons ( ), and tips ( ). I end the chapter
vocabulary around the levels of capturing and with guiding principles and closing thoughts.
organizing we do (see Figure 1). (The original
iteration, The Synthesis Spectrum, can be found in
my first book, The Graphic Facilitator’s Guide.2)
SCALED
STRUCTURE
WITH
STRUCTURED SCALED ELEMENTS OF INTEGRATED
CLUSTERS STRUCTURE SYNTHESIS WHOLE SYNTHESIS
groupings, greater scale moments of whole image new, higher

hierarchy & structure higher level composition level meaning
meaning
Figure 1: The Visual Organizational Scale (VOS)3
1 For more information, see: www.loosetooth.com/lab.

2 Agerbeck, The Graphic Facilitator’s Guide, pp. 260-261.
3 All drawings in this chapter created by Brandy Agerbeck. All rights reserved.
Figure 2: The Standard Linear and Embellished Linear Lists
LEVEL 1: LINEAR LIST AND LEVEL 1B:

EMBELLISHED LIST
The tried-and-true lists that have filled
countless flip charts are illustrated in Figure 2.
Aside from one’s anxiety about penmanship, Fast
lists are a very comfortable format.
Good for sequences
Unless your task involves working out a sequence
or generating a list with no desire for groupings, Works for divergent, generative processes
the Level 1 Linear List is not the best choice. It does
not allow for any spatial organization. If the sixth Creates emphasis and meaning with
item down relates to the third item, there’s no room different lettering choices (1b)
to connect the two. It simply goes below item five.
/ Familiar format
Mike Rohde’s original style of sketchnotes4 is
the exemplar of Level 1b, the Embellished List.5 Keeps us in linear, text-based habits
Vertical sketchbook pages are filled with text from
top to bottom. Again, we lack spatial organization, Hard to connect non-adjacent items
but we add varied scales and treatments of text,
creating differentiation and emphasis. Generally, Alternate two colors to differentiate
sketchnoting is an individual activity, and the act separate ideas more quickly
of live capture strengthens one’s memory of the
content. Design choices in the drawings make it easy
to flip back and connect to the content again.
4 See examples of Mike Rohde’s sketchnotes and learn more about the technique in his chapter entitled Sketchnoting: Your First Step
into Visual Thinking.
5 Rhode, The Sketchnote Handbook.
MEETINGS AND MORE

Figure 3: Capturing with the Popcorn and Picto-Popcorn Methods
LEVEL 2: POPCORN AND LEVEL 2B: every statement into a corresponding icon. When
PICTO-POPCORN faced with a more abstract concept, capture can
Moving into the second level, we break the linear stall out. In the example above, the dotted shape
format. If Level 1 represents the tidy roll of movie represents the lack of an icon for the word nutrition.
credits, Level 2 is the popcorn scattered across
the cinema floor (see Figure 3, above left). At its worst, I call this ‘iconitis.’ Don’t sacrifice
the opportunity to create meaning through
Each point is discrete on the page; written as its placement and proximity because you were
own ‘chunk,’ no longer lined up. Even if placement mentally searching for a pictogram. Imagery can
is completely random, this method of capturing always be added after the content is captured.
disrupts our ingrained list-making habits.
Ideally, placement isn’t random. Instead, we make

visual decisions of proximity. We decide where Breaks linear mode, open to spatial organization
each new chunk belongs on the page in relation
to what is already there. Similar ideas huddle near Friendly to clustering
each other. Larger distances connote contrast
or differences. Clusters and patterns emerge. Beware of iconitis getting in
the way of useful organizing
With Picto-Popcorn, (Figure 3, above right), you add
an icon to each kernel. Imagery aids memory and Focus on content capture first; add images later
boosts retention. It can also trap the practitioner
into binary thinking, tying up one’s listening focus
and mental energy as they attempt to translate
Figure 4: The Scattergram
LEVEL 3: SCATTERGRAM direction, either while watching the drawing take

In “Stories and Storytelling, ” Anthony Weeks coined
6
shape or viewing the finished artifact later. Visually,
the term scattergrams. These live, large-scale these drawings are hard to read. Second, without
drawings may be “rich in content” and “faithful organization created through hierarchy, scale, and
to what was said,” but lack “flow, connective flow, every ‘postage stamp’ appears to have
tissue, directionality, and sequence” (92). the same weight or importance. No discernment
or meaning is made by showing connections,
Aside from a large, decorative title (usually in conflicts, interdependencies, themes, or patterns.
the upper left corner), this third level lacks scale
and hierarchy. In the vernacular of my second
book, The Idea Shapers,7 these drawings are “giant
posters filled with postage stamps” (285). Fidelity to what was said
At their best, Level 3 drawings should be chock-full Hard to read, difficult to navigate
of the group’s well-distilled content. As stated
at the top of the chapter, this helps individuals Every point feels equal to every other point
feel heard, creates a shared understanding, and
helps the group see and touch their work. No relationship between individual chunks
Two key visual thinking aspects are missing at

this level. First, there’s no sense of navigation or
6 Weeks, “Stories and Storytelling,” from the anthology Drawn Together Through Visual Practice.
7 Agerbeck, The Idea Shapers.
MEETINGS AND MORE

Figure 5: Structured Clusters
LEVEL 4: STRUCTURED CLUSTERS A post-breakout session report out may be well

This level creates a clear distinction served by this level, but plenty of events would
between main topics, and shows a hierarchy not fit into these tidy groups. Still, listening
of information within each topic. for levels of information within a conversation
and mapping them through Structured Clusters
Structurally similar to Tony Buzan’s hub-and- creates orderly meaning for the group.
spoke-shaped mind mapping technique,8 this
approach connects supporting details that
sprout from a central idea. These clusters
create clear centers of gravity on the page. Easy to visually navigate
Consistent use of visual choices—for example, all Represents main ideas and supporting detail
uppercase writing for the main topics, or using
the same weight and color of connector lines through- Not all content falls into clustering
out—creates patterns that make the drawings easy to
navigate. At a glance, you can instantly see (Figure 5) Use a lighter color for the ‘connective
that there are five main ideas and that each grouping tissue’ forming the border around main ideas,
has three levels of information: main topic, details, and and for the connecting lines between ideas
further supporting details. Repetition of pattern makes (a lower-contrast color recedes into the page,
it easy to compare information across clusters. If you creating less visual competition with content)
were gauging viability of the five ideas above, the lack
of details hanging from the lower right topic may signal
less interest, whereas other topics sparked more detail.
8 For more, visit: www.tonybuzan.com.

Figure 6: Scaled Structure with Elements of Synthesis
LEVEL 5: SCALED STRUCTURE AND LEVEL The elements of blue on the right connote the Level
5B: SCALED STRUCTURE WITH ELEMENTS OF 7 Synthesis that the visual practitioner has added.
SYNTHESIS For instance, the ribbon banner in the upper right
Next, we expand scale further to let the content take could contain the overarching theme of the Struc-
whatever shape it needs to. Scaled Structure captures tured Cluster below it. While these words might
the content in myriad ways. Figure 6 illustrates not have been explicitly stated by the participants,
two Structured Clusters alongside a Linear List (in the visual practitioner adds value by sussing out
the box toward the bottom right of the chart). connections and themes in the conversation.
Building on the last level, Scaled Structure makes

powerful use of sizing to clearly delineate the major
ideas (large, written in all capitalization) from A flexible format that allows for
the details (smaller, lowercase letters). different kinds of information
‘Connective tissue’ of connecting lines and
containing shapes, along with ample white Additional structure and organization demands
space, creates an easy-to-navigate drawing. more focus and mental processing in real time
In the sample above, the yellow-green areas Make visual choices at the start of
represent the capture of what’s been said the session to open up your mental
in the room. focus for listening and organizing
MEETINGS AND MORE

Figure 7: The Integrated Whole
LEVEL 6: INTEGRATED WHOLE At this level, you give yourself ‘scaffolding’ on which
While Level 5 lets the shape of the drawing to build the contents of the conversation. Very often
emerge organically, Level 6 begins with an initial in my work, I’ll build off of my giant, central everyman
overall shape. Approach the canvas as a whole in the people-centric conversations I support. I don’t
composition—be it a flip chart, whiteboard, or know exactly where the conversation will go, but
mural-sized piece of paper, using the areas I know how each area of the chart will function. I give
within the working surface to create meaning. myself spaces to work with within the drawing.
For example, create a sense of time progression

by placing past events on the left side of your
page, and future events on the right. Or pop- Sense of order and meaning when well-integrated
ulate the top of the page with ‘ten thousand
foot high’ strategic views and the bottom of Works well with open-ended conversations
the page with ‘on-the-ground’ tactical ideas.
Does not lend itself to narrowly designed processes,
In Figure 7, everything above the edge of the implied like brainstorming around a specific prompt
table could be about the dining experience from
the figure’s point of view; everything below could Capturing rich content while composing
be about the food itself. the image takes lots of focus and practice
Figure 8: Synthesis of Key Takeaways
LEVEL 7: SYNTHESIS the meat of their experience. Your participants

Synthesis involves creating something new from would not feel heard. By contrast, the same drawing
your sources. It is that elusive aha moment could be a great, post-event communication
where the mental puzzle pieces click into place, tool to those who weren’t in the room, or to
and a higher level understanding is revealed. the executive asking for the key takeaways.
This highest level of visual organization is also

the hardest to accomplish in real time. When working
in the role of graphic recorder or graphic facilitator, Works well as a high-level communication tool
leaping to Level 7 may not serve your group.
Does not capture the rich content of
In both The Graphic Facilitator’s Guide and The Idea group’s conversation and process
Shapers, I used Aesop’s fables to demonstrate
synthesis. This is because each fable contains Extensive mental processing takes time and
the story itself and the moral of the story. focus—very difficult to achieve in real time
Synthesis is the moral of the story, the key insight you Depending on the project, be mindful of
take away from the fable. For most live visual support, the right balance of the participants’ story
not reflecting the group’s story is a disservice. details and the summarizing “moral.”
For instance, if you stood in front of a group for
an hour-long session and drew the equivalent of
the drawing featured in Figure 8, you’d be missing
SUMMARY AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES Lists can be lightning fast because so few visual
As a visual practitioner, I hope you were able to follow decisions are required. One item follows the next. As
along on the scale, perhaps recognizing where your you move up in levels, the mental processing becomes
strengths and comfort zones lie, and considering heavier, which takes a lot of time and focus. Much like
where you may want to stretch and build your skills. simultaneously running multiple programs slows your
You likely recalled different work scenarios where you computer, listening, thinking about placement, choos-
chose one level over another. Or maybe you felt a lack ing colors, distilling text, looking for patterns, making
of choice, because you don’t feel capable at all levels. connections, culling themes, creating iconography,
MEETINGS AND MORE

deciding scale, thinking of structure, and actually
As a facilitation partner or client, you may have writing and drawing on the paper is taxing. This chapter
recognized the work of your visual partners. Perhaps might make this work look simple, but it is not easy.
you recognized the levels that resonate most with
you, and now have a language to describe what you are To stay present and listen
seeking.
well, make visual decisions
You may have placed yourself in the seat of the par-
ticipant, on the viewing side of these seven levels— at the start. This will ease
recognizing when an approach missed the mark or
felt confusing. Hopefully, more often than not, visuals your cognitive load.
added enormous value to your process, and helped
you do work you didn’t know was possible. For example, choose a color scheme before you begin
and know how each color will function in the drawing.
The vast majority of my live professional work uses
Again, the Visual Organization a three-color palette. Not only am I not fumbling with
markers, I have mental bandwidth open for higher-level
Scale is shared as a way thinking.
to make stronger choices

in our work, understand Consistency is critical.
the nuance of visual As the visual practitioner, prolonged practice creates
muscle memory. Relying on your visual vocabulary
facilitation, and have richer gives you agility in the moment. As the viewer, we seek
patterns to make meaning. Patterns should only be
conversations about how broken for good reason. Break a pattern when you
want to draw attention to an idea or create contrast.
to partner together.
To these ends, I offer a few guiding principles: Give yourself time and space
To the left of the scale lies for visual organization.
speed; to the right, depth. Most people need time to thoroughly process varied
content, to see the patterns and make connections.
If you don’t have a natural aptitude for it, expecting No matter what level of visual organization you or
yourself to synthesize on the spot will only your group need in the moment, every marker stroke
frustrate you. and every word has meaning. Always be thoughtful
in your choices to create clear, content-rich visuals
Leslie Salmon-Zhu9 and I see in each other a respected that truly add value and never distract. Develop your
colleague working at peak levels, but from an entirely skills to become more agile and able to work across
different angle. Since 1985, Leslie has been the Visual Organization Scale. And take joy and pride
the pinnacle of content capture. For over twenty years, when your marks truly do make meaning, whether for
I have focused on real-time synthesis of conversations. you in your own work, or for the groups you serve.
We reconnected at the International Forum of Visual
Practitioners10 annual conference, and Leslie shared WORKS CITED:
with me her adaptation of how she can create more
synthesis in her work. She leaves a blank strip of paper Agerbeck, Brandy. The Graphic Facilitator’s
across the top of her charts. Live during the event, Guide. Loosetooth.com Library, 2012.
she’s in her high-performance zone of content capture.
Later, when she has time to process, she can add Agerbeck, Brandy. The Idea Shapers: the
the elements of synthesis to the reserved, empty space. Power of Putting Your Thinking into Your Own
Hands. Loosetooth.com Library, 2016.
Agerbeck, Brandy. “The Loosetooth.com Lab.” Loose

Visual facilitation goes far Tooth, www.loosetooth.com/lab. Accessed 17 May 2018.
beyond pictorial imagery. Buzan, Tony. Tony Buzan: Inventor of Mind Mapping,
www.tonybuzan.com. Accessed 17 May 2018.
International Forum of Visual Practitioners. IFVP,

Look at the samples throughout this chapter and notice www.ifvp.org. Agerbeck, The Graphic
how little representational drawing you see. Aside from Facilitator’s Guide (260-261).
iconitis in Level 2b, there isn’t much. Even the every-
man in levels six and seven is drawn very simply. Rohde, Mike. The Sketchnote Handbook: the Illustrated
Yet these examples are highly visual, with spatial Guide to Visual Note Taking. Peachpit Press, 2012.
organization, use of scale, considerate color schemes,
different line weights, and varied shapes. This is Salmon-Zhu, Leslie. Graphicrecorders.com,
the abstract, symbolic thinking that is rich in meaning. www.graphicrecorders.com. Accessed 17 May 2018.
Weeks, Anthony. “Stories and Storytelling.” Drawn

Together Through Visual Practice, edited by Agerbeck
Every mark has meaning. et al., Visual Practice Publishing, 2016, pp. 85-95.
9 To learn more about Leslie Salmon-Zhu, see: www.graphicrecorders.com.

10 For more information, see: www.ifvp.org.
Meetings and More
Julie Stuart
SENSING INTO EMERGENCE
How many of us give ourselves permission to make

marks from that place of the unknown? What would
those marks look like? How can they hold the shape,
like emotional scaffolding, for what will emerge?
Visual Listening
Photo: Alfredo Carlo

254 SENSING INTO EMERGENCE VISUAL LISTENING
SENSING INTO EMERGENCE

Uncovering the Future with Intuitive Mark-Making
It is so important that we failed us and are falling away. We will need to

conjure these new forms and modes of being from
fight or the future, get principles of sustainability, cooperation, cohabitation,
equity, resiliency, and love: an entirely different
into the game, get dirty, set of principles than those we’ve been using.
get experimental. How do We will need new skills—skills of sensing into

the emergent future and articulating those nascent
we create and proliferate visions, like how to listen at a deeper level in a truly
embodied way using intuitive knowing, and how
a compelling vision of to visualize what we are feeling before it’s fully
articulated. Moving forward, I believe that we will
economies and ecologies need new ways of visualizing that are less reliant on
illustrating the things we already know. Instead, we will
that center humans and be able to sense into and shape the unknown using
line, shape, color, and gesture-like drawings in much
the natural world over the more abstract ways than what’s currently practiced in
our field. Less visual thinking and more visual being,
accumulation of the material? which looks like listening and sensing what’s under
the surface of what’s being actually said, to more
We embody. We learn. We of what is felt and unsaid, yet certainly as present
as the words you hear. Instead of whipping out our
release the idea of failure, trusted go-to icons every time, what if we created new
forms, shapes, and ways of working with the materials
because it’s all data. that reflected the nascent future we are living into?
But fi st we imagine. I want our industry to have the skills to inhabit this
place of uncertainty together, not only for our own
We are in an projects and souls—which need moments where we
question everything to deepen our individual know-
imagination battle.1 ing—but for the larger experience of being fully present
in our humanity together as we serve our clients’
We are living in a time of great uncertainty, when futures. My hope for our field is that as culture-makers,
we must radically reimagine and design the artists, and visionaries, we are seen as vital in
emergent systems, structures, and relationships the role of imagining, because we have the necessary
that are required to replace the ones that have talents for this crucial work of transformation.
1 Brown, Emergent Strategy, p. 18.

VISUAL LISTENING SENSING INTO EMERGENCE 255
WHAT IS THIS SPACE OF EMERGENCE?

Here’s the thing to know about emergence: it feels like
grappling in the dark. It’s about noticing sensations
before they become thoughts. It’s listening under
the surface, feeling into the undercurrents before
the words come. It’s catching glimpses and glimmers
of something you can’t fully see, putting these
disparate parts together, not knowing if they make
MEETINGS AND MORE

sense or if they will actually become something
tangible, meaningful, or useful. It’s emotional, not
logical. It’s a place of gestation, groundlessness,
and faith, which can exist inside us individually,
and in the collective consciousness of a group.
The metaphors I use to describe this place are:
∙∙An underground seed doing its silent work

before sending out tender shoots toward
the sky. Imagine pressing your ear to the
ground and listening carefully, so that you can
almost hear the rumbling movement of dirt
below as the seedling erupts from its pod.
∙∙A butterfly in chrysalis, gathering the force Figure 1: Emergence begins with the unseen.
it needs to push forth from its shelter
and use its wings for the first time.
WHY LISTENING INTO THIS SPACE IS CRUCIAL
∙∙A Polaroid photo as it develops, We desire certainty. To be willing to forsake
gradually coming into focus. the known—the way we’ve always done it—and step
into something completely unknown is challenging for
∙∙Seeing the horizon in the distance before the most people. But this is where the greatest possibility
details of the landscape are discernable. for creative solutions exist—in the uncertainty.
Why? Because innovation comes from the margins,

not the center. Because beauty and truth are
found in the borderlands. Solutions already exist
in micro-economies awaiting discovery. Resiliency
is learned by iterating again and again when initial
solutions don’t work. Collaborative ideation can’t
happen when you already know the answers you want.
If we are to do the work of imagining, we must venture

bravely into the unknown. Being in the unknown, in
the art and act of creative wayfinding, can be both
uncomfortable and incredibly freeing. It’s a liminal
landscape where nothing is known yet, and there
is no solid ground. Most people want to move to into our work. (Many of us in this field are quite
certainty, strategy, and tactics as quickly as possible intuitive, and we bring these skills into our work.)
to alleviate the discomfort of not knowing. To stay
in the liminal is an act of faith, of demonstrating The language of the visual is a facile medium to
patience while in the discomfort of waiting. Knowing convey sensation, intuition, and dreams—those realms
that it’s a huge part of future-casting, how do we hold of the conscious unconsciousness. This has been
this space open for ourselves and those we serve? true through the ages, as those who could conjure
images were entrusted as carriers of their culture,
A crucial part of this work is supported by the community in their role. They were
the visionaries, relied upon for guidance because
strengthening the muscles they could see farther into the future than most of
their tribe, and bring back the conjured images as
that support us in this needed.2 Their mark-making led the way forward.
place of not knowing. This Graphic facilitators do this, too. We sense-make

through images and icons. We define and describe. But
posture is very different how many of us can sense-make in emergence? How
many of us give ourselves permission to make marks
than what we use when from that place of the unknown? What would those
marks look like? How could they hold the shape, like
following a path we know. emotional scaffolding, for what is emerging?
It’s learning to trust a fleeting feeling before we have

certainty. Sensing the contours of connections before “Transformation doesn’t
they are tangible. Listening to the voice of truth
deep inside that catches innuendo before anyone come through logic and
speaks the words. And having faith that what we are
feeling and sensing is a revelation that will eventually words, but through emotion.
take form. There is a caretaker aspect to this work
when we allow the emergent a voice of its own. The thing that transforms
The key question for the field of visual practice: is unseen, so visualizing it
How do we visually represent this sensing in
a way that’s useful for the people we serve? brings unique challenges.
Shape, color, spacing, and
THE POTENCY OF GESTURE IN EMERGENCE
Visuals can offer alchemy within this space of emptiness can show and
emergence. When sensing into the unknown, we are
taken into the realm of intuition—the feeling-sensing mirror the emotional energy
center of our being. For those unfamiliar with this
territory (which includes many of our clients), and impetus in a group.”
intuition is an untapped resource giving access to
a greater knowing, both within us, and beyond. It’s –Nevada Lane
a field of consciousness we can access and channel
2 Dissanayake, What is Art For?

I ask myself a question that serves as an edge for my

own practice. Is it possible for our visual imagery
to be less representational and more sensorial,
@ Pro Tip: What do I mean when I refer to
gesture? When I taught figure drawing
and would our clients be better served by this? To classes many years ago, I used to tell my
me, this means mark-making that is more based in students to draw what the figure was doing,
the intuitive, abstract language of gesture, shape, not what it looked like. This meant they
color, and line. And using the materials of our trade should look for the interior throughline
in experimental ways. I’m not entirely ready to leave in the human form, usually by following
MEETINGS AND MORE

the representational behind, but as imagineers, if we the spine, that conveyed the action, essence,
are to conjure a future that does not currently exist, and attitude of the pose. Focusing on an
don’t we need new ways of representing that future? exterior outline of arms, fingers, skin, and
hair meant getting caught up in surface-level
descriptors. Gesture drawing expressed
the essential essence of something from
the inside out, rather than describing
what it looked like from the outside in.
Figure 2: Mark-making based in the intuitive.
As a field, we’re skilled at having a vast visual

vocabulary—this icon represents that content—so
there’s a familiarity to the images we use and regur-
gitate. When you’re working with gesture, the mark
is different every time; it’s an instinctive response
to that particular moment and its sensations.
Figure 3: The essence of a figure is what she

is doing, not what she looks like.
Drawing that is less illustrative and more instinctively developed into a fully formed vision. What I do for
expressive (like gesture) can hold the space for what them is build an emotional scaffold by sensing
is emerging before a group has arrived at something into what they want, fleshing it out so they can
definitive. You may need a mark (line, shape, color) that start to see and feel the possibility of it, and then
cannot yet be defined as a recognizable object, but anchor their idea in practical ways so it can emerge
will still hold the shape of the thought or conversation. into the world. In the visual maps I make while
Kelvy Bird refers to this as “level four scribing— I’m guiding my clients, I often use abstract marks
surfacing and revealing what wants to be seen.”3 and gestures to convey the feeling of something
while it’s still in the early stages of coming to be.
In fact, at the beginning of each session I intuitively

draw some lines or shapes as we start talking,
sensing into the unknown and feeling into the energy
of what wants to come forward. Invariably, these
shapes accurately represent and hold space for what
transpires during the call. For example, I drew an
abstract butterfly without realizing what it was; fifteen
minutes into our session, a monarch flew by my
client’s window (the first she had seen that season)
as we talked about her work in transformation and
healing collective trauma. It was another five minutes
before I recognized I had drawn a butterfly as the first
mark on the paper; we both had a spine-tingling
realization of how aligned intuition can be.
Another example of this is the overlapping, swirly,

purple, flower-petal shapes in Figure 4. They were
the first marks I made on the paper; toward the
end of the session, my client showed me the image
she had imagined for her new logo. It looked
incredibly similar to what I had drawn, reflecting
the wholeness of her work over the past decade.
Figure 4: Intuitive sensing produced a

likeness of a client’s new logo.
HOW IT SHOWS UP IN THE WORK

I’ve done about 100 individual strategy-mapping
sessions, which I call The Emergence Session, during
which I work one-on-one with someone to feel into
the vision they have for something they want to bring
forth into the world: a new business, a book,
an ambitious project (like a reinvention of the Figure 5: Sensing the unspoken, and
educational system). It could be any kind of idea making marks to hold the space.
that someone has an inkling about, but hasn’t yet
3 Bird, Generative Scribing: A Social Art of the 21st Century, p. 140.

Several years ago I spent a few seasons working with

Goddard College, which convened a series of
conversations to think about their approach to
pedagogy. They didn’t have a specific goal or
place at which they needed to arrive by the end of
the meeting; they simply wanted to convene and
explore together what teaching meant to them.
My drawing marks reflected the ease and expansion
MEETINGS AND MORE

of the time they granted themselves. The visual maps
had a lot of spaciousness to reflect the expansiveness
of the conversation. The marks were loose and
languid, sometimes trailing off into nowhere, which
aptly reflected their first round of meetings.
Figure 6: These drawings are the work of Jayce Lee.
Because of its gestural quality, I’m incredibly
drawn to the visual work that has recently
emerged in China. It feels very different from what HOW TO HOLD YOURSELF IN EMERGENCE
exists in North America and Europe. Many Asian Emergence is a tender geography of emptiness and
practitioners seem to embrace this quality of creative possibility. Many of us hold this geography for
gesture, perhaps because their language is made of our clients—not only in visual mapping and scribing,
characters—beautiful combinations of marks—which but also when designing a session or process to lead
naturally extends itself into a prolonged gesture. them through. To be in this space means that sensing
is as important as thinking; we must have the willing-
ness to listen to what our intuition tells us, and act
from there. It takes a certain kind of consciousness and
bravery to do this, both skills that can be developed.
This is why a practice of embodiment becomes

essential: this is largely feeling work, rather than
thinking work. As Peter Levine (known for his
groundbreaking work on somatic experiencing)
defines it, “ . . . to be embodied means that we are
guided by our instincts, while simultaneously having
the opportunity to be self-aware of that guidance.”4
Levine connects embodiment and creativity by

describing Albert Einstein’s thinking process: “It is
well known that Albert Einstein thought in images.
His theories reflect this processing, as do his own
metaphors. . . . It is much less known that he also
thought with his body. He reveals, in his biography,
how some of his greatest discoveries appeared to
come first from his body in the form of tingling,
vibrating and other enlivening physical sensations. In
a process that appears to have been mysterious, even
4 Levine, In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness, p.278.
to him, his bodily sensations informed the images We proceeded to have one of those very real,
and insights that led him to his great discoveries.”5 vulnerable, and truthful conversations about
difference, racial justice, and racial equity,
When my body responds in the way he described, which allowed the group to significantly deep-
I’ve learned to rely on these sensations as a signal en their level of trust. In fact, they adopted
that the group I’m working with has touched on a phrase to work into the principles of the
something significant—something emergent. It’s group: We move at the speed of trust.
become a reliable indicator for me. (I’ve heard other
people describe it as getting chills in their body.) This was a moment—completely unscripted and
unplanned—when we found ourselves in emergence.
What surfaced was a new relational understanding
ELEVATE THE INTUITIVE WISDOM OF THE and acceptance, which built a foundation for
BODY deeper collaboration and power sharing.
As the future marches to embrace artificial
intelligence—whereby much of our thinking is turned
over to technology—I want to hold onto the body as PRACTICES TO EMPLOY
a place of wisdom that can never be replicated by
machine-thinking processes. Because the body is of ∙∙In order to develop our intuition, we need to pay
the earth and connected to the natural cycles and sea- attention to what we are hearing, feeling, and
sons of birth and death, there is an ancient inherent sensing. Intuition flows to people in different
wisdom we carry within us; I think of this as intuition. ways, but we’ve all had at least one instance of
experiencing a premonition about something that
Now I let my intuition guide me in my work with later happened. That’s intuition. Start giving credence
clients—especially in emergence. It gives me constant to those signals. Intuition is like a river: it flows when
guidance on how and when to move forward. unimpeded, providing sustenance. If it’s blocked
My body has become sensorial, which means I can by a dam, it backs up and releases only a trickle.
be much more organic and spontaneous in the room. Our intuition wants us to listen and then act on
I can sense into the group’s energetic field as it what it says. This is how we grow it like a muscle.
shifts like the weather, and adjust accordingly.
∙∙Keep an intuition journal. First thought, best
thought is good guidance. When your intuition
ALLOWING FOR EMERGENCE WHEN IT tells you something, do you listen to it and do
APPEARS what you’ve heard, or do you make another
Two years ago, I facilitated a group of stakeholders choice? I started tracking this in a journal so
from thirteen different states across the southeast, that I would notice the guidance I was receiving
who had come together to work on the environmental and how I responded. Things as simple as
equity portion of the Environmental Protection which way to drive home made me conscious
Agency’s Clean Power Plan. At one point, a woman of of the messages I was hearing from within.
color stood up to share her truth: she didn’t feel like
she had an equal voice in the group because of her ∙∙The ability to sense can also be developed
identity. She felt like she had less power. When she through various physical embodiment practices.
spoke, I immediately knew (because of physical I have grown mine through the years with yoga,
sensations) that she had opened a door meditation, breathwork, conscious movement,
for the group to walk through; I needed to dance (specifically 5Rhythms), non-linear body
allow this to happen without the door being movement, intuitive painting, and more.
slammed shut by another participant.
5 Levine, In an Unspoken Voice, pp. 279-280.

∙∙An easy practice you can use right away is circular ∙∙Another trick that helps me connect to the ground
breath. As you are working, every so often consciously and sends energy up through my body is to
use a circular breath. (I started doing this years ago stand with my knees slightly bent, and then
and found it gave me more stamina, concentration, shift my weight from side to side by pushing
and sensing.) I take a conscious breath and imagine down through my Achilles tendons. This shoots
that I’m breathing into my head from above and energy upward, and is a useful way to revive
sending the breath down the front of my body to my my legs after standing for long periods of time.
pelvis. I exhale by sending the breath from my pelvis
MEETINGS AND MORE

along my back and out through my head, creating I keep my body open so that I’m receptive to what’s
a circuit. I repeat this several times; then my body happening under the surface. This way, I can hear
has a pattern to follow the next time I think of it. the subtle rumblings as they emerge. It’s those mur-
murs, whispers, and shifts that I listen for to express.
I typically sense them before my clients, and I consider
this a crucial skill, and an art of imagining the future.
FEEL, SENSE, DO
What we’re listening for in an emergent future has to
be felt before it can be articulated. We must attune our
‘body knowing’ and mark-making to convey the raw
material of transformation into a visible form upon
which our clients can act.
WORKS CITED:
Bird, Kelvy. Generative Scribing: A Social

Art of the 21st Century. PI Press, 2018.
Brown, Adrienne Maree. Emergent Strategy: Shaping

Change, Changing Worlds. AK Press, 2017, p. 18.
Dissanayake, Ellen. What is Art For?

University of Washington Press, 1988.
Levine, Peter A. In an Unspoken Voice: How

the Body Releases Trauma and Restores
Goodness. North Atlantic Books, 2010.
Figure 7: The circular breath enhances
stamina, concentration, and intuition.
Meetings and More
Gerauld Wong
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!

CREATING PURPOSEFUL
DIALOGUE FROM VISUALS
The model described in this chapter proves so effective in
visual facilitation, because visuals are an experience.
Dialogue
264 WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! CREATING PURPOSEFUL DIALOGUE FROM VISUALS DIALOGUE
WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!

CREATING PURPOSEFUL DIALOGUE FROM VISUALS
So, you are a professional facilitator. You are in session. The facilitator leads the participants in a debrief or
You have prepared the environment, designed a great dialogue centering on the three main questions.
process, and prepared the materials. With your under-
standing of adult learning methodology and engage-
ment strategies, you have included visual tools in the
room and visual templates in your process design.
Your participants are engaged as they fill in the

template with their icons, messages, and metaphors,
following the process you have designed. You are
transferring these outputs onto a large board or paper
in the front of the room, or you are visualizing their Figure 1: The OB+ model, adapted from
ideas and thoughts straight onto the paper yourself. Terry Borton’s educational model.3
So far, your participants are pleased with them-

selves as they scan the large surface of their STAGE 1: WHAT?
hard work. They are waiting expectantly to move What? is the first stage of questioning. This question
on to the next process you have planned. revolves around observations and descriptions of
the participants’ experience of the visual icons or
What happens next? established metaphors. This stage also includes
the asking of cause-and-effect questions.
I would like to introduce to you an effective
method that I commonly use for deepening the Sample prompting questions in this phase include:
thoughts and conversations of my participants.
This method adds value, and complements your ∙∙What word(s) did you use to label this visual?
existing skill set and knowledge as a facilitator.
∙∙What experience did this visual evoke
Introducing OB+ 1
for you (including thoughts, emotions,
OB+ is a reflection model based on Terry and physical sensations)?
Borton’s three stem questions, which
include: What? So what? and Now what?2 ∙∙What did you see, hear, and feel as
By creating a loop of the questions, we you looked at this visual?
can deeply explore meaning (see Figure
1). The addition of the plus-sign (+) adds ∙∙What happened that you decided to use this icon?
a reality transference step into the action,
leading us to the question, What’s next? ∙∙What do you see, hear, or feel as you zoom in to
a particular icon, or zoom out to see the big picture?
1 Coined by Stephen Barcia Bacon in 1987, OB+ (Outward Bound Plus) is an expansion of Terry Borton’s writings on Gestalt Therapy.
2 Originally adapted from Borton’s book, Reach, Touch, and Teach: Student Concerns and Process Education.
3 This model was further adapted and applied to facilitation in Effective Leadership in Adventure Programming, by Priest and Gass.
DIALOGUE WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! CREATING PURPOSEFUL DIALOGUE FROM VISUALS 265
STAGE 2: SO WHAT? STAGE 4: WHAT’S NEXT?

The So what? stage of questions analyze the visual The What’s next? stage looks at questions that
and the experience, leading to insights and learnings. transfer insights and learnings to the real world
(like the workplace or school). This stage also
Sample questions in this phase might include: advances decisions or action plans stemming from
the big decisions made in the previous stage.
∙∙What does this visual mean for you? Why?
This step may be done at any point following the Now
MEETINGS AND MORE

∙∙Was there a difference for you when you what? It may be applicable during the whole session, or
zoomed in or out? Why or why not? at the end of the day (or session). I find that frequent
integration of this stage supports my participants
∙∙What does it mean if we have different in creating stronger connections to the topic.
perspectives of the icon?
Prompting questions in this phase include:
∙∙ What insights are you gaining from hearing
different thoughts and perspectives? What ∙∙What will this look like in your department?
new conclusions can you draw from this?
∙∙Who will this action plan impact?
∙∙What is the impact?
∙∙What might we need to specifically contextualize
∙∙What does this look like in our organization/ this plan for different departments?
division/department/team?
The key intention, and the value for the facil-
itator, to hold, is curiosity. Be curious about
STAGE 3: NOW WHAT? what is going on in the person’s mind, about
The Now what? stage of questions revolves around how they arrived at this conclusion or insight,
decision-making. We declare actions we will and about how their decision was made.
take as a result of the insights and learnings.
The beauty of this model is that it is intuitive. It follows
Sample questions in this phase include: the natural sequence of questions that we instinctively
ask when we are in conversation with another person.
∙∙What do we want to do about it?
∙∙How can we harmonize the meanings

to achieve synergy?
∙∙How can we bring this insight to the

next step of the process?
∙∙What do we need to do, or what

do we need to plan out?
EXAMPLE: DIALOGUE IN A BAR

Imagine a good friend of yours (we’ll call him Robert) calls you up for a drink. At the café (or pub, depending on
your poison), Robert tells you that he needs to discuss a personal problem.
The following conversation ensues:
You: Hey, Robert, what’s going on?

Robert: (Proceeds to tell you what the problem is. And let’s say his problem is of a romantic nature,
just to add some juice to this story.)
You: What? Really? Why? (You continue to ask clarifying questions to get more information,
the juicy details, etc., as your goal is to understand the whole picture.)
Robert: (Proceeds to tell you more. Robert intends to propose to his steady girlfriend,
but he’s just not sure—they’ve only been dating for a year.)
MEETINGS AND MORE

You: Dude, so what if you’ve only been dating for a year? What did the past year mean for you and her?
Do you love her enough to want to commit to her for the rest of your life? What about finances? Children?
(And the list goes on—you’re a good friend, after all.)
Robert: (Continues to elaborate. By this time, it’s the second coffee—or pint.
The conversation continues so we can get clear on our thoughts and meanings.)
You: Okayyyy . . . (At this point you pause to sip your coffee—or a swig of the pint.) Whatcha gonna do
about it now?
Robert: (Gulping down the remainder of the coffee or beer, and sitting quietly for a moment.)
Dude . . . I’m gonna marry her!
You: Woohoo! Welcome to the club, Dude! (I’m happily married with kids by the time this conversation
takes place. And yes, this was an actual conversation that did, in fact, take place.) Okay, so what’s next?
And we moved on to plan the proposal and, of course, the ring . . .
Figure 2: Conversations naturally follow the OB+ model.

EXAMPLE: A FACILITATED SESSION What?

Here’s another example of the OB+ model. This one is
a snippet from a company’s strategic planning retreat ∙∙What word or words, other than the owner’s,
that I facilitated. The desired outcome from the two-day would you use to describe this icon?
retreat was for the senior management team to gain:
∙∙What do you see, hear, and feel in your
1. Realignment to the mission of the company, mind as you look at this visual?
MEETINGS AND MORE

2. A vision for the next five years, and I usually ask the creator of the idea to
hold their interpretation until last.
3. The five-year strategic interventions that
would enable the company to fulfill its vision. So What?
During the visioning part of the retreat, participants ∙∙After hearing the different perspectives,
brainstormed ideas (visually and individually) what insights do you now have?
about where they envisioned the company in five
years’ time. Minutes later, participants were asked ∙∙What could be the impact if we harmonized
to attach their brainstorming slips onto the wall. and connected these perspectives?
Here’s an example of one of the icons that came up: Once the responses are elicited and recorded, I ask
the creator of the idea for permission to modify and
expand on the visual. They’re usually so excited by this
time that a ‘no’ is pretty much out of the question.
Figure 3: An icon depicting Leader in the Industry.
I covered the words “leader in the industry” and

asked everyone in the room to interpret the symbol.
Figure 5: Adding richness to meaning.
Now What?
∙∙What do you want to do now, so that we have

clarity and move on to the next step?
Figure 4: Unpacking a symbol and its meanings.

What’s Next? and mission of the company to the national leaders.

The following challenge arose in the latter part of the
∙∙What will this look like in: retreat, while the national leaders were looking for new
ways to roll out the new vision and mission, and to cre-
∙∙Your company or organization? ate buy in and sustainability among their employees.
∙∙Your department?
∙∙Your relationship with your stakeholders?
∙∙Your relationship with your results?
∙∙The way you create results for your organization?
∙∙The way you approach your job scope?
∙∙What do we need to focus on next?
As the saying goes, rinse and repeat the above! The Figure 6: A slogan emerges: A Step Forward.
group then moved on to another icon or metaphor
that caught their interest and curiosity, and they The Approach
went through the cycle of questioning again until In the presentation, the What was presented by
all the icons of interest had been covered. the spokesperson of one of the groups, using the
illustration in Figure 6: Follow through and complete
This part of the process takes between thirty and nine- the tasks, and take a proactive step forward to lead.
ty minutes. Anyone familiar with the divergence-con-
vergence model4 will recognize this as the groan zone. During the question and answer session with the
The convergence begins during the Now what stage national leaders in the room, I asked the following
of discussion of the different icons and metaphors. question: What can we do to take a proactive step?
The What’s next stage is the full convergence Then I asked:

of all brainstormed ideas, by way of whatever
process best serve the group (clustering, organic (So) What will it mean for us if we do? What
conversations, etc.), into a coherent vision profile. are the possible consequences, both good and
bad, if we do the things you’ve mentioned?
CASE STUDY: APPLYING OB+ IN (Now) What are some things we can do im-
A CLIENT-STRATEGY SESSION mediately when we return to the office?
The OB+ model has served to broaden the
perspectives of leaders in a global company. (What’s Next) Given the specific context in your
country, what are one or two things on the
The Setting: A Retreat for Top Management list you want to implement immediately?
It was a regional managers’ retreat for a global
property-management company, and a new vision and
mission had been mandated by senior management.
The retreat was meant to communicate the new vision
4 In simple terms, the divergence-convergence model involves brainstorming multiple choices (divergence) and then narrowing those
choices into viable solutions (convergence).
The Results
As a result of the shared wisdom gathered from this
conversation, there was an implementation of ten
different strategies in twelve countries. This created an
employee buy in of the new vision, which then trickled
down to their stakeholders and clients. My questions
gave them the right thinking steps to get it done.
MEETINGS AND MORE

One year after this session, the company posted
a financial year underlying profit attributable to
shareholders of $1,036 million, up from $947 million.
SO, REALLY . . . WHAT’S NEXT? WORKS CITED:

The reason why OB+ proves so effective in visual
facilitation is because visuals are an experience. Just as Bacon, Stephen Barcia. “The Evolution of the Outward
we feel moved by a masterpiece in a gallery, our partic- Bound Process.” Outward Bound USA, Dec. 1987.
ipants feel a personal connection to the icons, meta-
phors, and symbols they draw during a session. That Borton, Terry. Reach, Touch, and Teach: Student
connection can be brought into consciousness by way Concerns and Process Education. McGraw-Hill, 1970.
of our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.
Priest, Simon and Gass, Michael A. Effective Leadership
OB+ is not rocket science. For as long as we have in Adventure Programming. Human Kinetics, 1997.
engaged in conversations with other people, we
have intuitively used OB+. The ‘game’ for the visual
facilitator is to purposefully use it in the room, as a
brain-compatible structure to deepen understanding,
enhance learning, and create different perspectives.
I invite you to complete a challenge. Decide

to eavesdrop for a day or two. Listen to the
conversations around you and pay attention to
the questions being asked in those conversations.
See if you can match them to the OB+ structure.
Consciously try these questions in your own

conversations. See how they work out for you.
Purposefully plan OB+ into your next session.
Notice how your participants respond to your
questions and to the ensuing discussions. After
all, good facilitation starts with self-facilitation!
Meetings and More
Tracey Ezard
CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER:

VISUAL COLLABORATION
AMONG EDUCATORS
Never underestimate people’s willingness to give it a try—and
hand the markers over to the team as soon as possible.
Dialogue
274 CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER: VISUAL COLLABORATION AMONG EDUCATORS DIALOGUE
CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER:

VISUAL COLLABORATION AMONG EDUCATORS
I love working with educators. Full disclosure—as a that were not previously needed. Great educators
former teacher, I may be biased! Give most teachers a ensure that their teaching provides opportunities
marker, and they can’t resist the invitation to doodle. for our children to excel in the twenty-first century.
Over the last decade, in educational systems across Today, children in future-focused schools shift
Australia and New Zealand, I have worked with school beyond merely repeating content, and instead focus
leaders and teachers to develop leadership, foster on conceptual skills and higher-order thinking. They
trust and collaboration, and build twenty-first-cen- are learning to be problem solvers, critical thinkers,
tury teams. In this work, I seize every available creators, innovators, and entrepreneurs. As educational
opportunity to encourage the use of visual tools. leaders like Sir Ken Robinson1 and Yong Zhao2 tell
us, to create this twenty-first-century education,
This chapter gives an overview of why collabo- we need twenty-first-century teaching skills.
ration is so important in this field. I’ve included
a few client stories to inspire a visual approach Research around the world demonstrates that
to your work in the field of education. high-performing teachers are those who actively
collaborate to make an impact on learning. Professor
John Hattie’s extensive meta-analysis of education
research3 found collective teacher efficacy to be the
most significant contributor to student learning growth.
When a team of teachers work together to improve
the quality of teaching and learning, the effect on
student outcomes is far greater. Due to the need for
major change in teaching and learning practices, this
work is more critical than ever. Changing teaching
practice is an ever-evolving and enriching process.
WHY IS COLLABORATION SO IMPORTANT IN Unfortunately, many schools have a limited vision of

EDUCATION? the definition of collaboration. Some see it as merely
From a professional perspective, the world of the cooperating, sharing ideas, and parceling out jobs. Yet
educator has changed rapidly over the last decade. deep and authentic collaboration is so much more.
No longer is it acceptable to walk into a classroom, It is learning together. This way of working together
shut the door, and work as an island. For too long, doesn’t happen overnight. As visual facilitators, we
classrooms were examples of silos on steroids. The have a tremendous opportunity to help educators all
changing paradigm of the world and the global over the world discover their collective wisdom and
democratization of knowledge means that teachers collaborative power. We have the
are no longer masters of content. Standing at the front skills to help educators step into
of the room and telling students what they need to the process of designing together
know is now a redundant job. The role of an educator in a nonthreatening and energizing
has become far more complex and requires skills way. They begin to develop new
1 To learn more about Sir Ken Robinson, visit: sirkenrobinson.com.

2 To learn more about Yong Zhao, visit: zhaolearning.com.
3 Hattie, “Hattie Ranking: 252 Influences And Effect Sizes Related To Student Achievement.”
DIALOGUE CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTER: VISUAL COLLABORATION AMONG EDUCATORS 275
methods of approaching challenges in the classroom. BACKGROUND: Two-day collective learning opportunity
They share beliefs and strategies about pedagogy (the for accredited HALTs—their mandate was to improve
theory and practice of teaching). They identify the strat- teaching and learning quality in their schools
egies that have the most impact on students. At this
level of collaboration, you can see and feel the buzz of OUTCOMES: Increased teaching and leadership capacity
learning; energy around the work becomes palpable—
the focus turns to high-quality teaching and learning.4 SPECIFIC VISUAL OUTCOMES: Introduce visual
note-taking as a methodology for learning
MEETINGS AND MORE

Adding visual elements to this work deepens the through experiential opportunity
quality of the dialogue and the extent of the learning.
For this summit, the design team was looking for a
Following are three examples. unique learning opportunity for the participants.
The team wanted to create an opportunity for the
teachers to experience sketchnoting, and expose
them to a different and unique methodology of
learning for both themselves and their classrooms.
Every person received a pack of markers, a visual diary

full of blank paper, some templates for keynotes, and
a page of icons to practice. At the very start of the
summit, I presented the science and research sup-
porting visual work, and showed several examples of
sketchnotes. Participants then opened up their marker
packs together. This was a tremendous connecting
ceremony, which shifted the whole room into the mode
of experimentation. They also watched me graphically
record the keynote speakers throughout the summit. As
I asked them to have a go, there were some groans. A
good murmur of, “I can’t draw,” and “I’m not an artist,”
bounced around the room, accompanied by giggles.
Having Professor Dweck5 on the speaking agenda
was a gift, as she was a perfect hook to encourage
people out of a fixed mindset approach of I can’t to I
can’t—yet! After much laughter when that observation
Figure 1: Poster on the HALT summit was shared with the group, everyone gave it a go.
The outcomes were amazing. They sketchnoted the

CASE STUDY ONE: SKETCHNOTING keynotes, their breakout sessions, their musings. There
CLIENT: Australian Institute for Teaching was no need to be prescriptive or over-engineered in
and School Leadership giving them skills. Most educators have used visuals
in their classrooms at one time or another, and were
PARTICIPANTS: 200 Highly Accomplished and eager to try this technique! Some used more visual
Lead Teachers (HALT) from across Australia images; others focused on making their notes ‘pop’
through color, borders, or headings. It didn’t matter.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: Professor Carol It made the sketchnoting methodology accessible
Dweck; Professor John Hattie and enjoyable for them. Many tweeted their visual
4 This is further discussed in my book, The Buzz: Creating a Thriving and Collaborative Staff Learning Culture.
5 For more information on Carol Dweck’s work, see her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
notes throughout the conference (Image 1). Many persona and give it character. Overnight, we created
participants took the thinking straight back to their our characters—what they wore, how they spoke,
schools to use with their students and colleagues. what their fears were. On the second day of the
The dynamic energy in the room as they engaged in conference, a large whiteboard was set up. People
the process, both through their individual reflections drew and labeled their personas as they arrived
and their group conversations, was inspiring. (for example, Megalomaniac Marie, Sulky Suzie).
Professor Dweck encouraged us to identify our Fixed

Mindset Persona. She encouraged us to visualize our
Image 1: Tweets of Participants’ Visual Notes
The experience of drawing these personas created a

stronger, more visible connection between people’s
learning and the key concepts Professor Dweck
wanted to stress. It was also fun and engaging.
@ Tip: Don’t overwhelm others with your
talent. Many visual facilitators are labeled
as ‘so creative,’ and ‘incredibly artistic.’ If
The lesson? Never we present a perfectly crafted here’s-one-
I-prepared-earlier example, we’re likely
underestimate people’s to hear, “I could never make anything look
like that,” and “I can’t draw like that.” Show
willingness to give it a try— examples from a range of sketchnoters.
Perfection is not what we are after here—this
and hand the markers over to is about learning and experimenting. This is a
time for being okay with whatever people put
the team as soon as possible. up. Any attempt is better than reverting to a
bullet-point list of black and blue pen.
CASE STUDY TWO: USING METAPHORS This brand-new team of passionate educators knew
CLIENT: New elementary school that the time spent getting to know each other was
a crucial investment in their future. They wanted to
PARTICIPANTS: 20 new staff (leaders, educators, clarify the culture they wished to embed as quickly
assistants, and support staff) as possible. They were keen to build camaraderie and
create their visualization of a staff learning culture
BACKGROUND: A single-day workshop that would best serve the school community. Their key
for a brand new team question was, “What elements need to be in place to
MEETINGS AND MORE

support our goal of becoming the very best educators
OUTCOMES: Develop connectivity within a new as well as continuous learners?” Metaphors were the
team and articulate their beliefs and approaches quickest way to help them articulate these concepts.
for a thriving culture of staff learning
SPECIFIC VISUAL OUTCOMES: Introduce

visual collaboration and metaphor work as
a cornerstone of their team process
Metaphors are probably one of the most accessible

and impactful ways for people to discuss thinking
and feeling. Metaphors have a way of getting under Figure 2: Reflect, Relate, and Refine
our skin. (See what I did there?) When we use visual
metaphors to explain our ideas and thoughts, we dive
below the surface of our thinking and explore territory CREATING THE BUZZ: METAPHOR MADNESS
never before articulated. Like Forrest Gump’s “Life is This process is based on four steps:
like a box of chocolates,” our world is full of artifacts
that can be linked to a concept and its components. 1. Reflect
Metaphors for a strong collaborative learning culture
created by teams I have worked with include: 2. Relate
∙∙a lush garden 3. Refine
∙∙a strong tree 4. Share
∙∙a beehive
STEP 1: REFLECT.
∙∙a parachute and safety net SPEND TIME INDIVIDUALLY ON THE CONCEPT
Individually, each person reflected, from their
∙∙a box with people bursting out of it perspective, on the key elements of a thriving
professional learning culture. They identified
∙∙a transformer a visual image or metaphor that represented
the concept to them. Then they drew this image
∙∙a fair, complete with roller coaster, arcade, onto a card, bringing the metaphor to life.
and ferris wheel (the concepts beneath
this one were particularly fun!) Nevada Lane’s chapter, Visual Meeting Warm-
Ups, contains an array of ideas for engaging
(See Sophia Lang’s chapter, Metaphors In Visual people in reflection during the initial stages
Practice, for a more in-depth view on how to use them.) of any meeting by using visual metaphors.
STEP 2: RELATE
Image 2: A Small Team Co-Creating Their Metaphor
STEP 2: RELATE. discussing the intricacies of their particular

SHARE METAPHORS, AND LISTEN DEEPLY TO metaphor and refining their thinking (Image 2).
OTHERS
Table groups of five shared their metaphors and the
meaning behind them. They listened to make connec- STEP 4: SHARE.
tions, test thinking, and learn more about each other. SHARE SMALL-GROUP METAPHORS WITH THE
This step required the application of higher-order LARGER COMMUNITY
thinking skills. Merely listening to each other and nod- Each team then shared with the rest of the room.
ding was not enough. Discovering the underlying be- This step was important to link the concepts at
liefs of each metaphor uncovered a depth of discussion a whole-school level. I often challenge small
that we needed. After everyone shared, a robust debate teams to add their own flavor to complement
was held to identify the themes, highlight and explore the visual metaphor. I have had an interpretive
the outliers, and identify the alignment. Relationships dance, a floor show, and a presentation of slam
between metaphors were tested and developed. poetry—this redefines the dreaded report out!
Metaphors provide the framework to delve deeply into

STEP 3: REFINE. our thinking. When we listen to each other’s views of
SYNTHESIZE AND ALIGN THE CONCEPTS, the world, our listening must be deep and focused,
CREATING A NEW METAPHOR THAT tested by asking thoughtful questions. This brings
RESONATES out the similarities and the differences between the
The groups of five then brought their ideas together metaphoric concepts. The frame of deep listening in
into a shared metaphor. Their instructions were to the sharing process was vitally important for this new
collaboratively draw this new metaphor, which encom- school team—and any team. It provided insight into
passed their aligned beliefs. Some groups mixed their what they would be creating together, and furthered
metaphors; others moved completely to a new meta- their commitment to the necessary behaviors. It
phor that covered their aligned concepts and beliefs. also helped them take a big step in the building of
genuine trust. The whole team selected the metaphor
This step was great fun. People took the metaphor that most resonated with them, and they are now
to extremes to ensure the key concepts would taking it forward into their new school (Figure 1).
be understood by the rest of the room. Everyone
crowded around the paper with markers in hand,
SPECIFIC VISUAL OUTCOMES: Introduce visual

collaboration tools and metaphor work
as a cornerstone of team processes.
To engage the whole staff to think about the future of

education, we provided provocation. After presenting
media such as Prince Ea’s video,6 “I Just Sued the
School System,” Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk,7 “Do
MEETINGS AND MORE

Schools Kill Creativity,” and data from future institutes
on the workforce skills needed in the near future,
discussion quickly ignited. Table groups identified
characteristics and attributes that students require
to thrive in life, both now and in the years ahead.
Each group created a visual image of a student
with these key concepts portrayed. The discussion
centered around where the pedagogy currently
provided development of these skills, and where
evolution within and across disciplines was required.
Figure 3: A Co-Created Learning Culture Metaphor We then explored the history of the school using visual
journey maps. These maps created an opportunity for
(See Anthony Weeks’ Centering Listening in Visual people to reflect on the development of the school
Practice and Sophia Liang’s Tackling Our Listening over time. Our journey map showed a meandering
Mindset to gain deeper distinctions on listening.) line denoting the passage of time (Image 3). Our large
group broke into teams of six—all mixed in terms
of years at the school. Each group then discussed
CASE STUDY THREE: BUILDING THE CASE FOR their journey using a legend of visual icons.
CONNECTION AND CHANGE USING VISUALS
CLIENT: Junior high school, New Zealand This legend included:
PARTICIPANTS: 80 educators—school ∙∙Goals

leaders and classroom teachers
∙∙Programs
APPROACH: Single-day workshop
∙∙Community Involvement
BACKGROUND: The new school principal was
seeking greater innovation in classrooms, and ∙∙Pedagogy Development
greater collaboration within and between faculty
∙∙Professional Learning Journey
OUTCOMES: Increased connectivity and align-
ment between faculty, administration, and staff; ∙∙Key Milestones / Major Events
increased understanding of continual need for
evolving teaching practices; and increased need ∙∙Learning
to apply innovation in learning practices
6 Watch Prince Ea’s video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqTTojTija8.

7 Watch Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk here: www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.
grounds, imagining themselves in five years’ time.

They jotted down ideas as they walked. Returning
to the main room, each team visually created their
faculty purpose and metaphor, the skills they wanted
to develop in their students, and how they needed to
work together to bring these goals to life. The quality of
the dialogue was the critical piece. The visual standard
was not a criterion for success, so people did not feel
closed down by comparison, nor were they impeded by
a previous mindset about their creative capabilities.
Image 3: A School Team Discusses the Journey of the School
while Creating a Journey Map This workshop was not a stand-alone. Future work
was needed to advance the co-creation started
After this process, the entire group discussed during this day. The workshop’s initial visual artifacts
the main developments and the impact on the provided a link for future discussions at the school.
classrooms and learning. Many of those who had Faculty leaders and the senior leadership team
been skeptical about change were now active linked their goals and plans to the common language
participants in the activity and conversation. established during these discussions. In general,
the staff members who experienced this level of
The afternoon session included visioning the future of co-creation have built more trust, established a
their disciplines. In faculty teams, groups of eight went more profound understanding of each other, and
on a Wondering Walk around the school. The teams provided a greater alignment of their vision.
wandered and wondered through the classrooms and
Figure 4: Arts Faculty: Purpose, Metaphor and Commitments

MEETINGS AND MORE

Figure 5: Technology Faculty: A Chameleon Metaphor
Whether you are a school leader and educator interest- Author note: The Grove Consultants International8
ed in engaging your staff in collaborative conversations, have a number of high-quality templates and
or a visual facilitator curious about how a school team accompanying guides that are very useful when
might apply visuals, I encourage you to give it a try. The guiding a school through a strategic planning
future relevance of our education systems depends on phase. Visit the section on Templates to spark your
the quality of our teachers’ practice, as well as their experimentation with tools and give them a go!
commitment. Working together visually helps school
teams become committed co-creators of great pedago-
gy. They hear and understand each other in a deeper,
more connected way. There is higher trust, and they
support one another as they step into a new learning
zone to build their skills as collaborative change
agents. Together, they create an energy that builds
momentum and, ultimately, a better education system.
8 For more information, see: www.grove.com.

WORKS CITED:
Dweck, Carol. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

Ballantine Books, 2007.
Ezard, Tracey. The Buzz: Creating a Thriving and Collaborative Staff Learning Culture. Lulu.com, 2015.
Hattie, John. “Hattie Ranking: 252 Influences And Effect Sizes Related To Student Achievement.”
Visible-learning.org, visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizeslearning-achievement.
“I Just Sued the School System.” YouTube, uploaded by Prince Ea, 26

Sept. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqTTojTija8.
Robinson, Ken. “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” Ted.com, Feb. 2006,

www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.
The Grove Consultants International: Visual Facilitation for Teaming, Collabora-

tion and Change. The Grove, www.grove.com. Accessed 10 June 2019.
Sir Ken Robinson. Sir Ken Robinson, sirkenrobinson.com. Accessed 10 June 2019.
Yong Zhao: Education in the Age of Globalization. Zhao Learning, zhaolearning.com. Accessed 10 June 2019.
Meetings and More
Matthew Magain
BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH

THE EMPATHY FORECAST
The most effective way to communicate with someone is to truly
understand their point of view—to feel what they are feeling, to have
empathy. Without empathy, our message is sure to go unheard.
Dialogue
286 BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH THE EMPATHY FORECAST DIALOGUE
BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH

THE EMPATHY FORECAST
In the chapter A Bulletproof Process for Creating Consulting2 (for an in-depth look at the Empathy
Sketch Videos, I recommend running a workshop at the Map, check out Dean Meyers’ chapter, Facilitating
beginning of a sketch video project—before you start Human-Centered Design: People Come First). The
shooting—to elicit key information from your client. Empathy Forecast that we’re about to discuss leans
heavily on the original principles of the Empathy Map.
In this chapter, we’ll explore the aforementioned
workshop in detail as we discuss the Empathy Forecast, An Empathy Map is an effective tool to encourage
an easy-to-run activity to kick off a successful sketch clients, stakeholders, and team members to
video project—or any other communication activity. collaborate, contribute, and think about a product
or service from the end user’s perspective. This
By combining facilitation and some basic structured technique forces participants to put
illustration, you, too, can help your clients build themselves into the shoes of the target audience.
empathy, narrow the scope of a project, and
create targeted messaging that will ensure the The activity challenges participants to imagine
success of your communication project. what the viewer might be thinking, feeling, seeing,
saying, hearing and doing, so that the message
we communicate can be crafted to speak directly
INTRODUCTION to those opinions, assumptions, and emotions.
At Sketch Group,1 the workshop we run at the start of
every video project is an activity called the Empathy Where an Empathy Map can fall short, however, is its
Forecast. While this activity is invaluable for us when focus on the Before state—before the person at the
creating sketch videos for our clients, its use is not heart of the map has consumed your message (email,
creating sketch videos for our clients, its use is not video, presentation, or other communication). Captur-
limited to video projects—any communication or design ing this snapshot is useful, but it doesn’t encourage the
problem will benefit from running it with a group. group to envision what might be possible in the After
state—after the viewer has consumed the message.
Once you understand how it works, I hope you’ll
find new ways to share this activity, and continue At Sketch Group, we deliberately break the Before
to benefit from the insights it delivers. and After stages into separate activities. This
way, we can explicitly encourage groups that we
work with to ponder what might be necessary
EMPATHIZING WITH THE VIEWER to make their projects a roaring success.
Years ago I stumbled across an incredibly useful
group activity called the Empathy Map, which
was first developed by David Gray from XPLANE
1 For more on Sketch Group and our services, visit: www.sketchgroup.com.au.

2 Visit XPLANE Consulting at www.xplane.com.
DIALOGUE BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH THE EMPATHY FORECAST 287
MEETINGS AND MORE

Image 1: Running an Empathy Forecast is simple,
fun, and often delivers invaluable insights.
HOW TO RUN AN EMPATHY FORECAST Use a large canvas, and draw the diagram
Here are the steps to follow when facili- as big as you can, so your group has plenty
tating an Empathy Forecast activity. of space to add their contributions.
1. Run a Modified Empathy Map for the Before State. The group then fills out each part of the map
with their ideas for what the target audience
Draw the diagram as shown in Figure 1 on a flipchart might be thinking, feeling, seeing, saying, hearing
or whiteboard, and arm everyone in the group with and doing, until they’ve run out of ideas.
markers and sticky notes. Ask the group to identify
the target audience of the communication, and draw
a face of this persona at the center of the map (I like
to draw him or her with a frown, or looking confused).
Figure 1: The Before state.

Focus on a Real Person

When narrowing down the target audience, try to get as
specific as possible. Sometimes I’ll ask the group if they
have an actual person in mind, and then caricature that
person for the activity. Of course you’ll want your com-
munication to resonate with more than one person,
but it’s often easier for the group to think of a single
person who may be particularly difficult to convince. If
they persuade that person, others will also be swayed.
It goes without saying that when doing this, it’s

important to get agreement within the room that
the diagram should remain confidential—you
don’t want the subject of your caricature to learn
they were being talked about in this way! Figure 2: The After state.
2. Run Another Empathy Map for the After State.
When the group has exhausted their ideas in the Add Humor to Your Sketches
Before state, explain to them that you will be repeating Give your workshop participants a chuckle—draw the
the activity for after the audience has consumed target persona at the center of your After map looking
your communication. Whether your message is to happier than in the Before map, to reflect the positive
explain, educate, or promote, for the client to feel impact your communication will have on the audience.
your work has been a success, there must be a
desired shift in the mindset of the viewer. Now is Reframe Your Questions When They Feel Awkward
the time to flesh out what that shift will entail. Depending on the context of the problem
your group is trying to solve, some of the After
This time around, you’ll run the questions may feel a bit out of place.
activity slightly differently:
1. Draw a modified version of the map, as

shown in Figure 2. Leveraging techniques from
comic books, such as speech and thought
bubbles, will pique the group’s curiosity and
renew their engagement in the workshop.
2. For this phase, take control of the whiteboard

marker. Instead of another brain dump onto sticky
notes, ask the group to call out phrases for each
section on the wall. With you doing the writing, they’ll
find the task less of a chore—plus you’ll get to control
the scope of the phrases that are volunteered.
DIALOGUE BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH THE EMPATHY FORECAST 289
Thinking, feeling and saying often come easily, but example, holding a mouse next to a computer
the other three are frequently less obvious. Here screen and clicking on the ‘Sign Up’ button, or,
are some sample questions you may find useful: if they’d like to encourage the viewer to make
a phone call, holding a phone to their ear.
• How do you want your user to see this
problem after they’ve consumed your 3. Connect the Dots Between Before and After.
communication? Do they see it in a new light?
The final step in the Empathy Forecast activity is to
MEETINGS AND MORE

• What will your user hear others say connect the lines between each of the corresponding
about this issue after receiving your sections in the Before and After maps. Use a
message? What will the conversations different color marker to clarify the associations
around the water cooler sound like?
between the two maps. For each connecting line,
• What do you want your user to do after ask the group, “What does the audience need to
they’ve digested your communication? What’s hear from us to shift them from where they were
the Call to Action you’d like them to take? before to where we want them to be after?”
Draw Your Call to Action In each section, the answer to this question will
I save my question about what the group believes provide you with valuable messaging, language,
their target viewer is doing for last. This question and specific phrases upon which to base your
will reveal the client’s desired Call to Action. communication script. Take the best phrases
that come from this discussion and write them
Instead of writing about this action, consider along the connecting lines that you’ve drawn.
drawing the persona performing the action—for
Figure 3: The completed Empathy Forecast.

That’s it! Once you’ve completed the Empathy Author note: I’d like to extend a word of gratitude
Forecast activity, photograph the entire sketch, to Kerstin Norburn from Sketch Group, whose
and share the images with participants after the input on shaping this activity was invaluable.
meeting. There may be quite a lot of detail, so
be sure to include close-ups of each section. WORKS CITED:
Go Forth and Forecast Gray, Dave, et al. Gamestorming: A Playbook for

While it’s not a substitute for real data on what Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers.
viewers might think, feel, see, say, hear, and do, O’Reilly Media, Inc., 2010.
an Empathy Forecast is a powerful tool. Use it to:
Sketch Group: Professional Whiteboard Animations,
∙∙Narrow the scope of your messaging Explainer Videos, Graphic Recording, Sketchnoting,
Graphic Facilitation, and Illustration by Sketch Group.
∙∙Give participants the opportunity to Sketch Group, www.sketchgroup.com.au.
engage in a creative and fun activity, Accessed 07 Jan. 2019.
something beyond their regular work
XPLANE. XPLANE Consulting, www.xplane.com.
∙∙Encourage empathy amongst Accessed 22 Jan. 2019.
participants for the viewer
∙∙Create a buy in between clients and stakeholders
∙∙Quickly understand both the problem

and your client’s goals
∙∙Demonstrate your professionalism

and process as a consultant
∙∙Discover targeted messaging and the key phrases that

are most likely to resonate with your target audience
It’s an easy activity to run, and will deliver

valuable insights and targeted, useful language.
I hope you find it as useful as I have!
Meetings and More
Sophia Liang
THE METAPHOR
IN VISUAL PRACTICE
“Those who have prided themselves in being literal, and who
have endeavoured to speak plainly, with no mystical tomfoolery,
about the highest abstractions, will be found to be among
the least signifi ant of writers. . . But open your Plato, and
you will find ourself among the great creators of metaphor,
and therefore among the masters of meaning.” –C.S. Lewis
Images and Stories
294 THE METAPHOR IN VISUAL PRACTICE IMAGES AND STORIES
THE METAPHOR IN VISUAL PRACTICE
Image 1: A screenshot of the virtual interview. Top row, left to right: Sophia Liang (editor of this chapter),
Jeroen Blijsie (co-editor of this book), Wendy Wong. Center row, left to right: Dean Meyers, Tim Hamons,
Malte von Tiesenhausen. Bottom row, left to right: David Sibbet, Mary Alice Arthur.
met•a•phor1 Let’s explore how metaphors have been used in visual

facilitation, how we are using them now, and how we
/‘meda fôr,’meda ’far can stretch beyond our comfort zone.
An unabridged transcript of the conversation is
1. a figure of speech in which a word or available at theworldofvisualfacilitation.com.
phrase is applied to an object or action
to which it is not literally applicable.
THE POWER OF THE METAPHOR
2. a thing symbolic of something else. It’s no surprise that metaphors are one of the most
powerful tools in our visual tool kit. The use and
creation of metaphors can shape our behavior,
HOW WE MADE THIS CHAPTER2 our reality, and the way we think about the world.
To explore the power and use of metaphor, we brought Throughout history, we have used metaphors to
together seven visual practitioners who work deeply understand and explain the complexity of the human
in this space around the world. This chapter, edited experience and our surrounding world. The use of
by Sophia Liang, is a summary of their conversation, metaphors is so pervasive in our lives—both at the
and a compilation of their stories and their learnings. conscious and subconscious level, and so ingrained in
1 “Metaphor.” Lexico by Oxford, www.lexico.com/en/definition/metaphor.

2 The opening quote is from “Bluspels and Flalansferes: A Semantic Nightmare,” from Selected Literary Essays.
Images and Stories THE METAPHOR IN VISUAL PRACTICE 295
our language, that we don’t always realize we’re using

them. They are a powerful presence in human history
—alive in our language, songs, dances, stories, and
religion—used to communicate and create meaning.
I talk about story as the human operating
MEETINGS AND MORE

system, but I think metaphor is our
shorthand—it’s how we get traction on
the brain . . . we have a language full of
metaphor, and we don’t necessarily realize
that’s true.
–Mary Alice Arthur
Figure 1: Metaphors give voice to our inner selves.

As visual practitioners, the power of the metaphor
is one we need to wield carefully. Visual metaphors
can surface hidden assumptions and frameworks, CRACKING THE METAPHOR CODE
allowing us to unearth and unravel complex There is not one right way to bring metaphors into
ideas, relationships, and systems. An outdated or our work. As our conversation wove in and out,
misaligned metaphor can send the group off in the following various threads, the richness and breadth
wrong direction. Cultivating our own awareness to of experiences was apparent. Stories of the power
recognize when metaphors emerge and how they of metaphors emerged from storytelling, facilitation,
create intentional and unintentional meaning and graphic facilitation, and life experiences. From molding
impact is critical to harnessing their power. clay with our hands, and immersive experiences with
an orchestra, to asking groups to build their own path
to metaphors, the canvas was vast, blank, and spacious.
Let’s take a look at some of the themes that emerged.
Metaphors are a main pillar of our work
as visual practitioners. They can work Activating Awareness
globally or they can be really individual. We don’t realize that metaphors are present in our
They might be complex or they might daily lives. They show up in our daily language and
seem simplistic, but they are never trivial! influence our belief systems. Mary Alice Arthur called
Metaphors are a portal into the purple metaphors a “shorthand for communication, a way of
mind, as described in Spiral Dynamics.3 getting traction to the brain.” Often, we’re unconscious
They can be a way for the magical-mysti- of their existence or their impact on our behavior (and
cal to find a voice in a process. This stage on the behavior of others). What happens when we’re
of development lives in all of us, and met- not aware of metaphors at work? Whether awareness
aphors can unleash the positive energy of is at the individual or the group level, metaphors allow
it. When we feel that everyone around us us to make sense of the world and of things that are
is in contact, has some meaning, and is bigger than us. When we’ve activated awareness, we’re
living with and talking to us—this is where able to build understanding, bridge cultural gaps,
metaphors are really strong. and potentially create a new way of emergence.
–Malte von Tiesenhausen
3 Spiral Dynamics, a psychological term, describes individual awareness and development on both a personal level and a collective (or
global) level. The purple level represents animism, mysticism, tribalism, shamanism, and so forth.
296 THE METAPHOR IN VISUAL PRACTICE Images and Stories
How do you become awake to the thing “I’m going to be the traffic cop.”
you’re living in? If you don’t realize what
you’re in, then it has power over you. It turns out that framing—when you’re
–Mary Alice Arthur scribing what you’re going to do, and
framing it by telling little stories in
metaphors about your role—is part and
The theme of awareness, both as individuals and parcel of the tool kit of a visual facilitator.
groups, surfaced repeatedly in our conversation. What –David Sibbet
are our stories—culture, family, religion, physical
and social experiences—and how do they inform the
way we walk in the world? What are the stories that
others walk in? How do we surface those stories to I spent more than twenty-five years
activate awareness in both ourselves and others? living in New Zealand, and what I found
out was not only do you have a clash of
In order to learn and to cultivate, to culture, you have a clash of metaphors. In
go into the awareness that, yes, we’re places that have been colonized, there is
using metaphors constantly, I propose a bashing together of storylines. A Maori
that metaphors always have to do with person would see the timeline of life in
contact. Contact to other people, to things, a totally different way. Western people
to objects, to music and so on. And, of say, “We need to go ahead. The future is
course, contact with ourselves, as a gate- in front of us.” In the Maori tradition, the
way to our subconscious. I am convinced future is behind you and the past is in
that creativity needs a response, and front—in fact, they would say, “Why go into
I think that a metaphor occurs when all the future, there’s no one living there?”
these particles of response start to cluster Everything that has happened, the con-
into something we can talk about. nection between lines of ancestors, stands
–Malte von Tiesenhausen around you and you are part of it. You
are not the end of the line with nothing
in front of you. You are only part of this
long line which stretches on from you.
We’re writing this book on visual con-
sulting, and one of the first steps—first
challenges—is activating awareness.
It happens right at the beginning of
anything you do with a client when
you start “framing” what you’re doing,
which itself is a metaphor. Here are
some examples of different metaphoric
frames for the facilitator role:
“I’m going to be mirroring what you say.”

This clash of culture—when the European
“I’m going to be dancing with the culture hit the Maori culture, which is
meaning that you’re making.” true for any indigenous culture—is an
absolute clash of storyline. So how do we
“I’m going to help midwife your best ideas.” become aware of those things? In fact, the
indigenous people look at us with a bit of Our discussion surfaced several stories that expressed
humor and say, “You have the watches; we the power of working through metaphors with groups.
have the time.” Which is kind of funny. Incorporating metaphor enabled conversations
–Mary Alice Arthur to be more collaborative and iterative in nature,
giving the voices in the room a way to express and
share in a different way. Actively working together
using metaphors has the potential to not only name
MEETINGS AND MORE

Releasing Barriers and Bridging Understanding the unnamed, but to build shared understanding
Ever find yourself in a room where the most important and, ultimately, change the conversation.
issue is the one not discussed? What happens
when we’re working across groups and cultures? We were working with multiple stakehold-
Opportunities for misunderstanding and misalignment er groups from business, government, and
are vast in our world today. A basic metaphor can the nonprofit sector in a fourteen-month
be universal across cultures and represented by collaborative think tank called Ideas
a single image; on the other hand, a simple emoji Indonesia to foster systemic change in the
may convey several meanings, depending on vast archipelago. One of the participants
where you are in the world. How do we bridge that was the owner of one of the oldest and
divide—the said and unsaid, the seen and unseen? largest mines in the country. He stood up
and passionately declared, “Our company
Metaphors create openings. As we start to unearth is raping the earth of the natural resourc-
the complexity of our interactions, assumptions, and es. I want to change, I want to adapt with
experiences with one another, metaphors create environmental concerns, but it’s not in my
a safe space to explore those thorny issues. Sacred hands. I can’t control where we’re going.”
cows, elephant in the room—these are metaphors
that enable us to call out the invisible walls that The groups were working kinestheti-
hinder us from moving forward. Using metaphors cally through their ideas, shaping and
allows us to step out of our own stories, gain a new modeling their challenges and solutions
perspective, and begin to find common ground. using simple building materials, such
as modeling clay and pipe cleaners.
In the multicultural environment of They were exploring metaphors to work
Singapore, where teams and leaders who through complex systemic issues. In
represent a wide range of values, cultures, doing so, they were able to come up
and languages are the norm, every with alternative stories about how they
meeting has an underlying cross-cultural could see these situations and new
component. One leader will speak in ways in which to approach them.
metaphors and stories, while another
is more analytical and straight to the Through the process, other members were
point. There is often plenty of room for able to generate new ideas on how to look
misalignment or misunderstanding. Visual at the mining industry. The owner became
metaphors can help to overcome some very emotional as he shared, “Now I begin
of these communication gray zones and to see what we can do, because someone
bridge the gaps between meaning and else has helped me. New opportunities
understanding. are presenting themselves.” So the
–Tim Hamons creative process of exploring and finding
metaphors can disarm people from
their usual roles and frames of thinking. The most powerful metaphors come
Metaphors connect people with new from the group itself. I worked with
stories about who they are and what’s a knowledge management team from
possible for them to achieve. the New Zealand tax department, and we
–Tim Hamons were looking for a metaphor to explain
the management team’s role to the larger
information technology (IT) team. IT was
huge, and knowledge management was
One reason why metaphors are meaning- very small. It took several iterations and
ful for us is not just because we appreci- a couple of hours but we finally worked
ate them as abstract concepts or things through the metaphor. You know the
of beauty, but because we often live in Lonely Planet guide books? We decided
them. Last year I served at a public policy the knowledge management team was the
executive education program. During one editorial team of the Lonely Plan-IT Guide.
of the final sessions on leadership, the And that made everyone else in the orga-
facilitators placed the participants within nization a stringer for the Lonely Plan-IT
an orchestra. The orchestra performed Guide saying, “I love this café. I like going
pieces of music by Schubert. Periodically, over there.” So it’s not that everyone had
the music stopped and participants were to file a huge report in the department,
debriefed about what it was like sitting but everybody had to give their bit of
in the orchestra. Each participant was information. Then, like the Lonely Planet
actually experiencing one part of the guide books, you could order the whole
orchestra. Not just hearing the music, book, a specific chapter, or you could get
but also watching the musicians’ body the bit you needed sliced and diced. When
movements and their relationships with we cracked that metaphor, it was a relief.
the conductor and with one another. The The feeling was, “Now we get it, and now
tactile aspect of living inside a metaphor we have something that we can say to
for learning created another kind of the rest of the organization so they can
reaction. understand what we do, too.”
–Wendy Wong –Mary Alice Arthur
A New Way—Exploration, Creativity,

Freedom of Expression
It’s interesting to think of problem-solving

not as bridging [two separate points of
view], but as creating a third way, which is
a metaphor used by Bill Ury and Thomas
Hübl in their Meditate and Mediate4
course. The idea essentially states that
the right way is not my way, and it’s not
your way, but there’s a third way that
Figure 3: A metaphor comes to life as participants are seated we can discover together. I think visual
inside a live orchestra. practice is a powerful third way.
–David Sibbet
4 For more information, visit www.meditateandmediate.com.

The new way embodies exploration, freedom of what the range animals were. “They’re
expression, and limitless creativity. Using language, our projects. All the projects are range
music, visuals, experiences—and often in varied animals.” “Are there other kinds of
combinations—enables us to explore without res- animals?” “Yeah, there are predators.”
ervations and opens us to new possibilities without “What are those?” The group identified
defensiveness or blame. By expanding the way we predator projects as the ones that run
work with metaphors, we can lower the walls built by around eating up the other projects. At
our preexisting stories, and allow a new conversation this point, there were howls of laughter as
MEETINGS AND MORE

to emerge. This gives us the ability to shift the way they began to talk about the realities of
we view our world, and begin to build a new path. their white space culture through the lens
of the metaphor. This approach granted
An organization asked me to lead a work- the most connected and interesting
shop on managing the white space—the conversation they’d had to date about
aspects of their work not configured by the white space. It just started happening
clear organization charts, project plans, with these little questions. Putting the
and roles. I decided to use metaphor as pens down and getting the group to open
a way to talk about the white space. I was up, play, and ultimately speak real truths
interested in tapping into the group’s to each other.
experiential metaphors for cooperation. –David Sibbet
Experiential metaphors are deeply
embedded icebergs of meaning, where
people are pointing at something based
on years and years of formative experi-
ence. We started by putting up a chart
and having everyone create a sticky note
of the most formative team experience
they’d ever had. Just a word and then,
very quickly, organized the notes into
similar groups—sports, musicians, army,
ranchers. They then had a simple task to
fill in this sentence: Our organization is Figure 3: A metaphor can provide substance and clarity to
like a . . . We looked at the metaphors and abstract intangibles.
asked ourselves, “What does this help us
see? Where does it blindside us? What I created a kinesthetic and visual activity
does it obscure? What does it clarify?” where we created a time capsule, and the
time capsule itself was a storage box for
I asked the group to choose one cards. Participants wrote down what was
metaphor to explore in depth as a full so great about the other company [that
group. They chose: Our organization is they previously worked for, which was ab-
like a ranch. Using a huge sheet of paper, sorbed through an acquisition], and what
I drew a line across the page and said, specific things about working there they
“It’s a ranch, what kind of soil does it really missed. We mounted the cards onto
have?” Somebody said chelate, which a wall and read through them together.
is like clay. “Really?” I asked. “And what Then we decorated the time capsule. By
happens on the ranch? What does the actively creating these objects, group
ranch do?” “Range animals.” I asked members freed themselves to openly
express deep feelings that they might you don’t know your symbology, you can
not have been able to express in a more have a real challenge when it comes to
conventional work environment. At the cross-cultural metaphor.
end of the day, the cards came off the wall –Mary Alice Arthur
and went into the time capsule and the
time capsule box was handed over to the
team leader. The group decided to open
the box in three years. This activity was
a combination of role-playing, kinesthetic
activities, and visual activities. The core
of this experience was using metaphor to
give these people the freedom to express,
be creative, and explore.
–Dean Meyers Another experience involving metaphor
became a borderline disaster. A group
of Russians, right after glasnost,5 came
METAPHOR MISSES to the United States with the wild idea
While metaphors can be extremely effective, we also of getting artists and environmentalists
have to note when they don’t work. The most powerful from Russia together with artists and
and relevant metaphors come from those created environmentalists from California. The
together. A forced metaphor may harm more than it small grant that funded the gathering
helps. Metaphors may also evolve, lose meaning, or didn’t provide enough money for
need a refresher over time. Here are a few stories a translator, so the leader from Russia,
that illustrate when metaphors didn’t work. who was bilingual, translated all day. He
was exhausted, as was everyone else.
The Russians wanted to go back to the
city, but we organizers had planned an
I was at a conference in Malaysia; one of evening campfire of delicious sharing.
the speakers was a woman from Turkey. Unfortunately, it was a rainy night in
Turkey is a very interesting place for the Marin Headlands. What could we
crossing cultural patterns. East and West do? We couldn’t have a campfire.
kind of collide right at that point, and she
had been based in Washington DC for I improvised. I drew a campfire on
quite a long time. At the workshop she a flipchart and engaged the translator.
asked everyone to look at their issues, I intended to say, “I want to write global
own them, and then [instructed them to] campfire around this picture, then gather
“kill the dragon.” Of course, everyone from everyone to share their journals and
the Chinese culture went, “What?” She stories of the day.” But no sooner had
didn’t know why because, from a Western the word global left my mouth than he
cultural perspective, the dragon is the began shaking his head. “Nyet. Nyet.
guardian that you must slay to reach the KGB. No.” I could tell from this almost
treasure. From an Eastern perspective, the violent reaction that global was clearly
dragon is a symbol of luck. You want the a nonstarter. So I said, “What about
dragon—the dragon was the symbol of earth?” Yes, that was okay. I asked
the Emperor of China—a royal symbol. If
5 Glasnost, which came about at the end of the Cold War, was the Russian policy of conducting governmental business with more
openness and transparency.
about campfire. Again, “Campfire? I’m interested in applying metaphors to

Nyet. Illegal, no campfires in Russia.” be able to facilitate the things we want
to do, which, in some cases, provokes
No one in St. Petersburg, where most of change or transformation; in other
this group lived, had any association with cases, it enlightens or brings people to
campfires. So where did they tell stories? agreement. The more we know about the
Where did they gather? Around the hearth ways of metaphor, the more tools we have
MEETINGS AND MORE

in the kitchen! What emerged was the in our kit bag to do the work that we want
metaphor earth-hearth, but, oh my! I felt to do.
like I had totally stepped in it. The group –Dean Meyers
reluctantly sat around this earth-hearth
to share their journals and drawings from
the day. The evening did not last long,
but in the end, it was a semi-successful The very first person I ever worked with,
gathering. But this metaphor clash is Jennifer Hammond, came up to me after
branded on my consciousness. a conference saying, “It’s all about the
–David Sibbet listening, it’s all about the listening.” At
first I didn’t understand—I was focusing
a lot on how the charts looked, of
course. But in my practice there has been
a steady movement toward the power of
the witness and the power of the listener,
and how this visual practice is an excuse
to do it explicitly, including all the mis-
take-making. I have begun experiencing
what happens when you combine really,
really attentive dialogic practice with
a visual practice. It’s the overlap of these
two fields that sings to me now. I always
thought I was good at listening, but I’ve
come to appreciate that there is listening
for accurate content, and then there is
listening as a witness on the spirit, soul,
THE LEARNING EDGE—WHAT’S NEXT? mind, and body levels. That’s my learning
When we step to the edge of our comfort zone, we edge right now.
become receptive to knowledge and growth. This –David Sibbet
is where the next evolution of metaphors in our
work will occur. How do we push metaphors beyond
what we already know in our various organizations?
How can we use them effectively and powerfully in Today it’s much harder to find these
service of the people with whom we work? Below, overall strong metaphors that work for
our interviewees share their own learning edge, from everyone because, although the world
virtual reality, to collaboration with adjacent fields. is much more connected, people’s
interests are much more varied. In the
80s and 90s, everybody seemed to know
the same movies. Today that’s true for great respect and admiration for each
Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Star Trek, others’ craft, but what’s beyond that?
but that’s basically it. We have to go What about bringing together people who
much more intentionally into the group work with metaphors in very tactile ways,
to find connecting story patterns and who are engaging all the other senses?
the right metaphors. However, when we Some examples are the maker culture,
find something and hand it over to the or the performing arts. What can we do
group, they really can develop their own together?
thing from it. But I think it’s much more –Wendy Wong
intimate work to find the right metaphor
today than it might have been earlier.
People open up more on that level and
they can go into a creative mood—a less Incorporating virtual reality, and
consuming mood—to really build their specifically, the use of drawing tools,
own metaphors for their situation in their that allow me to go into a nonexistent,
community. non-real environment—a virtual world—to
–Malte von Tiesenhausen draw and create visual metaphors is my
learning edge. My goal is to simplify, for
myself and the people I’m working with,
the process of making the invisible visible.
I had a Dane ask me once, “What do you Another piece that’s really important is to
understand about Denmark?” I said, “On give people the permission or the desire
January 5, 1813, Denmark went bankrupt to have a free and open experience; to
and . . . ” I went on for about ten minutes be able to feel safe and want to explore
and he said, “I think you understand in order to make transformation. I think
more about Denmark than I do.” It’s that’s why I love this LEGO® SERIOUS
because I had really been listening to the PLAY® idea; I put the tools in their hands
stories—I really wanted to know. There’s because they don’t actually need me to
something about being awake in the field translate their metaphors. It’s coming
in which you work. The way we live—how directly from them, unaltered and unbi-
our cultures and societies operate—is ased by me. They’re doing the storytelling;
like an obelisk in the marketplace. It’s so they’re doing the work as they need to.
obvious that nobody sees it. So part of –Dean Meyers
our job is to help people see it so they can
make a choice. A choice that will make
meaning and sense for them.
–Mary Alice Arthur I look at the work we do as a container.
There are many things going on with
any group inside the container—group
dynamics, culture, and communications.
My learning edge is building relationships What’s important for us as facilitators is
with other people who are doing the same to create a strong container. This is how
kind of work but in a different way, and we listen and hold space; it’s about how
in a different language. It is time for us to we show up, our presence. The more I am
think about how we are nurturing these aware of my own filters, judgements,
relationships. At the moment, we have and frames about things which might
limit a conversation, the more value I can WORKS CITED:

bring to these important conversations,
and hold the space which can invite Lewis, C.S. “Bluspels and Flalansferes:
others to look more deeply. I think when A Semantic Nightmare.” Selected Literary Essays,
we increase our awareness of our own Cambridge University Press, 1980, pp. 264-65.
preferences and cultural contexts, we can
more fully tune in to what’s emerging Meditate and Mediate II: A Co-Lab to
for someone else. We create a stronger Transform Conflict. Meditate & Mediate II,
MEETINGS AND MORE

container for groups to identify and www.meditateandmediate.com. Accessed 17 April 2019.
explore their own stories and narratives,
to support deeper work with metaphors. “Metaphor.” Lexico by Oxford,
–Tim Hamons www.lexico.com/en/definition/metaphor.
This chapter just touches upon the power of the

metaphor and the importance it holds in our
stories and work. These visual practitioners have
shared stories of how metaphors have activated
awareness, released barriers, uncovered common
ground, and bridged an understanding to explore
new paths. We hope these stories have opened up
your awareness to the metaphors that surround us,
and inspired you to draw upon them in your work.
304 THE METAPHOR IN VISUAL PRACTICE? Images and Stories
IS YOUR METAPHOR A BOX OR A CATALYST?

By Anthony Weeks She shook her head. “Nope,”
A few years ago, I was working with a profession- she declared. “We are not
al-services firm. A group of senior-level managers
were having a discussion about team capabilities a machine. A machine feels
and their alignment with the core strategy. The
plan was to work together for the morning and so . . . old-fashioned. We
a portion of the afternoon. Mid-afternoon, the
lead partner would join us to hear from the group are part of an ecosystem.”
and participate in the ensuing conversation.
When the lead partner finally arrived, the group,
At some point in the late morning, an earnest bursting with pride, unveiled the graphic and began the
young man—who happened to be one of the conversation about the capabilities of The Machine.
more junior members of the team—offered
a metaphor to help guide the conversation About five minutes into the conversation, the lead
we would have with the lead partner. partner cocked her head to the side and squinted at
the graphic. She shook her head. “Nope,” she declared.
He exclaimed, “We are just like a machine, “We are not a machine. A machine feels so . . . old-fash-
with gears, levers, coordinated functions, ioned. We are part of an ecosystem. We are an adaptive
embedded technology, and autonomy!” system; part of a system of systems. What about some-
thing more organic or biological? From life sciences?”
Cheers went up around the room, and people
congratulated their colleague on his genius idea. The participants all looked at each other, at
“This will be great,” they said. “We can use the first alarmed, and then helpless. What do we do
machine as the guiding metaphor and template now? The metaphor we created is all wrong!
for the conversation. We are The Machine!”
There was an awkward silence.
They turned to me. “Can you draw a big
machine on another chart so that we can The lead partner was right. The machine metaphor
use it for our afternoon conversation?” was all wrong. Something more organic and derivative
from life sciences was much more useful. It wasn’t
I agreed and asked for a couple of volunteers that the person who offered the machine metaphor
to help me draw the machine. This way, it had a bad idea. The issue was that the idea didn’t
would accurately and authentically reflect the fit the needs of the conversation or the group.
character and functionality of the group.
“Would you like me to put up a blank sheet? Maybe
Over lunch and in the early afternoon, as the we can let the metaphor unfold as we talk,” I offered.
participants were involved in small group work,
I drew The Machine according to the expertise And that’s what we did. We reexamined the team as
and input from my trusted volunteers. part of an ecosystem—living, adaptive, and interdepen-
dent. The metaphor was the guide for the conversation,
When we reconvened, the group oohed and aahed but it needed to be emergent, not preordained.
over the graphic. “That’s perfect. It’s beautiful. What
a great template. This will be so helpful to us as we
think about our capabilities and strategic alignment.”
Meetings and More
Anthony Weeks
FACILITATING FOR STORY
We need cultures, processes, and environments that

value stories and actively promote storytelling.
Images and Stories

306 FACILITATING FOR STORY Images and Stories
FACILITATING FOR STORY
Stories feed me. They have throughout my life. As In The Power of Storytelling, Ty Bennet provides us
a kid, I wrote stories, performed stories with my with a potent reminder of the importance of stories:
sisters, and dreamed elaborate stories in my head.
As an adult, I lived in the midst of stories as a social Story creates a spark that
worker, as a graphic facilitator, and as a documentary
filmmaker. Stories were not pure entertainment. ignites a new awareness. It is
They provided meaning. They provided texture.
such an influential ool that
I didn’t completely understand how stories fit into
my work as a graphic facilitator until I rebooted if you use it constructively,
my practice after film school. When I looked at my
graphic facilitation work pre-and post-film school, it can change people’s
it had a marked difference in quality and form.
The post-film school work had movement, flow, hearts and minds . . . Our
sequence, and energy. The work looked different
because my listening was different. I was not just lives revolve around stories.
listening for data. I was listening for story.
Stories are life’s currency. We
I understand the power
are constantly exchanging
of story, but how do
stories, but those who learn
I find the story?
to tell stories well have
a unique ability to teach,
to persuade, to motivate,
and to move people (68).
Story has a lot of currency these days. Many of us
want to be storytellers, at least in theory, because
TED talks, clever CEOs, and brand strategists have told
us that stories are important. When push comes to
shove, though, and we sit down to engage in the real
work, how important are stories? Are they integral
to our ‘real’ work? Or do we defer storytelling to
another time, a time when we can engage in such
luxuries, frivolities, and entertaining avocations?
Images and Stories FACILITATING FOR STORY 307
When I started talking more publicly about story SETTING THE STAGE FOR STORIES
and ‘visual storytelling’ with other graphic facili-
tators and visual practitioners at a conference in
Berlin in 2014, I sensed interest. Some of it was
cosmetic. ‘Visual storytelling’ sounds a little more
@ Seven Important Reasons Why Stories Work
accessible—and stimulating—than ‘graphic recording’ 1. Stories are a common ground.

or even ‘graphic facilitation.’ Some of the interest
was rooted in a genuinely curious question—and 2. Stories ignite the imagination and
MEETINGS AND MORE

sense of frustration: I understand the power of the senses, not just the brain.
story for raising awareness and changing hearts
and minds, but when the information is coming at 3. Stories are a safe way to reveal
me fast and furiously, how I do find the story? our priorities and sense of self.
This is a great question—and one I have asked myself 4. Stories are more effective and durable
as I struggle to discover the semblance of a story in conveying information and truth.
amongst a barrage of statistics, quotations, sound
bites, popcorn-style observations, and bons mots. 5. Stories are viral.
With sweat on my brow and ink stains on my hands,
I have occasionally stepped away from my chart at 6. Stories stimulate a response and action.
the conclusion of a presentation or conversation and
found that I haven’t captured an intelligible story 7. Stories reveal purpose (Bennet, 47).
at all. I’m disappointed. Clearly I’ve failed. Maybe
I’m not that good at visual storytelling, after all. Facilitating a story-based process is predicated on
the belief that stories provide context, meaning,
I can be devastatingly critical of my job performance, connection, and emotional value. Data, statistics, flow
though I’m working on forgiving myself for not always charts, and models are also important. In fact, for
finding a story when it is often painfully difficult to hear many people, quantitative information is absolutely
one. Remember the saying about fitting square pegs essential to the story’s integrity. Still, with all of
into round holes? Trying to find the story in a conversa- the quantitative data in the world, there is a need
tion, process, culture, or environment that is ignorant for stories to help us consider the fundamental
of story—or even hostile to it—is a fool’s errand. question: Who cares? Why does this matter?
Succinctly put, the problem is that we need to As many of us have experienced, presentations
facilitate stories more effectively and genuinely. frequently begin with the drone and drumbeat of
statistics and decontextualized data. Unfortunately,
this is often where they end, as well. If we are lucky,
the facilitator might save five minutes at the end of the
We need processes, cultures, presentation to ask, “Does anyone have questions or
anything to add?” We prepare for another data-laden
and environments that presentation, and the onslaught begins anew.
value stories and actively How do we know if we are storytelling?

Stories come in all shapes and structures. A
promote storytelling. single definition won’t suffice. Still, we can
identify stories by establishing a few criteria:
∙∙Stories are rooted in personal experience. They have SAMPLE STORY PROMPTS
an emotional quality. They are fundamentally human.
∙∙Who will love this? Hate it? Why?
∙∙There is often tension, a challenge, or a
problem. The attempt to address and solve the ∙∙Who are the champions? Who has the most at stake?
problem gives us, the story audience, a reason
to care and believe. Moreover, the tension ∙∙What does a day-in-the-life look like
or problem humanizes the story, makes it for someone affected by this?
relevant, and creates space for empathy.
∙∙How will this be transformative? If <blank>
∙∙Stories move and travel. We leave a story at a happens, how will life be different?
different place than whence we entered.
∙∙What are the hopes and fears around this?
∙∙They are memorable and repeatable. At its best,
storytelling involves retelling and contagion. ∙∙What is the main tension/problem/
challenge in this story? Who cares?
∙∙Good stories involve, enrich, implicate, and enlighten
us. We further discover what we think and feel. Stories are told by the narrator, but they gain relevance
in their retelling. Are there opportunities in the
Setting the stage for stories begins with the process process or agenda for story listeners to interact with
design. We need to decide whether this is, indeed, a other people’s stories? Can they ask questions? Talk
conversation—which implies interaction—or a data about their experience with the story? Add context
dump—which implies one-to-many, unidirectional and meaning of their own? Share a related anecdote?
content delivery. Our time is precious; gathering Sometimes, the simplest way to spread stories is to ask
work teams together for face-to-face meetings people to quickly tell or draw their story, and then have
only to regurgitate text and numbers that they someone else retell it. Hearing a story retold by some-
could read on their own is a waste of resources. one reveals remarkable insight about how the story
What if we used our valuable time together to sounds, its clarity and impact, and its memorability.
talk about the meaning of the data? To answer
the fundamental question, why should I care? Stories, in and of themselves, encourage connection
and shared experience. Stories are the work. Stories
help us to learn. Make time to harvest learning
MAKING TIME FOR STORIES and insights.
With most processes, conversations, and meetings,
we are starved for time. In order to support stories ∙∙What do the stories teach us?
and storytelling, we need to make them a priority.
Rethink the ratio of presentation time versus the ∙∙Is there an apparent moral of the story?
interaction, conversation, and storytelling time. If
you are going to ask people to talk about content in ∙∙After sharing stories, where are we emotionally? What
small groups, provide ample time! Don’t shoehorn kind of impact do the stories have on the listeners?
the interaction into the last five minutes before
a break, lunch, or at the end of the day. To make ∙∙Where do we need to go in order to push the
the storytelling process more efficient, offer story stories further? How do we write the next
prompts to spur creative thinking. Write the prompts chapter, figuratively speaking?
on a flipchart and make them visible, or create
individual story prompt cards for each participant.
CREATING THE SPACE different kinds of stories as inspiration. Show one-min-

In addition to making time, create a physical space for ute films from YouTube. Show video clips of story slams,
participants to show and tell their stories. Set the room dramatic monologues, stand-up comedy, or animated
so that people can see each other, hear each other, shorts. Spread out graphic novels, comic books,
interact with each other, and create together. Put ma- advertisements, and photographs (or photo cards) on
terials (such as paper, markers, clay, and LEGO® bricks) the table. Ask people to think about stories (from film,
on the table to stimulate creativity. Design comfortable TV, radio, novels, etc.) that were particularly engaging to
and informal spaces that feel less like classrooms and them, and then create a visible list of what made those
MEETINGS AND MORE

more like labs, playspaces,or incubators. Give people stories engaging and memorable.
room to move, work, spread out, make a mess, and
show their thinking. Include a graphic facilitator/visual Treat the space like a gallery. Prominently display
storyteller as part of the facilitation team! Far from a the story artifacts created by the group and graphic
shameless plug for the career advancement of graphic facilitator. Immersing participants in the emerging
facilitators, the suggestion to include a professional visual chronicle of their story is part of the overall
carries a philosophical and methodological rationale. storytelling process. Where are we in the story? Where
have we been? Where are we going? Create a space
Throughout the process of visual storytelling, where participants are inspired by the visuals, but not
the role of the graphic facilitator is to show dependent on them. Ultimately, our stories live inside
how stories evolve. The graphic facilitator of us, not on our walls.
is a useful keeper, or steward, of the
group story, though the facilitator does Being able to create and configure space for visual
not own the story. All participants should storytelling is essential. If possible, do not use con-
have permission to think of themselves as ference spaces and hotels that won’t allow you to
storytellers, whether or not their primary configure your space for optimal storytelling. Full stop.
medium is visual. In fact, if the group story If needed, you can use portable walls to customize
is too influenced by the graphic facilitator’s your workspace. There are benefits to this, especially
own vision or interpretation, the group’s if the permanent walls are not conducive to a rich and
confidence in their storytelling competency interactive conversation. In any event, choose spaces
diminishes. The graphic facilitator’s canvas where storytelling will flourish, rather than hoping that
becomes a chronicle of the group story. It stories will develop in a dark, awkward, and inconve-
becomes a visual space for testing ideas, nient room. Would you use a space where you couldn’t
learning from them, and further developing hear participants speak? Would you use a space
them. The graphic facilitator’s role gains where participants couldn’t sit down, were physically
importance when the process is dialogic. uncomfortable, or didn’t have access to water? No. Why
How do the stories of the group weave would you use a space where you aren’t able to do
together and intersect? Where do they your work? Stories are the work. Stories are the work.
parallel—or compete with each other? The
graphic facilitator needs to be included in
the conversation space, visibly positioned
to talk openly with the meeting facilitator
and the participants, and must be able to
move easily in relation to the canvas.
People know good stories when they hear them, but

initially, they may need a little help in understanding
what makes a good story. Give participants access to
BUILDING A STORYTELLING CULTURE to story development, the how is also an integral

part. How describes the plot . . . and when telling
stories, a compelling plot means everything.
4. Using data as the starting point for a process and

conversation, not as a replacement for them
Many organizations find solace in prolific data
gathering and data generation because it feels like
Stories are the work. I cannot say it enough. Stories are proof of something. Data is, indeed, valuable and
not just the fun stuff we do when we feel like we have important. But how do we know what it means?
time. Stories are not what we do as a reward for getting How do we hold our data up to the light to study
through the ‘real work.’ Stories are, part and parcel, its different dimensions? The most rigorous data
how we actively engage in the real work of sense-mak- analysis performed with sophisticated quantitative
ing and discovering meaning. Stories are the connec- tools means nothing until we give it meaning.
tive tissue between the data and the question, why Stories help us find meaning, and provide lenses
should I care? Stories turn research into insights, and and filters with which to interpret our world.
insights into action.
5. Inviting people to share personal experiences to
Organizations with story-based cultures hold encourage the creation and discovery of knowledge
a few common values: When we talk to each other, chances are good that
a story will emerge. When we ask people to share
1. A preoccupation with action verbs their thoughts and feelings, we are asking for an
Just as people’s actions demonstrate their invitation into their world—a world defined by
character, action verbs describe situations in emotions, history, experience, wisdom, interaction,
specific and evocative ways. Well-chosen verbs failure, success, hopes, and fears. Good stories
enliven a scene and spark our imagination. open the door for us to experience a particular
world. We do not exist in vacuums; neither do
2. Openness about emotions and feelings stories. There is no question that we, as human
Stories differ from presentations because stories beings, are somehow connected. Stories help
contain nuggets of content imbued with emotion. us understand that connection—to the world, to
The oft-cited maxim, what we measure matters, is each other, to ourselves, and to our own story.
incomplete. I would offer that what we measure
matters, but what we most care about is the Building a storytelling culture is not easy, especially if
why. Caring is an emotional response. We can’t the above-named values are not currently present in
set priorities, find connection, share purpose, the team or organization. First, let’s dispense with the
or make decisions without emotion. Stories notion that storytelling is childish, dumb, demeaning,
surface the emotion and allow us access to it. or silly. We needn’t invent new words or work-arounds
for ‘story’ and ‘storytelling.’ Don’t be afraid of the word
3. An interest in the journey as well as the destination ‘story.’ Stories are as core to the human experience as
My friend and colleague Bob Johansen, a well-re- love, grief, joy, disappointment, and anger. Sometimes,
garded futures thinker and author, says, “Clarity is as facilitators, we need to take the lead in introducing
being clear about where you are going . . . but also teams to the power of storytelling. We can start by
being flexible about how you get there.” Stories reforming and revolutionizing processes that seem
have different shapes, and exploring the different tried-and-true, but are antithetical to good storytelling.
shapes of possible story trajectories can provide
valuable insight. Just as the why is a key component
Every conversation contains a multitude of
@ Do you do these things? Chances

are good that your culture could use
stories. They are hard to hear, though, when
we are not positioning ourselves to get close
to them. The point of getting close to stories is
help in telling better stories: not to make our work easier or more enjoyable
(though these are often wonderful byproducts).
• Text-laden slide decks.
The purpose of facilitating
MEETINGS AND MORE

• Agendas crammed with endless
presentations that include no time for stories is to elevate the
reflection, interaction, or stories about
how to incorporate the content. group’s experience,
• Small-group work that requires strengthen their
participants to fill out templates, rather
than allowing them to engage in personal connections, and uncover
and meaningful conversations.
previously-hidden truths.
• Graphic recordings that dazzle with big
words and impressive drawings, but offer Stories make us better humans because we
no information about the underlying story. become more aware of each other, more empathic,
more involved in a common purpose. When we
• Presenting new product ideas or strategic facilitate storytelling, we are essentially facili-
initiatives without asking, “What do you tating the art of being humane—and human.
think? What do you care most about?
How do you think this will play out?”
Work Samples
A STORY-BASED CHART
This is a live graphic recording from a talk given by the CEO of a health care system, describing the
change process that she led. Note the movement, the arc, the hierarchies of text and color, and the
sequence. I was able to graphically depict the conversation because the speaker was telling a story, not
giving a presentation. It was content-rich, but the story also contained emotion, sequence, and flow.
While the conversation that followed is not included on the chart, it was a rich discussion in which par-
ticipants were given the opportunity to ask themselves and each other, When did I experience a change
that was at first traumatic but eventually fruitful and transformative? (Image by Anthony Weeks)
Image 1: A story-based chart.

A SCATTERGRAM
Though still a useful tool, this chart, which I created in 2014 for the inestimable John Seely Brown, is not
a visual story. It includes large amounts of data (and some great quotes), but participants weren’t able
to speak with JSB after his talk. Additionally, the process did not include time for the participants (all of
them new Chief Information Officers) to converse with each other. They weren’t able to explore those
MEETINGS AND MORE

key questions: What does this mean for me? How do I relate to this content? Where do my own stories
intersect? Nice-looking charts are not the equivalent of well-told stories. (Image by Anthony Weeks)
Image 2: A scattergram.
SEE ALSO:
Tiffany Forner’s chapter on Storymapping discusses practical techniques to build stories with clients—with
thoughtful, clear, and beautifully-rendered results.
WORKS CITED:
Bennett, Ty. The Power of Storytelling. Sound Concepts, Inc., 2013.

Meetings and More
Tiffany Forner
STORYMAP PROJECT LESSONS:

A DESIGNER’S PERSPECTIVE
Creating a Storymap is not just about creating a polished
illustration of complex data. The Storymap process
engages stakeholders with varying data, backgrounds,
functions, and opinions to work together.
Images and Stories

316 STORYMAP PROJECT LESSONS: A DESIGNER’S PERSPECTIVE IMAGES AND STORIES
STORYMAP PROJECT LESSONS:

A DESIGNER’S PERSPECTIVE
Storymaps combine stories with imagery to facilitate presentations—often with forty to sixty slides contain-
understanding and dynamic communication. They ing bulleted text. Some of these materials are helpful,
come in many shapes and sizes, and methods of but many make my head hurt. At this point, I don’t
creation vary widely. The variety I develop combine panic. I take a breath and remind myself that this is
graphic facilitation, sketching, and a series of illustrat- why the client needs us. If they are trying to communi-
ed iterations. The process of designing and revising the cate in this dry, mind-numbing fashion to stakeholders,
map refines the organizational story, and results in or- it’s no wonder they aren’t getting much traction.
ganizational clarity and a polished communication tool.
Sometimes there is no background material and the
Nearly twenty years ago when I began Storymap client hires us to help pull out their story. In this case,
work, I felt as though I was wading through a swamp on a scale of one to ten, the data is at one—existing as
of data, struggling to find a way to communicate disconnected pieces of information in various people’s
a client’s complex situation in a clear and simple heads. No matter the state of the data, I’ve learned that
way. This kind of information design was unlike it’s okay. We will get to the heart of the matter.
anything I’d learned as a design major in college.
After years of practice and collaboration (I currently
work at The Grove Consultants International),2 the
process has gotten easier. This chapter summa-
rizes a few things I’ve learned along the way.
@ Breaking the story line down into chapters
creates digestible chunks of data.
The ‘chapters’ of a client’s story line depend

DON’T PANIC IN THE DATA SWAMP on their communication needs. If a client
OR DATA VOID wants to celebrate successes or learn from
Clients often struggle to wrap their arms around past experience, then focusing on history
the big-picture view of information. Storymaps makes sense. Defining and depicting the
provide this big-picture view. Clients typically need case for change is a key content area for
a Storymap to help them define and communicate clients undergoing transformations. Common
a strategic process, initiative, or vision; to gather bits chapters in a Storymap include client visions
of information on a single page to inform decision and the strategic choices that will create
making; and to build leadership and stakeholder this future state. Clients usually narrow their
understanding and momentum. As the subject chapter choices to keep the communication
matter is usually complex, the process of creating focused. Others may want to communicate
and refining a Storymap can take months. the entire story line: where they’ve been
(history), why they need to change (current
At the beginning of an engagement, clients usually state), where they’re going (vision), and
send us several documents that reflect how they how they plan to get there (strategy).
currently communicate their content. This might
include a series of Word documents or PowerPoint
IMAGES AND STORIES STORYMAP PROJECT LESSONS: A DESIGNER’S PERSPECTIVE 317
This is where skilled facilitation really makes The Storymap process provides unique opportunities
a difference. I marvel at our facilitators’ ability to to bring stakeholders with varying backgrounds,
engage clients in telling their story in a simple, functions, and opinions together. As a group, we get
understandable way. Big, seemingly obvious questions a sense of the critical questions that the Storymap
like, “Who is the audience?” and, “What do they need needs to address for the organization. While we
to know?” can bring forth an amazing amount of may not have answers at the onset of the process,
information. A seasoned facilitator will assess where we embark together on an exploration of these
more clarity and consensus is needed and adjust questions as we build the story together. As a wealth
MEETINGS AND MORE

the initial data-gathering session accordingly. of information pours out of engaged participants,
learning takes place at a cross-boundary level, new
In addition to grasping the essence of what the client connections start to take shape, and the beginnings
needs to communicate, we begin to learn what is not of information ‘buckets’ emerge. The information
in PowerPoint slides: what people care about, what starts to become organized, and I sigh with
scares them about a situation, and what excites them relief. Now I have something I can work with.
about moving forward. These are the emotional hooks
that ignite people’s interests and get them involved.
Figure 1: Basic Storyline.

MEETINGS AND MORE

Figure 2: Initial data-gathering session for a history Storymap.
This chart was roughly 16 feet (approximately 5 meters) long. Graphic facilitation by Laurie Durnell.
Figure 3: The final Unity Council History Storymap.

Imagery created by Tiffany Forner, Ray Patlán, Morgan Valdi, and Ricardo “Panda” Fuentes.
LISTEN FOR THE VISUALS

In these sessions, I spend most of my time listening
for the key phrases, idioms, and metaphors that
come from the group. These are the gems that
naturally lend themselves to visuals. For instance,
a recent client expressed his feeling of uncertainty
regarding his business by saying, “We are in uncharted
waters.” Bingo! This turned into one concept
with a ship image. Another client described their
data-management initiative as an untrustworthy
water-supply system transforming into a steady
stream of clean, pure data (see image below). There
are also tried-and-true metaphors that often emerge:
bridging the gap and ramping up, for example.
Figure 4: Example of a clean water metaphor to explain data management.

Sometimes, rather than a metaphor, shapes will come If the images or shapes aren’t coming easily,
forward. If a client needs to show a community or I try to start with one small piece of the story.
system with a central focus, circular frameworks lend Recently, I worked on a very challenging project;
themselves nicely. If forward movement is a large the only visual I heard was the hierarchy of target
part of the story, I employ various shapes and sizes customers. Understanding that this information
of arrows. Storymaps that tell process stories fit very was key, I developed a drawing of an office building
well in reflexive process-model architecture—Arthur that housed the customer hierarchy. This was the
Young’s Theory of Process2 being the foundational starting point of the Storymap draft (see Figure 5).
MEETINGS AND MORE

example. Breaking the story down to its foundational
architecture is a great starting point. The metaphoric
or illustrative flavor can be layered on from there.
Figure 5: Concept sketch for high-tech client.
@ Metaphoric imagery can be helpful, but don’t let it hinder the process.
If you find yourself forcing a client’s content into your metaphor, take a step back and reassess. The client
may need something more ‘metaphor-light.’ Sometimes a simple diagram offers the most clarity.
2 For more on the Theory of Process, see: grovetools-inc.com/products/the-theory-of-process.

THE CONCEPT STAGE IS OFTEN word does not. Placing sketches in front of a client
THE MOST DIFFICULT moves their thinking forward. Sometimes my concepts
Once we’ve gathered enough organized data or heard get beaten up, but I’ve learned that the rejections
the general story line, we can begin to create concept are incredibly valuable. I hear comments such as,
drawings. At this point in Storymap projects, we suggest “No, it’s not like that, it’s like this . . . ” and I get
that clients pull together a small group or design a clearer description. These discussions are also of
team of stakeholders to review concepts together. great value to the client. Missed concepts help clients
We usually create three concept sketches for a typical face their challenges and determine what needs to be
Storymap project. We do this so that our clients can communicated and what can be omitted. This process
see their information displayed in different visual of reacting to the concepts allows the client the
formats, to test the focus of the emerging story, and to creativity to move their thinking forward toward clarity.
continue building consensus within the group. As we
schedule a meeting or video conference to deliver the The most difficult projects
concepts and discuss the drawings, I prepare myself
for anything. Some projects run very smoothly—the are those that reveal
client connects with one of the drawings immediately,
and we begin creating a first version. If a client’s company-wide issues:
design team likes parts of multiple drawings, my next
step is to pull the pieces together into a new concept. eader who won’t lead,
If the organization has a higher degree of alignment
and communicates well with one another (and with an unaligned group
me), the concept stage tends to be a bit easier.
that won’t communicate
Then there are the difficult projects. I’ve learned
over the years that even when I think I’ve nailed with one another, or an
a concept, I need to have thick skin. These drawings
test an organization’s sense of clarity; at times, things initiative that doesn’t have
just aren’t clear. Interpreting strategy into a visual
tests people’s assumptions in ways that the written organizational support.
Although Storymaps can help leaders and groups

communicate, they won’t solve these fundamental
issues. It usually becomes clear in the concept stage if
one of the above-mentioned issues is in play. Silence
is not a good sign. You may have a terrible time getting
clear information or feedback. Or the leader might have
a tendency to adopt a metaphor-of-the-week, unable
MEETINGS AND MORE

to make a choice. This is also a red flag; it usually
means that the leader changes their mind frequently,
which can result in confusion among employees.
In some of these situations, the concept stage Be open to critique. It may

seems endless. Three concepts are a standard start,
but difficult projects might require seven or eight. be painful to your artistic
Other times, we might realize that the client needs
a different approach. At that point, we must pause ego, but the process will
and reconnect with the project sponsor. Perhaps
the team is struggling to communicate and work serve your clients and
together. In this case, we suggest that we work with
them on team development. Other clients might need you will often learn how
more facilitative consulting on strategic planning
or culture change. In this final case, the Storymap to create something more
often ends up as a foundational piece resulting
from a larger organization-change engagement. meaningful for them.
DURING THE CONCEPT PHASE,

I USE THE FOLLOWING TOOLS:
∙∙First, I draw with pencil and paper to sort out ideas.
∙∙I use a Wacom® Cintiq®3 to draw a more

polished concept in Adobe Illustrator.4
∙∙I conduct a Google image search to boost creative

juices (I celebrate the day this became available).
∙∙Pinterest5 is another wonderful resource for

finding and organizing visual references.
∙∙I also find inspiration in children’s picture books.
3 The Cintiq® is an interactive digital tablet display. For more information, see: www.wacom.com/en-us/products/pen-displays.
4 For more information, see: www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html.
5 To learn about Pinterest, visit: about.pinterest.com/en.
A FLOOD OF FEEDBACK MEANS and needed to be addressed in both the Storymap

THE FOG IS CLEARING and the client’s planning. These beautiful moments of
My favorite stage in any Storymap process is what we realization make Storymaps rewarding for the client
call version 1.0—we’ve landed on a workable concept and for us.
and we begin filling in and refining details. At this
point, the graphic takes on a life of its own as a builder
of clarity. We don’t usually have to pull people
into the conversation after presenting a Storymap
version 1.0, because most of them are more than
@ It’s natural for reviewers to dig
into the tiny details right away, but
eager to talk. We’ve held many hours-long review that’s not always most helpful.
sessions marking up first versions of a Storymap—not
because we got it wrong, but because the client Typical immediate reactions include, This
could finally see the story, and was now able to have is spelled wrong! or Why did you choose
the necessary conversations among stakeholders. this color for that? I try to control the
conversation by asking for feedback about
I remember one instance at The Grove very clearly: As the big picture first. I also explain that
we were visualizing a client’s transformation process, we will have time for the nitty-gritty.
a stakeholder stood up, walked over to the printed
version 1.0, pointed to a particular spot, and said, “This The tool I use most in the version 1.0 phase is Adobe
is the point where the level of effort greatly increases.” Illustrator. Working with this vector format provides us
A resounding chorus of yes! filled the room. This key the greatest flexibility when generating printed maps.
piece of the story had large resource ramifications
MEETINGS AND MORE

Figure 6: Three concept sketches for a hospital system.
TRUST THE ITERATIVE PROCESS used to seeing something produced that they get to
As we move through the Storymap development pick apart. To put reviewers at ease, I often write DRAFT
process, the client continues to refine their communi- in large letters in the upper right-hand corner of the
cation needs. As their message becomes more clear, map. This simple word lets them know that the map
the Storymap wording and imagery become is still being worked out, nothing has been published
clearer, as well. For this very reason, this is yet, and they have an opportunity to contribute to
not a single-version deliverable. The iterative its creation. This works very well with clients who
process builds clarity and communication. ‘focus test’ their maps with customers. Customers
are usually surprised and delighted to be asked
We often urge clients on the design team to take for their feedback, and the client can learn a great
the map, talk to others, and return feedback deal through this kind of stakeholder interaction.
to the group. This way, team members get
to practice telling their new story, and they In a typical Storymap project, we do about three
have an opportunity to listen and learn. iterative versions. That is often enough to work out
any issues. At that point, the client should have the
Reviewing Storymaps can be unsettling for some. story line, alignment, and confidence they need
Depending on work background, people aren’t always to roll out their Storymap to a wider audience.
STORYMAPS ARE LIVING DOCUMENTS Storymaps live on beyond initial rollout. We’ve
Once a client starts presenting with a Storymap, they heard from clients that they often use the same
are often surprised by the reaction. One high-tech Storymap for several years. Others fine-tune their
client6 put it this way: “Across the board, we have heard maps annually to keep up with organizational
feedback that it is refreshing to have a conversation changes. Some clients ask us to do a more substantial
about a transformational IT change without talking update after about five years. In this way, the
technology. It allows us to find common ground with iterative process never really ends, it just extends.
almost anyone, regardless of their level of background
and understanding. This has helped us open
conversations we otherwise would not be having.”
Figure 7: Final Storymap to depict a joint effort between the National Science Foundation
and the National Endowment for the Arts, United States.
6 This feedback was from Kevin Strohmeyer at VMware.

SEE ALSO:
See Anthony Weeks’ chapter Facilitating for Story for

more about the importance and impact of stories.
This chapter is adapted from an article that

originally appeared on The Grove’s blog on Sept.
29, 2016. See Works Cited for more information.
MEETINGS AND MORE

Author note: Thank you to my esteemed colleagues,
Laurie Durnell and Rachel Smith (among others),
for your help in refining my Storymapping process.
WORKS CITED:
“About Pinterest.” pinterest.com,

about.pinterest.com/en. Accessed 15 June 2019.
“Adobe Illustrator CC: Vector Graphic Design Software.”

Adobe.com, www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html.
“Cintiq®: Wacom Pen Displays.” wacom.com,

www.wacom.com/en-us/products/pen-displays.
Forner, Tiffany. “Storymap Project Lessons:

A Designer’s Perspective.”
news.grove.com, 29 Sept. 2016. news.grove.
com/2016/09/29/storymap-project-lessons-a-de-
signers-perspective. Accessed 10 May 2018.
The Grove Consultants International:

Visual Facilitation for Teaming, Col-
laboration and Change. The Grove,
www.grove.com. Accessed 15 June 2019.
“The Theory of Process Poster.”

The Grove Consultants International,
grovetools-inc.com/products/the-theory-of-process.
Meetings and More
Renate Kenter
IMAGEning
THE FUTURE
We cannot predict the future, but we can try to imagine it. In
this chapter we’ll describe the application of visual facilitation
in a scenario-based, strategic approach, and discuss how
you can use scenario-based strategies in your work.
Images and Stories

330 SCENARIO-BASED STRATEGY: IMAGENING THE FUTURE IMAGES AND STORIES
SCENARIO-BASED STRATEGY:
IMAGEning THE FUTURE
WHY NAVIGATE THE FUTURE? about the future. It is one thing to read a story;
The decisions people make today impact and shape it is another to experience the future through
the future. Very often, we base our decisions on visuals; like drawings, animation, or film.
empirical science, and thus on data and experiences
of the past. This helps us form an understanding There are two types of futures. One future happens
of the present, but doesn’t necessarily predict to us because of external circumstances. The
the future. Despite the saying that history repeats other future we can try to develop and shape by
itself, the future always differs significantly from taking action. Our method for strategy development
the past. We need more than empirical science to supports thinking about both kinds of futures.
inform our decisions. We need a different approach. Scenario planning helps us navigate the external
And this is exactly what scenario thinking provides. future. Visioning helps us shape the future we
can create. And it always starts with an image.
As an international relations student in the late
nineties, I got hooked on scenario-based thinking. If I ask you to imagine your life two years from now, you
International relations is about political and economic might see pictures of it in your mind. Visualizing our fu-
relations between states—about war and peace. We ture goals, and how we are going to meet them, actually
spent a lot of time studying various scholars who’d helps us achieve these goals. Strategy development for
analyzed and interpreted the past, but I felt something organizations works much the same. Thus, visual facil-
was missing. We needn’t be preparing for the last itation combined with group activities designed to tap
struggle; we should be preparing for the next one! into participants’ imaginations makes perfect sense.
We should want to anticipate rather than react; we
should be considering the consequences of our
deeds in advance. Lastly, we should want to know
how the decisions we make today might play out in
the long term. Therefore, it is vital for a business,
government, or social organization to explore and
imagine the future in numerous ways. We must
consider multiple scenarios, because the future
is uncertain and can unfold in many directions.
Scenario thinking is not a scientific process, but rather

a creative one. When we explore the future with our
clients in a collaborative process, we try to create
a shared image. However, there are no data, photos,
or film fragments of the future. We can, of course,
describe these imagined future scenarios in text, Image 1: Henk Alkema’s original oil price scenarios for Shell.1
but words cannot provide a complete picture.
A drawing (or other form of visualization) can

significantly help to create and share images
1 Photograph from Paul de Ruijter’s article, “Valuing Uncertainty Using Disruptive Scenarios and Real Options.”
IMAGES AND STORIES SCENARIO-BASED STRATEGY: IMAGENING THE FUTURE 331
History of Scenario Thinking in Business
Henk Alkema, of Shell Chemical LP (Shell),

was one of the first people to use scenario
thinking in business. He developed and
visualized the first scenarios regarding
possible increases in oil prices (see Image 1).
MEETINGS AND MORE

These predictions became a success. By
anticipating a plausible oil crisis prior to
1973, Shell managed to treat the actual oil
crisis as an opportunity rather than a threat. Image 2: A visual metaphor for a scenario-based strategy:
As a result, Shell emerged from the oil crisis navigating the future.
much higher on the list of largest players
than it had been previously. Since then, Shell, We share this visual metaphor illustrating our
along with many other organizations and method with every client at the beginning of en-
governments, have used this way of thinking gagements. We use it to introduce the concepts we
for their strategic, decision-making process. intend to employ. We have learned that a visual
metaphor is significantly more effective in engaging
participants than is simply presenting a model. (For
THE METAPHOR IN VISUAL PRACTICE more on metaphors, see Sophia Liang’s chapter
When discussing strategy with our clients, we base our entitled, The Metaphor in Visual Practice.)
process design on the scenario-based strategy method
we have developed in our practice at De Ruijter Strat- Initially, we only reveal the boat and the island,
egy2 over the last fifteen years. It is described in the introducing the first two conversations about mission
book Scenario Based Strategy: Navigating the Future, and vision. We interact with our client during this
by Paul de Ruijter with Henk Alkema. This method dis- phase, instructing participants to imagine they are
tinguishes a number of strategic conversations for or- sailing on this boat; we ask about the purpose of their
ganizations, visualized in a model and visual metaphor. journey. Is it just for fun? Is it a competition?
Are they trying to win a contest by reaching the

island first? Then we click our mouse and the tornado
appears.We use future weather conditions we may
encounter to introduce the concept of scenarios.
When we get to the fog, we ask participants whether
this situation is good or bad, and why. We use the
visual to build up the story about our method,
actively involving everyone on our imaginary boat
ride. Finally, the Jaws-like shark appears. This usually
makes people laugh. By this time, the participants
are engaged on both a cognitive and emotional
level. This combination helps people remember the
presentation. (As an alternative to PowerPoint, you
Figure 1: Scenario-based strategy model. might draw the elements on a flipchart, building
up the picture while explaining the method.)
2 For more on De Ruijter’s Strategy, visit: www.deruijter.net/home-en.html.

UNPACKING THE METAPHOR

All the elements in the picture illustrating our
method are explained thoroughly to our client,
but for the purposes of this chapter, we’ll focus
on the parts containing scenario planning.
The sailboat symbolizes mission. This is the strategic

conversation about the purpose of an organization,
an individual, or a group of people trying to achieve
something. It includes core values, raison d’etre,
and the success formula thus far. The island
on the horizon symbolizes vision. What is our
destination? What do we want to achieve? Where
(or what) do we want to be in the future? Figure 2: After a brainstorming session, trends
were clustered into key variables that would
shape the future environment of Europe.
SCENARIO PLANNING
The weather conditions that appear in the picture Trends reveal details about the past and present,
symbolize scenarios, future circumstances in but they don’t predict the future. Trends are
which we might find ourselves. Circumstances based on data, and there are no data for the
we cannot control (symbolized by unpredictable future. Although some developments are easier
weather), even though they might impact us greatly. to predict than others, we believe the future as
To illustrate our process, I’ve adapted a scenario a whole to be fundamentally uncertain. That is
project we completed for the Network of European why we prefer using scenarios over forecasts.
Citizenship Education in 2014 about the future
of Europe. Below are the steps we followed.: Identify Key External Uncertainties.
Key external uncertainties are situations with both
Explore Relevant Developments and Trends. a high uncertainty and a high impact. Together
Start with the exploration of relevant external with the client, determine what the key external
developments and trends in the organization’s uncertainties are for their organization. These key
environment. This can be done through a brainstorm uncertainties form the basis of the scenarios.
session during a trend workshop, or by conducting
background research and interviews (preferably in
tandem with members of the client’s organization).
Figure 3: Determine key uncertainties from key variables.

Conduct a Scenario Workshop.

Next, organize a scenario workshop, preferably with
participants both inside and outside the organization.
Ideally, we want to get the whole system in the
room. If all stakeholders are present, we’ll have all
the relevant perspectives on their shared future
context. (Unfortunately, this is rarely possible, so
we make do with the participants we have.) During
MEETINGS AND MORE

these workshops, tap into people’s imagination and
capabilities for reasoning by asking them to create
relevant, logically consistent stories about plausible
future situations and how they might arise. We start
each scenario from an extreme outcome of the key Figure 5: This example shows various scenarios
uncertainties. This gives us the scenario framework. about the future of Europe.
Generate Strategic Options and Stress Test Current

Plans.
Use the created scenarios to generate strategic options
for action and to stress test your client’s current plans
to assess whether or not they are future-proof.
Figure 4: From key uncertainties to scenario framework.
We then combine this frame with the other develop-

ments found in the exploration of the environment.
For example, when thinking about possible future
situations, consider the visual of our shark. He
symbolizes the transactional environment, like
competitors or other players in the field. How will they
act in each scenario? How will those actions affect
our client’s organization? Create a set of three or four
plausible, relevant (to your client), novel scenarios
that provide new insights into future challenges,
opportunities, and playing-field dynamics.
Figure 6: From scenarios to options: identifying problems
helps create solutions.
At this stage in the process, all results from the

strategic conversations held thus far are used as
input for the creation of the actual strategy. In
an iterative process with the client, the actual strategy
is written out on a roadmap. The roadmap is not TIPS FOR EMPOWERING YOUR PARTICIPANTS
a singular linear plan, but consists of multiple paths TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN IMAGES
leading to the vision, taking the still-uncertain (but When creating scenarios, let people who
possible) future conditions (scenarios) into account. don’t like to draw use other visual techniques,
like icons made from clip art, pictures from
magazines, photographs, or video.
∙∙Introduce people to drawing and let them

practice. Consider an instructional video,like
“Learning Graphic Facilitation - 7 Elements,” from
BiggerPictureVideo3 (available on YouTube).
CASE STUDY: SCENARIOS ON ENERGY

EFFICIENCY IN BUILDINGS BY 2050
The next case discussed pertains to the 2013
Agreement on Energy for Sustainable Growth.4 This
Figure 7: Roadmap of a dynamic strategy. particular example highlights two important facts.
Once we are moving in real time, it is important to 1. To create valuable content about the future,
monitor both the external and internal environments. both graphic facilitation and visualization are
To monitor the external environment, we ask, “What extremely powerful tools to incite participants’
are the circumstances really like, and do they resemble much needed creativity and imagination.
one or more of the scenarios?” Our internal monitoring
question asks, “Are we still on track with executing our 2. Both graphic facilitation and visualization provide
mission and moving toward our vision?” Answering meaningful ways to transfer and communicate
these questions helps our client decide which path to complex content in a way that enables partici-
actually take, given the real circumstances in which pants to assimilate and use the information.
they will find themselves. By imaging multiple scenar-
ios, we help our clients, through simulation, to pro-
actively prepare for the uncertain future and draw up
a resilient strategy with built-in agility. They can adapt
to shifting circumstances and still remain on track.
3 ”Learning Graphic Facilitation - 7 Elements.” YouTube, uploaded by BiggerPictureVideo, 5 June 2013, bit.ly/BigPic7Elements.
4 For an English translation summarizing the Agreement on Energy for Sustainable Growth, see
www.energieakkoordser.nl/doen/engels.aspx.
About the Project

What will the future of energy in the man-made
environment look like in the coming decades?
MEETINGS AND MORE

Image 3: A sustainable man-made environment for the future.
The 2013 Agreement on Energy for Sustainable Growth thereby enabling stakeholders to design and align their
marked the start of the transition to a sustainable strategies to realize a zero net-energy built environ-
future in the Netherlands. Part of this agreement ment. An important building block for this long-term
pertained to the built (man-made) environment—all survey was the development of scenarios regarding
buildings must have an A label energy performance the future of energy efficiency in buildings by 2050.
by 2030, and must be energy-neutral by 2050.
Our Approach
In preparation of meeting this goal, in 2015 the Ministry In order to create plausible, relevant, and insightful
of Interior Affairs started a long-term survey on energy scenarios on the future of energy efficiency in build-
in the built environment. The goal of the survey was to ings, we needed to explore long-term developments
enable the Ministry to identify opportunities, obstacles, and uncertainties. What might we expect to happen
and options for energy supply in buildings, in the next decades from a demographic, economical,
social, technological, and ecological point of view? We needed to share the results of this vast exploration
What might the playing field look like? Which parties in workshops with limited time, and without losing too
might play a role, and what might be the rules of the much of the complexity involved. Visualization came to
game? These questions were answered through our aid. We created a visual template of a model
background research, interviews, and a trend workshop. previously developed at the Oxford Futures Forum in
2011 (in which we took part).
Image 4: Trends and dynamics in the man-made environment of the Netherlands.
The model divided the world into physical, social, and Based on the results of this exploratory phase, we
conceptual layers. This allowed us to portray all the developed four scenarios during an interactive
developments we discovered (the yellow sticky notes), process. We included delegates from residential and
and show the dynamics between these developments commercial building contractors, energy companies,
and the actors involved in specific parts of the built en- installers, architects, and knowledgeable institutions.
vironment (the orange sticky notes) in multiple layers.
Participants could add to this by attaching additional We used graphic facilitation in our workshops. After
(green) sticky notes in place. The results were also writ- allowing participants some practice time with the
ten up in an elaborate report, but without the visualiza- “Learning Graphic Facilitation - 7 Elements” video
tion we wouldn’t have been able to share them in such (referenced earlier), we divided the group into four
a comprehensive way (without vastly oversimplifying). smaller groups, one for each scenario. We asked each
group to draw versions of their respective scenarios.
The four scenarios were as follows:
1. Gradual Transition. This scenario described a step-

by-step transition to a zero net-energy built environ-
ment, elaborating on current developments in energy
efficiency, and focusing on collective agreements.
Currently, the gradual transition scenario is closest to
reality. However, the participants saw various devel-
MEETINGS AND MORE

opments that could accelerate the gradual transition
to zero net-energy buildings. These developments
are described in the remaining scenarios.
2. Technology Adoption. This scenario might

occur if user-friendly innovations in energy
efficiency become affordable and attractive
to a growing number of people.
3. Urgency. If society as a whole felt an increasing

urge to take drastic measures to fight climate
change, our transition might be accelerated.
Images 5 and 6: Participants drew their future scenarios
illustrating the transition toward a sustainable, man-made 4. Scarcity. If the worldwide growing demand
environment in the Netherlands. for fossil fuels led to limited availability and
higher prices, the energy used in the built
At the end of the workshop, each group presented their environment might lessen by necessity.
future scenario by telling the story that corresponded
with their drawing. We recorded the presentations In the next step of the process, the scenarios were
and used them as input for the final scenarios. written up in a report and visualized in an animated
video. This video was used in a number of workshops
The Results referred to as option workshops. During these sessions,
All four scenarios assumed a definite transition various groups of stakeholders (who actually have
to a zero net-energy built environment, as to make the transition to zero net-energy happen)
described in the objectives of the Agreement brainstormed policy options for the government and
on Energy for Sustainable Growth. actionable options for themselves. The groups included
installation companies, representatives of homeowner
organizations, building societies, real estate investors,
and so on. The animated video proved to be really ef-
fective in helping participants imagine different scenar-
ios, especially for people who had participated in the
scenario-making process. All that remains now is for
everyone to start acting for real, to turn our shared vi-
sion of a zero net-energy built environment into reality!
Regardless of your client’s dreams and goals, I’m

confident that scenario-based planning sessions will
Image 7: Four scenarios for the transition to a sustainable help you illuminate and guide their future path.
man-made environment in the Netherlands.
WORKS CITED:
“Agreement on Energy for Sustainable Growth.” Sociaal-Economische Raad (SER),

www.energieakkoordser.nl/doen/engels.aspx. Accessed 23 Jan. 2019.
De Ruijter, Paul. Scenario Based Strategy: Navigating the Future. Routledge, 2014.
De Ruijter, Paul. “Valuing Uncertainty Using Disruptive Scenarios and

Real Options.” VBA: Beleggingsprofessionals Journaal, Vol. 130, Jan. 2017, pp. 6-9.
“Learning Graphic Facilitation - 7 Elements.” YouTube, uploaded

by BiggerPictureVideo, 5 June 2013, bit.ly/BigPic7Elements.
De Ruijter Strategy. De Ruijter Strategy, www.deruijter.net/home-en.html. Accessed 23 Jan. 2019.
“Learning Graphic Facilitation — 7 Elements.” YouTube, uploaded by

BiggerPictureVideo, 5 June 2013, bit.ly/BigPic7Elements.
Meetings and More
Lynn Carruthers
THE JOY OF TEMPLATES
Tips, techniques, a story or two, and a few lessons

from my two decades of creating templates.
Templates
340 THE JOY OF TEMPLATES TEMPLATES
THE JOY OF TEMPLATES
‘Handrails in the wilderness;’ a guide; a tool; spaces Templates are a tool. They
where groups record their thinking and conversations;
a framework for structured conversation; an inviting, are not a substitute for on-
ordered place for participants to organize their
thoughts; a powerful self-facilitation tool . . . these are the-spot skilled facilitation
all names and definitions of templates. A colleague
once told me, “The joy of templates is that your or great design. Templates
thoughts are captured!” In this chapter I’ll share
tips, techniques, a story or two, and a few lessons support these two things,
from my two decades of creating templates, which
I hope will inspire you to try designing a template they don’t replace them.
of your own for your next group engagement.
Dan Roam, visual facilitator and author of The Back THE FACT-FINDING MISSION
of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas The process of designing a template is relatively
with Pictures, told me that he believes “engagement simple. I talk with the consultant or facilitator to find
soars when people own their own ideas.” This happens out why they want to use a template and what they
when we use templates—everyone’s contributions are hope to achieve from the exercise, and then ask them
gathered, no matter their role, and even the shyest an array of questions that provide me something to
person can contribute their ideas. When people work with. This really is a Fact-Finding Mission!1
believe they are being heard, that their ideas are
valid—demonstrated by the simple act of writing their The purpose of the Fact-Finding Mission is to glean
ideas on the template—they are more likely to engage. as much information as you can out of your client’s
head—information about the goal of the exercise;
Design your workshop, your meeting, your the purpose of using templates; their biases, fears,
interaction first—then think about templates. and hopes about using templates; a firm understanding
Here are a few key questions to ask yourself of the physical environment where the templates will
when considering the use of templates: be used; and the time allocated for the group work.
∙∙Will the template enable a better conversation about Listen as your client describes their problem, issue,
complex issues by providing a simple structure? or challenge. Are images popping into your head
that you can incorporate into a template—fishing in
∙∙Will the template help the group achieve choppy waters, pushing a boulder uphill, an elephant
their outcomes or reach a consensus? in the room? Using simple visuals, images, and icons
will help set the stage for a creative conversation.
∙∙Will the template allow you to complete
the workshop with fewer facilitators?
1 See the online resource page for a video detailing the Fact-Finding Mission.
TEMPLATES THE JOY OF TEMPLATES 341
A critical key to my success, after the Fact-Finding 6. What kind of surfaces will be available? Does each
Mission, is to draw a rough sketch, share it with my group have a table?
client, and talk through the design. When they see – A key to the participants’ success and positive
what I’ve created from our first conversation, more experience is your knowing where they
questions and new choices emerge. For example, now’s will be physically working when you
the time to hone in on the size and shape of the box, design and produce the templates.
container, or space for each question and task—some
may need to be bigger, or highlighted; some may need 7. Will the exercise be for the group at the table, the
MEETINGS AND MORE

a pale dotted line rather than a hard line, indicating company represented in the room, or an imagined
a flexible, boundaryless space. Is there an order for future scenario for an industry?
the questions or tasks? Will I need to number them? – This gives you an idea of the who.
Should I include the words START HERE in bright red
letters on the template? All sorts of things become 8. What sort of questions or tasks will be
clear after I’ve shared my rough sketch—it essentially on the template?
brings my client’s requests and instructions to life.
9. Open ended or very specific?
FACT-FINDING QUESTIONS 10. Are the questions focused on us, we, or our?
1. Who is the customer? Are the problems contemporary, or in a future world?
Are these individual exercises, phrased in first
2. Search the web for their logos and colors. person—I, me, or mine?
3. How many people will attend the workshop, 11. Will the small groups need to answer every
meeting, or event? question? Is one question more important
than the others? Do you want all the answers
4. Will you break the large group into smaller groups? they can possibly come up with?
How many?
– Now you’ll know how many templates to produce. 12. These questions help prioritize the space allotted
for each question, task, or to-do item on the
5. How much time is allotted for the exercise? template. They also determine if there should be
– This is crucial—don’t design a template with too blank spaces for open-ended answers, or clear in-
many questions for the group to answer in too structions, either visual or written—bullet-points, for
little time. example, to indicate that three answers are needed.
Image 1: Template design principles.
DESIGNING THE TEMPLATES WHAT’S THE ‘RIGHT’ SIZE?

I believe that a colorful, hand-drawn, paper template
is simply friendlier and more approachable. It Templates, in my experience, are most effective
signals “This is not your usual workshop or exercise!” and engaging when drawn by hand on white paper,
and that creativity and fun will be involved. ranging in size from 11 X 17 inches2 to 4 X 8 feet.3
The ideal template is sized to fit on a tabletop and Be extra sure the questions, tasks, or to-do items on
allows the entire group to gather around. Notice that the template are simple, that the prompts are obvious,
I use the words gather around rather than sit at. and that all instructions are clear and succinct. To
The act of standing and physically working together ensure clarity, I find it helpful to read the questions
through a series of steps or exercises creates a unique and instructions aloud as I design the template. The
dynamic. Leaning into and across the paper, talking last thing I want is to create confusion for the partic-
and thinking aloud together; these actions engage ipants. They shouldn’t have to wonder what to do, in
the group in a highly collaborative and participatory what order, or what something means on the template.
way. Okay, I hear you thinking, “But sometimes the I use the acronym KISS: Keep It Short and Simple. And
right sized table just isn’t available.” And you’re right; keep in mind that people learn and communicate in
often, it isn’t. Alternatively, consider hanging the a variety of ways; a well-designed template speaks
template on the wall. Either way, the goal is to get your to that by incorporating words, images, and color.
group (ideally) on their feet and working together.
2 The metric equivalent is (297 X 420 mm), or international paper size (A3).
3 Or (48 X 96 inches). The metric equivalent is (1.3 X 2.6 m).
Always control the impulse to add just one more A Story from the Field
thing to your template. Fewer tasks or questions are
always better. Leaving blank space is better than filling One year I was asked to design a series of
up every inch of ‘real estate’ on the template. Allow templates for the annual retreat of a large
those who will be working with the template the space American healthcare company. I worked closely
to be creative, to spill over the edges and outside with the consultant, who’d been hired to oversee
the lines. Including time limits or the allotted time the entire event. The participants were to be
for each exercise truly helps a group self facilitate a rather sedate group of 120 people, seated
MEETINGS AND MORE

(consider adding a drawing of a clock or smart watch). across dozens of tables. We wanted to provide
an enjoyable experience, including innovative
When you’ve taken the time to design a new tem- tools and exercises, that would be different from
plate—or customized one of your stock templates their everyday activities. . . . Enter templates!
using your client’s logo and colors—it signals to the
client that you’ve considered and prepared for their The participants used a series of templates
workshop, that you have a plan, and that you care to guide, capture, and share their thinking.
about their experience. An extra bonus: the process The templates enabled the group to move from
of designing the template allows you to test your logic organization to prioritization over the course
and assumptions regarding your overall design. of a few days by:
• exploring indicators of the future

(external trends affecting healthcare)
• creating future scenarios to study potential

drivers and barriers
• identifying the implication of these scenarios

for their organization
• communicating their ideas about specific

strategic areas
• visually prioritizing where the organization

should focus its resources
Working with templates not only allowed

the group to capture their thinking during
the breakout sessions, but to get creative
and share their new ideas during the
general session in a more effective way.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE RICH 2. Select the highlights. Provide arrow-shaped

INFORMATION ON THE TEMPLATES sticky notes (or stars, or extra big dots) and
How About a Gallery Walk? instruct each group to identify three things on the
template to report out. Then hold them to it! As
Hang all the templates on the walls around the an added bonus, the sticky notes on the template
main room, at the same height, with a bit of space help the spokesperson stay on task, and remind
between each. Provide drinks and snacks, and them to only share those preselected items.
encourage a thirty minute, self-organized review
of the templates. Viewing the array of templates How many times have you, at the end of a workshop,
will create an instant real-time summary of the meeting, or conference, gone back into the room,
exercise, and allow the larger group to see—neatly looked at the flipcharts or whiteboards, and wondered
and quickly—the patterns, themes, and connections. to yourself, “What were they talking about? What
A gallery walk is a terrific way to harvest and share question does this list refer to?”
knowledge with a large group in a short period of time. Templates eliminate this problem.
With over two decades of template experience, I can In today’s crazy, twenty-four/seven, digital world, I’m
confidently say that nothing bores participants always delighted to see people’s reactions as they
more than having to listen to other small groups enter a room to find paper templates and markers
report out. I find that choreographing the reporting waiting for them. The templates immediately capture
works really well. Here are two techniques to try: their curiosity and imagination. Don’t underestimate
the extent to which your client (and participants)
1. Choreograph the report out. By choreograph, I mean yearn for face-to-face interaction, the chance
work closely with your consultant or facilitator to draw and get messy, and—just for a bit—the
to determine which pieces of information on the opportunity to think differently and be creative.
templates are most interesting, salient, and useful
to the larger group. Perhaps it’s one item from the
first section of the template, or two answers from THE REALLY IMPORTANT TIPS:
Question 3, or the Key Message from the space at the WHAT NOT TO DO
bottom of the template. Decide what and how much Caution, Caution: Template Fatigue!
is to be reported, and be sure to let each small group
know what you’ve decided before they report. A sim- Introducing too many templates over the course
ple instruction poster on a flipchart will ensure every of a workshop can result in Template Fatigue,
small group has the same directions and goals . . . a disorder characterized by groans of “Not another
including the selection of single spokesperson. one!” or “Oh no—no more paper, please!” The most
extreme cases result in downright dissent. To avoid letters flowed off the template and onto the table-
Template Fatigue, limit yourself to two templates cloth as the hot coffee melted the cheap laminate.
in the afternoon (after lunch), and never use
more than five in a two-day period. Any more 3. When the topic changes dramatically or a new
than this will drain the energy from the room. challenge reveals itself, tuck that roll of templates
into a closet and change gears. It’s only paper!
REMEMBER: IT’S ONLY PAPER!
MEETINGS AND MORE

1. Your template is made of paper. It’s disposable.
It’s designed and intended for this one moment WORKS CITED:
in time.
Roam, Dan. The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems
2. Do not laminate your paper template (see #1). and Selling Ideas with Pictures. Portfolio, 2013.
A client of mine cheaply laminated their templates.
During the first session, a participant spilled a cup
of hot coffee on a template. Before anyone had time
to reach for paper towels, the printed words and
vcv
Meetings and More
Jill Greenbaum
COACHING
WITH TEMPLATES
Templates can serve as planning spaces,

idea catchers, and springboards for creativity!
Templates
348 COACHING WITH TEMPLATES TEMPLATES
COACHING WITH TEMPLATES
In coaching, templates serve as planning spaces, My conversations with teens confirmed that, frequently,
idea catchers, and springboards for creativity. students’ educational, emotional, and social needs
weren’t being met through the traditional avenues
Which conversations and processes form the core with guidance counselors, college advisors, and
of your coaching practice or work life? Do you well-meaning family members. These young adults
systematically think about your often-used still didn’t know how to select the best college;
processes? Would developing templates that they’d never been given the opportunity to learn
ask questions and gather data streamline your about and step into responsibility for the decision.
workflow? Wouldn’t it be easier to create spaces
with visual prompts to capture the information you Students needed help to focus on what mattered.
consistently gather from (and use with) your clients? Gathering information about their strengths, chal-
lenges, learning needs, hopes, and dreams would be
much more engaging if they were at the center of the
TEMPLATES IN REAL LIFE AND REAL WORK process. They needed agency in mapping their own
For over fifteen years I have worked as an instructional journeys and choosing their ultimate destinations. With
designer and trainer, incorporating visuals in my my complementary experiences as a teacher, principal,
design process and deliveries. I’ve always been drawn instructional designer, and coach, I developed a visual
to the possibilities of actively engaging learners coaching program for teens, featuring templates to
to envision, use, and create their own visuals. help facilitate a greater understanding of themselves.
In the Beginning . . . Templates as a Foundation:

Capture, Reflect, and Decide
My first experience creating templates arose from
a personal situation, and later became a huge part of My visual coaching program was transformed by
my professional life. Over ten years ago, my daughter using templates to support students in gathering
was immersed in the college admissions process; she information about themselves. We highlighted
was having a good (but not great) time. As a coach who what was critical in the decision-making process:
believed in leveraging opportunities for transformation, self-awareness, information, thoughts, feelings, and
I started to think about how I could use my skills to the importance of reflection. So I wrote (and drew)
support my daughter and other teens so they could How to Major in You and Find the Right College,1
enjoy their college search and selection processes. infusing the book and its program with visual maps
and templates. Students reported feeling more confi-
It was easy for me to gather the information dent, organized, and ultimately successful in finding
I needed to create processes and materials for the colleges that were the best matches for them.
teens. I leveraged my opportunities as a speaker
at conferences for young adults, tapping into the
experiences of teens who attended my sessions.
1 Greenbaum, How to Major in You and Find the Right College.

TEMPLATES COACHING WITH TEMPLATES 349
TEMPLATES IN ACTION So often, our clients know

One-to-One Coaching with an Emerging Adult
what they need to achieve,
It’s a late August afternoon, and Daniel, a high school
senior who has barely thought about the college ask around, search for
search, joins me at a local coffee shop. We’ve been
introduced the old-fashioned way: his mom thinks information, then start their
I can be helpful. I begin the conversation with my
decision-making process
MEETINGS AND MORE

standard Strategy Session questions to determine if
we are a good match for this challenge (Figure 1).
based on other people’s
advice, what’s available in
the media, and what appeals
to them, solely because it’s
familiar. How can we help
them see the bigger picture
and ask the right questions?
Figure 1: Sample questions from my strategy session Making the GRADE
Daniel is an affable young man who appears ready Once we had the bigger conversation—about his
to embrace the coaching process. He seems to passions, strengths, challenges, needs, wants, academic
understand the accountability that goes with our record, extracurricular activities, and finances— we cir-
partnership, and we’re both ready to fully engage. cled back to my five step process for choosing the best
college for him. I call this process Making the GRADE.
I ask him for details about what he’s done to date.
Daniel proudly produces a list of twenty-one colleges ∙∙Goalset
and universities. With some gentle inquiries, I discover
that his list is comprised of schools his mom, dad, ∙∙Research
and grandfather attended; the places his girlfriend
and best friend have considered; and a few other ∙∙Analyze
revered schools (Brown, NYU, Boston University) that
sounded good—those were his only criteria for making ∙∙Decide
this list. Sadly, his approach is quite the norm.
∙∙Evaluate
Every step in the process requires critical thinking and

insight. This work is supported by reading, exploring
new resources, reflection, and using templates to
capture ideas, research findings, and questions.
Here are a few examples of the visual templates that Daniel worked his way through the eleven templates
complement the text from the book, How to Major in in my coaching program. The opportunity to think
You and Find the Right College. The book’s narrative, deeply about himself—to consider his world, his
related research, and exercises create the context strengths, his challenges, and what he wanted
for completing the templates. (See Figures 2-4.) and needed academically and socially—was a new
experience for him. Having both the time to reflect
and the literal space in which to record his answers
helped clarify his thinking. When reviewing the tem-
plates, the information he discovered about himself
combined with his schools of interest led Daniel to
feel more confident in his decision-making process.
Ultimately, a few of the original twenty-one remained

on his list of eight schools. He applied early decision
to a small, private liberal arts university. His ability
to attend was dependent on receiving a significant
financial aid package, as state universities were in his
Figure 2: My World Now family’s price range. Daniel was such a good fit for the
university that he received a $30,000 scholarship for
each of his four years, enabling him to accept the offer.
Daniel sent me an email six months after we started

working together. He was excited to share that he really
enjoyed the school he had chosen. He was involved
in various clubs, and planned on both an internship
and a semester abroad. The process had worked!
More Adventures in One-to-One Coaching
In 2017, I shared the template I had created for my

instructional design practice with a coaching client
Figure 3: My Strengths (named Vince) who was developing a training session
for a Fortune 500 company. His session would teach
the participants his proprietary material for reframing
content—crystallizing ideas to move forward with
conclusive discussions. Vince, a market researcher,
analyst, and marketer, was passionate about his
creation, but had little experience in training and
no experience in instructional design. Together, we
worked through the following template (Figure 5).
Figure 4: My Profile
MEETINGS AND MORE

Figure 6: Reflection capture and debrief
of training program results
Figure 5: Key elements of the instructional design process Because of his hands-on experience with instructional
design, accelerated learning techniques, and the
Vince was delighted at his newfound development of deliverables, our work culminated in
ability to easily and efficiently: deep learning. The foundation that stimulated all of
our conversations and joint work was provided by the
∙∙identify the key aspects of his audience-to- original, simple template. We concluded our coaching
be—group size, educational and experience together with an action plan that would provide Vince
levels, familiarity with the topic, an even stronger delivery during his next engagement.
∙∙get clear on his objectives—what participants would One-to-Many Coaching

be able to do as a result of his training session,
More recently, I’ve started teaching students and
∙∙plan his introduction, create the flow adults to draw and create templates for their own
of content and activities, visioning and goal-setting. While this might be
considered a single session of group coaching,
∙∙plan a strong review, summary, it is also an evergreen process that can be used
and close for the session. for self-coaching after our session has ended.
Vince’s session was quite successful. The template Working with students from the Bronx Engineering and
gave him structure for the session. In our debrief of the Technology Academy, a public high school in
training experience, I used another simple template New York City, we approached the upcoming academic
for my notes (Figure 6). We discovered that his lack of year and their dreams for the future. We described
experience in training other people and his reliance and discussed goals, goal setting, and putting plans
on his expertise of the subject matter had created into action. Image 1 shows the students warming up to
barriers. Next time, he hoped to connect more deeply the task, and practicing images for their final pieces.
with the learners and to be more sensitive to their
needs. We discussed what worked (the WooHoo!),
what still needed work, and what he planned to do.
Though most of the participants had extensive

experience with this deck, they were excited to
use the cards in these new and different ways.
Additionally, attendees learned the basics of
drawing well enough to sketch their created
visions during the forty-five minute session.
TEMPLATES—CONTAINERS FOR IDEAS!

In the above stories, people have used templates
Image 1: Students from the Bronx Engineering and Technology as flexible containers for their ideas and to support
Academy learning to draw. their important tasks. Every person has learned
a new process, explored their interests, discovered
In a session called Draw the Cards, Draw Your Vision new topics, and gained self-knowledge. Everyone
that I offered at the Points of You®2 2015 International has engaged in critical thinking. Learning has
Conference held in Bucharest, I began incorporating become creation rather than consumption. Each
template creation and drawing into my experiential template has become a flexible container for ideas,
encounters with adults (Image 2). In that session, sometimes by providing all necessary structure for
using The Coaching Game cards3 developed by data sharing and in-depth concept development;
Points of You®, participants chose up to six cards to other times, by offering a nearly-blank canvas with
metaphorically describe where they were in their lives. just a hint of what might be generated there.
What are the questions, conversations, and

activities that routinely engage you? Would creating
a template to capture answers, ideas, and results
facilitate your work? Could such tools be used to
enhance understanding, generate juicy questions
and rich conversations, or expedite workflow?
Image 2: Participants in Draw the Cards, Draw Your Vision session All of this is possible—and so much more!
at the Points-of-You Conference, Bucharest, Romania, 2015.
Author note: I invite you to contact me, to show and
They then shared with a partner about whatever tell me how you are using templates—I’d love to
dimension they chose: professional, family, learn! I can be reached at jill@ilistenidraw.com.
educational, interpersonal relationships, and so on.
They discussed goals, goal setting, and envisioning Chapter Cover Photo: Steve Weinstock,
their futures. Next, they learned to draw simple www.steveweinstockphotography.com
icons. They used a template as the backdrop to draw
their current reality and their future reality. Lastly,
using a second deck from a game called Punctum,4
they picked three cards and then shared the story
of the future they envisioned with a partner.
2 See www.points-of-you.com for more information.

3 See www.points-of-you.com/SHOP/The_Coaching_Game for more information or to purchase.
4 See www.points-of-you.com/SHOP/Punctum for more information or to purchase.
WORKS CITED:
Greenbaum, Jill. How to Major in You and Find the Right College. CreateSpace, 2012.
Greenbaum, Jill. Major in You: Partnering with Teens to Realize Their

Dreams, www.majorinyou.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
MEETINGS AND MORE

Points of You®: Creative Tools for Training and Development. Points of
You®, www.points-of-you.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“Punctum.” Points of You®, www.points-of-you.com/SHOP/Punctum. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“The Coaching Game.” Points of You®, www.points-of-you.com/SHOP/The_Coaching_Game

Meetings and More
Dana Wright Wasson
CREATING IMPACTFUL
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
WITH TEMPLATES
Here is a great case study of how providing a visual template helped
groups figu e out how to make improvements to their workplace.
Templates
356 CREATING IMPACTFUL EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT WITH TEMPLATES TEMPLATES
CREATING IMPACTFUL EMPLOYEE

ENGAGEMENT WITH TEMPLATES
One day I received a call from two long-time clients Companies have been surveying employees for a long
who worked for a multinational consumer packaged time, starting in the 1940s with satisfaction surveys,
goods company. My clients opened with, “We have then moving to engagement surveys around 2000. Be-
a difficult project, and are looking for a consultant cause of the clear link between an employee’s relation-
crazy enough to tackle it with us.” I loved working ship with their direct supervisor and that employee’s
with their organization—they always presented level of engagement, team leaders were responsible for
juicy challenges, and were curious and adventurous figuring out ways to improve their engagement scores.
clients, willing to delve into the process. To be honest, I’m not a fan of engagement surveys.
They present a number of problems. For example:
So yes, I accepted the challenge and jumped in,
eager to see where the adventure would take me. There is often a huge time lag between
employees completing the survey and the
analyzing and sharing of the results.
BACKGROUND: HEREIN LIES THE PROBLEM
Many companies struggle with what’s become known People answer based on their interpretation
as a war on talent. How does a company attract, hire, of each question, often with a choice ranging
and retain the best talent to win in the market; become from 1-5, or strongly agree to strongly
known as an employer of choice; and contribute to disagree. More often than not, the pertinent
their community? An employee’s commitment to information lies in the white space.
their work and their company is known as employee
engagement. Employees in the workplace are gener- The focus of analysis becomes a preoccupa
ally categorized as engaged, disengaged, or actively tion with numbers rather than an interest
disengaged (where their misery shows up in their in people. Surveys provide quantifiable
attitudes and actions, spreading their negativity to data; employee engagement is about
anyone who will listen), and the percentages remain qualitative data. Armed with data,
relatively stagnant. According to Gallup, Inc., a company executives believe they can win the war
that researches, among other things, global employee on talent. However, unlike financial analysis,
engagement, the disengaged group accounts for engagement isn’t about logic. Engagement
51.9% of the employee population, 15.7% of employees deals with the complex systems of
are actively disengaged, and sadly, the engaged emotions, relationships, and motivations,
group represents only 32.5% of the workforce.1 which are not necessarily logical.
Clearly, we are not winning the war on talent. We need Often leaders have limited facilitation
a new approach to address employee engagement. skills to effectively engage their employees
Engaged employees are a competitive advantage. in conversations about the data. Nothing
changes, and the negative survey results
I’ve been on a journey to help my clients to crack continue in the next business cycle.
the employee engagement code; specifically, to
engage the disengaged. So how do I enable my In short, no one wins.
clients to move the needle on engagement?
1 For more, see Adkins’ “Little Change in U.S. Employee Engagement in January.”
TEMPLATES CREATING IMPACTFUL EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT WITH TEMPLATES 357
THE CHALLENGE: USING A NEW VISUAL agree, then we won’t waste your time. You don’t have
APPROACH TO ENGAGEMENT to come back. But we’ll be here. We hope you show up
When I began collaborating with my consumer pack- tomorrow ready to help generate some solutions.”
aged goods client in 2008, the company had already
been globally conducting the Gallup Q12®2 Employee From Despair To Problem Solving
Engagement Survey for four years. Still, many of their The next morning, we weren’t sure what would happen.
manufacturing sites were struggling to improve their But, one by one, the employees trickled in, and by
scores. Management were out of ideas for how to our start time, every single person had returned.
MEETINGS AND MORE

approach the problem. A few supervisors had even And what’s more, the attitude of the room had
been overheard saying, “These employees cannot be completely shifted. The participants were energized
engaged!” Their frustration gave rise to an ambitious and eager to brainstorm solutions. Together, the
challenge: to design a process to engage the disen- consultants and the seventeen employees reviewed
gaged. The clients and I discussed a variety of different the visuals from the previous day, which led to several
approaches. Finally, we organized a three-day pilot. thought-provoking insights. The group began the work
Three of us, internal and external resources, showed by prioritizing and identifying the most important
up with a blank roll of paper, markers, tape, and very issues and circumstances that needed to be fixed.
little structure. We were open to whatever happened.
Identifying Early Wins
While the key challenges selected were not all easy,
there were a few simple things, some ‘quick wins,’
like having food available for people who worked on
weekends. At the end of day two, their site leader
joined us to hear the new ideas. He was pleased both
with their work and with their energy. Not only had
they identified the relevant issues to begin engaging
the entire workforce, but more importantly, they
recommended practical and creative solutions to move
The target site was a manufacturing plant with the organization in a positive direction. He was most
particularly low Gallup Q12® scores. We met with impressed by the passion of these seventeen employ-
seventeen employees from across the organization ees, as some had been considered actively disengaged.
to learn about issues interfering with their engage-
ment. We structured the conversation around six Here's the best news: when the engagement survey
categories, based on Gallup research, that typically ran the following year, the site achieved a statistically
cause systemic disengagement—things like work significantly improvement in their Gallup Q12 scores.
environment and recognition. I created a template We had discovered a technique that made a real
onsite, and diligently captured every comment. difference for both employees and the company.
A Challenging Start Over the next decade, I carefully honed this engage-
The session was not without emotion. At the end of ment process (and continually improve the design) as
the first day, faced with employee comments like, I deployed the technique with numerous companies.
this will never matter and, what good is this? one I’ve personally led hundreds of sessions (and trained
of my colleagues plainly expressed the choice each others to run the process around the globe, many times
participant faced. He said, “Look, we think you have in other languages). I created a set of large, formatted,
a lot of potential to change things around here. We visual templates, which furthered the success by:
have your leader’s support, and he wants your help to
make the change. But we can’t do it alone. If you don’t
2 See Gallup, Inc., q12.gallup.com/Public/en-us/Features.

∙∙Demonstrating that the process is ∙∙Change Management

well-conceived and professional.
∙∙Manager Effectiveness
∙∙Keeping people focused and on track. Each template
clearly states what information is needed, and These topics are often fraught with emotion.
the complete set of templates are aligned with The templates help create a safe space to share
(and tell the story of) the overall process. concerns. When an employee sees their words
captured on a template, they feel heard. Oftentimes,
∙∙Providing facilitators with both a structured in the workplace, people become frustrated
process to stimulate conversation, and a canvas that no one is listening, so they keep saying the
to capture thoughts. If you’re going to run same thing over and over, like a broken record,
an engagement process, it must be engaging! or they become bitter. The templates circumvent
that frustration by allowing everyone a voice.
After our sessions, I’ve had many people come up

to me and say, “Thank you for listening,” or “Thank
you, this is the first time in years I can go back to
work feeling like someone heard my concerns.”
What’s most amazing is that, at this point in the

process, we haven’t even fixed anything yet! We
FOCUS GROUP INPUT USING TEMPLATES simply did what seems to be more and more
My colleague (and former client), Tom, refers to the rare these days: we truly listened. At the end
focus group process as The Power of 100%. We facilitate of each session, we photograph the completed
groups of ten to fifteen employees, and every person templates for the action planning session.
in the organization has an opportunity to share
their thoughts and opinions about the workplace
in a safe and comfortable way. We write down every
comment. However, the facilitators are trained to
protect anonymity by assuring that an individual’s FROM DATA GATHERING TO ACTION PLANNING
name is not identified or linked to the thought they Ideally, we get volunteers for the focus group
shared. During this ninety-minute focus group, we process, but we also work with human resources
gather information on several topics, such as: to ensure we end up with a heterogenous group
of about twenty employees who represent
What’s great about working here? What the workplace on a variety of levels:
ideas do you have for improvement? What
issues or concerns do you have about: ∙∙volunteers and selected participants
∙∙Work Environment ∙∙new and tenured employees
∙∙Employee Development ∙∙happy, satisfied staff members

and grumpy complainers
∙∙Recognition
∙∙both young and more experienced workers
∙∙Communication and Trust
∙∙gender inclusive
∙∙culturally diverse Let’s Get to Work!

After the groundwork is completed, we (the facilitators)
Here’s how it works. begin the content portion of the day by distributing
packets containing the completed digitized feedback
Put On Your Big Employee Hat templates from all the focus group sessions.
As facilitators, we start the day by challenging Then the hard work begins for the participants:
the selected employees to represent all of their
coworkers for the day, both inside and outside the ∙∙They review all the feedback (and it’s a lot
MEETINGS AND MORE

room, rather than just representing their personal of data!) and determine the big themes for
interests. Next, we give them a set of ground rules each of the engagement categories, then
that we’ve found keeps the process on track. Lastly, capture the themes on a summary template.
we review the day’s agenda and expected outcomes.
∙∙Using cards and table templates, participants
complete an exercise to understand which activities
or interactions they find engaging or disengaging
@ Ground Rules:
at work. They are then asked to reach a consensus.
∙∙To move from logical thinking to a more creative

• represent ALL employees’ approach, we use our custom deck of cards, Picture
views, not just your own This: Photo Quote Cards,3 to launch a discussion
about what engagement looks and feels like
• think about ways to make this today, and what it would look and feel like if their
a better place to work previously identified issues were addressed.
• take a risk and think BIG
• everyone participates
• take the initiative to make things better
• have FUN
3 To purchase a set of cards, visit: startmeetinglikethis.com/buy.

Solution Building ∙∙Help presenters of all skill levels to focus on

One of the most satisfying parts of the day occurs the narrative sequence and key points.
when the group brainstorms to identify actionable
solutions that can be implemented. We let them ∙∙Take the pressure off the presenter to memorize
each choose which category they want to work their part of the presentation. They simply use
on: Work Environment; Employee Development; their template to share context and personal
Recognition; Communication and Trust; Change insight about a topic; by doing so, they draw
Management; or Manager Effectiveness. others more deeply into the content, as well.
After brainstorming ideas on flipcharts, the breakout

groups share their output with the larger group. Then,
the entire group uses a dot voting process to choose
the best five ideas to create their future vision of
an engaged workplace, which they described during
the photo card activity. These final five ideas are put on
a template, along with any ‘quick wins,’ or those things
that can be easily changed. We limit the number of key
improvement areas to five because extensive lists are
daunting, resources are limited, and these issues are
usually complex and often long-standing. At the end
of the day, we organize action teams, confirming that During one session, a presenter suddenly got very
members want to work on their selected projects, and nervous and stopped talking. From the crowd, I heard
agree on their first meeting date and time. To set them his fellow employees saying, “You got this, Nick! Great
up for success, we provide the team with a packet of job! Keep going!” Nick seemed to grow six inches. He
materials to help structure an effective first meeting. started speaking again, more confidently than before.
As a facilitator of engagement processes, nothing
(After discovering that most people don’t know makes me feel like I’m helping to make a difference
how to design an effective meeting, I wrote a book more than a moment like this. My co-facilitators
specifically addressing this issue, called To Meet or and I maintain a pact to avoid eye contact during
NOT To Meet: 10 Tips For Practically Perfect Meetings.4) moments like these, lest our eyes fill with tears.
Empowering Employees To Stand Up At the end, we invite the group to take the templates
It’s most exciting to watch a group present to company back to their workplace and hang them up, to
leaders. We coach the employees so they feel confident share with others who didn’t attend the session.
presenting, and we remind the rest of the group that We organize ‘gallery walks,’ during which a session
the presenters are representing them, so they need presenter walks others through the process, using
to offer support! The employees are proud of their the templates as a reference. The feedback on this
work, and the templates are critical to their success. activity after the session is always positive; the
During this phase of the process, the templates: structured process of the templates ensures that
the teams can be successful moving forward.
∙∙Help the employees organize their thoughts
and remember the process. It’s been a long
day doing work they are not accustomed to.
4 To purchase the book, visit: startmeetinglikethis.com/buy.

“This activity has been one THE POWER OF USING TEMPLATES

THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS
of the more impactful events The use of the designed visual templates throughout
the process elicit powerful, lasting change. The
involving associates and templates allow employees to feel heard during
the initial focus group process, to track their own
their work environment for conversations and thinking as they plan solutions, to
present their thoughts with confidence, and finally,
some time. It has gained
MEETINGS AND MORE

to remember their agreements after. The templates
allow the leaders to hear from the employees in their
momentum, and associates own words, and to see that employees are invested
not only in identifying the problematic issues, but in
who are not involved want helping to bring about resolutions. This is a tremen-
dous shift—from the typical pointing at problems
to find out h w their team and complaining, to taking personal responsibility
in solving problems and delivering solutions. Finally,
can get a share of the voice. the tangible medium of the templates allows them
to be rolled up, carried back to the workplace, and
I am very proud of the work shared with those who participated in the focus
groups, but were unable to attend the days-long
and process that were used. event. As a result, employee engagement extends well
beyond the twenty who were selected to participate.
We continue to meet and
move forward as a team!”
-Site Leader
WORKS CITED:
Adkins, Amy. “Little Change in U.S. Employee Engagement in January.” Gallup, 08 Feb. 2016,
news.gallup.com/poll/189071/little-change-employee-engagement-january.aspx. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“Gallup Q12 Employee Engagement Survey.” Gallup, Inc.,

q12.gallup.com/Public/en-us/Features. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Start Meeting Like This. Start Meeting Like This Consulting and Graphic Facilita-
tion, www.startmeetinglikethis.com/buy. Accessed 15 June 2019.
Meetings and More
Laurie Durnell
HOW TO GET TEAMS

UNSTUCK USING VISUALS
My plan for this team: to create and facilitate a meeting
design using a variety of visual formats to foster
increasingly transparent communication.
Team Performance
364 HOW TO GET TEAMS UNSTUCK USING VISUALS TEAM PERFORMANCE
HOW TO GET TEAMS UNSTUCK USING VISUALS

The leader of a training team for a state agency, I’d interviewed several members of the team—a joint
who had recently been promoted from the ranks, leadership and field team responsible for compliance
called me in exasperation. She’d heard earfuls of and training in the organization’s facilities throughout
complaints, but her fixes weren’t working. Team California—so I knew that people had locked-in
members were angry and frustrated. While there positions and strong emotions. Right away I saw that
were plenty of problem areas, the leader wasn’t I needed to create a safe environment where people
able to identify the central issue. “Can you help?” could openly explore their different perspectives,
she asked. “This whole team is just plain stuck!” if they were ever going to become unstuck.
My job, as their meeting designer and graphic facilita- We opened the meeting by getting a firm grip on our
tor, was to constructively unearth her team’s obstacles OARRs: meeting Outcomes, Agenda, Roles, and Rules.
by bringing the hidden, core issues out into the open We posted the OARRs on the wall for easy review;
and exploring the pre-existing belief system so that we this way, participants would have answers to the four
could find solutions. My plan? To create and facilitate questions1 that come up at the start of every meeting.
a meeting design using a variety of visual formats
to foster increasingly transparent communication. 1. Why are we here? (Outcomes)
2. Who are we in this space? (Roles)

CREATING A CONTAINER TO DO GOOD WORK:
Meeting Startup Template and 3. What are we doing? (Agenda)
Mandala Format for introductions.
4. How will we work together? (Ground Rules)
The meeting began with pleasantries—friendly, superfi-
cial banter—but I sensed real tension underneath.
5.
Figure 1: Our OARRs chart: the Graphic Guide® Meeting

Startup – Treasure Map, with the first day’s agenda.2
1 Sibbet, Team Leader Guide: Strategies and Practices for Achieving High Performance, p 26.
2 For more on the Graphic Guide® Meeting Startup – Treasure Map, visit grovetools-inc.com.
TEAM PERFORMANCE HOW TO GET TEAMS UNSTUCK USING VISUALS 365
Answering these questions in advance meant THE POWER OF A MODEL + DATA

the participants had one less thing to worry Prior to the start of our meeting, everyone had taken
about in an already tense situation. the Grove Team Performance Online Survey™4 to
help us identify the source of their grievances. This
To help the participants become present and available, anonymous survey invites team members to rank their
I created a team portrait using a mandala-style3 level of agreement with different statements about the
sketch of the room. It featured the tables in a half team; the results are aggregated and shared back with
circle, and included the names of each participant, the team to stimulate a more forthright conversation
MEETINGS AND MORE

illustrating their actual seating positions. The mandala about what’s really going on. In the meeting I oriented
format is an archetype of wholeness, so I was setting everyone to the Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance
a subconscious frame for team members that we’re Model®.5 This provided a common framework for
all in this together. As we went around to each person, understanding the predictable stages that all teams
I listed their hopes for the meeting inside the half must master to reach high performance. Then we dove
circle, to help create a sense of shared ownership. On right into their survey results to begin uncovering
the outside, next to their names, they offered imagined their issues. As pairs reviewed the Team Performance
advice from one of their personal heroes or heroines Survey results, they put sticky notes about their
on how to make the meeting a success. This prompted strengths and gaps directly on a large wall poster on
participants to connect with their best selves and the corresponding stage of the model. The number of
gave them a feeling of being seated with an ally. stickies visually highlighted both positives and priority
pain-points. It was a tough and insightful discussion.
Team Portrait: In the book Graphic We kept it safe by maintaining an analytical attitude
Facilitation, David Sibbet recommends of discovery, uncovering the specific behaviors, events,
beginning a team process or workshop by and incidents that supported their perspectives.
illustrating everyone in a circular seating
arrangement, or mandala, with information That was work!
about each person radiating out from their
name. Solicit information that serves the
purpose of the meeting, ideally, information
that will connect people and help them
get to know one another. The process
moves at a relaxed pace and makes clear
that you—the facilitator—are listening,
by capturing what people choose to say.
The finished portrait says, “We are one.”
Figure 3: The Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance Model®.

TEAM INTRODUCTIONS
Expectations
Bob Poul
BALANCING DATA WITH INTUITION
Trudy Juana The group was ready to transition from working with
Joan David data to tapping into intuition, so we shifted formats.
Tom Lexy Steph Suzanne We moved from the analytical matrix-format work of
the Team Performance Model, which took focus and
some risk, to the intuitive work of photo collaging,
which was celebratory and fun. Teams of three pored
Figure 2: An example of a team portrait.
3 A mandala is a geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. In common terminology, a mandala
may refer to any circular geometric pattern, especially one that expresses wholeness or unity.
4 For more information, see grovetools-inc.com/products/team-performance-online-survey.
5 Sibbet, Visual Teams: Graphic Tools for Committment, Innovation, & High Performance.
through piles of precut magazine images and phrases Push Practices

to create illustrations of the team’s strengths.
∙∙Presentations
Danish-American comedian Victor Borge famously
said, “Laughter is the shortest distance between ∙∙Reviewing data
two people.” Our groups laughed a lot as they
presented. Moving from analytical to intuitive, ∙∙Directed questions aimed at particular people
matrix to free-flowing art, leveraged the power of
push-pull to begin getting the group unstuck. ∙∙Filled in visual displays
Pull Practices
∙∙Open questions
∙∙Pauses and silence
∙∙Individual writing time before group sharing
∙∙Empty templates for the group to fill in
OPENING TO A VISION
Reenergized, the group was ready to begin looking
toward the future with a visioning activity. I placed the
group into small, self-selected breakouts. I wanted
them to feel confident sharing their unedited, first-
draft thoughts about what was important in their work.
Image 1: Strength collages from two of the small groups. People tend to feel safer in a small group of friends
than in a large group. I presented an empty template
The Principle of Push-Pull:6 Have you ever for them to draw on and fill out, as well as instructions.
tried to get a car out of the sand, mud, or
snow by rocking it back and forth? This is the At the bottom they pooled their knowledge about
principle of push-pull in action. Pushing is the team’s external context. Above that, in a circle
often energizing, dynamic, and engenders like the sun on the horizon, they articulated their
pushback. purpose—the ultimate goal they wished to fulfill.
Next they shared their personal why aspirations,7
Pulling is more reflective, and made connections between what was important
magnetic, and opens to them and the personal value they received from
PUSH up the conversation. being part of the team. (A light-hearted name for
this section is Radio Station WIIFM, or, what’s in it
PULL Examples of push-pull for me.) When team members can connect their own
facilitation practices. passions with the work of the team, it encourages
motivation. Finally, at the top, they brainstormed
their breakout group’s vision for what collective team
6 Sibbet, Visual Meetings: How Graphics, Sticky Notes & Idea Mapping Can Transform Group Productivity.
7 For more, see Simon Sinek’s video, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” here:
www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.
success would look like. As each group reported out, story, I invited whoever held it to speak from their
we highlighted similarities and differences. The focus own experience about whatever was on their heart
was on understanding each other and accepting all and mind, and for everyone else to listen deeply
perspectives. We ended the day on a high note. with respect for all the voices. I use a talking stick,
but anything will work—a rock, a feather, a marker,
Success looks like....

a rubber duck. The idea is that the only person
who can speak is the one holding the talking piece.
BRAINSTORM It slows down the conversation and encourages
ALL IDEAS WELCOME
MEETINGS AND MORE

For team S! everyone to listen to each other more carefully.
& organization ESULTct.
For customers R impa
7
Our stick unlocked a deeper conversation;
seeds that had been planted the first day now
al succes WIIF
Person
blossomed to release forthright communication
M inside the safe container created by the talking
GO AROUND stick. As the facilitator, I modeled deep listening by
EACH PERSON
My feelings
Career
Skill
Building 5 giving the speaker my full attention. I did minimal
value
graphic recording, using it only as a fair witness
PURPOSE and to capture spontaneous agreements.
Given
Team develops 7
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
CONTEXT From this new place of respect, the group was
5 ready to tackle the core issue they’d uncovered
INFO SHARING
WHOLE GROUP using the Team Performance Survey: a lack of
Outside Team
Stakeholders
Beyond org: trends
clarity in their roles and in the decision-making
process. This had been the source of their power
Figure 4: The Success Looks Like template. struggles and bad feelings. I introduced a model
for Decision Rules8 to ground the discussion.
TALKING STICK ALCHEMY

When we returned the next day, we began by
revisiting the OARRs chart. This time our agenda was
written on sticky notes, reflecting the issues we’d
identified during the conversation about the survey
results, and indicating that the agenda was flexible.
In other words, the meeting result was really up to
them. They decided to fine-tune the ground rules to
reflect what they’d discovered during day one, but
I observed that even in this opening activity they
were still dancing around deeper communication
with each other. It was time for a little alchemy.
I brought out a new tool: my talking stick. This piece

of wood has traveled with me to many meetings, and
been passed among many hands, during important
conversations. As I introduced the stick and told its Figure 5: The Decision Rules.
8 Adapted from Senge et al., The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies for Building a Learning Organization.
Decision Rules illustration and the Interdependence
@ Hip-Pocket Illustrations:
Continuum. When it was all over, the group identified
whom to involve in the most critical areas.
I carry a set of mental models in my head that

I can quickly sketch as a frame or teaching BEHAVIORS TO BUILD TRUST
piece in relevant moments. Before the Team The group had one critical issue left to discuss: trust.
Performance Model discussion, I sketched We decided it would be most productive to identify
and explained the Ladder of Inference.9 It concrete behaviors that would enhance trust. I laid out
illustrates how easily we jump to conclusions a set of cards from the TrustTalk™ deck.10 Each card
and how powerful it is to step back toward listed a set of potential behaviors. Each breakout group
shared data. To anchor models in your selected two cards, adjusted the written behaviors to fit
head, or remind you in the moment, you their team, and then presented the proposed behaviors
can carry a set of models on index cards. on flipcharts. After discussing and fine-tuning some
of the input, we illustrated our commitment using
Sam Kaner’s Gradients of Agreement.11 The team’s new
behavioral agreements included items like these:
Take We take time to vigorously share all our opinions

Action
before decisions are made. We evaluate multiple
Draw Conclusions alternatives before making important decisions.
Add Assumptions
UNLOCKING THE STUCK PLACES
Interpret Data Just as we started the meeting with a circle—the
mandala for introductions—we closed with
a circle: a go-around to share key takeaways
Data from the day. There was a tangible feeling
of ease as people shared their insights.
LADDER of INTERFERENCE
Figure 6: The Ladder of Inference. The visual formats we used to support increasingly
deep conversations allowed people to express
I used a graphic format called the Interdependence themselves in fresh ways—a literal answer to the
Continuum to make their decision-making process question, “See what I mean?” As the inventor
transparent, and to help identify sources of conflict Buckminster Fuller said, “If you want to teach
arising from differing expectations. Participants wrote people a new way of thinking, don’t bother trying
key work processes on sticky notes. Then they placed to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use
the notes along a scale from low collaboration to of which will lead to new ways of thinking.”
high interdependence. Their placement criteria: what
decisions could be made by individual owners, and Dialogue, combined with group graphics, were the
which should be collaborative? Then we did a group tools that unlocked the team’s stuck places. These
workout with the stickies, discussing and moving tools allowed them to leave the meeting ready to work
them around until everyone reached agreement. As together with greater understanding, with tolerance
we developed guiding principles for decision making, for differing viewpoints, and with agreements to carry
our conversation bounced back and forth between the them through inevitable new conflicts in the future.
9 The Ladder of Inference was introduced by organizational psychologist Chris Argyris (see Senge et al., The Fifth Discipline
Fieldbook, for a complete explanation, or “The Ladder of Inference” from The Systems Thinker™ for a brief overview:
thesystemsthinker.com/the-ladder-of-inference).
10 The TrustTalk™ deck is available from The Eli Group™: www.theeligroup.com/offerings/trust-talk.
11 See Kaner et al., Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making.
MEETINGS AND MORE

Figure 7: The Interdependence Continuum for Decision Making meeting chart.
Figure 8: Gradients of Agreement.

WORKS CITED:
“Graphic Guide® Meeting Startup – Treasure Map.” The Grove Consultants International,
grovetools-inc.com/products/meeting-startup-treasure-map. Accessed 11 june 2019.
Kaner, Sam, et al. Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making. Jossey-Bass, 2014.
Senge, Peter, et al. The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies for Building a Learning Organization.
Crown Publishing Group, 2014.
Sibbet, David. Graphic Facilitation: Transforming Group Process With the Power of Visual Listening.
The Grove Consultants International, 2006.
Sibbet, David. Team Leader Guide: Strategies and Practices for Achieving High Performance.
The Grove Consultants International, 2003.
Sibbet, David. Visual Meetings: How Graphics, Sticky Notes & Idea Mapping Can Transform Group Productivity.
Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010.
Sibbet, David. Visual Teams: Graphic Tools for Commitment, Innovation, & High Performance.
Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2011.
Sinek, Simon. “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” Ted.com, Sep. 2009.
“The Grove Team Performance Online Survey™.” The Grove Consultants International,
grovetools-inc.com/products/team-performance-online-survey. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“The Ladder of Inference.” The Systems Thinker, thesystemsthinker.com/the-ladder-of-inference.

“TrustTalk™.” The ELI Group™, Executive Leadership Impact, www.theeligroup.com/offerings/trust-talk.

Meetings and More
Jeannel King
ONE VISUAL MEETING

CREATES ONE HUGE SHIFT
This case study explores how a single visual facilitation
meeting transformed a construction company’s teams, processes,
performance, and organizational culture over the long term.
Team Performance
372 ONE VISUAL MEETING CREATES ONE HUGE SHIFT TEAM PERFORMANCE
ONE VISUAL MEETING

CREATES ONE HUGE SHIFT
This case study explores how a single visual ∙∙Cross-regional collaboration was not common (or
facilitation meeting transformed a construction easy) for the construction company, and the team
company’s teams, processes, performance, and with the most lab experience worked out of state.
organizational culture over the long term.
∙∙My client was 0 for 26 with the university:
they had gone after twenty-six building
THE CLIENT opportunities with zero wins.
A national construction firm specializing
in highly complex projects. So, the true challenges facing us with this project
went beyond, “Let’s win this one!” and included:
THE CHALLENGE ∙∙How do we take teams from two different

I got an email from the client asking if I could help geographic regions, diffuse the tensions of ‘home
with a special, must-win business opportunity (called versus away’ team loyalties, and seamlessly
a pursuit). They wanted me to use the same process combine them into a single, awesome team?
I had used with them on other pursuit projects,
but this time, the details were a bit different. A ∙∙How do we make sure that the team listens to the
prestigious university in the Southwestern United university client with fresh ears and an open mind?
States was looking for a construction firm to build
their largest-ever, on-campus laboratory. Exciting! ∙∙How do we demonstrate that the construction
team is local, and that they’ve drawn upon the
When I asked a few questions to dig most experienced workers for this project?
deeper into this project’s background, I
quickly learned a few key details: ∙∙How do we get the client to break its 0 for
26 record with the university to transform
∙∙The university was looking for a local team, and the the relationship and earn this win?
client’s local team was light on lab experience.
Which really boiled down to:
∙∙How do we develop a bond within this cross-

regional team that will translate to trust between
the team and the university, enabling them to
become a true partner: to listen, respond, and
deliver . . . in a single, four-hour session?
Okay! Challenge accepted!

TEAM PERFORMANCE ONE VISUAL MEETING CREATES ONE HUGE SHIFT 373
WHAT WE DID On the day of our session, I arrived early to set up the
The process for this visual meeting was space and set the container for our team to do their
fairly straightforward, not unlike how I good work. However, walking into the meeting space
typically approach my strategy projects: was like walking into a junior high school dance. All
of the home team members seemed to be seated on
∙∙Research with the client beforehand. one side of the room, all of the away team members
were on the other . . . and they did not want to mix
∙∙Design a basic facilitation flow for the day. it up and dance together. I had to set this meeting
MEETINGS AND MORE

container while the guests were already inside! I
∙∙Prep the space and set the container. immediately started a fun music playlist over the
sound system and distributed small toys on all the
∙∙Facilitate the awesome! tables to help send the message that this is no longer
your normal meeting process. Naturally, I had also
I started with a thirty-minute planning call with the planned small group activities to bridge the divide
pursuit’s leaders—from the home (local) and away and start unifying the team. (And heck, since I knew
(off-site) teams—to get us on the same page before almost no one by sight, it was easy to pretend that
walking into the session. We clarified what they hoped they were one team, and would work together as
to accomplish by the end of our time together, and they such. In my mind, it was “Everybody up and dance!”)
shared new information regarding relevant issues relat-
ed to the project, the team, and the prospective client. Oh, and the title they saw me write at the top of my
recording document? Brain Dump. Simply calling
Armed with this information, I drafted a basic facil- our meeting Brain Dump was a game changer for
itation flow for the session. I shared the big-picture participants. It was a clear break from the company’s
view of the flow with the project leaders, and asked formal, structured planning meetings, and helped
them to draft invitations to their team members, set the tone for how the team members were invited
setting the tone for the meeting. No formal agenda to participate. (A brain dump isn’t formal; it’s a bit
was shared, only the context for why we were coming messy, it’s kind of fun, and it can be a relief.)
together, and a general idea of what we hoped
to accomplish. I coordinated logistics with the
hosting (home team) office, and we were all set!
FACILITATION FLOW in the pan). Using Chuck the Duck as a visual device
Once we were ready to rock and roll, I had the for introductions made the meeting environment
leaders of the home and away teams start things more playful, informal, energetic, and open, which
off together by setting the context for our session: made it easier for participants to share their own
stories and connect with their fellow teammates.
∙∙why we were here,
∙∙why this project mattered,
∙∙what the desired outcomes were

from our work together, and
@ The Introduction Process
The introduction process was by far one of

∙∙who brought the toys (they the riskiest moves in this meeting; the group
introduced me to the team). of engineers and field staff were accustomed
to immediately diving in to a problem and
From there, we spent a large chunk of time (thirty brainstorming solutions—even before
minutes or so) on personal introductions. This truly understanding the actual problem. To
client’s project meetings typically began with ask them to take a step back and spend a
participants quickly sharing their name, job significant chunk of time simply talking about
title, and the company they worked for, before themselves? This was a huge risk, bigger even
jumping right into the problem to be solved. To than the visual facilitation work. It could have
shake things up, I asked participants to share: been dismissed as a waste of time; the team
might have insisted we skip it, or refused to
∙∙their name, participate. Instead, I explained that for us
to work as one team, we needed to invest the
∙∙their role on this project, time to get to know one another. In fact, we
were going to do that right from the start,
∙∙where they grew up, and in a unique way. By priming them for
what to expect, and then inviting the project’s
∙∙how many siblings they had, and leadership go first (to set an example of how
to respond to the introduction, and to model
∙∙a fun memory from childhood. that it’s okay to get to know each other a bit),
people immediately relaxed and had fun.
We did this ‘popcorn’ style, with participants using They learned new things about the people
a small rubber ball named Chuck the Duck as an they’d known and worked with for years (“I
object, or ‘talking piece,’ to identify the current didn’t know you grew up in Wisconsin! I did
speaker. Once a participant shared their introduction, too!”).
they would throw (or ‘chuck’) the duck to another
participant (giving the appearance of popcorn popping
Now that we knew each other better, we were ready to This progressed into a natural exploration of the team’s
explore the background and key players involved with assets. Specifically, we considered the question: Why is
the project. To discover what we really knew—and still this team the best choice for the university’s project?
needed to find out—about the project, we played a
game called Blind Side, from ∙∙Working silently, each team member did a
Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, two-minute brain dump of ideas onto sticky
Rulebreakers, and Changemakers. notes, which were placed on the wall.
MEETINGS AND MORE

∙∙Working in small groups (consisting of both ∙∙The entire team gathered together to cluster and
home and away team members), four groups process their sticky-note thoughts to see which
adopted one of the four Blind Side categories: key ideas and themes had begun to emerge.
what we know we know, what we know we
don’t know, what we don’t know we know, ∙∙The team then named their key insights and
and what we don’t know we don’t know. identified the top themes that they felt best spoke to
who they were as a team and what unique value they
∙∙This small-group work led to a group report brought to the project for their prospective client.
out and robust discussion (remember,
these folks love the details). ∙∙We concluded our session by ‘emptying the Fridge’
(dealing with the topics we’d set aside earlier)
∙∙We used a Fridge1 to catch non-germane items and identifying immediate next steps to win
or lines of discussion that needed to be ELMO’d2 the project, including both specific action items
(Enough, Let’s Move On) but still required follow-up. and big-picture ideas about the experience the
team wanted to create for the client by working
∙∙After a brief group gallery walk to take in the results together. And at the end of our four hours, we
of our Blind Side exercise, the team highlighted were done. The visual artifact got scanned, and
its most important items to build upon for the the home team leader received both digital and
successful pursuit of the university project. physical copies to distribute to the team.
1 The Fridge: Unlike a traditional meeting ‘parking lot,’ the Fridge (refrigerator) is a place to put things that absolutely will be cleared
out at the end of the meeting but don’t need to be dealt with at the moment they come up. Much like the office fridge where
everything gets tossed out once a week, our meeting’s Fridge will be emptied at the end of the day. (I don’t know about you, but I’ve
lost my car in parking lots more than once.)
2 The Enough, Let’s Move On (or ELMO) technique is a traditional facilitation practice that lets participants decide and indicate when a
topic has been dealt with enough, at least for the moment.
THE RESULT
@ To Draw or Not To Draw The short-term result was that, after making the
final shortlist for the project and knocking out
As a visual facilitator, it’s fun drawing a team’s their biggest competitors along the way, the client
ideas as they reflect and process. And at the resoundingly won the project. This, in itself, was
start of the graphic recording, my style of amazing, but that was just the beginning! While the
capture was image-oriented, playful, and free. team’s win was tremendously exciting—breaking their
zero for twenty-six streak and gaining a fantastic
However, once we began the Blind Side project with the university—the long-term results
exercise, the level of detail provided in of this meeting really represented the power of
the small-group responses increased visual facilitation. . . The way it can impact teams,
dramatically. I knew that capture by drawing’ process, performance, and the larger culture.
would no longer be feasible, and that pure
word capture was critical. It was far more
valuable to directly reflect the words and TEAMS
ideas of my participants than it would The client’s teams tended to dread pursuit-prepa-
have been to translate their thoughts into ration meetings. They were viewed as something
drawings. These words mattered and had a the team members had to endure to win the
very specific meaning to the team. To best pursuit, taking away valuable time from their more
serve this client, I needed to discard my important job responsibilities. However, after this
ego (my desire to demonstrate that I could meeting, the mindset of the participants changed
draw something cool), and instead diligently from two divided teams into one united team:
capture the team’s exact words.
∙∙From being financially-focused to team-focused.
Instead of saying, “Yeah, we’ll work with you, but
who gets 51% of this win and who gets 49%?” when
approached to partner on cross-regional pursuits,
regions now work together as true partners and
teammates for everyone’s shared success.
∙∙From being closed-minded to open-minded. Instead

of assuming, “We know what we should be doing” and
“We know how to fix this, so get out of our way,” the
team shared knowledge, ideas, and possibilities with
each other to create the best solution for their client.
∙∙From being self-focused to client-focused. Instead

of viewing client input as a necessary evil as the
team solved the problem (or what they believed
the problem to be) for the client, teams now
worked to keep focused on their client’s needs,
seeking to truly understand and work with the
client to solve the construction challenge.
PROCESS impressive on this project, in fact, that the university

After this session experience, the home team awarded its most ambitious project to date to this
changed the way they held pursuit meetings to contractor, as well. (The team, of course, used the
include many of the elements listed below: same process to prepare for and win that pursuit.)
∙∙Opening meetings by setting the context for

why the team is there and what they seek to CULTURE
accomplish, instead of diving right in to solve After experiencing the effectiveness of visual
MEETINGS AND MORE

what they believe the problem to be. facilitation for both the team and its outcome
during the university pursuit, the home office began
∙∙Placing toys on the tables to engage kinesthetic to incorporate this approach into its pursuits on a
thinkers and set the tone of a more playful, regular basis. An internal corporate position was
curious, open, and inviting work session. created to facilitate this style of collaborative strategy
and communication. As I continued to bring visual
∙∙Playing music in the room to set the facilitation and hosting practices to more and more
container for working differently. pursuits in this new company role, informal ‘visual
facilitator mentoring relationships’ began to spring up
∙∙Having paper and flipcharts up on the walls, with other team members within the organization.
markers on the tables—again, cues to let the
team know they ‘aren’t in Kansas anymore.’3 Team leaders throughout the country started pur-
chasing their own toys to bring to planning sessions
∙∙Making key insights visible to the entire group by and meetings. Flipcharts and markers became
putting them up on the wall—on a whiteboard, commonplace for participants to draw out their ideas.
large piece of paper, or other method. These newly-emerging champions began taking a more
proactive approach to facilitating their own teams
∙∙Using drawings to represent ideas! From stick figures and processes, with me showing up as their graphic
to sophisticated sketches, the team continues to recorder, pre-session coach, and safety and support
explore their own comfortable balance of how to best system, to ensure a successful session. Team members
tap into—and represent—ideas in meaningful ways. began to run their own teams using some of the visual
processes and games to better understand their
clients, their project opportunities, and themselves.
PERFORMANCE
Team performance soared on this project, in part Participants from these sessions were also experi-
because they had a visual map that they co-created encing a cultural shift. Field staff and project leads
in real time during the meeting, showing where alike, who once dreaded pursuit-planning meetings,
they wanted to go, why it mattered, and what they now wanted to be included. “It’s going to be one
needed to do to get there. The leadership of the of those meetings? I wouldn’t miss it!” Participants
pursuit team used the recording as a living document, recognized they were being heard; their voices and
re-grounding participants’ efforts by revisiting the contributions were seen, valued, and shared. Plus,
recording throughout the process. “Remember? the experience was fun for them! Instead of a waste
This is what we said was important, this is what of time, pursuit meetings had become a prized
we said we would do, and this is why it matters.” opportunity to build teams, build upon ideas, and
build some amazing projects in the community.
This exercise increased transparency, accountability,
results, and—ultimately—trust that teammates would Today, the process, tools, and mindset have become
deliver for each other. The team’s performance was so so pervasive that it’s not uncommon for the home
3 This expression is from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a story by L. Frank Baum originally published in 1900 and made into a movie in
1939. In the story, the protagonist is transported, along with her dog Toto, from her native state of Kansas to a magical land. When she
discovers this, she says to her pet, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” The expression is often used to indicate that one
finds oneself in unfamiliar surroundings.
team’s leadership to orient new partners and team WORKS CITED:

members to our unique approach by simply stating,
this is how we pursue opportunities here. It’s not Gray, Dave, et al. Gamestorming: A Playbook
so much a way of working, as a way of being. for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Change-
makers. O’Reilly Media, Inc., 2010.
AT THE END OF THE DAY See Also:

In retrospect, this visual meeting—for this particular
pursuit, at this particular time, for these particular See Creating Impactful Employee Engagement
teams—truly was a seed planted in fertile corporate with Templates, by Dana Wright Wasson, for
ground. There was a tremendous desire throughout all more ideas on how to bring the fun.
levels of the company to change the way they listened
to their customers, and a sincere desire to work in a
different way. This experience took courage for these
engineering teams; it was a completely different way of
working together than they had ever experienced. But
as they saw the seeds of their visual work take root,
blossom, and bear fruit, they sought other opportuni-
ties to work together in similar ways. The seeds from
that first meeting have grown into a garden of people
who are eager to bring their best selves and ideas to
their team projects. They have fun, their clients enjoy
working with them, and the results continue to bloom
and grow and spread throughout the larger company.
BEYOND THE
PAPER
Beyond the Paper
Holger Nils Pohl
THE CASE FOR DIGITAL

FACILITATION
Never underestimate the unlimited possibilities you have
at your fin ertips if you add digital tools to your toolbox.
Virtual and Visual

382 THE CASE FOR DIGITAL FACILITATION VIRTUAL AND VISUAL
THE CASE FOR DIGITAL FACILITATION
The success of our company or our projects depends THE CASE STUDY
largely on the way in which we communicate—with My job with this particular company is twofold;
our colleagues, our clients, our peers. As visual I facilitate workshops for an agile innovation team, and
facilitators, when we say projects, we’re most likely I provide instruction regarding visual-facilitation skills
referring to meetings, events, workshops and the to this team. The innovation team operates in a highly
like. Our tools include whiteboards, flipcharts, regulated market, within a very complex company
pin boards, large pieces of paper, and tiny sticky structure. Visual facilitation helps them create great
notes. Literally anything that we use to make workshop settings with profound outcomes, and
our thinking visible, and therefore tangible. provides a shared understanding and alignment
between workshop participants. With this new way of
In the past few years, another medium has found working, their company-wide visibility has skyrocketed.
its way into our visual facilitation toolbox—and
it’s digital. This chapter explores the benefits
of including digital tools in your projects. DIGITAL: WHEN AND WHY?
With the aforementioned client, our typical
After reading this chapter, you’ll be able process included business model innovation
to answer the following questions. workshops lasting two to three days. Three
facilitators (myself included) hosted twenty-five
When (and why) should I use digital tools? to thirty-five participants per session.
This section focuses on when best to leverage the
digital tool, either instead of or in addition to paper. The best way to engage such a small group is
by inviting them to work together on a piece
What are my options regarding technology? of paper taped to the wall. It is tangible, it is
We’ll discuss aspects of working with digital tools, and visible, it encourages movement (standing) which
which digital tools will best serve your group’s needs. provides additional flexibility in one’s thinking.
Technology changes rapidly, and we shouldn’t Let us not pretend that digital could—or should—re-
settle for the status quo. Using digital tools place this methodology. But I am deeply convinced that
is more about your mindset than about the we can add another layer of cooperative work when we
technology itself. (The website associated with blend techniques of paper and digital together in the
this book is a rich source of information.) same meeting, in the same room, and with the same
people. In those innovation workshops, I learned that
To illustrate the benefits and techniques of using dig- at certain points during a meeting, the energy of the
ital tools, I’ll share a case study from my practice. This participants was amplified when I grabbed my iPad
particular client is a large, 100K-employee corporation. and started working digitally. A digitally created visual
that comes from the group itself is satisfying; it feels
finished and polished, not as handmade as drawings
on paper. It is clean. It feels more professional.
VIRTUAL AND VISUAL THE CASE FOR DIGITAL FACILITATION 383
Business Model Innovation is Our company is spread globally, with participants

living all around the world. Ideally, we’ll have them
a process based on the work all in one place for the kickoff. But reality has shown
that sometimes important stakeholders won’t be
of Alexander Osterwalder, the attending, simply because they cannot travel at that
time. Using a digital tool helps us work simultaneously
creator of the Business Model with both the onsite participants, and the absent
participants who can connect and join us remotely.
Canvas, the Value Proposition
Canvas, and the founder of END USE OF CONTENT
The third indicator that it might be time to include
Strategyzer.1 The basic idea a digital platform involves the end use of
the final product.
of business model innovation
Do you want the ability to share a sharp, clean visual
states that you can search
BEYOND THE PAPER

right from the workshop? Go digital. Do you want
to send multiple emails in the upcoming days with
for and design new business a small cutout of your visual? Go digital. Do you want
maximum flexibility to use your content in print,
models with a visual, creative, online, or as marketing material, like a postcard?
Go digital. Do you want to duplicate your visual
and agile approach. to create alternatives? Go digital. Do you want to
prepare a PowerPoint presentation as quickly as
possible with the least amount of effort after the
GROUP SIZE workshop? Go digital. Do you want to share the
Digital tools work as well with two people as they visuals instantaneously with the world? Go digital.
do with more than thirty. Actually, this is my magic
number. Interacting with a group larger than thirty I think you get the idea. Selecting digital is never
people is extremely difficult with an analog tool alone. a black and white decision. It’s up to you to decide
For starters, not everyone will be able to see or read each time which platform will best serve your clients.
what you’re doing on your paper. As a result, interest, These indicators are simply guidelines, questions
energy, and flow of the group are at risk. (Digital can, to ask yourself when you’re not yet sure which
of course, include a camera that films your presenta- medium to select for your upcoming meeting.
tion and projects it onto large screens.) This is one of
the great things about working with digital tools: you’re
able to include an infinite number of participants. DIGITAL OPTIONS: SOMETHING FOR
So this is my first indicator of when to switch to EVERYONE
digital: the number of participants in the group. I have found three fundamental ways to work digitally
as a visual facilitator. The first is paper to digital.
Here, you basically work on paper with markers
DISTRIBUTION OF PARTICIPANTS and use a camera to push your work into the digital
This brings me to my second indicator: the location of world. The second is stationary digital, where you
participants. Imagine we’re facilitating a kickoff meet- work from a fixed position in the room using devices
ing for a new company challenge that will be solved by like your laptop, graphics tablets, and so on.
a group of new employees through a set of workshops.
1 For more on Strategyzer, including information about the Business Model Canvas and the Value Proposition Canvas,
visit strategyzer.com.
Most of the time, stationary digital work is PAPER TO DIGITAL

dependent on cables attached to a screen or
projector (which limits your movements). The
third way is my favorite. Unbound digital involves
working with a tablet in hand, connected wirelessly
to a screen or projector. The whole room becomes
your playground—this is where the fun starts!
During my work with the agile innovation team, I played

all three levels of the technology symphony. I even
added the simple element of marker on paper! Their
typical workshop groups consisted of twenty-five
to forty participants from around the world.
The case for paper: when Figure 1: Working paper to digital.
holding a kickoff meeting When forty people are pressed into a room it’s literally
impossible for everyone to see or read a napkin sketch
that aims to create profound of an idea, much less accurately assess the content.
A quick solution to this problem is to place my sketches
new and sound ideas for (usually on A3 or A4 paper) under a document camera
that is connected to a projector. Instantly, everyone can
a client’s products and view the napkin sketch on an oversized projection. After
the presentation of that particular sketch, the next
services, I work on plain follows, then the next, and so on. The presented ideas
are placed on the wall. This way, the information stays
paper. It’s quick and dirty. tangible in the workshop room for everyone to see.
I hand sticky notes and

STATIONARY DIGITAL
markers to participants,
so they can do some of the
writing themselves; that’s
all perfectly fine. But when it
comes to condensing ideas
for assessment, I like to
include a digital element.
Figure 2: Working stationary digital.
VIRTUAL AND VISUAL THE CASE FOR DIGITAL FACILITATION 385
After the initial pen-and-paper brainstorming This screen is mine—in advance, I request that the
sessions, I like to use stationary digital in sub- screen be reserved for the visual facilitator only. Other
sequent workshops. After ideation is completed, presentations must be shared on another screen.
prototypes of business models and new services Imagine me, in my jeans and a black shirt, wandering
are developed, and experiments have been run, around with my iPad Pro and Apple Pencil in hand.
it’s time to share with the bigger organization. Talk about unbound. I can go wherever I’d like. For
example, I can sneak into each of the hour-long
If we’ve made an insanely large effort, we might be breakout groups. Or I can meet a single participant for
able to gather two hundred people into the room a short interview or questionnaire. Or I can recapture
for our knowledge-sharing event. But most likely people’s attention by standing in front of “my screen”
we’ll have to present in another way—inside the and presenting brand new ideas as they spring from
workshop room itself, via the company’s intranet. different groups. This is the pinnacle of flexibility.
While it is physically restrictive, the stationary digital

technique allows us to put together an amazingly
sharp, visual, and tangible presentation that suits
BEYOND THE PAPER

both needs (hands-on, pen-and-paper engagement
with widespread shareability) in one format. If you
do a good job, you will have an eye-catching story
to tell the audience, both onsite members, as well
as those joining remotely from afar. Compared to
a flipchart presentation in a boardroom, transferring
visuals from the workshops into digital formats
enables us to reach a much wider audience.
The unbound digital technique has another

UNBOUND DIGITAL: MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY strength. You can share single images right on the
spot with your participants. This allows them to
use the graphics immediately in their group work,
or to send the images to a colleague to inspire
or spark a conversation after the workshop.
Of course, you’re not prohibited from grabbing

a marker and sketching something on a flipchart
if it will help your group. There are no right or
wrong techniques when it comes to facilitation.
Choose what best suits the situation.
Is this easy to do? No. Not at all. You, as the visual

Figure 3: Working unbound digital. facilitator, must be flexible in your choice of tools. It’s
no longer a question of using your favorite facilitation
In workshops with more than thirty participants, I make tool. The most important question to ask yourself
use of unbound digital all the time. In my case, I wire- is, how can I best serve this group, and which tool
lessly connect my iPad to an Apple TV, which is then will create precisely the right outcome for them?
connected to a central screen at the workshop venue.
IN SUMMARY
To summarize this chapter, forget about the
discussions on favorite tools, digital versus analog,
big versus small. Find your way to leverage all
available tools to use in the best possible way for any
given context. The larger and more agile a workshop
becomes, the more you need to be flexible to
use a diverse range of tools—including digital.
WORKS CITED:
“Business Model Canvas.” Strategyzer,

strategyzer.com/canvas/business-model-canvas.
Strategyzer. Strategyzer AG,

strategyzer.com. Accessed 11 Jan. 2019.
“Value Proposition Canvas.” Strategyzer,

strategyzer.com/canvas/value-proposition-canvas.
VIRTUAL AND VISUAL COMPARING PAPER AND DIGITAL MEDIA 387
COMPARING PAPER AND DIGITAL MEDIA
PAPER DIGITAL
Select paper media for ease of use Select digital media for maximum
and to maximize participation. flexibility and easy sharing.
BEYOND THE PAPER

WHEN TO USE:
∙∙Ideally, with groups of less than 30 people ∙∙For infinite numbers of participants, or when
using multiple screens onsite or online
∙∙As a novice visual facilitator
∙∙When some people have to participate
∙∙When ‘quick and dirty’ is all right from a remote location
∙∙When you want to activate people and get ∙∙When the flexibility to shift and condense
them participating (for example, by asking visual elements over the drawing is needed
them to add their ideas with sticky notes)
∙∙When you need a medium suitable for broadcasting
∙∙When working in small groups where
participants draw for themselves ∙∙When you need to produce a sharp and clean visual
∙∙For quick processing of visual results

in PowerPoint presentations
∙∙When you want to process the visual for distribution

(in its entirety, or parts of the drawing)
388 COMPARING PAPER AND DIGITAL MEDIA VIRTUAL AND VISUAL
PAPER DIGITAL
KEEP IN MIND:
∙∙If you want to share the work live via the internet ∙∙The results feel finished and polished;
or by broadcasting, make sure to have a good this makes it more difficult to co-create
camera, tripod, and internet connection in place or to go back and fill in the gaps
∙∙Participants expect more perfection in the visual work
∙∙Mastering your digital tool is critical

for a successful facilitation
∙∙For quick sharing of results in a digital way, use
the camera or a scanner from your smartphone
∙∙If you want to work small but display large, use

a document camera to project your images
Beyond the Paper
Holger Nils Pohl
APP MAGIC: PRESENTING AND

FACILITATING USING DIGITAL MEDIA
Adding a new dimension—like digital media—to your
work opens a whole new world of visual facilitation.
Virtual and Visual

390 APP MAGIC: PRESENTING AND FACILITATING USING DIGITAL MEDIA VIRTUAL AND VISUAL
APP MAGIC: PRESENTING AND

FACILITATING USING DIGITAL MEDIA
MASTERING THE TOOL
Endless possibilities
arise when working with
a digital tablet in your
visual facilitation practice.
This chapter focuses on Apple, Inc.’s iPad Pro1 and Ap-
ple Pencil,2 used in conjunction with an iOS application
like Procreate3 or something similar. However, many
of the tactics and tricks shared here can be used with Speaking of muscle memory, what happened to my
other mobile tools, as well. A word of caution: when zoom? I’m known for drawing on my iPad at a very
selecting digital tools, limit yourself to those that offer high speed, and I work on it a lot—I mean, a lot.
flexibility, while creating as few variables as possible. Occasionally, I’ll pull out my notebook and sketch with
a regular pen. I often forget that I can’t zoom in on
Consider these questions first: Which tool paper to add further details like I can on my iPad.
do you want to use in your visual facilitation More than once, participants have caught me bent
practice? How easily can you master it? over my sketchbook, desperately spreading my thumb
and index finger, and cursing under my breath.
Markers and paper
A visual facilitator serves two different functions
are a lot more forgiving, when the tablet is in hand. One is presenting, where
information is pushed out to the participants of the
even for a novice. workshop (mostly via one-way communication). The
other function is facilitating. During facilitation, the
Participants expect perfection when the facilitator practitioner serves the group by helping participants
is using a digital tool. Additionally, your paper and focus on and contribute to the conversation, thus
markers aren’t projected onto a giant screen. People enabling ideas to flourish. This method pulls
tend to accept flaws more readily when they see information from participants in a two-way or
a drawing on paper. Mastering your tool is critical, multi-way communication. Both functions are
especially if you work with a digital tool. Mastery is well served with the inclusion of digital media.
your ultimate and necessary goal; your moves and
actions must provide the desired results on-screen.
They must become automatic muscle memory.
1 For more information, see: www.apple.com/ipad-pro.

2 For more information, see: www.apple.com/apple-pencil.
3 For more, see procreate.art.
VIRTUAL AND VISUAL APP MAGIC: PRESENTING AND FACILITATING USING DIGITAL MEDIA 391
@ THE FIVE TYPES OF SETTINGS
In my experience, I’ve found that visual

facilitators act in five basic settings:
1. Only you: externalize your thinking

by visualizing it for yourself
2. One-to-one: meet with one other person
3. One-to-many (presenter): you

are in front of many Figure 1: Behind the Scenes
4. Many-to-one (participant): you 2. The Magic Show

participate in a meeting or workshop When presenting a complex visual, you can prepare
BEYOND THE PAPER

a sketch on paper before your meeting, then take
5. One-to-many (facilitator): you facilitate a group a picture of your drawing and import it into the app.
Using the imported image as a (hidden) backdrop,
For more on settings, see the chapter entitled, trace and complete further drawings on additional,
Designing Meetings with the Clarity Framework. separate layers. By adding a white layer and setting
the opacity to ninety-eight percent, you prevent
participants from seeing the underlying image.
ADDING MAGIC TO YOUR PRESENTATIONS To create the magic, use the eraser tool to reveal
In a one-to-many situation (see number three in the portions of the drawing that correlate to narration.
above box), you present or share something that you’ve Alternatively, you can use the pen to trace the drawing
learned, researched, developed, or experienced with (without participants noticing the tracing step). Your
the participants. When the group size exceeds twenty to drawing will appear spontaneous. And that’s the magic!
thirty people, using digital media and projecting onto
a big screen helps all participants see better. Here are
three different approaches to a technique I call
“Storytelling 2.0.” Used in combination with the iPad
Pro, these techniques consistently work well in practice.
1. Behind the Scenes

There is a special feature in the Procreate app called
“Airplay Canvas.” It creates a split screen, which allows
the facilitator to hide the portion of the iPad screen
that contains the tools, layers, and zooming effects.
Participants do not see as you switch back and forth
between your current drawing and the gallery view (the Figure 2: The Magic Show
behind-the-scenes maneuvers). They see the portion of
your screen, big or small, that is equivalent to a paper
chart on the wall. This feature enables the Storytelling
2.0 technique as you seamlessly shift between
tools, and magic emerges for your participants.
392 APP MAGIC: PRESENTING AND FACILITATING USING DIGITAL MEDIA VIRTUAL AND VISUAL
3. Show and Tell 2. Mix and Match

Single visuals are prepared like traditional PowerPoint To complement or supplement the workshop as it
slides, which are then sorted into the desired sequence progresses, the facilitator can create spontaneous
of presentation. If you use the Airplay Canvas mode, visuals or templates on the iPad, which can then be
participants only see one drawing at a time. This printed as handouts or worksheets for participant use.
allows you to toggle to the Gallery View, select the This combines both digital media and traditional tools,
next image, and return to Airplay Canvas mode, thus benefiting the digitally savvy as well as more conven-
performing a seamless presentation. This feature tional learners. This method does not preclude the
enables maximum flexibility to add drawings on the fly. use of sticky notes, markers, colored dots, and the like.
This process creates a multi-modal learning oppor-
tunity for participants. (The facilitator must arrange
for access to a printer or photocopier in advance.)
3. Prototyping Templates
Unlike working on paper, digital media enables you
to create prototypes on the fly. There’s no need
to reproduce your drawings over and over again.
Duplicate visuals on the spot and develop iterations
again and again. Instantly project new templates
on the screen, which participants can then help to
refine. Use these templates as a printed version on
the wall, or project directly onto the screen. Hand out
Figure 3: Show and Tell sticky notes; participants can stick them directly onto
a printed version of the latest prototype, or attach
them to the template you’ve projected onto the wall.
THREE TIPS FOR YOUR FACILITATION
PRACTICE (For more on templates, see the section entitled
In a one-to-many situation (see number five in the Templates.)
box on the previous page), you are facilitating a group.
There are multiple benefits to using digital media. Regardless of the particular tool you choose, digital
facilitation enhances the workshop experience for
1. Mobility in Breakout Sessions groups of all sizes. Digital tools offer maximum flexi-
Encourage participants to use digital media in bility to your work as a facilitator. Once you’ve selected
breakout sessions. If you have breakout rooms your tool, play with it until the functions are embedded
during the workshop, visit each group with your into your mind. Practice your craft; your tablet should
iPad in hand. You can connect spontaneously to feel as comfortable in your hand as a pencil.
their presentation screens in the room, or stay
connected to all the screens in multiple rooms via WORKS CITED:
Wi-Fi. Participants can see what other groups are
working on (even though they won’t be able to hear “Apple Pencil.” Apple Inc., www.apple.com/apple-pencil.
what other groups are discussing for the moment). Accessed 11 June 2019.
“iPad Pro.” Apple Inc., www.apple.com/ipad-pro.

Procreate. Procreate,
procreate.art. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Beyond the Paper
Jerre Lubberts
LIVE DIGITAL MAPPING
Unlock the power of diverse thinking by digitally

visualizing complexity, step-by-step.
Virtual and Visual

396 LIVE DIGITAL MAPPING VIRTUAL AND VISUAL
LIVE DIGITAL MAPPING
Live digital mapping (LDM) is a process in which THE DAY LIVE DIGITAL MAPPING WAS BORN:
a group of people interactively build a visual PART ONE
representation of their thoughts using digital tools,
like a computer, software, scanner, tablet, stylus, and Quite a few years ago I was challenged by top
so on. The live aspect emphasizes that as people management to come up with a plan to merge
speak aloud, a picture (consisting of key words, tags, a group of thirteen small-sized companies.
pictures, relationship arrows and so on) is jointly Our company had recently been acquired,
built on the screen. Moving step-by-step and checking and the main shareholder wanted to realize
with the group to confirm that the correct key words economies of scale. I interviewed all the
were chosen, the facilitator can make sure that all managing directors and, after five interviews,
participants feel heard and become more aligned. I started to feel quite uncomfortable and
uncertain in my ability to succeed. The
When the goal is to accelerate a change process over people I interviewed shared with me many
multiple sessions, LDM serves as a powerful tool.1 arguments against merging the companies. It
Participants are key to realizing the team or organi- became clear that they were not motivated to
zation’s goals—and they will feel more motivated to cooperate. If I could demonstrate a solution
change. As a facilitator, your task is not only to stimu- that would benefit the organization, the
late creativity, but also to ensure that people feel safe directors, and their teams, I might have
to contribute, and that their time is well spent. With a chance to succeed with this assignment.
thorough preparation, smart design of the process, and I had to find a way to convince them to merge
your experience, you will find great success with LDM. their companies. And if I didn’t want to mess
You can ask the questions nobody asks; help to choose up my first assignment—and I wanted to keep
the correct wording for participants’ ideas, worries, my job—I had to come up with a solution fast.
and objections; and visualize how these challenges will On this day, the idea for live digital mapping
be addressed in the solution (for example, as a road was born. (Want to know what happened with
map, decision tree, or argument map). Live digital the thirteen companies we had to merge?
mapping can be combined with manual mapping2 You can read it at the end of this chapter.)
and other methods of visual facilitation, as well.
THE POWER OF DIGITAL MAPPING IN TEAMS

Much visual facilitation work (as described in
this book) is completed on large sheets of paper.
Live digital mapping, because of its electronic
nature and virtually infinite canvas size, offers
a different approach. Here are some advantages,
as compared to paper-based visual facilitation.
Image 1: Live digital mapping with a facilitator and live mapper.
1 For an example, see the article entitled “High Performance Team Roadmap” included on the companion website of this book.
2 For more, see the chapter entitled, The Case for Digital Facilitation, by Holger Nils Pohl.
VIRTUAL AND VISUAL LIVE DIGITAL MAPPING 397
During the Session COMBINING DIGITAL WITH PAPER

In some situations, using paper in combination with
∙∙Digital mapping offers speed and flexibility. digital has significant advantages. When people get
You can harvest a lot of information in a limited out of their chairs, they become more creative and
time. The facilitator can quickly add to and engaged. In the brainstorming and thinking phases,
change both content and structure, and easily specifically, this technique works very well. For example,
restructure the visual maps in the moment. This with a large energy company and bank, we designed
way, participants can respond instantly to changes. a paper- and electronic-based method to increase the
number of ideas in the ideation stage, while not losing
∙∙You can choose from many standard graphic anyone during the steps of the process. (We call this
formats (see the chapter Graphic Formats) and Concentric Brainstorming; see the companion website
multiple options of visual-mapping software. for a more in-depth explanation of this process.)
Filtering information is easy, so you can process
large quantities of information, and structure
and restructure it quickly. As the amount TEAM PROCESSES THAT LDM CAN SUPPORT
of information grows, you can make specific LDM is suited for all kinds of sessions held with
BEYOND THE PAPER

information visible (or invisible) by using tags. a team or group of people. The most common types
of sessions that I facilitate include brainstorming,
∙∙You can instantly add tags and markers (icons project startups, defining a strategy, problem-solving,
or colors); at any moment, you can filter out different business process-improvement, knowledge sharing,
views of the same information (more on this later). online meetings, visualizing the big picture,
lessons-learned, and stakeholder mapping.
∙∙It is easy for people to participate virtually
(in real time) via the internet.
USEFUL GRAPHIC FORMATS
After the Session and During Implementation There are many formats from which to choose when
live digital mapping a session. In the Graphic Formats
∙∙It is easy to link supporting digital material chapter of this book, you will find the most frequently
like documents, images, and websites. used formats of LDM, together with other graphic
formats. The formats I use most often are the mind
∙∙The facilitator can use their chosen software map,3 concept map, timeline, and process map.4
to seamlessly translate the results into action,
using lists; planning charts; and personal, project,
or team dashboards. By sharing the digital map
online, those working virtually from remote
locations can be accommodated. One can share
the results easily and quickly in digital ways
(such as PDF, Microsoft Excel, and HTML).
∙∙Because of the vast amount of information

that can be stored and digitally distributed,
people who were not at the meeting can
be easily introduced to the results.
3 The concept of mind mapping was first introduced by Tony Buzan; see tonybuzan.com.
4 To learn more about graphic formats, read the chapter Graphic Formats by Tim Hamons and Jerre Lubberts.
THE LDM PROCESS, STEP-BY-STEP the brainstorm and try to think of a higher-level
There are three roles during a live concept. Add a new starting point left of the
digital mapping session: original center featuring the higher-level concept
(see Figure 1). In this example, we started with
∙∙Session designer the concept, “clean up seawater at local beach,”
and after some brainstorming, we choose the
∙∙Facilitator concept, “control pollution entering the sea.”
This way, we got a much broader viewpoint.5
∙∙Live mapper
∙∙When the focus of the session is more on
Step 1: Design ideation than problem solving, you might want
to use additional drawings or key words that
During this step we address key questions: What trigger new trains of thought. In a session
should the outcome be? How does the session relate where you need to solve a (wicked) problem
to the previous and upcoming sessions? How can as quickly as possible, use key words or small
our reporting support the participant objectives? drawings; connect them with arrows to clearly
outline relationships (like cause and effect).
A brainstorm is a different type of session than
a strategy session. A process-improvement
meeting is not the same as a gathering to share
knowledge or solve a complex problem. Defining
the objectives will help determine the design.
Step 2: Facilitate
During the session, the facilitator and live mapper

work together to make sure every participant
feels heard. They check that the group’s input is Image 2: Manual mind mapping on paper.
represented correctly on the visual map, including
relationships and other informational categories. ∙∙When taking notes on paper, always use a pencil
Here are key tips from my own experience: with an eraser so you don’t have to think about
the correct spot, spelling, or drawing. You can
∙∙If you use a mind map, state the objective correct it later. Take time after the meeting
and place the target audience at the center (together with your conversation partner) to
of the map. As a discussion trails off or falters, go through the map. Finish it by correcting any
the facilitator can point to the center of the errors and putting everything in its rightful place.
map to help participants stay on track. Use colored pencils for highlighting, grouping,
or to code specific categories of information.
∙∙If a portion of the invited participants are not
present, instead of using key words and ambiguous ∙∙When a mind map represents the outcome
drawings on your map, write small phrases. of a brainstorm, add an empty branch or
This will help those who are not present to a branch with dots. People who look at the map
understand the report of the session better. later will be challenged to continue thinking
about the issue. It’s an invitation to come up
∙∙Another good practice during a brainstorm is to with more ideas to fill the empty spot.
mentally (and visually) exit the chosen level of
5 This is an example of a concept map, a lateral thinking technique of Edward de Bono.

For more information on this project, see Litter at the Beach on our companion website.
BEYOND THE PAPER

Figure 1: Concept mapping allowed us to exit our initial level of brainstorming
—as you can see in the green one step back branches.
Step 3: Live Mapper: Make the Report
Here you inform participants and other stakeholders about what happened, what you expect (feedback, homework),
and the proposed next steps. It is important that participants recognize the digital map they built during the ses-
sion. With smart software tools,6 you can generate a report resembling the one they saw during the session, and add
space for comments, incorporate mouse-overs and click-throughs, and add links to websites or downloadable files.
Figure 2: Example of a mind map directly after an LDM session.
Figure 3: The same mind map as above, shown here after restructuring the information.
6 A few of my favorite mind mapping tools include MindManager (www.mindjet.com/mindmanager), iMindMap (imindmap.com),
XMind (www.xmind.net), and MindMeister (www.mindmeister.com).
SHARED VISUAL LANGUAGE FOR OWNERSHIP AND FILTERING INFORMATION

When working with digital maps, a shared visual language can be very helpful for two reasons. First,
people tend to take ownership if they can come up with their own pictures of relevant central ele-
ments. (These elements might include decision, boss, knowledge, worker, client, or process steps.)
Second, these images can be helpful when filtering information from the map. Every icon with a common
meaning can be used to tag information. You can use these to analyze, synthesize, and explore different
views and thought patterns. Also, they can be used to quickly generate reports (see Figures 4 and 5).
BEYOND THE PAPER

Figure 4: Mind map in which stories of team members
have been tagged (using icons and colors) before filtering.
Figure 5: The same mind map after filtering out one of the tags (‘the difficulty is’).
CHOOSE THE RIGHT TOOLS THE DAY LIVE DIGITAL MAPPING WAS BORN:
Mind mapping software is evolving into a category PART TWO
that offers many additional types of visualizations
(other than mind maps). This is why some manu- So what happened with the thirteen
facturers use elaborate names for their products, companies I had to merge? Wondering if I lost
like visual-mapping software, information-mapping my job? After carefully analyzing the added
software, or business-mapping software. This category value of each one of their companies for our
of software offers a world of possibilities when trying clients, I asked the directors to join me in a
to interactively visualize complexity during meetings. session. In one of my first mapping sessions,
we started a discussion during which we
When comparing functions, you will quickly lose visualized their concerns on the big screen. I
yourself in an overwhelming world of possibilities. asked repeatedly, “Did I draw (or write) that
We designed a model to help you choose the correctly for you? Do you see a relationship
best functions based on your objectives. with what the others said?” Through this
session, I discovered two main reasons for
their resistance to change. They feared a
loss of autonomy, and they lacked insight as
to how they could stand stronger together.
After uncovering these issues (using

live digital mapping), I facilitated their
discovery of the synergy and added value
of all the individual companies. I asked
them to come up with a proposal for the
board, in which they could keep their
autonomy, secure the added value for the
client, and open up new territories and
IN CLOSING interesting fields to develop new products
In the world of digital facilitation, live digital and services. The result of this work was
mapping is a continent of its own. It can be used that I didn’t lose my job. I did, however,
individually or with large crowds, and it’s flexible get a more complicated assignment. . . .
enough to work with almost all other methods and
techniques. In this chapter we’ve only scratched
the surface of these possibilities. (More infor-
mation can be found on the book’s website.)
WORKS CITED:
iMindMap Mind Mapping. iMindMap, imindmap.com.

“MindManager.” MindJet, www.mindjet.com/mindmanager.

MindMeister: Mind Mapping Software. MindMeister, www.mindmeister.com.

XMind: Mind Mapping Software. XMind, www.xmind.net.

BEYOND THE PAPER

Beyond the Paper
Amy Lenzo
CONNECTION, COLLABORATION,
CREATIVITY: USING VISUALS
FOR ONLINE ENGAGEMENT
Visual facilitation in an online context is about using visuals to
create a deeper, richer environment for your participants.
Virtual and Visual

406 CONNECTION, COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY: USING VISUALS FOR ONLINE ENGAGEMENT VIRTUAL AND VISUAL
CONNECTION, COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY:

USING VISUALS FOR ONLINE ENGAGEMENT
I am not a professional graphic recorder. In fact, By evoking a greater sense-awareness, we

I can’t even draw very well. But I do host online become more connected—to the wholeness
learning programs (and other participatory en- within ourselves, to our bodies, to each other,
gagements), and visual awareness defines my work and to our relationship with the natural world.
on many levels. Because I use visuals consciously
and purposefully, I’m a ‘visual facilitator’ of sorts, These connections needn’t be made
and happy to share what I’ve learned with you. explicit—sense-based language affects us on
subtle levels (though you might want to experience
Engagement, connection, collaboration, creativ- the observable shifts in yourself and others
ity, and transformative thinking—online visuals when the connections are made explicit).
embody and serve each of these in unique ways.
I hope my working notes in this chapter will be Within this context, the use of visual language is
of value for your own online explorations. a valuable ally that helps us transcend the sense
of separation we can experience while
meeting online. Additionally, it reaches
CONTEXT those who learn visually, and adds depth
For the majority of my online hosting, I’m and dimensionality to our communications.
drawing on two primary senses—sight Imagery offers a universal language, one
and sound. This chapter is about the first, that engages both our hearts and minds.
obviously, but there is a reason for placing
my emphasis on the physical senses of perception. Images connect us. They bring depth and evoke
memories, they excite and stimulate—they are direct
In broad terms, online work is often imagined as pathways to our human capacities for presence,
occurring within an abstract context. It’s perceived as symbolic thought, intuitive knowing, and imagination.
largely mental, ‘virtual;’ in many ways separate and I resonate with the way the Romantic poets of the
distinct from the world of materiality and real life. 18th century spoke about imagination as the art of
giving image to something we wouldn’t otherwise see.
My work consciously counters this model of separation,
which I find inadequate and even damaging. In any field, breakthrough thinking is a result of
applying both science and art to create something
I suggest that the use of sense-based language— new. The visual arts include a science of technique,
language that evokes the senses through word but images also evoke in us a felt sense—a subtlety
and image, pace, sequencing, tone, line, color, and more related to art. It is this capacity within visual
movement—is a strategic choice designed to bring representation that most fascinates and motivates me.
myself, my co-hosts, and the groups we work with to
increased presence and awareness as we work online.
VIRTUAL AND VISUAL CONNECTION, COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY: USING VISUALS FOR ONLINE ENGAGEMENT 407
@ In the context of my online work, visual facilitation can be described

in four ways. These concepts are often applied together:
1. Visual Elements, or enhancements. These support the purpose or intention of an online experience.
2. Evocative Triggers. These call forward emotional responses and stimulate discovery and wonder.
3. Harvesting. This occurs both during the event and afterwards, allowing the participants
to expand and deepen learning by conveying the learned concepts to others.
4. Universal Symbols. These symbols awaken visionary thinking.
In practice, an image or visual element may be seen and utilized in multiple ways,
often simultaneously. The next section offers examples, both simple and complex, to
help you apply these visual facilitation techniques in online environments.
BEYOND THE PAPER

GET YOUR ONSCREEN APPEARANCE RIGHT
Not enough light Too much light Face not aligned

Busy background Weird side light Face not aligned
Well lit, nice/clear background, face lined up in the frame
Figure 1: Appearances are as important online as they are everywhere else.

As an online host, visual awareness starts with my a special blanket or a mandala as my background
own appearance and how my team and I show up to help the group focus on our intention.
visually online. Factors influencing visual elements are
the quality and versatility of video cameras, lighting, Paying attention to your appearance isn’t about ego
and backdrops, or what is visible behind you. enhancement—it’s about providing your participants
with a clear and appropriate visual focus, which
@ Make sure you have a great profile

image—this picture will appear by default if
helps clarify the purpose of your engagement.
When hosting online, everything is (very slightly)
exaggerated, and your physical appearance can
something goes wrong with your camera. convey vast amounts of subtle information. Paying
attention ensures it’s the right information.
Backdrops function like a set in a movie or play.
They have the power to remove visual distractions The following examples demonstrate how visuals can
and focus the group’s attention. Select your be used to enhance, stimulate response, harvest, and
background to match the context of your online awaken visionary thinking during online engagements.
engagement: a well-ordered office with flowers I hope they spark your imagination about how
and artwork, or perhaps a commercially-purchased you might use visuals in your own online work.
backdrop of solid color or a pattern. When hosting
in ceremonial contexts, for example, I might use
COMMUNICATE!
Imagery adds another dimension to your
communications. In invitations and promotional
materials, a powerful photograph offers warmth
and excitement, indicates the tone of the host, and
adds subtle hints about the environment and purpose
of the event.
This promotional image begins to convey

the feel of the course it describes.
SHARE A PHOTOGRAPH
In an online series focused on building
community spirit and an awareness
of our relationship with the natural
world, my co-host and I asked partici-
pants to present a photograph of a place in nature that
was special to them. They were invited to share their
image (via screen share) and check in by reflecting on
what that place meant to them. This simple exercise
stimulated a powerful emotional response in My image shows Mount Tamalpais,
the group. a sacred mountain near my home.
EVOCATIVE TRIGGERS
In that same series, my co-host and I often
joined from outdoor locations, partnering with
the natural world to advance the evocative
triggers we wanted to bring forward in the
course; namely, the discovery of nature as a partner in
online hosting. Soon participants were doing the same
thing, and the whole tone of the conversation changed,
along with the level of engagement.
THE BEAUTY OF A SINGLE IMAGE
BEYOND THE PAPER

I often start my online courses and engage-
ments with a meditation or moment of silence.
During this time, screen sharing a soothing
image, like an altar, candle, or single flower, provides
participants a place to rest their eyes (and quiet their
minds). It also serves to trigger what I call the beauty
effect, opening viewers to a sense of awe and wonder
while evoking gratitude for the gift of life. Occasionally
I use a second external camera focused on a lit candle
or running water for the same purpose. A succulent mandala.
SHOW THE RULES OR PROCESS

I ask presenters I’m working with to create
single, stand-alone images to highlight key
pieces of information, rather than using
a PowerPoint presentation. Participants tend to
feel more connected to the material, the presenter, and
others in the group when they see a person, rather
than a screen. For example, we used this image at the
start of every online session to show our progress
within a three session journey hosted for the Swedish Showing progress in a three-session journey
Red Cross. for the Swedish Red Cross.
LET’S DRAW TOGETHER!

For a course on visual thinking, participants were
invited to sketch assignments using paper and
pen, showing them all at once via their video
cameras so we could see each other’s work. This
simple hands-on exercise unleashed a wonderful
sense of freedom and creativity, even among begin-
ners. Seeing their own (and each other’s) images
displayed also served to harvest what participants had
learned up to that point. My sketch of people connecting heart-to-heart.
DRAWING ON SCREEN SHARING

A presenter or facilitator may create live digital
drawings and share these visual elements in
real time to communicate key concepts. (I use
Zoom,1 but most visual conferencing platforms include
screen sharing tools.) Even roughly drawn images add
depth and clarity to material that might otherwise be
difficult to convey.
Instructor modeling the use of digital drawing tools.
BREAKOUT IMAGES
Breakouts for small group conversation
are a staple ingredient in many of my
online programs (again, Zoom Video
Conferencing easily enables breakout
sessions). I’ve used categories of images—animals, for
example—to create evocative triggers to help partici-
pants choose which breakout to join, or to focus the
conversation once they are in small groups.
Do you feel like a butterfly or a gorilla today?
1 For more, see www.zoom.us.

FOCUS ON VIDEO greetings and a bit of content, which offered important

Animation—short videos or film clips—are continuity for the group, and allowed us the gift of her
useful and versatile elements in any contribution. In another case, brief film clips containing
online visual toolbox. Videos serve many specifically chosen universal symbols provided a stim-
purposes, including the introduction of universal ulating beginning for focused conversation designed to
symbols to awaken new thinking. I use short videos as open pathways to new ways of thinking. Other courses
an invitation and to promote my online engagements, were built entirely around helping participants create
connecting directly with potential participants and their own ‘vision videos.’ In almost every case, the
giving them a sense of the material we will cover. When engagement is recorded and edited into an accessible
a co-host for a long-running series couldn’t attend for video to share the experience and learning with others.
one month, we created a short video of her sharing
STARRING: ENGAGING UNIVERSAL SYMBOLS

In the realms of collaboration, visual
BEYOND THE PAPER

elements that include universal symbols
and evocative triggers play a starring role.
They can be engaged creatively or applied
to clarify understanding in individuals and
groups. They can be the basis of a collective picture or
visual. They can even be the focus of the whole en-
gagement; for example, a course guiding the digital When a participant in one of our courses became pregnant,
creation of individual and/or collective SoulCollage® this image served as an evocative trigger to invite the group’s
cards.2 blessings for the new baby, which were then written out to frame
the image.
VIRTUALLY REAL
The proliferation of augmented reality (AR),
with capacity installed on every Apple
iPhone X, dramatically changes the field of
online facilitation. This subject warrants its own
chapter, but briefly, I often use the three-dimensional
virtual world Second Life3 to open, stretch, inspire, and
inform participants. Second Life also supports the
ability to prototype and co-design, and virtually inhabit
different points of view by selecting avatars of any
gender, race, age, or lifestyle.
A creative ensemble event in Second Life.
2 For more, see www.soulcollage.com.

3 For more, see www.secondlife.com.
VISUAL HARVESTING participants later, or shown in real time via

Perhaps the most well-known method of visual a camera pointed at the recorder’s workstation.
facilitation, harvesting is equally popular
online and on-site. Given the nuances of One of the first things to clarify when working with
applying this important use of visual facilitation online, a visual recorder—beyond defining the purpose, scope,
it warrants special attention here. and agreements associated with the project—is how
you want them to work. For example, some situations
Capturing and sharing our learning is an important ask a visual recorder to be alert to patterns and require
part of my work, and is essential when hosting World an ability to reflect themes, while other situations may
Cafés4 and other participatory practices. Ideally this demand a faithful representation of what is spoken.
process—called harvesting in participatory practice—is
done in collaboration with a graphic recording pro-
fessional (or digital recorder, in my case). I often work
with graphic professionals in advance, creating images
to convey key information during a session, as well.
To clarify—when I say digital recording, I am refer-

ring to visual recording done on a digital device,
connected to the internet, that can be shared
visually with online participants in real time.
Visual recording can also be done online

using low-tech methods like paper and pen, Figure 2: Digitally recorded ‘harvest’ from
and either photographed and shared with an online community World Café. community World Café.
(Visual by Viola Tschendel. Used with permission.)
TESTING, TESTING. ONE, TWO . . .

Regardless of your platform, it’s helpful to test and retest equipment on the day of your presenta-
tion so the process is smooth for your visual recorder and appears seamless to participants.
To maximize the value offered by live digital recording, I often ask the recorder to direct their camera
in such a way that their drawing can be highlighted at various points to show their work as it progresses.
But in any case, I always ask them to share their screen at the end of the session, and to personally walk
the group through what they have heard and captured. The visual capture of process and results, as well
as any visuals created during the program, may also be shared as part of the post-event documentation,
to demonstrate what we learned and experienced with others, beyond our immediate participants. In all
cases, having a visual recorder present as part of your facilitation team adds enormous value to the
online experience and contributes greatly to the group’s learning, understanding, and retention.
Author note: I hope this short overview has given you a glimpse into the many ways thoughtful
visual facilitation can impact and support your work online. May it encourage you to experiment
and explore visuals as a powerful ally in your own online engagement, as you create the con-
ditions for meaningful online experiences with others. With grateful thanks to my collaborative
partner in online explorations, FireHawk Hulin, for contributing key ideas to this chapter.
4. For more, see www.theworldcafe.com.

WORKS CITED:
Second Life®: Virtual Worlds, Virtual Reality, VR, Avatars, Free 3D Chat.
Linden Lab®, secondlife.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
SoulCollage®: Discover Your Wisdom, Change Your World. SoulCollage,

www.soulcollage.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
The World Café.™ The World Café, www.theworldcafe.com.

Zoom Video Communications, Inc. Zoom, www.zoom.us.

BEYOND THE PAPER

Beyond the Paper
Brian Tarallo
VISUAL FACILITATION IN 3D
Paper is two-dimensional. Even with 3D illusions, drawings and
diagrams tend toward the static and structural, blindsiding
the perceivers to the fact that life is essentially in motion,
constantly changing, and full of complexity and phenomenon
that moves beyond two dimensions. (David Sibbet)
Off the Paper

416 VISUAL FACILITATION IN 3D OFF THE PAPER
VISUAL FACILITATION IN 3D
Image 1: A kinesthetic-modeling scrap collection.
The first graphic facilitator I saw in action was I’ve tried to build on this initial foundation by incorpo-
John Ward.1 He drew big on the wall, but he also rating additional methods of visualizing ideas in 3D.
brought a container full of supplies from first grade
arts-and-crafts class: pipe cleaners, Play-Doh2
modeling compound, tongue depressors, glue, scissors, WHY GO 3D?
and—of course—markers. With minimal instruction, he Like any other group process, the decision to include
turned participants loose on the supplies, and they set a 3D method should be made only to enhance
out to build models representing their strategic plans the participants’ experience. The method should serve
for the coming year. I was amazed. At the time, I was to unlock creativity, set up a space of psychological
in the business of writing strategic plans for federal safety, or provide a container for a conversation.
agencies, but I’d never seen anything like this. This is true of any facilitation method or activity.
I probably asked him a hundred questions, which Practically speaking, 3D methods are often met
he patiently answered. At the end of the three-day with less resistance than other visual methods: put
workshop, the participants had concrete plans, and a pipe cleaner in someone’s hands, and they’ll start
I was totally hooked. So for me, graphic facilitation has bending and making shapes. Give them LEGO®
always been experiential, tactile, bricks,3 and they’ll start building. Give them Play-
and three-dimensional. Doh, and they’ll start sculpting. No instruction
1 For more about John Ward, see manyminds.com.

2 Play-Doh modeling compound is available here: playdoh.hasbro.com/en-us.
3 LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this book.
OFF THE PAPER VISUAL FACILITATION IN 3D 417
required. 3D methods can make the facilitation

process more participative, engaging, and hands-on.
Room as Memory Theater4
John Ward explains this phenomenon as kinesthetic Most visual practitioners are familiar with using
modeling. At a subconscious level, humans have multiple charts to capture progressive conversations.
a visceral, emotional connection to the things The room becomes a visual record of the evolution
they touch. It’s the reason Marie Kondō, author of of discussions and decision points. I like to hang
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese all the charts I’m going to use in advance of the
Art of Decluttering and Organizing, has her clients hold meeting, clearly titling and designing each as its own
an object to decide whether or not it brings them joy. visual template. That way, when participants walk into
By attaching meaning to a concrete object, abstract the space, they are, in a sense, physically entering
ideas become easier to talk about. Assigning meaning our agenda. Participants can see how one activity
to objects is akin to visual practitioners drawing will flow into the next and, more importantly, come
a picture to represent an idea. Now that participants to understand how decisions will be made. They can
can see the idea, it becomes much easier to talk about. move forward, evolving ideas across the charts, or
move backward, reexamining assumptions and prior
BEYOND THE PAPER

decisions. Sticky notes serve as the tactile conduit
GETTING OFF THE PAGE for getting participants’ ideas onto the charts.
The methods below lists a few ways facili-
tators have turned participants’ ideas into
3D objects from simple to complex.
Room as Memory Theater

Multiple Panels
3D Paper
Paper Prototypes and Paper Dolls
Kinesthetic Modeling
LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®
Action Sketches and Whiteboard Animation
Virtual Reality
Kinetic Sculpture
Image 2: Arranging charts in their completed
Many facilitators are familiar with the use of order serves as a visual record of the evolution of conversations
multiple panels to present a series of indepen- and the decision-making process.
dent yet intertwined concepts, discussions, and
solutions, and Dean Meyers covers the creative 3D Paper
uses of LEGO® bricks in his chapter, Facilitating Incorporating origami, cut paper, Möbius5 strips,
with All Hands at Play. Below, let’s discuss some and paper loops into a facilitation process adds
of the other methods used in 3D facilitation. visual interest. Twists, folds, and cuts disrupt
the flat plane of a chart and, depending on
the viewer’s perspective, can reveal new images.
4 David Sibbet introduced the idea of ‘room as memory theater’ in his book, Graphic Facilitation.
5 The Möbius strip, named after mathematician and astronomer August Ferdinand Möbius, is a singular loop of material containing
an internal half-twist, made by cutting a looped band open, giving a half twist, and reattaching the cut ends together. For more, see
mathworld.wolfram.com/MoebiusStrip.html.
Image 3: Graphic recording by Jac Howard using paper loops.
Paper Prototypes and Paper Dolls

Design thinking and graphic facilitation are natural
complements. The design-thinking method of creating
paper prototypes—rough paper mock-ups of products—
is an activity well-suited to the graphic facilitator’s
tool kit. Participants build paper models of their ideas Image 4: This paper prototype demonstrates
using arts and crafts supplies. Paper prototypes do a few features of a proposed iPad app.
not have to be limited to products. Trent Wakenight,
founder of Marker Ninja6 and a visual practitioner
near Washington, DC, used paper dolls to facilitate
a major entertainment group during the design of
their new exhibit space. His participants created
entryways, rooms, hallways, exhibits, and displays,
and walked their paper dolls through the space.
This gave architects and designers a clear vision of
the experience that the client wanted for their visitors.
6 To learn more about Trent Wakenight (or Marker Ninja), visit www.markerninja.com.
Kinetic Sculpture Here are a few ways virtual reality

Foamcore7 panels don’t need to be static. Kevin is being used in facilitation today.
Reese8—kinetic sculpture artist at SchoolSculptures
in Washington, DC—facilitated the design of a kinetic Virtual Facilitation
sculpture at the 2016 International Forum of Visual When used with web-conference or video-streaming
Practitioners (IFVP).9 Over one hundred participants software, VR provides a limitless space for graphic
imagined the future of their visual practice, and facilitation and graphic recording. The facilitator can
then captured that vision, using markers on painted share their own view of the 3D space, or position
foam-core panels. With Reese’s guidance, the IFVP a stationary virtual camera in the environment.
suspended the panels on wires to create a single Participants can even join the 3D environment by
mobile. The mobile, perfectly balanced on a single streaming the video to their smartphones and using
point, rotated slowly through space with a gentle push. phone-based VR headsets like Google Cardboard.10
BEYOND THE PAPER

Image 5: Kevin Reese, shown here facilitating
a vision of the future using a kinetic sculpture.
VIRTUAL REALITY
The challenges with the paper-based methods listed
above are twofold: they require a lot of planning, and
they don’t scale easily. Virtual reality (VR), on the other
hand, is free of any material or physical constraint.
And unlike other digital facilitation methods, VR isn’t
limited by the edges of a screen. VR can capture ideas
as quickly as they are recorded, displaying them
in an infinite, open, three-dimensional canvas.
Image 6: A screenshot of a virtual graphic facilitation using
Zoom,11 Tilt Brush12 by Google, and a VIVE™ virtual reality
headset.13
7 To purchase foamcore products, visit www.foamcore.com.

8 Learn about Kevin Reese’s SchoolSculptures initiative here: www.schoolsculptures.com.
9 Learn more about IFVP at www.ifvp.org.
10 To learn more about Google Cardboard, visit vr.google.com/cardboard.
11 Information about Zoom Video Communications can be found here: www.zoom.us.
12 Tilt Brush by Google can be found here: www.tiltbrush.com.
13 VIVE™ virtual reality systems and products can be found at www.vive.com/us.
Brainstorming Dynamic Environments

Without the limits of two dimensions, hundreds Because it’s not confined to a physical space, VR can
of ideas may be harvested and easily organized. create an infinitely flexible forum, instantly changing
As a medium, VR allows for multiple, remote the environment to frame and set the tone for
participants to work different aspects of the same the conversation. Panoramic visualization becomes
issue simultaneously and cooperatively. Mind maps more refined as participants find themselves in
can grow in all directions. Ideas connect to each a grassy field to brainstorm, on a factory floor to
other fluidly and clearly across multiple clusters. design a new process, under a starry sky to pause and
reflect, or on a mountain top to envision success.
Figure 1: Mind map on learning styles using Noda14 VR.
Creating a Prototype
Using virtual reality, appearance models—
a design-thinking method used to create a mock-up
of objects—can be designed and modified much
more quickly and realistically than their paper Image 7: Pikes Peak, Colorado, using Google Earth VR.16
counterparts. 3D objects can be roughly molded
like clay or sharply defined using geometric shapes.
Crowdsourced, 3D-object warehouses give participants
libraries full of reference objects to use as starting
points on which to build their ideas. Finished models
can be exported and rendered in 3D printers, or
refined in more precise desktop design programs.
Figure 2: Appearance model (prototype) of a marker designed in

VR using Google Blocks.15
14 Learn more about Noda’s data visualization and modeling in virtual reality here: noda.io.
15 Google Blocks can be found here: vr.google.com/blocks.
16 Find Google Earth VR here: vr.google.com/earth.
Virtual Tools and Methods Activity Design

Traditional visual tools and templates can be imported For complex facilitation agendas, VR can offer
and used to define the space of the virtual room. a mock-up describing the flow of activities.
No longer limited by what they can carry, visual The logical thread of how activities build on each
practitioners can introduce any facilitation tool into other becomes clear. The facilitation approach
the environment. Dynamic facilitation—pivoting comes to life in a way that agendas and facilitator
the approach in the moment to best serve the needs guides cannot, making it easier for the client to
of the group—becomes as easy as drag and drop. understand and cocreate the experience.
BEYOND THE PAPER

Figure 3: Visual templates, created by The Grove Consultants,17 Image 9: Screenshot of a three-day facilitation
are rendered in a 3D environment using Google Tilt Brush. approach rendered using Google Tilt Brush.
Explainer Videos Memory Palaces

Videos rendered in VR can have the same purpose Typically, after a graphic facilitation, the charts are
and impact as action sketches or whiteboard photographed and packaged into a PDF or PowerPoint
animation. Objects and figures can either be drawn document to share digitally with participants. Removing
natively in VR, or imported and placed around charts from the room they were designed in and
the 3D environment like paper dolls. The visual rearranging their relationship to each other can break
practitioner can then ‘film’ and capture the narrative the mental models of the meaning behind the charts.
by moving a virtual camera through the 3D space. In addition, computer monitors shrink images and
narrow the field of vision to a single image at a time.
Context is lost. Alternatively, VR allows images to
remain large and in-context to one another. The room
can be recreated in VR with the charts displayed
around the virtual space. Viewers can virtually walk
through the space and see the progression of ideas
as part of the whole process. Participants can review
their work, or escort others who did not participate
through both the process and the ultimate conclusions.
Image 8: Still from a VR Explainer Video

rendered using Google Tilt Brush.
17 Find more templates and tools from The Grove Consultants here: www.grove.com.
DOING IT RIGHT
Virtual reality, LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, kinetic
sculpture, or any other 3D method is subject to
the same criteria as any facilitation technique.
What is the desired outcome? How will this method
support the overall flow? What are the con-
straints in terms of the number of participants,
the physical space, and the time available?
I believe the most important deciding factor is the

culture of the client. We provide different experiences
than our clients are used to . . . otherwise, why
Figure 4: VR re-creation of a TEDx event showing would they need us? At the same time, we have to
completed graphic charts in context to each other. find a balance between presenting a method that
is new and different without shocking their culture.
Today, VR headsets are costly and somewhat unstable, I’ve had clients at both extremes: some came looking
but the technology is improving and becoming more for virtual reality and wanted the most creative
affordable. Many VR meeting applications (such experience I could design; others were reluctant to
as AltspaceVR18) offer cross-platform interfaces, move beyond their usual format of PowerPoint briefing
allowing attendees to participate in VR meetings after PowerPoint briefing. In any case, it’s my job to
from desktop computers and smartphones without give them an experience that’s outside their norm,
the use of a VR headset. Streaming services and but doesn’t push them so far that they feel unsafe.
conference calls are low cost, and require little
preparation or learning on the part of participants. Successful facilitation in 3D cannot be gimmicky or
attempted solely for the sake of trying something
new. As with any other method, it should first serve
the needs of the group. Weigh the extent to which
the method will help facilitate the group process.
A method should be easy enough to understand and
adopt so that participants can get past the method and
use it as a container for the necessary conversation.
If participants can enter into a method seamlessly
and use it purposefully, three-dimensional techniques
provide a space for others to achieve success.
Image 10: Screenshot of participants’ avatars in an AltspaceVR

virtual meeting. (Photo used with permission.)
18 Information about AltspaceVR can be found here: altvr.com.

WORKS CITED: Noda: Data Visualization and Modeling in VR

and AR. Noda, noda.io. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
AltspaceVR: Be there together. AltspaceVR, Inc.,
altvr.com. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019. Reese, Kevin. SchoolSculptures with Kevin Reese,
www.schoolsculptures.com. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
Foamcore. Foamcore,
foamcore.com. Accessed 8 Oct. 2018. Sibbet, David. Graphic Facilitation. The
Grove Consultants International, 2006.
Google Blocks. Google VR,
vr.google.com/blocks. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019. The Grove Consultants International: Visual Facili-
tation for Teaming, Collaboration and Change. The
Google Cardboard. Google VR, Grove, www.grove.com. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
vr.google.com/cardboard. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
“Tilt Brush by Google.” Google VR,
Google Earth VR. Google VR, www.tiltbrush.com. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
vr.google.com/earth. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
BEYOND THE PAPER

VIVE.™ Vive, www.vive.com/us. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
International Forum of Visual Practitioners.
IFVP, www.ifvp.org. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019. Ward, John. Many Minds: Visual Thinker at Work.
manyminds.com. Accessed 24 Jan. 2019.
Kondō, Marie. The Life-Changing Magic of
Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering Wakenight, Trent. Marker Ninja,
and Organizing. Ten Speed Press, 2014. www.markerninja.com. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
“Möbius Strip.” WolframMathworld, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. Zoom,

mathworld.wolfram.com/MoebiusStrip.html. www.zoom.us. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
Play-Doh Modeling Compound. Play-Doh,

playdoh.hasbro.com/en-us. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
Beyond the Paper
Greg Whicker
CREATING IMMERSIVE
VISUAL ENVIRONMENTS
When you want to get everyone involved and achieve maximum
results, create specialized elements that help to immerse
your clients in an engaging visual environment.
Off the Paper

426 CREATING IMMERSIVE VISUAL ENVIRONMENTS OFF THE PAPER
CREATING IMMERSIVE VISUAL ENVIRONMENTS
Everyone knows that meetings come in a variety of dimension to the facilitation process is foam core.
shapes and sizes. They can be one-on-one coaching With the use of a hot knife (a soldering iron with sharp,
sessions or a gathering of board of directors; razor tip), this lightweight and rigid material can be cut
organizational-staff development or leadership off- with both ease and precision to create basic shapes
sites; or large-scale conferences with multiple breakout for hands-on activities or thematic props, dynamic
sessions and hundreds of attendees. event-specific signage, and vibrant, interactive displays.
As meetings grow in size and scope (and, hopefully,
become more interactive in the process), a visual If you’ve ever heard the saying, “like a hot knife
facilitator must raise the bar by utilizing ever more through butter,” then you understand how a heated
creative applications of the resources at her disposal. blade makes cutting foam core quick and easy. Simply
Just like meetings themselves, visual tools must come sketch your shape onto the foam board, and then
in different shapes and sizes. To solve this dilemma, carefully cut around it. In this way, you can create
I suggest adding a new dimension to our work. a wide variety of visual elements that will enhance
your process and expand the ways in which clients
are able to interact with your work. And all you need
ADDING POP TO AN EVENT is some white duct tape to put it all together!
I have worked in all types of meetings, and each has
provided a unique opportunity for visuals that push
beyond the boundaries of conventional two-dimen-
sional charts and diagrams. I have found that the
addition of three-dimensional elements provide
a variety of benefits for participants, while adding pop
—a certain flair—to an event. Research has proven that
hands-on activities support richer tactile learning,
which enhances memory. Themed displays foster Image 1: A hot blade and a roll of white duct tape
deeper engagement by enhancing a sense of place, ensure a polished finish for your foam core visuals.
allowing participants to interact meaningfully with
their surroundings. Unique environments stimulate
the imagination by opening people’s minds to 3-DIMENSIONAL CHARTS
the prospect of new and different realities, which is Hand-cut foam core elements are a great way
a vital element of goal setting, visioning and brain- to add that little something extra to a graphic
storming, strategic planning, and change management. recording session. They can be used to highlight
certain aspects of the chart (such as a title banner,
voice or thought bubbles, arrows, company logos,
USING FOAM CORE etc.) by making them literally pop off the page.
There are obviously many resources available to This can be done by adding spacers (cut from your
a visual practitioner, but one of the most useful and scraps) or tape loops—both provide enough space
practical options I have found for adding another for your elements to stand out on the chart.
OFF THE PAPER CREATING IMMERSIVE VISUAL ENVIRONMENTS 427
Another option is to create a 3D frame in which

to display a finished chart, much like a souvenir
picture frame. The frame might include highlights,
company logos, industry icons, a city skyline, or
even the likeness of a keynote speaker. Whatever
the case, such displays are sure to help generate Figure 1: Event signage is limited only by your imagination!
more positive energy around your work.
HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND PROPS

Play is powerful. Games are being used more and
more frequently to spark creativity, practice scenarios,
and develop skills. Improv1 is a popular example
of this. Trainers and consultants are creating and
using out-of-the-box activities to bring play into
BEYOND THE PAPER

the workplace. These activities are designed to allow
people to interact with tangible objects to encourage
deeper engagement and greater collaboration.
If meetings are fun,

Image 2: Three-dimensional frames display the finished graphics. participants are more
inclined to remember what
EVENT SIGNAGE
Themed, event-specific signage can be a clever way to they’ve learned—and to use it.
introduce attendees to the type of visuals that they will
experience during the event, and there are numerous Foam core props can be a fun (and practical) tool
applications for them—regardless of the type of event. to make this happen. For example, process maps
For example, a vibrant welcome sign can help set often have a layout similar to a board game, so
the tone of any gathering by starting attendees off interchangeable 3D elements, like milestones,
with a smile and getting their creative juices flowing. roadblocks, detours, or you-are-here arrows, can add
a hands-on aspect that naturally allows for greater
Directional signs are a fun way to continue this trend, interaction with the chart. In addition, organization
and they have a highly practical function, as well. or industry-specific props and game pieces can be
great tools for brainstorming or ideation exercises.
Door signs let participants know that they are
in the right place, and offer a preview of what Try creating a thought-provoking stand-up
they can expect when they get inside. cutout that has a prompt or poses a question,
and ask people to provide responses or insights
Photo opportunities are another way to add fun and with sticky notes. Not only is this a surefire way
promote social media coverage to stimulate creative responses, it can also be
of an event (see Figure 1). a great way to offer anonymity. Handheld props
are another way to support participation.
1 For the use of improvisational techniques in your work, see Martine Vanremoortele’s chapter, Graphic Recording:
An Improvisational Dance with the Facilitator.
Holding up a foam core cutout of a lightbulb or Large, interactive boards

question mark (which are conveniently similar in shape
and can be represented on either side of the same become a common focal
prop) is a great way to announce inspiration
or suggest inquiry; passing a torch—or microphone— point, and can build
can be a great way to get everyone involved.
a sense of community
through engagement and
the sharing of stories.
While providing information is important, receiving
feedback can be useful, as well. Giving people
an opportunity to place sticker stars by their favorite
stores and restaurants, or to leave questions and
comments for presenters, are both great ways to tap
into the wisdom of the crowd, while simultaneously
inviting everyone to actively engage. Creating fun photo
opportunities encourages sharing on social media.
Placing these displays in and around the event’s
common spaces helps people find and share
information in a highly social setting, as
opposed to merely consulting their programs
Figure 2: Hands-on activities encourage active or looking things up on their phones!
participation and increase retention.
One of the most significant benefits of engagement is
community. Interactive displays are a fantastic tool to
INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS bring people together. One way this can be achieved
Creating interactive, bulletin-board style displays is by drawing a large map with the title, “Where Are
is a fun and practical way to share information and You From?” Attendees can place dots or pushpins
solicit feedback, while generating points-of-interest to indicate their place of residence. Another is to
around the gathering spaces and common areas of create a “Needs and Offers” board that helps various
an event. Such displays might be used to provide providers connect with those who are in need of
attendees with a schedule of events; a directory of the their services. But perhaps one of the best ways to
venue; or a map of the surrounding area, featuring utilize a display to enhance community is by creating
restaurants, shopping, and public transportation. a “Meet-Up” scheduling board, where small groups
can schedule spontaneous gatherings between the
They can also be a great place to highlight fun facts regularly scheduled activities. This is a great way to
and introduce sponsors or keynote speakers in a way encourage social interaction and provide opportunities
that supports input from the group as a whole. for deeper, more meaningful connection—while
continuing to establish the theme of your event.
OFF THE PAPER CREATING IMMERSIVE VISUAL ENVIRONMENTS 429
Size Matters!
If the room is very large, a small display
will feel insignificant. Always try to make
something that is appropriately proportioned
for the area in which it will be located.
Figure 3: Interactive displays work as introductory tools, Safety First!

informative boards, and as thought-gathering resources. Because your display will most likely be
temporary, make sure to utilize stationary objects
in the space, such as walls, columns, or overhead
MULTIPLE CHARTS AND GALLERY WALKS beams. Alternatively, relatively stable items,
When someone shares a message, it is always helpful like chairs, easels, or carts, help your structure
to have a visual record on display for further stand upright for the duration of the event.
explanation and reflection. Similarly, when groups are
doing the hard work of strategic planning or organi- Do It with Style!
zational change, it can be very rewarding to see their Incorporating the theme of an event is a great way
BEYOND THE PAPER

work displayed in a vibrant and compelling fashion. to enhance the meeting space and develop a sense
Depending on the size, length, of place. Consider ways to add elements into your
and complexity of an event, more than a single design that are consistent with the overall motif,
graphic recording may be required. and strive to maintain them throughout your work.
With smaller meetings, or when a speaker is simply Take This Show on the Road!
sharing information in a speech, presentation, or key- When you create something special, your client
note address, it is fairly routine for a graphic recorder will likely be reluctant to throw it away. Keep
to record content on a single chart and display it in this in mind when putting it together; ideally,
the location where it was created. However, with larger you will be able to break it down systematically
gatherings, the basic—but critical—task of displaying for transport or shipping after the event.
multiple, large-scale charts can become a challenge.
Creating three-dimensional displays for your charts

can provide both a practical and dynamic solution to
this dilemma. Whether you need a single,
interchangeable display or an entire gallery
walk, 3D exhibits allow you to present your
charts with maximum impact. Such displays do
not only draw the eye, they draw a crowd!
DESIGNING A DISPLAY
When designing a display, there are many factors to Image 3: A sampling of 3D displays
consider, such as space requirements, illustrating structural soundness.
location and positioning, structural integrity,
mobility, and style. Keep the following list
in mind as you plan your 3D display.
SUMMARY
When participants are able to physically interact with
learning materials, experience a sense of place that
sparks imagination, and—most importantly—have
fun in the process, a facilitator achieves results
that are, quite literally, ‘off the charts.’ With a little
creativity and some practical consideration, you’ll
discover unlimited ways to make your work stand
out. Regardless of the type of meeting being held, the
organization involved, or the process you’re facilitating,
you’ll achieve maximum impact with your clients when
you take your visual tools to the third dimension!
For more on three-dimensional facilitation practices,

see Brian Tarallo’s chapter, Visual Facilitation in 3D.
Beyond the Paper
Dean Meyers
FACILITATING WITH ALL

HANDS AT PLAY
Serious play is not an oxymoron; it is the essence
of innovation. (Michael Schrage)
Off the Paper

432 FACILITATING WITH ALL HANDS AT PLAY OFF THE PAPER
FACILITATING WITH ALL HANDS AT PLAY

It’s three o’clock on a Friday afternoon, the second day The creation of something
of a strategic scenario planning session. I convinced
the client that we can make real headway if we get new is not accomplished
everyone on the same page using the LEGO®1 SERIOUS
PLAY®2 method and, as a result, I’m standing in by the intellect but by
a room filled with LEGO® bricks—in containers and
piled on two round tables. A team of six, including the play instinct . . .
IT managers who, normally, would rather talk about
processes or organize job tickets on a computer –Carl Jung
screen, are snapping pieces together into colorful
combinations, then putting them in the center of
the table. I am waiting to hear the wonderful stories CREATIVITY, MAKING, PLAY, AND CONNECTING
they will tell about the meaning of these unique HEIGHTENS OUR FACILITATION
and delightful creations. The systems engineer,
who ordinarily spends most of his time at planning John Naisbitt, futurist and author of
meetings vaguely “explaining” things to others, now Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming
makes very elaborate models from the bricks; he can Our Lives,3 discussed the impact of
clearly describe the meaning behind every brick he technology on people and society. He
has used. Did he know he was this creative? When was summarized his thinking on technological
the last time he just played at making things? What is advancement with the expression, high
the story about what he is building? I had given the tech/high touch.4 He believed that as we
group ten minutes for this round of building, and now become more dependent on automation and
it’s time for each of them to tell the stories of their interaction with and through technology, we
models. They have already described and revised three will also crave and have greater emotional
scenarios today, and I am filling a wall with notes that response to our analog and in-person
will become an action plan they have co-created. world. Likewise, Professor David Gauntlett5
summarized our need to create and
This is a perfect example of using a facilitation interact with others through the creative
method based in play. Participants are engaged process. He promotes making and creating
directly in creative and visual thinking, while my in order to build community and joy.
facilitation is not based on drawing anything at all.
1 LEGO®, SERIOUS PLAY®, the Minifigure, and the Brick and Knob configurations are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not
sponsor, authorize, or endorse this book.
2 © 2019 The LEGO Group.
3 Naisbitt, Megatrends.
4 For more on this concept, see Naisbitt’s High Tech High Touch: Technology and Our Search for Meaning.
5 Gauntlett, Making is Connecting: The Social Power of Creativity, from Craft and Knitting to Digital Everything.
OFF THE PAPER FACILITATING WITH ALL HANDS AT PLAY 433
For a visual facilitator, using the imagination and LEGO® Bricks and other tools
engaging in play is a natural extension of our
working with images to create visual metaphors The name LEGO is an abbreviation of the two
and telling stories. We often ask our participants Danish words leg and godt, meaning play
to stretch their thinking and be imaginative as well. LEGO bricks are made of plastic, come
they were when they were children at play. in thousands of shapes, and can be used as
building blocks to create anything one can
I have successfully used play and gaming to facilitate imagine—simply snap the pieces together.
complex problem-solving situations (for example, role
play: participants play the roles of patients and medical
professionals in a clinical setting). Creating prototypes
during design-thinking projects is extremely effective.
This chapter contains an overview one of the more

purposeful methods of working with objects: the
LEGO SERIOUS PLAY6 method. This is a truly unique
BEYOND THE PAPER

way of facilitating, especially if you are accustomed
to using a graphic template, taping it to the wall
and filling it with sticky notes covered in text,
participants’ doodles, and your own drawings. Image 1: A sampling of LEGO® bricks.
While LEGO SERIOUS PLAY (LSP) is probably the best

known formal method of serious play, there are other
In fact, play works when approaches, such as theater-style improvisation,
simulations, prototyping processes, and board
there is ambiguity in how games involving creativity and imagination. Some
of the visual templates commonly used by visual
to make decisions, when you practitioners are, in fact, simple forms of imaginative
play (for example, The Grove’s “Cover Story Vision”7).
need to quickly build trust,
LSP is a purposefully designed facilitation method
or when a team is looking using LEGO materials, in which all the participants
think with their hands to create embodied metaphors,8
for fresh answers that will which are called models, while engaging in storytelling
and reflecting on what the models mean. This process
truly be owned by the group. creates shared understanding for the group while
keeping everyone engaged. It is play, but it’s “hard
play,” where critical issues and serious topics can be
discussed and difficult decision making can occur.
6 To learn more about the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology for facilitators, visit www.lego.com/en-us/seriousplay.
7 “Graphic Guide® Cover Story Vision” is produced by The Grove Consultants International.
8 Heracleous and Jacobs, “Crafting Strategy: The Role of Embodied Metaphors.”
It has been used extensively The process works when the facilitator is able
to create and maintain a state of flow,9 whereby
for team and group participants are immersed in a creative, happy
state; the awareness of the passage of time
development work, living disappears; and possibilities emerge.
nicely in the organizational

development fie d, as well
as creating and testing
strategic scenarios
(and other systems-based design) for design-thinkers,
strategists, and business and operations developers.
The growing community of certified LSP facilitators
and users are finding new uses for the methods and
materials daily (for more on certification, please Figure 1: As we engage in ever-more difficult challenges while
see the editorial note at end of this chapter). increasing our skill through practice, we feel absorbed in
an active temporal state where time disappears and we are
filled with a sense of joy and creativity. This we refer to as being
WHO IS IN THE ROOM AND HOW DO WE PLAY? in the state of flow.10
LEGO SERIOUS PLAY starts with the assumption that
the answers are already in the room. LSP is a great Before you begin, define your objectives for the event,
equalizer: every participant thinks with their hands and plan on asking questions that will guide the
using LEGO building blocks to embody not only the process, starting with challenges (questions) framed
concrete, like the workplace or people, but also their for the participants to give personal, individual
thoughts, hopes, dreams, fears, and aspirations. responses. As play continues, you can make the
questions more complex, allowing for longer time for
The core process is very straightforward, building models and meant for the group to build
and the ordered steps are iterated as a shared model together. Use humor, ask unexpected
needed throughout the engagement: questions (“Explain hula dancing” or “Build a model
of the world’s worst boss!”), and make it fun.
∙∙Challenge: The facilitator poses a question or
invites the participants to describe something
(such as an object, event, idea, or feeling).
∙∙Build: All participants engage in building a model.
∙∙Share: Participants tell the story of their model.
∙∙Reflect: Questions and reflections are encouraged.
9 Primus and Sonnenburg, “Flow Experience in Design Thinking and Practical Synergies with Lego Serious Play.” Primus and
Sonnenburg use the word flow as defined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.
10 Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Image adapted from the aforementioned text.
as a subject-matter expert, thereby swaying group

consensus on the matter being discussed;
∙∙Joining in model building to seem

like part of the group.
Summing up, if you can’t get every participant (in-

cluding team leaders) to commit to spend three hours
together in the room to participate in a LEGO® SERIOUS
PLAY® session, think of switching your facilitation to do
Image 2: Be present for your participants and their models, something else, such as “playing with LEGO® bricks.”
listen to their amazing stories as they build embodied
metaphors, and enjoy the flow. The opposite of play . . .
If you are adding graphic recording to the session, it’s is not a present reality
not important to attempt to draw the models the par-
or work, it is vacillation,
BEYOND THE PAPER

ticipants create: take pictures or video of participants
with their models, and allow the graphic recording to
hold images drawn in your (or your graphic recorder’s) or worse, depression.
natural style, as you would at any other engagement.
To play is to act out and be
I’ve found that LEGO SERIOUS PLAY works best
when I follow the method referenced above. willful, as if one is assured
I’ve made a few mistakes along the way (resulting
in poorer outcomes). Hopefully, you can learn of one’s prospects.11
from my experience and avoid the following:
∙∙Shortcutting time by cramming the first skill-building LSP, PLAYING WITH LEGO BRICKS,
activities into only a few minutes, particularly AND GAMES FOR FACILITATION
if the group hasn’t experienced LSP before; I started facilitating engagements that included playing
with LEGO bricks before I facilitated with the LEGO
∙∙Managing participants improperly by letting people SERIOUS PLAY method. I was certified in LSP in 2017
join the group late, leave intermittently (for phone by a master LSP facilitator trainer. Because of this,
calls or other distractions), or not conforming with I am now very intentional when deciding to use one
the method’s practice of asking each participant approach over another. Here’s how I differentiate.
to tell the story of their individual model;
Using LEGO bricks for an icebreaker (or other activity)
∙∙Letting people sit in to observe the meeting, is fun and does involve play. If I do not use the LSP
but not requiring that they build models; core process, establish and maintain LSP etiquette12
as the rule set, or observe the other clearly defined
∙∙Letting a participant switch roles and facilitate so practices that have made LSP effective, I very explicitly
they can lead the meeting (as the team leader); identify what I am doing as playing with LEGO bricks.
It doesn’t mean we aren’t engaged in some form
∙∙Offering an opinion, asking leading questions of serious play (in lowercase letters here!), but it
about the meaning of a particular model, or acting does mean that we aren’t using the LSP method.
11 See Sutton-Smith, The Ambiguity of Play, p. 198.

12 Blair and Rillo, Serious Work: How to Facilitate Meetings & Workshops Using the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method, pp. 66-68.
That might be enough—exactly the right activity

for the process I’ve designed for that workshop.
Gaming and game theory is a deeply researched

topic, and there are online courses13 and other tools
for designing and developing games for very specific
purposes. Some games can be played with LEGO bricks,
others with office materials that are likely at hand.
The Kanban Pizza Game, created by the consulting

firm agile42,14 teaches the principles behind the Image 3: Pandemic, by Z-Man® Games (source: zmangames.com).
use of a kanban board15 (as popularized in software
development). The Kanban Pizza Game uses
construction paper, markers, and a few other items THE PRACTICAL SIDE: HOW TO BLEND THESE
easily found online or at a crafts-supply store. METHODS INTO YOUR VISUAL PRACTICE
Facilitations of critical conversations, teams in trouble,
In addition to learning the principles of a kanban newly formed teams, or groups that seek to both
board, you can enrich the game by adding a discussion generate energy and focus that energy into a positive
about teamwork afterwards. Be creative with your experience will all benefit from a change in perspec-
facilitation by continuing to play after the game is over! tive, from the mindset of serious work to serious play.
Because you already draw from your imagination
as a visual practitioner, you can encourage your
USING BOARD GAMES FOR FACILITATION participants to benefit, as well, by putting their visual
Commercial board games can turn into facilitation thinking to work, and getting their hands off of laptops
tools, as well. When using board games, remember and handheld devices (without having to confiscate
to deliberately break the action to allow participants them during the session). Invite them to take a break
time to be self-observant during game play, freely from their hard work and engage in hard play!
commenting on and annotating their activities,
thoughts, and behaviors as they go through the game.
ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO!
The game Pandemic from Z-Man® Games asks 16
Play, serious play, constructing, making, prototyping,
participants to form a multidisciplinary team to and gaming can be more than fun, entertaining, or
save the world from the outbreak of a disease a novelty for the client. As a facilitator, you may turn to
that will wipe out living species en masse. these approaches as complete methods for facilitating,
or simply complement your visual facilitation work by
To facilitate team formation and good team devel- using them as icebreakers or single breakout activities.
opment, have the players observe themselves and Consider learning the theories behind gaming, play,
their teammates in a supportive and constructive and making, and then add in the power of storytelling
way as they go through the rounds of play. from the imagination, and see how your additional
13 I highly recommend the website of Yu-kai Chou, who offers a well researched system of designing games based on behavioral
studies. Additionally, he created the game Octalysis, as well as a community of practitioners and game designers who use the research
and methodology. For more, visit his website, starting with the page, “New? Start Here,” at yukaichou.com/start-here.
14 For more about agile42’s Kanban Pizza Game, visit www.agile42.com/en/training/kanban-pizza-game, where you’ll find instructions
for playing. The game is freely available (Creative Commons License).
15 For more about kanban and agile working, see the chapter entitled Agile Ways of Working, by Lynne Cazaly.
16 Find more about Pandemic (and other cooperative board games) by Z-Man Games here: zmangames.com/en/index.
strengths in visual thinking make these methods

powerful agents for great work with your clients.
Author note: Special thanks to Jacqueline Lloyd Smith

of Strategic Play Group Ltd., and other members
of the LSP community of certified facilitators for
sharing their experience in using LEGO bricks and
LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology in their work.
Editorial note regarding LEGO® SERIOUS

PLAY® methodology and certification:
The LEGO Group has specific guidelines for fa-

cilitators regarding the use of LEGO® bricks and
LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology. For trademark
BEYOND THE PAPER

guidelines specifically for facilitators, please visit
www.lego.com/en-us/seriousplay/trademark-guidelines.
From here, you can download a PDF entitled “LEGO®
SERIOUS PLAY® Trademark Guidelines.” For other infor-
mation regarding LEGO SERIOUS PLAY and facilitation,
please visit www.lego.com/en-us/seriousplay.
While the LEGO Group no longer offers training

or certification for facilitators, they do encourage
interested facilitators to seek training elsewhere.
For information on how to find a trainer, visit
www.lego.com/en-us/seriousplay/contact.
WORKS CITED: “LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Trademark Guidelines.” LEGO.com,

www.lego.com/en-us/seriousplay/trademark-guidelines.
Blair, Sean and Rillo, Marko. Serious Work: How Accessed 11 June 2019.
to Facilitate Meetings & Workshops Using the
LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method. ProMeet, 2016. Naisbitt, John. High Tech High Touch: Technology
and Our Search for Meaning. Broadway, 1999.
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology
of Optimal Experience. HarperCollins, 1991. Naisbitt, John. Megatrends: Ten New Directions
Transforming Our Lives. Warner Books, Inc., 1982.
Gauntlett, David. Making is Connecting: The
Social Power of Creativity, from Craft and Knitting “New? Start Here.” Yu-kai Chou: Gamification
to Digital Everything. 2nd ed., Polity, 2018. and Behavioral Design, yukaichou.com/start-here.
“Graphic Guide® Cover Story Vision.”
The Grove Consultants International, Primus, Dirk J. and Sonnenburg, Stephan.
grovetools-inc.com/collections/cover-story-vision. “Flow Experience in Design Thinking and Practical
Accessed 11 June 2019. Synergies with Lego Serious Play.” Creativity Research
Journal, vol. 30, no. 1, 2018, pp. 104-112. Accessed here:
Heracleous, Loizes and Jacobs, Claus D. Crafting www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10400419.
Strategy: The Role of Embodied Metaphors. Long 2018.1411574.
Range Planning, vol. 41, no. 3, 2008, pp. 309-325.
Accessed here: doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2008.02.011. Schrage, Michael. Serious Play: How the World’s
Best Companies Simulate to Innovate.
“Kanban Pizza Game.” agile42, Harvard Business Review, 1999, p.1.
www.agile42.com/en/training/kanban-pizza-game.
Accessed 11 June 2019. Sutton-Smith, Brian. The Ambiguity of Play.
Harvard University Press, 2001.
“LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®.” LEGO.
com, www.lego.com/en-us/seriousplay. Z-Man Games. Z-Man Games,
Accessed11 June 2019.“ zmangames.com/en/index. Accessed 16 June 2019.
Beyond the Paper
Marsha Acker
USING THE GEOGRAPHY

OF THE ROOM TO ACCESS
COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Taking a systems-wide view and focusing on the collective voice (over
the individual voice) requires an acknowledgement that all members
of the system have contributed to their present reality in some way.
Off the Paper
440 USING THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE ROOM TO ACCESS COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE OFF THE PAPER
USING THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE ROOM

TO ACCESS COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE
There is an old proverb that states, “If you want to go Solution: Take advantage of your geography
fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.” by physically creating a visual of the issues. Asking
team members to explore different perspectives
I love teams! They are beautiful, complex, complicated, helps lower the stakes for a team, providing them
dynamic, evolving, emergent, artificial constructs; better access to their collective intelligence.
at their best, they are fulfilling, inspiring, and collabo-
rative. They facilitate the space for individuals to come
together to create something that no single person WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?
could have created on their own. But at their worst, Geography refers to a team facilitation practice
teams are difficult, unmotivating, crippling centers that uses both the physical space of the room and
of toxic relationships that harm individuals and organi- the people present. The goal is to visually map the
zations. You can probably recall your own experiences data of how the team (i.e., the system) is working
with teams that fall somewhere on this spectrum. together, and to explore different perspectives
through dialogue. Geography helps visualize low-
So how can you help teams stay in the space of high stakes data, such as how overworked a team feels,
performance? One way is by teaching a team to access but the real benefit of geography occurs during
its collective voice. When the collective voice is active, high-stakes conversations, when the team’s values
team members are engaged in identifying problems, and interpersonal dynamics are discussed and
sharing different viewpoints, inquiring into others’ visualized as part of a broader team intervention.
perspectives, and proposing actionable steps from
areas of alignment. The system becomes more intel- Asking people to move around the room and
ligent and the team gains wisdom from the collective. select a new physical location helps them:
Conversely, collective intelligence dissipates when
the group is unable to talk about difficult topics, or ∙∙Achieve a deeper understanding of the issue
members of the team become silent and disengaged.
∙∙See the issue in the abstract; it depersonalizes
the data, and eases the us vs. them mindset
CHALLENGE AND SOLUTION
Challenge: When talking about controversial ∙∙Take on different perspectives
topics, teams tend to be unskilled, and often rush
through the discomfort, rather than spending time ∙∙Participate as individual members of the team
to really understand the challenging issues.
∙∙Slow down the conversation, and equalize
Challenge: Frequently, when tough topics surface the power dynamics of the group
in team conversations, the loudest voices dominate,
causing others to withdraw or become silent, thereby ∙∙Create space to think differently
withholding critical information. Communication by seeing different perspectives
becomes imbalanced.
∙∙Create a fun and light-hearted way
to surface difficult topics
OFF THE PAPER USING THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE ROOM TO ACCESS COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE 441
BOY, DO I HAVE A CHALLENGE FOR YOU.
I got a call one day from a client—a team The primary objective of our face-to-face
leader I had worked with previously. workshop was to come together and
She opened with, “Boy, do I have a challenge improve how the members worked as
for you.” I'm always intrigued by these calls. a team. The group unanimously agreed
I'm immediately curious—what's happening? that something needed to change. As my
What caused her to pick up the phone? co-leader and I designed the arc of the
She explained the issue; I sensed what we workshop, our primary objectives were
needed to get their system moving again. to lower the tension felt in their system and
to restore their collective voice. They were
After spending a few weeks in the discovery a passionate and well-intentioned team,
process, we revealed some key themes: but they no longer listened to one another
and couldn't see perspectives beyond their
• The team placed a high value own experience in the moment. We wanted
on collaboration but did not operate to help them reconnect, to explore the
BEYOND THE PAPER

in a collaborative manner. current reality of their created system,
so they could shift from the breakdown
• There existed a bidirectional lack of trust of their team into productive collaboration.
between the team and their leader.
• The decision-making process and roles

and responsibilities were unclear.
@ Personal Reflection
In my experience, group members are more

• The team lacked clarity as willing to dedicate time to team development
to who should lead tasks. when a breakdown or crisis has occurred
in their system or there is a compelling
• Entrenched viewpoints of us versus desire to improve their team performance.
them led to blame and criticism,
directed towards the other.
HOW TO DESIGN A HIGH-STAKES GEOGRAPHY PROCESS WITHIN A GROUP
OBJECTIVE WHEN TO USE FACILITATOR SKILL LEVEL TIME PARTICIPANTS

Helping a team When teams are Expert 1–2 hours 2–100
create different stuck, divided, minimum
perspectives or entrenched
on a given topic in blame and need
to increase to converse about
empathy and difficult topics.
soften entrenched
viewpoints.
MATERIALS:
∙∙A large enough room (without tables and chairs) to allow for free movement
∙∙Data generated by the team about how they work together
∙∙Low-tack adhesive tape (like blue painter’s tape) to

create a chart or diagram on the floor
∙∙Large labels, big enough to read at a distance (I use 8.5 x 11 inch1 printouts);
the team-generated data provides the label topics
1. DESIGN THE CONTAINER
Courageous conversations take place inside a container. (Containers are safe spaces where people are able to
speak, listen, and feel they are heard.) Before conducting geography work to address difficult, high-stakes topics,
spend some time with the group establishing context and purpose, outlining working agreements, and creating
connections among team members.
2. FOCUS ON THE SYSTEM
Prior to the meeting, gather data (through a survey process) that asks the
team to reflect on how they are working together as a team.
1 The metric equivalent is 215.9 x 279.4 mm.

When collecting data or conducting interviews with team members, it’s easy to get sucked into the trap of
identifying and diagnosing ‘the one problem.’ Sometimes it’s an event, other times it’s a person. Taking a sys-
tems-wide view and focusing on the collective voice (over the individual voice) requires an acknowledgment that
all members of the system have contributed to their present reality in some way. They each play a role. No single
event or person is to blame. Be careful not to get caught in the trap of fixing the problem. Instead, take a larger
view—climb off the basketball court and onto the bleachers, then help your team do the same (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: To best assess a team’s issues, step back for a systems-wide view.
BEYOND THE PAPER

3. BRING THE CONVERSATION INTO THE ROOM
In our workshop story above, the group wanted to use us, the facilitators, to represent their point of view
while they remained silent. During breaks, some team members pulled us aside to share the real story—what
had happened and what they truly thought of their current system. It’s great when participants trust the
facilitator to hold their secrets, but it does not serve anyone for the facilitator to join team members in
an ‘offline’ collusion. It takes power away from the individual and the team, minimizing each person’s valu-
able perspective. As facilitators, we want to bring the conversation into the room. No keeping secrets!
∙∙Step 1: Select the data that you want to bring into the room with the team.
Using the data you collected through your survey, decide what to bring forward into the room.
You’ll want to consider the number of participants, the amount of time you can dedicate to
this activity, overall themes, and your hypothesis about what’s impeding the team.
@ Tips:
∙∙Select 4-8 data points. This exercise lends itself ∙∙Pick questions where there is less alignment.
well to a visual exploration of between four and For example, we trust one another offers
eight questions, maximum. After eight rounds a range of data (see Figure 2); we are aligned on
of exploring the data, teams become fatigued mission and purpose demonstrates that most
by the repetitive process, and you are unlikely of the team agree with this point (see Figure 3).
to hear anything new in the conversation. So for now, it might be worthwhile to explore
the topic of trust over mission and purpose.
WE TRUST ONE ANOTHER WE ARE ALIGNED

ON MISSION AND PURPOSE
STRONGLY SOMEWHAT DISAGREE AGREE SOMEWHAT STRONGLY STRONGLY SOMEWHAT DISAGREE AGREE SOMEWHAT STRONGLY
DISAGREE DISAGREE AGREE AGREE DISAGREE DISAGREE AGREE AGREE
Figure 2: This graph reflects a wide range Figure 3: Most of the team agree with the statement,
of trust (or lack thereof ) among teammates. We are aligned on mission and purpose.
∙∙Step 2: Create a visual representation

of your data on the floor.
Using the data structure from your survey, place

the data grid on the floor. Make sure you have
a large enough space to lay out the whole graph.
I often use low tack adhesive tape, like blue painter’s

tape, to create a grid with an x- and y-axis. The x-axis
represents the number of people who scored each Image 1: Example of a survey grid that I taped onto the floor.
question a certain way; the y-axis represents the
scale. The example illustrated in Image 1 uses the ∙∙Step 3: Visually map the team data.
following scale: Strongly Disagree, Somewhat Disagree,
Disagree, Agree, Somewhat Agree, Strongly Agree. Depending on the selected scale, you will need
at least five or six team members per question.
Figure 4 provides the results of a typical

survey question.
WE COMMUNICATE CLEARLY
AND EFFECTIVELY
BEYOND THE PAPER

STRONGLY SOMEWHAT DISAGREE AGREE SOMEWHAT STRONGLY
DISAGREE DISAGREE AGREE AGREE
Figure 4: An example of the data from one of the team’s survey questions.
In the example provided by Figure 4, you would ask one person to stand on the number two for Strongly Disagree,
someone else to stand on number five for Somewhat Disagree, and so on. Ask each person to stand in a different
place from how they personally answered the question.
∙∙Step 4: Facilitate a dialogue.
This activity allows the group to see and Depending on the topic, this exercise can be
experience their data without attribution. challenging for team members. Acknowledge
As the facilitator, be prepared with ques- their progress when you see them stretch
tion prompts to start the conversation. into a different viewpoint. If you hear
For example, you might ask, “How does it them slipping into their own point of view,
feel to experience this kind of distribution?” gently remind them to speak from where they
stand, rather than from their own perspective.
Ask each person on the grid to fully embody the
viewpoint of a team member who scored the statement After the group has explored the topic, as:
in that way. It might not be how they voted, and
that’s okay. Instruct them to imagine someone who ∙∙What did you hear?
did vote that way. Additional questions include:
∙∙What are you taking away from this conversation?
∙∙What's the perspective of someone who
scored where you are standing?
∙∙What might be true for them?
∙∙What might this person need in order to

move just one step up—for example, to move
from Somewhat Disagree to Disagree?
Image 2: Using geography to explore team data. Image 3: Dialogue on what the team is seeing.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 as the team explores each question. End with a debrief about what the
team learned during this process and what actions they’d like to commit to as a result.
∙∙Step 5: Acknowledge progress. for someone who scored differently, even if

they disagreed with that perspective; they
Geography activities can shift the energy in a group, developed empathy. The process of 'walking
but they won’t automatically solve tough team the data' helped each of them own their role
challenges. Remember that the performance and in creating the (previously) adversarial team.
development of a team is a marathon, not a sprint. By discussing the difficult topics (shared
Success is measured in small, incremental shifts during the facilitator interviews) in a team
that give the team something to build on as they setting, individuals took risks they had not
move forward. When you notice a team member taken in the past. This process opened the
make a small shift—perhaps in their language door for a deeper conversation within the
describing the team, or comments about others team, and shifted their energy from tense,
within the group—acknowledge what you observed. hesitant, and pessimistic to positive, engaged,
and hopeful. Accessing their collective
intelligence enabled a culture of openness
BOY, DO I HAVE A CHALLENGE FOR YOU: and authenticity in their day-to-day work.
THE OUTCOME
BEYOND THE PAPER

What we observed in the team during this
process was their ability to change the Author note: With gratitude to Laurie Reuben,
way they spoke about others. They took on my co-lead on this project, and to the Center
perspectives that weren’t their own. They for Right Relationship,2 which inspired me
began to name what might be happening to work with systems in different ways.
2 For more information, see CRR Global: Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching, www.crrglobal.com.
Beyond the Paper
Matthew Magain
A BULLETPROOF PROCESS TO
CREATING SKETCH VIDEOS
Whether your video is shot by hand in a studio or animated
on a computer, your choice of messaging, language, and
imagery are crucial to the success of your final p oduct
Off the Paper
EUVIZ.com / photographer: Orest Tabaka.

450 A BULLETPROOF PROCESS TO CREATING SKETCH VIDEOS OFF THE PAPER
A BULLETPROOF PROCESS TO
CREATING SKETCH VIDEOS
In this chapter, we’ll examine a foolproof process that Sketch videos are particularly effective at
will ensure your video speaks to the hearts and minds explaining complex concepts, especially when
of those viewing it, and has your client jumping for joy! those concepts might be perceived as boring
(we’ll explore why in a moment). I’m sure you’ve
In this chapter, you’ll learn: seen videos created in this style before—they’re
popular on YouTube as a way of visualizing TED
∙∙the definition of a sketch video, talks, and have even made their way into traditional
advertising channels, like television and cinema.
∙∙why you should consider making one, and
There are two basic methods you can use to produce
∙∙how to ensure that your video achieves a sketch video, each with its own pros and cons.
your client’s desired outcome.
1. You can use a video camera to film yourself
drawing on a whiteboard or sheet of paper, then
WHAT IS A SKETCH VIDEO? speed up the footage using a video-editing tool.
A sketch video (also known as an explainer I refer to this method as a studio shoot. (For
video, videoscribe, or whiteboard animation) is more on this method, see my chapter entitled
a style of video that combines sped-up footage Shooting a Sketch Video: Tips and Tricks.)
of someone drawing with a voice-over track. The
magic of this medium is the suspense that viewers 2. You can use a software program on a computer
feel while watching an illustration come to life on or tablet to animate your drawings and simulate
the page—much like what they feel when watching the movement of your hand around the screen.
someone graphically record a conference or workshop.
We’ll look at the pros and cons of each method
later. Whichever you choose, you’ll need to plan
your video—and that planning process is the
same regardless of the method of production.
“Can’t you just draw me some pic-

tures on camera tomorrow?”
Image 1: The magic of a sketch video lies in the anticipation of

what comes next. (Image by Lucinda Gifford of Sketch Group,1 for
Berry Street’s T.A.R.A. Program.2)
1 Learn more about Sketch Group’s live-sketching services here: www.sketchgroup.com.au/live-sketching.html.

2 Watch Berry Street’s T.A.R.A. (Teenage Aggression Responding Assertively) Program video here: youtu.be/_Vh6g8HtNsM.
OFF THE PAPER A BULLETPROOF PROCESS TO CREATING SKETCH VIDEOS 451
Beware of clients who set overly ambitious but I’m hopeful that after reading this chapter, you’ll
deadlines for a video! Most of the videos we consider responding to video inquiries with confidence,
create take between four and twelve weeks to rather than having to tell the client, “I don’t do that.”
produce, even though the actual on-camera
drawing time can be finished in a day. Writing In addition to opening a potential stream of revenue
the script, storyboarding image ideas, and for your business, sketch videos can play a crucial
navigating multiple rounds of client feedback part in the facilitation process. The unique nature of
is time consuming. An additional week or suspense, motion, and the aesthetic of a hand-drawn
two must be factored in for post-production video can be used to seed conversations, lighten the
edits. If you can successfully explain the steps mood, or explain difficult concepts to a group. I’ve
involved to your client, you might discover even combined sketch video with graphic facilitation
that their deadline isn’t so fixed after all. by producing animated videos from charts I created
during group sessions (to my clients’ delight).
Some of you may be thinking, “I work with groups

and sketch their ideas in real time. Why would WHEN CAN I USE A SKETCH VIDEO?
BEYOND THE PAPER

I want to create a video in the first place?” Sketch videos are making their way into every indus-
try. Here are a handful of the diverse types of hand-
I’m glad you asked. Before we dive into the process, drawn videos we’ve created in the past few years:3
let’s address the benefits of sketch video.
∙∙an internal video communicating a
company’s new strategic direction
WHY BOTHER MAKING A SKETCH VIDEO?
The skills required to plan, shoot, and edit a ∙∙a sales video, played before presenting
video are wildly different than those neces- a large sales pitch to a client
sary to be an effective visual facilitator. But
here’s the thing: clients don’t know that. ∙∙a public service announcement to inform non-
citizens how to make the most of their doctor visits
I’ve had many clients approach me after a workshop or
during a conference and ask, “I like your drawings—do ∙∙an academic presentation to inform
you make those sketch videos?” Likewise, I’ve received medical professionals
inquiries from people who have seen one of our
videos, asking, “Can you do that live at my conference?” ∙∙a series of short videos for high school students
discussing ways to avoid depression
To a visual novice, the two activities are simply
sketching. Both tasks fall into the same bucket in the ∙∙a collection of animations bringing
client’s mind, linked by a common artistic thread. historical stories to life
As a result, it makes good business sense to add
sketch video production to your service offerings. The list goes on! As you can see, the scope
of how and when you can use a sketch video
A sketch video is a natural complement to visual to tell a story, explain a concept, or change
facilitation. In fact, more introverted illustrators often behavior is limited only by your imagination.
prefer studio-based tasks, like video production, over
working with groups; working in-studio allows more When it comes to effective communication, it’s my
time for reflection and for the formulation of complex opinion that a sketch video beats a slide deck every
ideas and visual metaphors. It’s not for everyone, time. Sketch video allows consistent, unerring control
3 View additional examples of sketch videos here: www.sketchgroup.com.au/sketch-videos.html.

over the timing of your message, adds visual interest STEP 1: UNDERSTAND THE GOAL.
to the presentation, and includes the building of As with solving any communication problem, it’s
suspense into your key points—all necessary com- important to understand the goal of the video
ponents of compelling communication. Plus, sketch you’re producing. There’s no point in jotting down
videos are more fun to make—once you know how! ideas if you don’t know what your client’s business
goals are, and what role your video will play in
achieving them. Making a video with a nebulous
A BULLETPROOF PROCESS purpose will not only be less fulfilling for you, it’s
Unlike group work, creating a sketch video requires a likely to result in a complaint from your client that
very methodical approach. Owning a camera or tablet the video hasn’t met their expectations (which may
computer and being able to draw are not enough— or may not have been effectively articulated!).
you’ll need to follow a reliable process to achieve your
desired result. If your client hasn’t communicated their desired out-
The process I recommend for creating a come, you must ask them before doing anything else.
sketch video includes the following:
At Sketch Group, we use a process called the
1. Understand the goal. Empathy Forecast workshop (see the chapter entitled
Better Communication with the Empathy Forecast
2. Write the script. for more). Eliciting detailed requirements from a
client can be difficult. In our experience, running
3. Explore imagery. this workshop best determines the following:
4. Create a storyboard. ∙∙Who is the target audience of the video?
5. Source audio. ∙∙What are their motivations and assumptions?
6. Shoot and edit. ∙∙What language resonates best with them?
7. Let’s look at each step in turn. ∙∙What’s the client’s key message?
∙∙What outcome does the client expect from the video?
Figure 1: The basic process for creating a sketch video.

Getting solid answers to these questions takes longer STEP 3: EXPLORE IMAGERY.
than a single, half-hour meeting, but it’s worth After your client has signed off on the script,
spending time up front to get the vision right. Clients you can have some fun with imagery. This is
often don’t know what they want, so challenging the creative bit; experiment with themes, visual
your assumptions and asking why helps uncover storytelling, and character development.
your client’s actual goals. When you’re happy with
the responses you’ve elicited from your client, and I’d encourage you to create several ideas for each
your client is excited about the core message they’ve sentence. Long, dense sentences may require multiple
shared with you, you’re ready to write your script. images—get those ideas down on paper. Don’t worry
about the fidelity of your sketches at this stage. Several
chapters of this field guide focus on drawing; have
STEP 2: WRITE THE SCRIPT. fun, try new techniques, and refine your images later.
At the heart of every good sketch video is a great script.
Your script defines the message you’ll send, the length If you have difficulty visualizing any of the topics
of the video, the pace of the imagery, and, ultimately, in your script, try an internet search using your
determines the overall success of your communication. key phrases. Remember: while it might be ideal to
BEYOND THE PAPER

The best sketch videos are short and snappy. Be accurately depict every sentence or key point as
ruthless as you cut through the fluff; articulate your an image, sometimes that’s just not possible—in
message succinctly—no amount of clever illustration those difficult cases, it’s okay for your images to
or video trickery can compensate for a poor script. supplement and support the script, rather than
to perfectly match every single word.
Hire a Copywriter.
Writing for the screen requires a different skill Active, not Passive Poses
set than writing for the page. Even if you’re handy Whether facilitating for a group or creating a sketch
with words, you may want to consider employing video, you’ll find that images of people tend to
a professional copywriter to get the message, be more engaging if they depict someone taking
phrasing, and structure of your script right. action. Depicting a figure in motion is more difficult
than depicting a passive pose, so practice makes
Get Approval Before Proceeding! perfect. The beauty of studio work—including
If you’re making a video for a client, it’s critical creating sketch videos—is that you can take your
that the client signs off on the final version of the time and redraw the image until you’re satisfied!
script before you proceed to the next step. The
script is the foundation;, changing the language
after you’ve created images increases the risk of EVERYONE LOVES A STORY
irrelevant graphics—in other words, don’t create In her seminal book, The Graphic Facilitator’s
images based on text that might be discarded. Guide, Brandy Agerbeck warns budding visual
facilitators not to fall into the trap of ‘icon-itis,’
Make sure your script is edited and reviewed where images of standalone concepts are used
multiple times. Adjust it as much as necessary, to complement the text, but little thought is
then get everyone to agree not to make any more given to the overarching theme of the chart.
changes. If this milestone—approving the final
version of the script—isn’t made clear to the client, The same is true when creating images for a sketch
you’ll regret it later. Again, your script must be video—try developing a character for your video, and
completely finalized before moving to the next step. then reuse that character in successive frames to tell
a story (even if there is no obvious story in the under-
lying script). Providing the viewer with an extra layer
of content, as opposed to a strict, literal interpretation as key letters, the client’s logo, or an iconic
of the script, results in a better viewing experience. metaphor that is relevant to the story being told.
Otherwise, you run the risk of creating a series of
disconnected images that are void of any visual story.
STEP 5: RECORD THE AUDIO.
Once your script is locked in, find a suitable voice artist
STEP 4: CREATE A STORYBOARD. to record it. While it may be tempting to cut costs and
After you’ve settled on the characters and voice the script yourself, using a professional voice
themes to use in your visual storytelling, it’s artist results in a highly polished product. If you can’t
time to lay the images out in a storyboard. find someone locally, the online marketplace5 provides
access to a diverse range of affordable voice talent.
Much like a comic book, a storyboard is simply a To complement your voice-over, consider adding a
series of frames that show the order in which background music track. The right music sets
your images will appear on screen. Below each the mood, whether your message calls for an
frame sits the part of the script that will be excited vibe, a somber sense of reflection, or an
voiced when that image appears on screen. optimistic backdrop to create feelings of hope.6
(Visit www.thevisualfacilitationfieldguide.com
to download a storyboard template.)
STEP 6: SHOOT AND EDIT.
If you’ve followed the above process, you’ll now have a
handful of assets (a storyboard, voiceover, and music
track), and be eager to translate them onto the screen.
As I mentioned earlier, there are two basic options for
how to go about this. The method you choose will de-
pend on the production quality and style you’re after.
Image 2: A storyboard shows the client which images will

appear on screen when each line of the script is being voiced.
(Image by Sarah Dunk of Sketch Group, created for The Big Issue,
Australia.4)
If you’re feeling confident, try adding an extra layer

of delight at the end of your video—some kind of
metaphor or hidden imagery that only reveals
itself when the camera zooms out at the end. I
often plan my imagery so that the combination
of individual images forms a larger shape, such
4 Watch The Big Issue video here: youtu.be/H8lPO6ZDEmQ.

5 To find a professional voice artist online, try voicebunny.com.
6 Explore endless choices of royalty-free, low-cost stock music at audiojungle.net.
METHOD 1: STUDIO SHOOT ∙∙Making changes to visuals after the shoot has ended
Setting up a camera to actually film your hand can be difficult, especially if a reshoot is required.
drawing on a canvas, then speeding up the footage
for production, is a technique I call a studio shoot.
If you (or your client) have the funds, partnering METHOD 2:
with a professional videographer on this approach SOFTWARE SIMULATION PROGRAM
will result in a video of the highest quality, but If you’re not prepared to hire a professional or set
there are certainly lower cost options, as well. up your own studio, then a software simulation
program may be the best approach. Some software
Pros: simulation programs use a stock photograph of
a hand holding a marker, and bounce the image
∙∙The hand on screen looks authentic—because around the screen to simulate a person drawing.
it is a real hand! This authenticity creates a The final product doesn’t look the same as footage
powerful, friendly dynamic between narrator shot in a studio, but depending on the client, the
and viewer. This is largely why this video format result may be good enough for what you need.
is so effective for explaining tricky concepts.
BEYOND THE PAPER

Pros:
∙∙It provides flexibility to bring other elements
onto the screen (cardboard cutouts, craft ∙∙This method is relatively inexpensive, assuming
items, even one of your client’s products). you own a computer or tablet device.
∙∙If shooting on a budget, an amateurish aesthetic ∙∙It doesn’t require a dedicated

can be charming and relatable—like that of the mad space or expensive lighting.
professor frantically communicating an important
breakthrough. In some cases, this aesthetic can ∙∙It’s an easy option if you don’t want your
actually increase the effectiveness of the medium. video to include a hand on screen.
Cons: ∙∙Changing an existing video is straightforward,

as you can easily export another version.
∙∙It requires a dedicated studio space
to achieve consistent results. Cons:
∙∙Lighting is hard to perfect and requires ∙∙The hand bouncing around the screen looks fake
multiple professional lights. (although you will occasionally encounter clients
who can’t tell the difference between actual footage
∙∙Setting up a canvas that doesn’t wobble and an animation created with a software tool).
can be challenging—when you speed up
the footage, any minor shift of paper or ∙∙If you want to bring in other elements (like craft
bump of the table is exaggerated. items or actual products), your options are limited.
∙∙Good quality footage requires a ∙∙I won’t try to create a complete list of animation
professional camera and tripod. tools, as the landscape is constantly changing,
but here are three worth checking out:
∙∙A working knowledge of professional
video editing software is required.
1. SPARKOL VIDEOSCRIBE7 3. SQUIGL9
Pros: Pros:
∙∙Allows you to import your own images (including ∙∙Created by the folks at TruScribe, who have years
a photo of your own hand if you want!) of experience creating sketch videos in studio
∙∙Comes with device-specific apps (for the iPad, ∙∙Easy to use; has the potential to become a
for example), as well as a version that runs valuable tool (it’s a fairly new product)
from a web browser on desktop computers
∙∙Utilizes crowdsourced imagery, making
∙∙Provides a library of clip art for use in your video the asset library extensive
Cons:
Cons: ∙∙Fidelity of images is low, which cheapens

the quality of your exported video
∙∙Requires a monthly subscription
∙∙Does not permit control over the order in which LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
imported images are animated, so the illusion of Whether you’re shooting in a professional studio
them being hand-drawn is often unconvincing or cobbling together a video on a tight budget,
your video will fail to engage your audience if you
don’t fully understand your client’s goals, plan your
2. VYOND™8 shoot thoroughly, and make a concerted effort
to include your client throughout the process.
Pros: By following the steps outlined in this chapter,

you should be well equipped to deliver a video
∙∙Vyond™ is easy to use, and flexible enough for your client that is engaging, entertaining,
to create both motion graphics (using and effective, whether it’s hand drawn or
vector artwork) and hand-drawn videos computer animated. I wish you all the best!
∙∙Comes with a comprehensive library of

existing templates and digital assets
Cons:
∙∙Paid version of the tool includes Vyond’s

logo as a watermark, which feels a tad unfair;
upgrading to the premium tier (at additional
expense) is the only way to remove this logo
7 Learn more here: www.videoscribe.co.

8 Vyond™ can be found here: www.vyond.com.
9 Learn more here: squiglit.com.
WORKS CITED:
Agerbeck, Brandy. The Graphic Facilitator’s Guide. Loosetooth.com Library, 2012.
Audiojungle.net. Envato Pty Ltd. (envatomarket), audiojungle.net. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“Berry Street T.A.R.A. Program (Teenage Aggression Responding Assertively).”

YouTube, uploaded by Berry Street, 22 Jan. 2018, youtu.be/_Vh6g8HtNsM.
“Make, Buy, Sell: How The Big Issue Works.” YouTube, uploaded by The Big Is-
sue Australia, 04 Feb. 2018, youtu.be/H8lPO6ZDEmQ.
“Live Sketching.” Sketch Group, www.sketchgroup.com.au/live-sketching.html. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“Sketch Videos.” Sketch Group, www.sketchgroup.com.au/sketch-videos.html. Accessed 11 June 2019.
BEYOND THE PAPER

Sketch Group: Professional Whiteboard Animations, Explainer Videos, Graphic Recording, Sketchnoting, Graphic
Facilitation, and Illustration by Sketch Group. Sketch Group, www.sketchgroup.com.au. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Squigl - Communicate Better, Transform Your Sales, Marketing,

and e-Learning. Squigl, squiglit.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Videoscribe. Sparkol Limited, www.videoscribe.co. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Voice Bunny®: Professional Voice Over Services and Voice Actors. Bunny Inc., voicebunny.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Vyond™. GoAnimate, Inc., www.vyond.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.

Beyond the Paper
Matthew Magain
SHOOTING A SKETCH
VIDEO: TIPS AND TRICKS
Shooting a video by hand is both fun and rewarding. It also
provides plenty of flexibility for including additional physical
objects to make your final messa e as engaging as possible.
Off the Paper

460 SHOOTING A SKETCH VIDEO: TIPS AND TRICKS OFF THE PAPER
SHOOTING A SKETCH VIDEO:

TIPS AND TRICKS
So, you’ve followed a robust video-planning process, CANVAS
you understand your audience, message, and desired A sketch video is also commonly referred to as
outcomes (for help with this step, see the chapter a whiteboard animation, so it’s reasonable to assume
Better Communication with the Empathy Forecast), that they’re filmed on actual whiteboards. Not so!
you have your script, storyboard, and audio ready
to go, and you’ve decided you like the authentic While we occasionally shoot videos on a white-
aesthetic that can only be achieved in a studio. board, at Sketch Group we usually prefer to
illustrate on paper with permanent marker. The
Great! Let’s get ready to shoot! benefits of working on paper are numerous:
@ Tip: As we mentioned in the chapter

entitled A Bulletproof Process for Creating
∙∙Less smudging: When drawing on a whiteboard,
it’s easy to accidentally smudge lines that you’ve
previously drawn—especially if your illustration
Sketch Videos, it’s absolutely critical needs to appear in any direction other than left to
that, before you move any further, right (this applies to right-handed illustrators).
you’ve received formal approval of your
storyboard. You’ll avoid delays and a costly ∙∙Consistent line: Whiteboard markers tend to
reshoot by ensuring that all stakeholders produce a less consistent line than permanent
are in complete agreement about the (paper) markers. While some like the charm of
storyboard before taking your next steps. this ‘rough’ look, I prefer the ability and control
to create a crisp, solid line in my illustrations.
EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS ∙∙Less glare: Getting the lighting right is more
Whether you’re engaging an experienced videographer difficult when your primary surface is reflective.
and working in a studio with professional lights, or
you’re operating solo on a desk in your home office, ∙∙Final artwork: When you draw on paper, you’re left
you’ll need some equipment and materials to shoot with an end product that you can give your client
your video. The following list includes items to suit as a poster—or hang on your own wall to admire!
budgets at both ends of the financial spectrum.
∙∙Guides: Paper is more conducive to preparing
tracing guides to use during the filming of your
video. (We’ll talk more about how to prepare
guides for your shoot later in the chapter.)
In some cases, shooting on an actual white-

board is the right choice (for instance, when
your imagined vision requires you to erase
and redraw some images). But in most cases,
shooting on paper will cause fewer headaches.
OFF THE PAPER SHOOTING A SKETCH VIDEO: TIPS AND TRICKS 461
Paper Size and Thickness ADHESIVE

One of the most frustrating aspects of shooting in
The decision to use a large sheet of paper (like you a studio is the discovery during the editing stage that
might use for graphic recording) or a series of smaller your canvas has moved during the shoot—even slightly.
sheets (like A3 or A4) will depend on whether you
plan to shoot your video as a series of independent We use various combinations of the following adhe-
frames, or as one large, connected image. If you’re sives (all of which are readily available at our local art
just starting out, I’d recommend keeping it simple by supply store) to keep our canvases firmly in place:
drawing each frame on small, separate sheets of paper.
The benefit of this approach is that you can redraw ∙∙Masking tape: This is useful for attaching
individual frames as required—plus, you should be large sheets of paper to a wall, or sticking
able to set up your camera to shoot all by yourself, a sheet of paper to a desk or drafting table.
rather than requiring someone else to be involved.
∙∙Double-sided tape: While perfect for stopping
large sheets of paper from lifting away during
MOUNT a shoot, double-sided tape is super sticky, and
BEYOND THE PAPER

If you’re shooting on a whiteboard, it’s will remove the paint from a wall. If this is an
probably already mounted to the wall. For issue, stick your paper onto a whiteboard, as this
videos created on paper, though, you have a few will be a more forgiving surface from which to
options available to mount your canvas. remove adhesives than will your office wall.
∙∙Desk: When choosing a desk as your workspace, ∙∙Poster gum:1 Poster gum is another safe option for
your main concern should be the sturdiness of sticking paper to a wall without damaging the paint.
the desk—any slight wobble will be exaggerated
on film when you speed up the footage, so ∙∙Spray glue: A can of repositioning adhesive spray
you want zero movement underfoot! A heavy, glue is the most effective option for sticking paper
wooden desk is likely to be more stable than to a surface so that it won’t budge. You can cover
a metal desk assembled from a flat-pack. every corner of your canvas, and remove it from
your drafting table (or other mount) afterward.
∙∙Drafting Table: If you have access to a standalone Use with caution, however, as spray adhesive has
drafting table used by architects, you’re in luck. its pitfalls: it’s quite toxic (always spray outside
A drafting table allows you to change the angle and wear a protective mask), and it bonds two
of the surface, so you can adjust it to the most surfaces permanently if you wait too long before
ergonomically comfortable position. Alternatively, peeling the paper from the wall (or other surface).
you may consider investing in a drafting table
that sits on top of an existing (sturdy) desk.
CAMERA AND TRIPOD
∙∙Wall: If your desk is not large—or stable—enough, Whether you invest in one, borrow one for the
or the vision for your video requires a particularly day, or engage a fully-equipped videographer,
large sheet of paper, you’ll need to find a solid wall you’ll need a decent camera and tripod to create
(a pinboard won’t be stable enough). When using a video worthy of charging your client.
large sheets of paper, the center tends to drift
slightly from the wall, so it’s important to use extra However, if your sketch video is for internal use only
adhesive to attach it securely (more on that next). and you don’t need to zoom in on your illustration
during the shoot, a camera on the lower end of
1 Also known as putty. My favorite brand is Bostik’s Blu-Tack®:

www.bostik.com/australia/Bostik-Products/Blu-Tack-Multipurpose-Adhesive.
the quality scale should suffice, provided it can LIGHTS

record video footage for long periods of time. The two main purposes of studio
lighting in a sketch video are:
Your choice of camera basically comes
down to these three options: 1. To achieve consistent white across your canvas.
1. A broadcast-quality video camera, such as 2. To reduce the shadow of your hand on the canvas.
those used by professional camera operators
in the film and television industry. If you’re creating a high quality production, you’ll
need to invest in multiple professional lights. Spend
2. A digital camera that also takes video some time moving them around to find the perfect
footage—photography enthusiasts may not arrangement. There are professional lighting consul-
realize that the lens on their digital SLR is as tants whose sole job is to position lights to reduce
good (or better) than many video cameras. shadows and highlight key angles, so don’t be too hard
on yourself if it takes you a while to get this right.
3. A smartphone, which, if less than a few years old,
probably has a high-quality camera built into it. If you’re shooting at home, you may be able
to get away with a handful of desk lamps
If you’re running with option one or two, you’ll scattered around the outside of your canvas.
need to mount your camera on a tripod. If
you don’t own a tripod, you should be able
to buy one for a reasonable price from your MARKERS
local photography or electronics store. When working on paper, you can, of course, use
any pen, pencil, paint brush, crayon, or other
Option three will require you to get creative in chosen implement to make lines on the page.
order to mount your phone above your desk. I’ve However, you’ll find that a black marker is usually
had success using a desk-mounted boom arm the best choice for achieving that ‘mad professor’
designed to hold a microphone. Whether you rig up explainer aesthetic. The more it looks like you’re
something fancy like this, or balance your phone working on an actual whiteboard (even if you’re
on a shelf above your head, make sure that your not), the more effective the video will be.
camera is stable (to avoid shakes or bumps in your
footage) and safe (so it doesn’t fall on your head!).
Image 1: Desk-mounted boom arm holding a smartphone.

@ Tip: Why not use a blackboard? The image of

a teacher scrawling on a blackboard actually
conjures up a negative experience for many
people—perhaps they were scarred during
their time in the classroom! A whiteboard,
however, is immune from this association.
Rather than mimicking a teacher-student
dynamic, drawing on a whiteboard (combined
with the sped-up footage) evokes the image
of a mad professor scrawling excitedly to
explain something that they are passionate
Image 2: A black marker is usually the best choice about. A sketch video takes advantage of
for achieving that ‘mad professor’ explainer aesthetic. this imagery to explain your story better.
BEYOND THE PAPER

If you are working on a whiteboard, then of course As with many tools, the best choice may be the one
you have a range of dry-erase markers available with which you are most comfortable and experienced.
to you. In my experience, the Neuland2 whiteboard
markers have the greatest range of color and size,
so they’re my favorites. (Learn more about Neuland PREPARING GUIDES
whiteboard markers in The Right Tool for the Job, You may be wondering, “How can I draw my
and Lettering for Legibility, Hierarchy, and Speed.) images on film and guarantee that they’ll look
exactly as they did on my storyboard?” Let me
take you behind the magician’s curtain.
VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE
Because information about software goes out The trick is to use guides, or very faint lines on
of date so quickly, I won’t list all of the options the page that are visible to you, but do not get
currently available, but there are a few products picked up by the camera. When you have guides
that deserve inclusion in this section: on the canvas in front of you, the shoot becomes
an exercise in tracing. No need to worry that
∙∙At the high end of professional video editing each mark on the paper will match a reference
suites, Adobe’s Premiere Pro CC3 and image to which you’re constantly referring.
Apple’s Final Cut Pro4 have dominated the
market for years (with good reason). You can manually create these guides by lightly
drawing lines on a blank sheet of paper, but the effort
∙∙At the lower end of the market, I’ve had of transposing each image is significant. A simpler
past success with Telestream’s ScreenFlow5 solution is to place a blank sheet of paper directly on
and TechSmith’s Camtasia Studio,6 both top of your image, so that the lines are visible through
of which are affordably priced. the page to you, but are not visible to the camera.
2 Find Neuland products here: www.neuland.com.

3 Adobe’s Premiere Pro CC video editing software can be found here: www.adobe.com/products/premiere.html.
4 Apple’s Final Cut Pro can be found here: www.apple.com/final-cut-pro.
5 Explore Telestream’s ScreenFlow here: www.telestream.net/screenflow.
6 Find Camtasia Studio by TechSmith® here: www.techsmith.com/video-editor.html.
THE SHOOT Stay Hydrated

So . . . you’ve set up your studio, tweaked your
lighting until it’s just right, mounted your camera, and Depending on how many frames you’re shooting,
prepared your guides. You’re finally ready to shoot it might be a long day. To develop a sustainable
the video that has been so long in the planning. process, it’s important to look after your health.
Drink plenty of water and take regular breaks.
When it comes to shooting your video, there’s
no substitute for experience—the more you Stretch
shoot, the better you’ll be. Here are a few
tips to make the most of your first shoot. If you’ve worked in a graphic recording role
before, you already know that prolonged periods
of drawing on a wall can cause a stiff neck and
a sore back. This danger is exacerbated when you
include the additional requirement of keeping
your head out of the camera’s line of sight.
Even if you’re working on a more ergonomically

friendly surface (such as an angled drafting table),
it’s important that you take regular breaks to stretch
your body. If you’re like me, you’ll experience a rush
of adrenaline after shooting your first sketch video
and will want to do more. Look after your body so that
Image 3: Lucinda (of Sketch Group) filming a video shooting more videos is possible—and stays fun!
for the National Museum of Australia.7
Edit and Post-Production
Take Your Time
When your shoot is over, it’s time to pull together all
The biggest mistake made by newcomers is rushing of the assets you’ve created. As far as video editing
through their illustrations. You’ve seen these goes, this style of sketch video is about as easy as
videos—the hand whizzes around the screen at it gets. It’s a simple process of synchronizing the
lightning speed. That means you need to draw footage you’ve shot with your voice-over track.
quickly, right? Wrong. Remember, we’ll be speeding
up your footage later. Achieving your desired effect Here are a few tips to get your edit looking
doesn’t require that you actually draw fast during as sharp as possible, regardless of the
the shoot. Take as long as you need to get your software package you’re using.
images looking exactly how you want them.
Sync Words on Screen to the Voice-Over
When we simultaneously hear and see a word, our

brain makes a stronger connection to that word. If
any of your frames include key words written on the
screen, make sure that the visual footage of those
words perfectly matches the voicing of that word.
Revealing the word slightly early—or too late—will
cause a disconnect for the viewer. It might take
some trial and error to get your timing just right.
7 See a variety of Sketch Group’s sketch videos here: www.sketchgroup.com.au/sketch-videos.html.

For example, suppose you’re drawing a scene which

includes, as its background, multiple elaborate
@ Tip: Avoid showing words on screen

that aren’t voiced in the script.
buildings and trees. In the foreground, a crazed
architect cackles maniacally. While you understand
the power of simplicity in sketching, for this particular
scene the detail of the buildings is critical to the
When the viewer sees a word on-screen script. Yet the storyboard you’ve created specifies
while listening to a different word, it that the entire scene must sync with just six words,
causes too much cognitive load, and the giving you only a few seconds. What to do?
effectiveness of your communication is lost.
In this instance, I would begin the scene with
a previously prepared drawing of the buildings and
trees. The only live footage would be the sketching
Allow for Hang–Time of the architect. Just because you’ve filmed yourself
drawing every last detail, doesn’t mean you should
Concepts need time to be absorbed—especially when include every last detail in your final cut.
BEYOND THE PAPER

we’re hearing them for the first time. It’s important
when editing your footage that you allow time after
the completed illustration is displayed; this gives SHOOT FOR THE MOON
the viewer an opportunity to absorb your message. In this chapter we’ve covered the practical
The footage of your moving hand is great for building ins-and-outs of shooting a sketch video in
suspense and capturing the attention of your viewer, a studio, whether you’re going it alone at home
but once you have their attention, use it wisely. or working with a professional videographer.
Give your images some We looked at the pros and cons of working on paper
compared to a whiteboard or blackboard, and covered
hang time so they can options for mounting your canvas. We also explored
some other tools necessary for shooting a video in
be appreciated for the this style, including markers, cameras, lighting, and
video-editing software. We offered up a few tips on
masterpieces that they are! how to practice self-care during a long shoot, and
finished with some pointers about editing your video.
Not So Fast!
We hope this chapter has armed you with both the
If your illustrations are highly detailed, you may have information and the confidence to start shooting your
to speed your footage so rapidly that the hand flying own videos. Sketch video is such an exciting medium
about the page makes the viewer dizzy. In this situation, for telling a story; I can’t wait to see what you create!
consider cutting some footage from your illustration,
so the frame begins with a partially drawn image.
WORKS CITED:
“Adobe Premiere Pro CC.” Adobe.com, www.adobe.com/products/premiere.html.

“Apple Final Cut Pro X.” Apple Inc., www.apple.com/final-cut-pro.

“Bostik Blu-Tack®.” Bostik: Smart Adhesives,

www.bostik.com/australia/Bostik-Products/Blu-Tack-Multipurpose-Adhesive.
Neuland®. Neuland, global.neuland.com.

Sketch Group: Professional Whiteboard Animations, Explainer Videos, Graphic Recording,

Sketchnoting, Graphic Facilitation, and Illustration by Sketch Videos.
Sketch Group, www.sketchgroup.com.au. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“TechSmith® Camtasia Studio.” TechSmith.com,

www.techsmith.com/video-editor.html.
“Telestream ScreenFlow.” telestream.com, www.telestream.net/screenflow.

PRO STORIES
Pro Stories
Tul Lekutai
MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL
FACILITATOR: FROM BUILDINGS
TO COURT ROOMS
Discovering New Boundaries for Visualization.
Visuals in Action
472 MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR: FROM BUILDINGS TO COURT ROOMS VISUALS IN ACTION
MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR:

FROM BUILDINGS TO COURT ROOMS
INSPIRED BY A BEAUTIFUL BOOK A CHALLENGING REQUEST:

One of my earliest memories was discovering a DEAD MAN TALKING
hardcover English-language copy of the Bible in
my parents’ bedroom. How a Bible ended up in
the home of a non-English speaking Buddhist
family, I may never know. One thing I did know is
that I was fascinated by this beautiful book; from its
hardcover front, featuring copper Roman typography,
to the colorful, rich imagery and stories inside.
This book gave me great

joy and sparked my 1
a foundation working to combat trafficking of
children in Thailand. She is an activist and former
young imagination. TEDxChiangMai speaker2 who has dedicated herself
to this growing and devastating social problem.
What impressed me most was the back page,
which contained an inscription of a dragon Three years after I visually recorded her TEDx
drawn by my brother. I was so impressed, at presentation, she contacted me with an extraordinary
the young age of six or seven, that I clearly challenge. She was working with the Royal Thai Police
remember thinking, “I want to draw like this.” on human trafficking issues. She wondered if I would
be able to apply visual storytelling to the criminal case
on which she was working. Despite my initial doubts
TRIPLE JOY OF INTERESTS about whether or not I had the necessary experience,
Like many kids, I had various interests, including I trusted my gut and said, “Why not? Let’s try.”
sports, music, and drawing. Over time I experienced a
growing fulfillment and happiness through drawing, In my youth, I enjoyed Agatha Christie stories of detec-
and learned to appreciate how my logical and creative tives and forensic teams, who, while weaving through
modes of thinking worked in collaboration. I went on the complexities of body language and psychology,
to study and practice as an architect for fifteen years, worked tirelessly to solve a mystery. I also had shelves
enjoying the use of drawing as a core skill for the visu- full of Japanese cartoon books. As I considered the in-
alization of buildings and structures. As architects, we vitation to work on this case, I appreciated the impact
use floor plans, elevations, perspectives, and models that these two hobbies had on me, together with my
to render our ideas visible, while a visual practitioner growing interest and skills as a visual practitioner.
uses drawings, images, and two- or three-dimensional
visual tools to capture and represent conversations as Boom briefed me on the particulars with a couple of
a visual narrative. The common skill and connection paper sheets, from which I assumed that the case was
between these two fields of practice is drawing. already concluded. However, it turned out that the
1 For more about this organization, visit www.hugproject.org.

2 To watch the TEDxChiangMai talk, “Human Trafficking,” see youtu.be/kfFSbdfC9Oc.
VISUALS IN ACTION MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR: FROM BUILDINGS TO COURT ROOMS 473
case was actually ongoing, since the alleged offender

had connections to other criminal networks. My
assignment was to create an infographic of the first
phase of the case, which the team could (hopefully)
use as evidence in court. As visual practitioners, we
@ PRO TIPS:
already know that visual summaries are able to reach 1) Do a quick sketch first. Don’t look at your
a wide audience, whereas standard case reports, computer until you’re satisfied with at least
full of lifeless text, will not. My challenge was to one component of your initial concept.
summarize complicated information into simple
images which everyone could easily understand. 2) Remember that you’re not entering
an art contest—as long as people
understand your drawing, it’s fine.
START WITH PAPER
With the availability of technology, access to vast 3) You might change, rearrange, or even
amounts of data often creates a barrier to clear throw away your initial ideas. That’s
thinking. As a result, creating a map is a more complex normal, so don’t worry about it.
undertaking than it used to be. Because of this, I
decided to take the following approach. Before I
touched the computer, I made a quick sketch contain- THE CONNECTING LINE OF HOW
ing the three main components of this criminal story: In detective movies, the investigation progresses
through a familiar sequence: Who? What? When?
∙∙Key thematic ideas Where? How? But when a case is in the process before
PRO STORIES
a court, the who is still a suspect, the what, when, and
∙∙Priority (sequence of incidents) where are usually quite simple, so the focus shifts
to the more complex question of how. If the facts
∙∙Relevance (how things connected to each other) are not understood, a verdict cannot be rendered.
Visual narrative compresses a lengthy explanation

into a single image—in this case, illustrating the
timeline of the incident in question. The benefits of
this form of visual storytelling for a criminal case
extend beyond applications in the court system.
They can also be used in schools or the workplace
to raise awareness of current criminal tactics,
which might help others who may be at risk.
474 MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR: FROM BUILDINGS TO COURT ROOMS VISUALS IN ACTION
Image 1: Infographic created at the request of the police

to help explain a complex criminal case through a simplified diagram.
Image 2: Infographics help simplify complex processes.

VISUALS IN ACTION MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR: FROM BUILDINGS TO COURT ROOMS 475
I continue to work as both an architect and visual prac-

titioner. As such, I appreciate the shared values and
expertise, the cross-fertilization of ideas, and the ap-
plication of visual tools between these two professions.
Rather than simply envisioning ideas and solutions, vi-
sual facilitators are continually shaping and reshaping
imagination and communication into new possibilities.
WORKS CITED:
HUG Project: Prevent. Protect. Restore. HUG Project,

www.hugproject.org. Accessed 06 May 2019.
“Human Trafficking in Northern Thailand and the Big

Brother Project.” YouTube, uploaded
by TEDx Talks, 10 Nov. 2014, youtu.be/kfFSbdfC9Oc.
Image 3: This infographic explains the services offered
PRO STORIES
by ACT, the Children’s Advocacy Center Thailand.
THE IMPACT OF THE INFOGRAPHICS ON THE

CRIMINAL CASE
1. The one page visual summary of the case

reduced back and forth communication time
between the team of thirty investigators, the
mass-media liaison, and the support team.
2. The visual summary allowed each team to

go deeper into each case sequence.
3. Because of its usefulness, the visual

case is being considered for inclusion
in the formal investigation report.
4. This visual summary can be modified for public use

to raise awareness of the tactics used by criminals.
Pro Stories
Julie Stuart
CREATING A VISUALLY
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
FROM START TO FINISH
A key premise of the design process was to create a meeting that would
take participants on a learning journey into a new way of thinking about
their work, challenge their comfort zone and inspire their creativity.
Visuals in Action
478 CREATING A VISUALLY IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FROM START TO FINISH VISUALS IN ACTION
CREATING A VISUALLY IMMERSIVE

EXPERIENCE FROM START TO FINISH:
A Collaboration with the United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) invited me to presidents and administrators from thirty Historically
co-design a visually-immersive experience that they Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to attend a
hoped would have lasting impact on the two hundred conference that would redesign the pathway of prepar-
fifty participants of their three-day conference. Their ing students for twenty-first-century career success.
goal was to challenge attendees to think about
education in a whole new way—as an immersive, The conference was part of the first round of the
innovative, participatory, and collaborative experience. grant-allocation process. Before qualifying to
attend the conference, the HBCUs had to submit an
UNCF had received a generous fifty million dollar grant initial application that would later be refined into
to spearhead a program that created career pathways their full proposal. The intention of the conference
for students. The ultimate goal was to increase the like- was not only to help them through that part of
lihood of post-graduation success (in graduate school the process, but to invite collaboration with other
or the student’s chosen career). As part of the process institutions, something they weren’t used to doing.
for distributing funds to the pilot group, UNCF invited
Image 1: Julie Stuart of Making Ideas Visible in front of the twenty-four-feet-long

Idea Wall created for the United Negro College Fund.
VISUALS IN ACTION CREATING A VISUALLY IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FROM START TO FINISH 479
THE DESIGN PROCESS: A FULL On the morning of the second day, the full group
COLLABORATION WITH THE CLIENT convened as I led a session on visioning to help them
create a vision for this new program. Having seen their
A key premise of the initial proposals, we knew we needed to work with
them to create inspiring visions and messages. So we
design process was to used Simon Sinek’s legendary TEDx video,4 “How Great
Leaders Inspire Action.” We encouraged participants
create a meeting that to find the emotional, inspirational message for why
students would be attracted to their program.
would feel unlike anything
There’s a part of the video where Sinek talks5 about Dr.
the participants had Martin Luther King’s historical “I Have a Dream” speech,
delivered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, in
previously attended. 1963. After watching the talk, I invited people to share
their thoughts and feelings. One of the participants
The UNCF turned to me to utilize visual-design thinking spoke about his experience: he was ten years old
and large-scale graphics throughout the experience. when he learned that Dr. King was coming to town to
deliver his speech. He was, in his words, “a street kid
As we designed the meeting, we had many discussions who knew how to pick people’s pockets.” He figured
about how to immerse participants in a creative and he would make some money if he wandered through
innovative experience so that they could think differ- the crowd. But Dr. King’s speech completely turned
ently. To take participants on a learning journey into his life around. Eventually, he became the president
a new way of thinking about their work, to challenge of a predominantly black college. It was a powerful
their comfort zone, and to inspire their creativity, moment in the room, and demonstrated how important
PRO STORIES
large-scale visuals and innovative-design thinking an inspirational message is in connecting people to
were seamlessly integrated into the overall assembly. why they should care about what they are doing.
Delivering 368 Feet1 of Visual Map 2. Created a Series of Five Templates

I brought my coworker Leah Silverman2 into the project Before the workshop began, we designed and
to help with some of the visual elements. We created Leah prepared a series of templates to help
and delivered the following programmatic pieces. participants think through possibilities, identify
gaps, brainstorm strategies, map implementations,
1. Designed And Facilitated Working Sessions, and receive feedback on their proposed pathway
Beginning With A World Café™3 programs during the teamwork sessions.
We used a process of purposeful dialogue and
conversation to ground participants in collaborative These templates contained key areas
discussions and encourage a cross-fertilization that needed additional articulation
of ideas. As I facilitated, Leah visually mapped. to complete their final proposals.
We challenged participants to consider the

following: What would it look like if our students
emerged 100% ready to embrace the opportu-
nities of the twenty-first-century workplace?
What kind of world would this create?
1 The metric equivalent is approximately 112 meters.

2 Leah and I work together occasionally at my company Making Ideas Visible. For more, see: www.makingideasvisible.com.
3 To learn more about the World Café™, visit: www.theworldcafe.com.
4 To watch Sinek’s TEDx talk, visit: www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.
5 Sinek, 00:15:00-00:16:27.
Figure 1: The teams used this template to organize their Figure 2: This template asked participants to articulate how
thinking around eight specific parts of their grant proposal. their institution envisioned creating programs and processes
to bridge the structural gaps in the current system.
Toward the end of the meeting, individual university
teams shared their ideas with two other institutions
to get feedback. We purposefully designed the sharing
to encourage collaboration among the HBCU members
(historically, colleges and universities don’t brainstorm
together). We wanted to instill the idea that colleagues
were not competitors, but rather collaborators, and
that the collective future of their students would
shine more brightly if they combined their light.
(For more on templates, see the

Templates section of this book.)
Image 2: University teams worked with their templates and

initial proposals, which were visually mapped, to refine their
final proposals during the three-day conference.
3. Visually Mapped Each To keep costs down we drew each visual map in
Institution’s Proposed Program about sixty to ninety minutes. We purposefully tried
To provide clarity regarding the key elements and to un-sophisticate the drawing because we wanted
ideas still needed for each proposal, we prepared participants to use these as working maps. They
(in advance) a 4x8 foot6 map of each program. could draw directly on the map, and add notes both
There were seven to eight distinct sections on each on-site and at home as they continued to refine their
map highlighting the initial thinking submitted in proposal. Before the meeting began, Leah and I spent
the first draft of each grant-funding proposal. several hours production-style mounting the maps
to boards, and attaching the hand-drawn conference
@ Speaking of the importance of collaboration, I

initially tried to talk the UNCF out of including
logo (which we’d printed out) to each of the maps.
The thirty visual maps were first displayed

these maps. I thought their money would be during the gallery-walk cocktail reception, and
better spent by creating one large template remained present throughout the conference.
that we could then fill with individual
content. But the client insisted on hand- It was an impressive experience to walk into
drawn, individual maps for each of the thirty a large hotel ballroom and see three walls
institutions. It turns out, they were right. of maps displayed around the room. The
Participants were thrilled when they saw their participants were easily able to compare their
individual maps. current vision for their proposed program
with other institutions, which fostered the
institutional sharing we wished to encourage.
PRO STORIES
Figure 3: We created thirty visual maps, one for each institution, in under ninety minutes each. We purposefully
wanted them to look less professional than our typical work to encourage participants to use them as
working documents and add their own thinking to their visual map throughout the conference.
6 The metric equivalent is approximately 1.2x2.4 meters.

4. Designed an Idea Wall UNCF decided to reuse the wall at future

One of the most dynamic elements of the conference gatherings, such as fundraisers, board
was our twenty-four-foot7 Idea Wall, created to capture meetings, and other functions.
the many insights, themes, memorable moments, and
provocative thoughts that emerged. We conveniently
situated our double-sided, twelve-feet-long, eight-feet-
high,8 blank canvas on the route to the main ballroom.
Initially, we populated the wall with some of the ideas

that had emerged from both the World Café™ group
report outs, and the tablecloth notes (every time I do
a World Café™, I cover the tables with white paper
tablecloths; participants are given markers and encour-
aged to write or draw their notes). As the conference
progressed, participants brought forward ideas that
they’d heard in the breakout sessions and other
conversations. We built these into the overall narrative
of the Idea Wall, the bulk of which we completed on
the second day (finishing the morning of the third).
The Idea Wall highlighted the major themes that

appeared. The areas where UNCF and the institutions
needed particular focus in their ongoing work included:
∙∙Collaboration
∙∙Networking
∙∙Transformation
∙∙Empowering students
Image 3: Capturing the many insights, themes, memorable
∙∙Resiliency moments, and provocative thoughts that emerged onto our
twenty-four-foot Idea Wall over the course of three days.
∙∙Creative and experiential learning
∙∙Advancing technology in the classroom
∙∙Keeping the best of traditions while

adapting to the 21st century
∙∙Innovation and sustainability
7 The metric equivalent is approximately 7.32 meters.

8 Approximately 3.7 meters long and 2.4 meters high.
5. Provided Live Graphic Facilitation of Keynotes

and Discussions
In addition to the extras described above, Leah and
I provided our standard graphic facilitation services
throughout the conference. During the opening key-
note, we each simultaneously created visual maps on
opposite sides of the room. Participants were able to
see our unique styles of listening and synthesizing
information.
All told, this project resulted in three hun-

dred sixty-eight feet9 of visual maps for the
United Negro College Fund. We have since
been hired by several of the HBCUs.
This case study provides a successful example of a

client’s willingness to totally immerse their meeting
in visual elements. On their first approach, the client
sought me out only for live visual recording services.
By engaging in an exploratory conversation, I was
able to offer many other services that enhanced the
experience for participants. Using an array of our
services—including design and facilitation, in-studio
mapping and template creation, and an on-site
PRO STORIES
Idea Wall and live graphic facilitation—provided
participants with the clarity and vision necessary
to advance their post-graduate programming.
WORKS CITED:
Making Ideas Visible: Graphic Facilitation Gets Your Ideas Into the World.
Making Ideas Visible, www.makingideasvisible.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Sinek, Simon. “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” Ted.com, Sep. 2009.
The World Café™. The World Café, www.theworldcafe.com. Accessed 10 June 2019.
9 The metric equivalent is approximately 112 meters.

Pro Stories
Tomoko Tamaari
VISUALS FOR RECOVERY:

A STORY OF THE GREAT
EASTERN JAPAN EARTHQUAKE
From my experience, the most vital opportunity for graphic recording
is to make visible the relationship between a situation, the people
involved, and the collective expression of human emotion.
Visuals in Action
486 VISUALS FOR RECOVERY: A STORY OF THE GREAT EASTERN JAPAN EARTHQUAKE VISUALS IN ACTION
VISUALS FOR RECOVERY: A STORY OF THE

GREAT EASTERN JAPAN EARTHQUAKE
On March 11, 2011, an earthquake with a magnitude of for teachers in February, 2017. I am not a teacher,
9.01 struck Japan. The effects of the Tohoku earthquake2 but I felt very strongly that I needed to get involved.
were felt around the world. In the months and years I followed my instincts, and soon found myself in
following the earthquake, the art of facilitation was the corner of the room, drawing out the dialogue as
widely used among survivors to aid with disaster an outsider. Image 1 shows the responses to a question
recovery. Lots of workshops were held in each area presented in this workshop: What were you doing
of Tohoku, located in the northern part of Japan. when the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck?
Many years have passed since the disaster. The raw emotion of the teachers was not easy to restrain.
On the surface, towns continue to recover, but even
as time goes by, people in the area still feel the “I couldn’t control my anger, and it showed to
accumulated psychological impact of the disaster. teachers who came from an area that was not
Because different groups of people suffered different heavily damaged. Why me? Why not them? I knew
levels of trauma, they subsequently received their words for me came from their empathy and
different levels of help and aid. This disparity in goodwill, but I didn’t think I could accept those words
assistance has deeply damaged the natural bonds honestly. The uncontrollable emotion was killing
of community that previously existed between me.” – a teacher who survived the 2011 earthquake
people, and it has not been easy to repair.
In the workshop, people came to accept what they had
experienced and what they had seen during the tragic
disaster. They understood the necessity to try to know
each other, though it was not always easy to deeply
understand one another. Hearing this teacher’s story
helped others transform their feelings of despair
into the will to live—the desire to move forward.
The visual note taking

that occurred during the
workshop allowed people
Image 1: A sketchnote created during the to see and externalize
visualization workshop for teachers.
the entanglement of their
People in the area eagerly insisted, “We definitely
need to have dialogue now.” We held a workshop emotions and thinking.
1 Source: www.britannica.com/event/Japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-of-2011.
2 This earthquake and the resulting tsunami are referred to as the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake in the East, and the Tohoku
earthquake and tsunami in the West. The names are used interchangeably in this chapter.
VISUALS IN ACTION VISUALS FOR RECOVERY: A STORY OF THE GREAT EASTERN JAPAN EARTHQUAKE 487
By making their tragedy visible, they were One single story, made
able to better understand each other
and begin the process of healing. visible, helped open
In the workshop, the teachers had a group dialogue the door for others to
session. Each graphic recording from one group
impacted teachers in other groups; even share their stories. A single
though they were not listening to those par-
ticular stories at the time, they were able to moment of visual practice
review the visuals after. When other teachers saw
these drawings, they began to talk passionately helped bind others together
about their own stories in the disaster.
tightly and strongly.
PRO STORIES
Images 2 and 3: This workshop, held in 2015, was for citizens of Kobe and Fukushima, who have experienced serious
physical and emotional damages as a result of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake3 and the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The workshop gave them an opportunity to think and talk about their experiences, to confront challenges and problems,
and to strengthen the bonds between these two communities. (Photographs courtesy of Eiko Hashimoto.)
3 The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake occurred on January 17, 1995 in Kobe, Osaka, and the surrounding area. A magnitude of 6.9 (7.3
on the Richter scale) was recorded. (Source: www.britannica.com/event/Kobe-earthquake-of-1995.)
488 VISUALS FOR RECOVERY: A STORY OF THE GREAT EASTERN JAPAN EARTHQUAKE VISUALS IN ACTION
This experience taught me that the most powerful opportunity for graphic recording is to convey a personal
experience, show the relationship between people, and make visible the relationship between individuals
and human emotion. Simply-drawn images, such as characters, situations, and emotions, can contribute
to a deepening of dialogue in a tense or serious situation. What’s more, the visuals and stories can then
support others who did not attend that session, to help them discover their own feelings and meaning.
Image 4: Held in 2017, this was a future-oriented workshop that originated in 2015, with the aim to encourage dialogue among people in
Iwaki City, Fukushima, where there remain many unsolved problems caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The name of the
conference was “Let’s Build It” (Kenkoku shite mippe). (Photo courtesy of Eiko Hashimoto.)
WORKS CITED:
“Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011.” Encyclopedia Britannica,

www.britannica.com/event/Japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-of-2011.
“Kōbe Earthquake of 1995.” Encyclopedia Britannica,

www.britannica.com/event/Kobe-earthquake-of-1995.
Pro Stories
Philip Guo
DIGITAL GRAPHIC RECORDING,

LIVE ON CHINESE TELEVISION
I leverage technology to visualize almost everything.
Visuals in Action
492 DIGITAL GRAPHIC RECORDING, LIVE ON CHINESE TELEVISION VISUALS IN ACTION
DIGITAL GRAPHIC RECORDING,

LIVE ON CHINESE TELEVISION
DIGITAL GRAPHIC RECORDING: And, of course, if my counterpart requests a polished

AN EXPANDING WORLD illustration based on the onsite artifact, retouching
With a management consulting background, I am with digital brushes is, by far, the best option.
a visual facilitator focused on business and orga-
nization innovation at Deloitte Asia Pacific, based I had a particular project that met all of the above
in Shanghai. In my spare time, I’m also a comic conditions, and it happened in a very relevant
illustrator, and have been for nearly twenty years. context. Fortunately, China has welcomed more
Benefiting from the dividends of the speed of China’s and more visual practices in a digital way.
digitalization, I started drawing on the iPad when the
first generation of drawing apps were launched. Digital
drawing has become part of my tool kit for visual
facilitation and graphic recording work—a critical
supplement to the traditional materials I use: markers
on paper, and whiteboard markers on erasable walls.
There’s always a debate regarding the pros

and cons of digital recording. For me, I simply
follow three indicators to determine whether or
not I should use digital graphic recording:
Session type. Some sessions require high

flexibility to change graphics, text, or layouts
in real time (this is usually for an unstructured
speaker with spontaneous improvisation, like
a talk show, panel discussion, or debate).
Space setting. Large audiences (in a conference,

for example) might not be able to visually access
the recording board; instead, they would need
to see your work mirrored on a big screen.
Theme. A high-tech and digitally oriented

theme, with a mindful design to have the
audience immersed in technology every-
where, benefits from digital recording.
Image 1: My iPad, the audience, and the stage at the event.
VISUALS IN ACTION DIGITAL GRAPHIC RECORDING, LIVE ON CHINESE TELEVISION 493
A LIVE BROADCAST FORUM DISCUSSION Theme. The entire conference would explore
Traveling internationally for global projects, I have yet topics of the new economy, venture capital,
to see a country that so fully embraces innovation high-tech startups and artificial intelligence.
and entrepreneurship as does my homeland, The audience consisted of tech-savvy business-
China. It is almost managed top-down, from the people, and the space would deploy high-tech
central policy makers to the increasing population facilities and booths for road-show displays.
of grassroots entrepreneurs. Even my grandma’s
generation knows a thing or two about artificial Obviously, there was no better way than
intelligence, blockchain, or autonomous vehicles. using digital graphic recording, and mirroring
on the projection screen in real time.
With this exposure to the high-tech innovation arena,
I had the honor of being invited to graphically record
a panel discussion at the Yicai Tech & Innovation MY PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION
Conference.1 It was organized by Shanghai’s largest Logistical setup for a digital recording, by its very
finance and economy television channel. nature, is much simpler than preparing for pa-
per-and-marker recordings. My checklist was short.
The session I recorded was a forty-five minute
discussion about the opportunities and challenges Hardware: iPad Pro 12.9 inch, Apple
for startup unicorns when landing the capital market. Pencil, power adapter (charger),
(A unicorn is the universal metaphor for a privately HDMI-to-lightning cable converter.2
held startup company valued at over one billion
dollars. The mythical animal represents the statistical Set-up: Checked the HDMI connection and tested
rarity of these successful ventures.) The panel dis- the extended monitor during rehearsal time.
cussion would be moderated by a board executive of (It’s critical to run a rehearsal with the tech
PRO STORIES
Deloitte China, with the representatives of four CEOs team, not only to test the connectivity, but also
of startup unicorns. As part of the conference, the to get familiar with the backstage countdown
panel discussion would be broadcast live online. system for the camera and screen switch.)
After exploring the organizer’s expectations, Software: I always use an app called Procreate®.3
I considered what the session might look like: It allows me to display the full-size image of
my graphic on the external monitor, even as I’m
Session type. A typical panel discussion making adjustments on my iPad. Any actions
with speakers who were confident, asser- on my iPad, like zooming in or out, rotating
tive, and might not follow structure. the canvas, and selecting brushes and color
palettes, are only visible on my iPad screen, which
Space setting. A stage designed for live television prevents me from distracting the audience.
broadcasting that would contain 500 people
onsite, and would be accessed by an unlimited I like panel discussions. They are really challenging
audience watching online. We had plenty of tasks. In my training classes, I sometimes inten-
streaming bandwidth capacity (provided by tionally design an improvised panel discussion
the state-owned television station). for my students. This allows them to test their
limits, discover how much they can capture, learn
how well they process verbal information, and
practice creating a layout, all at the same time.
1 To read more about Deloitte’s participation in this conference, see the article entitled, “Deloitte was Invited,” located in the Works
Cited section.
2 To find these products, please see the Works Cited section.
3 To learn more about the Procreate app, see procreate.art.
The real challenge of the tech conference was THE EVENT: LIVE DIGITAL GRAPHIC RECORDING
preparing the content. Three industries, completely The level of spontaneity of this non-linear conversa-
different business models and ecosystems, and tional flow consumed a lot of energy! I continuously
real-time broadcasting that accepted no bloopers. had to shift focus by zooming in and out. Information
overload almost drained my brain. I had expected this,
Pre-Session Analysis is Key which is why I’d predesigned a canvas layout in my
Some graphic recorders aren’t in the habit of mind. Of course, if it hadn’t been a panel discussion
doing homework. Rather than studying the content (but a more structured presentation), I would have
in advance, they rely more on their listening skills. drafted the canvas on the background layer. I could
I always encourage my students (and everyone have easily accepted whatever flowed out of the
else, for that matter) to do some homework conversation, and positioned my graphics elegantly.
prior to any graphic recording session.
The first thing I did on the blank canvas was write
My own pre-session analysis served just one pur- the session title. Then I drew a very rough unicorn
pose—to try to predict the scenarios in the session. next to the title. This served as a reminder that
There were four panelists, all state-of-the-art leaders I would need to replace the graphic with a polished
in their industries, which included biotechnology, unicorn at the end. This was the theme’s key image;
smart manufacturing, and online education. Although it needed to be positioned in the very center of the
I am trained in management consulting, and speedy canvas, and would turn the artifact into a mandala
business analysis is part of my (mental) muscle memory, shape.4 (For more about selecting a graphic format,
it was still necessary for me to study each company see the chapter entitled, Graphic Formats.)
and its industry from a microeconomic perspective,
rather than just relying on my experience or business As the moderator opened the conversation and
common sense. (Whenever possible, I try to learn about provided context as to why everyone was there,
the speakers’ speaking style, including their frequently I added two wings of a unicorn—one on either side of
used words; I like to review their past public speaking the title—which represented the two major priorities
engagements.) During my pre-session analysis, I was that unicorn CEOs face today. The first priority was
literally filtering visuals and scenarios that were most financial; capital is needed to empower further growth.
likely to resonate with the audience. The second was the business applied scenarios:
startups cannot thrive without the power of artificial
intelligence, blockchain, cloud, data, and robotics.
This set the tone of the conversation, and helped

Information overload almost me navigate whatever might pop up later; it would
easily flow around the centralized title and image.
drained my brain. I had
Finally, I started recording what I heard. I captured
expected this, which is why the key points as the guests talked about their own
business situations, current challenges, and future per-
I’d predesigned a canvas spectives. I began in the top-left corner and continued
in a clockwise pattern. Each of the three industries was
layout in my mind. represented with an anchor image at one o’clock, four
o’clock, and ten o’clock. Additionally, two sub industries
were included. All other information was positioned
around these anchor images; this tied the information
together and made the visual easy to navigate.
4 The mandala is one of the suggested shapes from “The Grove’s Group Graphics® Keyboard.”
For more, see www.grove.com/methodology_groupGraphicsKeyboard.php.
Figure 1: The progression of the live digital recording . PRO STORIES
When recording, I intentionally left a blank portion Selecting a digital medium for my drawing
of canvas to be used as an exit channel (in this case, offered the extra advantage of allowing me to
the bottom left). This provided me with room to move and resize selected text and graphics, to
include information from the wrap-up: future trends, adjust the visual weight and create an aesthetic
next steps, practical recommendations, and so on. balance on the whole canvas. The onsite audience
witnessed all of these changes in real time.
Figure 2: The final visual artifact.
FINAL NOTE She used the term visual simultaneous interpretation.

The conference was the first time that China’s main- This eloquent description explained both the nature
stream business world experienced graphic recording. and value of the recording, which resonated with the
It was also the first ever digital recording with live Chinese audience. She further highlighted that Deloitte,
broadcasting. As a result, I’m sure some attendees as a knowledge-intensive company, uses graphic
didn’t understand the on-screen graphics. Recognizing recording in different kinds of meetings, workshops,
this, the panel discussion moderator (the Deloitte innovation labs, strategy sessions, and organizational
partner) decided to spend a few closing moments ex- transformation meetings. We’ve even begun to replace
plaining what was on the big screen (the final graphic). PowerPoints with hand-drawn presentations!
WORKS CITED:
“Apple Pencil.” Apple Inc.,

www.apple.com/apple-pencil.
“Deloitte China.” Deloitte,

www2.deloitte.com/cn/en/.html.
“Deloitte Was Invited to Attend Yicai Tech & Innovation

Conference.” Deloitte China,
www2.deloitte.com/cn/en/pages/innovation/
articles/deloitte-on-2018-yicai-tech-innova-
tion-conference.html. Accessed 17 May 2019.
“ iPad Pro.” Apple Inc.,

www.apple.com/ipad-pro.
“Lightning Digital AV Adapter.” Apple Inc.,

www.apple.com/shop/product/MD826AM/A/
lightning-digital-av-adapter. Accessed 17 May 2019.
PRO STORIES
Procreate. Procreate,
procreate.art. Accessed 17 May 2019.
“The Grove’s Group Graphics® Keyboard.” The Grove

Consultants International, www.grove.com/methodolo-
gy_groupGraphicsKeyboard.php. Accessed 17 May 2019.
Author note: The 12-hour long video of the entire

conference with subtitles is available on the conference
website: https://yicai.smgbb.cn/live/5420254.html.
Pro Stories
Jillian Lee
FUTURE HEROES:
GRAPHIC FACILITATION
FOR INDUSTRY 4.0
Visualizing through graphic facilitation helps
us imagine an unforeseeable future. It is the act
of making the unobservable observable.1
Visuals in Action
500 FUTURE HEROES: GRAPHIC FACILITATION FOR INDUSTRY 4.0 VISUALS IN ACTION
FUTURE HEROES:
GRAPHIC FACILITATION FOR INDUSTRY 4.0
The future is intangible. Yet governments and cities where citizens could experience and prepare for
must plan for an unforeseeable future to ensure future technologies and careers. This would help
success for the next generation. It’s impossible to pre- people who were interested in the project come
dict how society and technology will evolve, but today’s together to find answers to the key questions.
youth will have to work and live through these new
developments. It is estimated that 85% of current jobs
will be affected by new technologies and disappear.2
Will the Rural Suncheon Disappear?
JOB WORLD: Suncheon is a city in South Jeolla Province,

ADDRESSING MULTIPLE FUTURE CHALLENGES South Korea. It’s an agricultural and
Like some of the Northern European countries, South industrial city of around 250,000 people.
Korea doesn’t have many natural resources. This leads The city is proclaimed to be ecological.
us to focus more on high-quality human resources. For They have a coastal wetland, composed
countries lacking natural resources, one of the most of a three-and-a-half kilometer stream
important ways to increase national competency is (just over two miles), a 2,221 hectare-
intellectual capital management. The more creative wide tideland (5,490 acres), and a 230
the people, the better able they are to create a healthy hectare-wide field of reeds (570 acres).
economy.3 Because of this, the Korean government
encouraged the concept of a Creative Economy. The digitization of manufacturing represents
the fourth revolution, introducing customized
This approach is inspiring and future-focused, and flexible mass-production technologies
yet contains a number of challenges. Parallel to through automation and data exchange.
an ever-changing future is a dizzying array of possible In the future, it is highly probable that
future technologies and ‘job worlds,’ and it is impos- artificial intelligence (AI) and robots will
sible to anticipate and plan for them all. In addition, replace human laborers, resulting in
the people who most need to plan may also struggle an 85% decline of jobs and careers.
the most. Caught in the growing demands of attention
and responsibilities of the present, young people often Given these startling projections, what will
find it challenging to grasp the abstract information happen to the city and its people? In order
and possibilities of an enigmatic future. Unless prop- to make the city sustainable, the need
erly prepared, they can fall into the trap of short-term to predict and prepare for the future is
thinking, and miss these bigger-picture opportunities. important. This is especially vital since
most of the financial capital in South Korea
To prepare for this future, the Korean government has been centralized, with rural cities
funded a project named Job World: a physical space like Suncheon at risk of disappearing.
1 This phrase was inspired by the work of Wayne Carroll and Albert Bandura. For more information, see the works cited at the end of
this chapter.
2 For more on the impact of emerging technologies on the workforce, see “The Next Era of Human-Machine Partnerships.”
3 Florida, 2002.
VISUALS IN ACTION FUTURE HEROES: GRAPHIC FACILITATION FOR INDUSTRY 4.0 501
PRO STORIES
Image 1: Suncheon, South Korea. (Image from Google Maps.
Map data: Google, SK telecom.) Map date: June 17, 2019.
CREATING A SPACE FOR THE CITY OF Future trends and technologies are not only
SUNCHEON unpredictable, but often highly technical and
My client, the city of Suncheon, wanted to create a Job complicated and, therefore, difficult to understand.
World space for its citizens, to help them prepare for We decided to visualize the required information
their careers fifty years in the future. The goal of this to facilitate a better understanding, and to help
project was to help a small city become sustainable, people shape their own ideas and visions about
while at the same time taking care of nature. The city’s their future. In addition, to keep things simple and
aim represented something of a paradox: we needed to fun while introducing participants to new ideas
design an actual place that would depict an ambiguous and terminology, we created an interactive game.
future. Given that many of the current jobs would
disappear (with new ones created in their place), we We chose to put educational values and principles
had a gap of knowledge restricting the career plans at the heart of the concept. An efficient and
of tomorrow’s workforce. Job World was designed effective decision-making process was required,
to make an unseeable future more tangible. so we considered service design, design think-
ing, action learning, the art of harvesting, and
using a future center4 for problem solving.
4 A future center is a physical environment enabling people to leave their daily routine and dedicate time to thinking and preparing
for the future. For more, see www.futurecenteralliance.com.
Figure 1: Graphic recording for sharing a future vision of the city.
Visualizing helps people predict patterns, make sense FUTURE HEROES:

of intangible concepts, and think about the future. GAMIFICATION AND FACILITATION DESIGN
It can also lead us toward more logical and accurate The First Session
thinking as we form a link between our current When we conducted the first session, we asked
and future states. In groups, visualization can help the participants three central questions.
people create and synthesize ideas, and gain a better
understanding of each other. This process encourages 1. What is Job World for you?
interaction, and, as a result, people naturally become
more involved with the agenda, taking a more 2. What do you expect Job World can provide for you?
active role in the learning or change process.
3. What kinds of jobs are there in
the future of Suncheon?
Their initial answers of hope, happiness, and passion

were too ambiguous, and made it difficult for city
officials to take any kind of effective action. I was
graphic recording the discussion, synthesizing and
visualizing the participants’ responses. These visual
summaries helped the sponsors gain a clearer idea of
what the participants wanted, and formed a bridge of
understanding to the Job World project in Suncheon.
Image 3: Lecture about Industry 4.0.
Image 2: Graphic recording and facilitation outcomes on

the question of jobs in the future of Suncheon. The top figure
answers the question, “What is Job World for you?” The second, The sponsors of the city of Suncheon needed ideas
“What do you expect Job World can provide for you?” and opinions from its citizens in order to incorporate
them into city planning and policy. This is why we
A Diverse Program used a facilitative approach to gather and record
The program was conducted in the style of all ideas as categorized data. After the session, this
lecture, activity, and drawing. Our intention was information was synthesized by trained researchers.
to generate ideas about the future and future
PRO STORIES
careers. However, since the future is abstract and Understanding the Audience’s Needs through
unknown, we had very little content with which to Observation
start. In order to move forward more effectively, Our target participants were teens between the ages
we organized a brief lecture (entitled Industry 4.0) of twelve and eighteen. In South Korea, this age group
to bridge the gap in participant knowledge and tends to be more conforming, influenced by
to support their understanding of the process. their environment and the school system. Therefore,
they often have a harder time expressing their
thoughts and ideas. To support our objectives and
engagement with this group, we set up observers
@ Pro Tip: Make it concrete. Industry 4.0 is

an abstract concept. As such, it can lead
to watch, listen, and learn about the students.6
Although not highly trained, the observers played
an important role in capturing the interests and
to disengagement. The more abstract and attitudes of our participants. The observers took
long-term the perspective, the less strategic notes on what they felt was meaningful, according
and behavioral the outcomes tend to be. to qualitative research methodology. The notes were
Short-term, specific perspectives always later used to verify the results of the session.
lead to better efforts and performance.5
Graphic Facilitation to Visualize Thinking
Graphic facilitation supports understanding and me-
diates the problem-solving process using visuals. We
provided tangible tools (in the form of dice and cards)
on participants’ tables to serve as learning anchors.
5 Higgins and Trope, 1990.

6 For more on deep listening, see Sophia Liang’s chapter, Tackling Our Listening Mindset.
These easy-to-use visual tools really en- Module 1: Understanding Industry 4.0
couraged participants to explore, sketch, In the initial session (the prior facilitation), around
and draw out their own ideas! twenty citizens of Suncheon talked about who they are
and what they expected their future to be. They used
the visual facilitation tools of empathy-mapping and
FOUR MODULES OF ENGAGEMENT persona-making.7 In addition, playing cards and the
The program consisted of four modules. Module 1 was visualized information about future technologies got
designed to support the students’ understanding of In- people talking, which enabled them to become more
dustry 4.0, and to explain its relevance to them. Module familiar with these topics.
2 provided participants with an experience of future
technologies and virtual reality (VR) to help support Module 2: Making Virtual Reality Cardboard: A View
them as they imagined future possibilities. Through into the Future
Module 3, participants brainstormed their ideas about As facilitators, when designing activities for our partici-
Industry 4.0, and thought about how to apply these pants, we need to take into consideration their unique
to their environment. In Module 4, they shared these characteristics, needs, and personalities. Korean
ideas and outcomes. Visual tools were used throughout adolescents are accustomed to agreement and are not
the process to support understanding of future used to debate, so we created several pre-activities
challenges and technologies, to engage the students designed to encourage hands-on, proactive participa-
in the process, and to encourage creative ideation. tion. Google Cardboard8 is a virtual reality platform that
allows people to experience the benefits of virtual
reality at a relatively low cost. Assembling the viewer is
easy and only takes around thirty to forty minutes,
Image 4: Results of the Future Hero Tool Kit. Students picked a future trend and made it into a story.
Image 5: Participants decorated Google Cardboard (Google VR).
7 For more, see Matthew Magain’s chapter, Better Communication with the Empathy Forecast.
8 For more about Google Cardboard, see vr.google.com/cardboard.
Image 6: The Future Hero Tool Kit.
after which students are asked to draw on the card- to understand. Additionally, we included forty cards
board. They can easily watch VR content using their containing sub-trends of each of the five mega-trends,
smartphones inside the cardboard. This low-tech (yet and chips representing future technologies (see
high-touch) tool creates an atmosphere and a platform Figures 2 and 3). Students rolled the dice, and then
where students can both learn and gain perspectives picked a card that related to the picture on the dice.
about the future.9 Once they picked a card, they were asked to read and
share the contents so that all members could discuss
Module 3: Gamification Tools to Understand Future that specific future. The facilitator’s role was not to give
PRO STORIES
Trends and Technologies answers, but to support students to think more deeply.
We prepared visual diagrams to highlight research
regarding future trends and Industry 4.0. We then
applied these visuals inside a workbook and on a
Future Hero Tool Kit, made up of dice, cards, and chips.
These tools served as an intermediary link between

the adolescents and their future, and created
an environment where students could naturally
explore future trends and technologies. We
worked to ensure the reliability and validity of
the content, gathered from research papers
published by government institutes in Korea.
The tools we created featured a set of interactive

dice, as well as sets of cards illustrating future trends.
The six sides of the dice contained five mega-trends
and one ‘null.’ The mega-trends included: innovation
through hyper-connectivity, human empowerment, rev- Figure 2: Future trend dice, included in the Future
olution of economic system, increase in environmental Hero Tool Kit (illustrated by Jeong-A Song).
risk, and pollution. These are broad and complex
topics; as challenging as they are vital for children
9 For more about Google Cardboard and virtual reality, see Brian Tarallo’s chapter, Visual Facilitation in 3D.
Module 4: Future Heroes to Solve Future Problems
Image 7: Kids drew the hero who would

solve the problems of the future.
In addition to the game-related tool kit, we provided

the children with templates and news clips of current
problems in their region. Local problems revealed
issues in the farming industry, environment and
nature, traveling, and ecology. Students were invited to
read the topic of their choice and imagine what kinds
of superpowers would be needed to overcome these
Figure 3: Sub-trends and technology chips challenges. With markers, paper, and a mission to save
from the Future Hero Tool Kit. the future of their communities, students spread out
across the room and began to sketch their own
superheroes—ones that would solve future problems
in their region.
Figure 4: Wall of Future (illustrated by Jeongwon Shin).

Image 8: Future heroes displayed on the wall.
The participants, all Suncheon residents, showed SECOND SESSION:

affection toward both their homes and nature. They WHAT IS JOB WORLD FOR YOU?
developed future heroes with powers and stories to
solve environmental problems and make their city ∙∙Twenty participants
more ecologically sustainable. Using these results and
outputs, Suncheon City decided to further educate ∙∙Mainly adolescents from junior high to high school
students about additional future technologies in
biology, water-cleaning solutions, and controlling This session highlighted that the citizens of
avian influenza by taking care of immigrating birds. Suncheon were more interested in the present
PRO STORIES
than the future. They’d had insufficient exposure
to Industry 4.0, and were not prepared for
FIRST SESSION: the future that they one day would face.
OF WHAT CITY DO YOU DREAM?
∙∙Twenty participants THIRD SESSION: WHO IS YOUR FUTURE

HERO?
∙∙Citizens of various ages and occupations
∙∙Forty participants
When asked what they were expecting from the
city, citizens responded that they wished to have ∙∙Adolescents, from twelve- to eighteen-years-old
a sustainable economy with stable work, while ensuring
the city focus on ecology and tourism. But the more The students made forty-three drawings of various
the city tried tour-related projects, the more its superheroes solving their regional problems in
citizens suffered from construction noise and loud the future. Half of these (twenty-one) showed interest
festivals—the opposite of what they wanted. While in ecology, including the garbage problems, protecting
both the government and its citizens wanted an eco- the bay, and taking care of the ecosystem (aviation
city, the current method resulted in two opposing influenza, immigrating birds, mudfish, squirts).
perspectives of how to reach these goals. To ensure One student invented a robot, shaped
success and sustainability, they needed to rethink from a combination of their local animals,
their perspectives and identify a long-term objective. to purify water and resist pollution.
Aside from environmental solutions, the students IN CLOSING

designed heroes to address the following issues: By deeply understanding the challenge, the needs of
convenience for citizens (eleven), future energy (four), the stakeholders, and the wishes and learning styles
traffic safety (three), general safety (two), and agricul- of the students, we were able to design an engaging
ture (one). The keywords that were mentioned included process that produced valuable and meaningful
smart farm, hydroelectric power, recycling, and ecology. results. For the participants, they took home a greater
They even described where and how their heroes understanding and sense of ownership of their
would solve problems using future technologies. This future, made possible through imaginative visual
showed the city where it might focus in the future. tools. For the citizens, they not only gained useful
insights on how to prepare their city for the future,
Through the efforts and imagination of the but they were able to witness firsthand how their
students, the city found specific areas in which to city will be cared for by its future citizens, providing
build and manage competencies and intellectual useful insights on how to prepare their city for the
property. The future workforce of Suncheon—the future. From concrete, shared knowledge, the city of
students—had given a clear indication to the city Suncheon can now articulate and validate its ideas.
to invest in technology and career-development
plans related to the environment and ecology.
Figure 5: A sampling of future heroes, designed to solve the city’s long-term problems.
WORKS CITED:
Carroll, Wayne A. and Bandura, Albert. “The Role of

Visual Monitoring in Observational
Learning of Action Patterns: Making the Unobservable
Observable.” Journal of Motor Behavior, vol. 14, no. 2,
1981, pp. 153-167. doi:
doi.org/10.1080/00222895.1982.10735270.
Florida, Richard. The Rise Of The Creative Class: And

How It’s Transforming Work, Leisure,
Community And Everyday Life. Basic Books, 2002.
Future Center Alliance. Future Center Alliance,

www.futurecenteralliance.com. Accessed 13 May 2019.
Google Cardboard. Google VR,

vr.google.com/cardboard. Accessed 25 Jan. 2019.
Higgins, E. Tory and Trope, Yaacov. “Activity Engagement

Theory: Implications of Multiply Identifiable Input for
Intrinsic Motivation.” Handbook of Motivation and
Cognition, Volume 2: Foundations of Social Behavior,
PRO STORIES
edited by Higgins, E. Tory and Sorrentino,
Richard M., The Guilford Press, 1990, pp. 229-264.
“The Next Era of Human-Machine Partnerships:

Emerging Technologies’ Impact on Society
& Work in 2030.” Institute for the Future
and Dell Technologies, 2017. Located here:
www.delltechnologies.com/content/dam/
delltechnologies/assets/perspectives/2030/pdf/
SR1940_IFTFforDellTechnologies_
Human-Machine_070517_readerhigh-res.pdf.
Pro Stories
Jill Greenbaum
MY JOURNEY
AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR
From Visual Consumer to Creator.
Visuals in Action
EUVIZ.com / photographer: Orest Tabaka

512 MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR VISUALS IN ACTION
MY JOURNEY
AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR
MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR IT STARTED SO SIMPLY, EASILY, AND
Long ago and far away . . . no, that’s a different story! It DELIGHTFULLY . . .
was 1996, and I was learning to lead a new course, My path led from Milly to Nancy Margulies. I started
“Train the Trainer,” for the American Management with her book, Mapping Inner Space: Learning and
Association®.1 The designer of the course (a colleague Teaching Visual Mapping, then received a bit of
of mine) had created visuals for the participants’ mentoring from her. Next, I took several courses with
notebooks, along with collateral materials that made Christina Merkley.4 It was Christina’s “Magic Marker
the learning so much more engaging and easier for Mastermind”5 course and learning about the
everyone. While I knew that humans of all ages learn by International Forum of Visual Practitioners (IFVP) that
seeing, hearing, and doing—my background in special led me to transform my coaching program for teens
education and curriculum development informed all of (“How to Major in You and Find the Right College”) into
my work—I had never really stepped into creating a visual coaching program. I learned that the 2012 con-
visuals for learning. I started my journey with Beyond ference of the IFVP in Pittsburgh would offer authors
Words,2 by Milly Sonneman. In minutes, I was using an opportunity to talk about and sell their books. I was
circles, squares, and triangles to draw everyday objects, thrilled and determined to make it happen. Making the
icons, and banners—it was fantastic! Reading the shift from a conversation-based coaching program to a
research that described the human brain’s capability to talk-and-have-clients-use-templates approach became
recognize simple lines as representations of complex the next step on my journey as a visual practitioner.
objects3 fascinated me.
Based on Inspired by N. Margulies’ work. Some of my work with C. Merkley. Inspired by

M. Sonneman’s work. C. Merkley’s work.
1 For information about this course, see www.amanet.org/training-the-trainer.

2 See Sonneman’s book, Beyond Words: A Guide to Drawing Out Ideas.
3 For more, see the article “What Line Drawings Reveal about the Visual Brain” by Sayim and Cavanagh.
4 Visit Merkley’s website here: www.shift-it-coach.com.
5 Learn more about the “Magic Marker Online Mastermind” course here: www.shift-it-coach.com/magic-marker-programs.
VISUALS IN ACTION MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR 513
FoST, and so expanded my repertoire from templates,

paper, and markers, to an iPad and Apple Pencil.7
THE BEST WAY TO LEARN IS TO TEACH

In 2015, I used my training as a visual practitioner and
my instructional design skills to create the course,
“Get Visual! Learning to Capture and Draw Great Ideas!”
My work continued to grow and my involvement with
clients spanned a wide age spectrum (teens to adults),
multiple settings (schools, nonprofit organizations, and
corporations), and myriad content (coaching regarding
planning, visioning, and goal-setting). I started to
incorporate the teaching of drawing into visioning and
goal-setting sessions at conferences, and participants
were captivated! The session “Draw A Card & Draw
Your Vision,” developed for the first international
gathering of Points of You®8 trainers in Romania,
was a huge hit. These trainers, well-versed in using
card decks for storytelling, had never used drawing
to enhance participants’ experiences. Both projects
stretched me in new and different ways and became
further steps on my path of professional growth.
PRO STORIES
2017 opened up the world of Sketchnote Hangouts9
for me. It’s such a great feeling to get together
as a community on a regular basis to learn new
techniques and sharpen my drawing of icons through
the monthly Sketchnote Challenges. In October, I
One of the maps/templates from How to stepped forward and offered a session on templates,
Major in You and find the right ollege. called “Templates: Idea Catchers, Planning Spaces,
Springboards for Creativity.” It was so much fun,
and so rewarding to design the session, share the
MY INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF VISUAL variety of ways in which I use templates in my work,
PRACTITIONERS and discover that the topic was really relevant
At the 2012 conference, though I was new to the IFVP, and helpful to members of the community.
I chose to graphically record a session—something I
had never done publicly before. It was both scary and
exciting! That fall I joined a half dozen or so colleagues
to record for the Future of StoryTelling (FoST)6 sum-
mit—an astonishing event, with fabulous cutting-edge
speakers, talking about (in some cases) things I could
scarcely imagine (like machines talking to each other).
More recently, I was asked to record digitally for
6 To learn more about the Future of StoryTelling organization, see futureofstorytelling.org.

7 For links to these products, please see the Works Cited section.
8 Learn about Points of You® here: www.points-of-you.com.
9 To learn more, visit sketchnotehangout.com.
514 MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR VISUALS IN ACTION
More opportunities to share my passion and teach

visual thinking arose in 2018. I was asked to revise
“The Effective Facilitator,” a course in the American
Management Association’s catalog. I added both
information about, and practice with, visual thinking
to the content and processes of the course. In 2018 I
was given the opportunity to work as a global trainer
for bikablo®.11 My passion has always been personal
transformation, and through this work, I enable people
From the Sketchnote Hangout session, Templates: Idea to develop a new—almost astonishing—perspective
Catchers, Planning Spaces, Springboards for Creativity. on themselves and their abilities. Every session to
date has included at least one person who has said,
The success of the Sketchnotes Hangout session led “I can’t draw,” or, “I can only make stick figures.”
me to develop an in-person session to deliver at EuViz® Those very same people complete the session
201810 (a conference for visual practitioners) in Rung- saying, “I am an artist.” They feel confident enough
sted, Denmark. The updated and expanded session to share their new skills in their workplaces.
offered participants new information, like working with
colleagues to brainstorm ways of designing templates,
and how to identify the time and space in which to cre- MY SECRETS
ate, describe, and receive feedback on their own work. Here are a few secrets I have learned along the way.
Steal like an artist! Learn from others

and then make it your own.
If it doesn’t scare or excite you just a bit,

you’re not on your learning edge.
There is always room for improvement (so

tell your inner critic to be constructive!).
There are a zillion different ways to do this work

well—there’s room for all kinds of styles and
approaches, yet there are some similar, critical
aspects to all work that is well done. Read this book!
I use drawing in my work every day, for myself

and my clients—whether it’s recording, creating
templates, teaching visual thinking and drawing, or
My work visualizing the components of my website-to-be. being a regular at a Sketchnote Hangouts session.
To me, being a visual practitioner is a way of life.
10 Information about EuViz® (The European Visual Community) can be found here: euviz.com.
11 To visit their website, see bikablo.com/en.
VISUALS IN ACTION MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR 515
WORKS CITED:
“Apple Pencil.” Apple Inc., www.apple.com/apple-pencil. Accessed 11 June 2019.
bikablo®: Picture Your Change. bikablo, en.bikablo.com/en. Accessed 11 June 2019.
EuViz® 2018. The European Visual Community, euviz.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Future of StoryTelling: Reinventing the Way Stories are Told.

Future of StoryTelling, futureofstorytelling.org. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Greenbaum, Jill. How to Major in You and Find the Right College. CreateSpace, 2012.
International Forum of Visual Practitioners. IFVP, www.ifvp.org. Accessed 10 June 2019.
“ iPad Pro.” Apple Inc., www.apple.com/ipad-pro. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“Magic Marker Online Mastermind.” Shift-It Coach Inc., www.shift-it-coach.

com/magic-marker-programs. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Margulies, Nancy and Maal, Nusa. Mapping Inner Space: Learning and
Teaching Visual Mapping. Crown House Publishing, 2004.
Merkley, Christina. Shift-It Coach Inc., www.shift-it-coach.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
PRO STORIES
Points of You®: Creative Tools for Training and Development. Points of
You, www.points-of-you.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Sayim, Bilge, and Cavanagh, Patrick. “What Line Drawings Reveal about the Visual Brain.”
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 5: 118, 28 Oct. 2011,

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3203412. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Sketchnote Hangout. Sketchnote Hangout, sketchnotehangout.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Sonneman, Milly R. Beyond Words: A Guide to Drawing Out Ideas. Ten Speed Press, 1997.
“Train the Trainer.” American Management Association, www.amanet.org/training-the-trainer.

Pro Stories
Frank Wesseler
UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS
PROCESSES THROUGH
VISUALIZATION
Though automation has transformed business processes, it’s still people
who control and perform the actual tasks. To succeed at business
processes, we need human emotion, identifi ation, and energy.
Visuals in Action
518 UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS PROCESSES THROUGH VISUALIZATION VISUALS IN ACTION
UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS PROCESSES

THROUGH VISUALIZATION
Workshop Client Feedback
The most gratifying part of the visual process

mapping procedure is, of course, satisfied clients.
Workshop Participant Feedback

The visual process map provided a well-
documented process using a simple
Using simple pictures, the visual process map representation. We finally reached
helped me and my colleagues understand and visually-minded recipients who struggle with
illustrate the pain points, concepts, ideas, text-minded reports and data. Complex and
and complexities of specific process steps. It unattractive content was translated in an
especially helped explain the process to others understandable way, and provided a complete
who aren’t involved. Using visuals in the process picture of the whole process for everyone.
maps provided context, and absent coworkers
reached a deeper, faster level of understanding.
The biggest advantage was the representation at the

meta level, as it served as a great starting point to
deep dive into relevant and important details. This has
helped us dramatically in many efficiency initiatives.
VISUALS IN ACTION UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS PROCESSES THROUGH VISUALIZATION 519
Practitioner Feedback
Using the visual process map means that complex

dependencies and connections are easier to explain,
which leads to transparency and acceptance from the
impacted employees. Pictures are more powerful than
text when it comes to communication and memorization. The visual map really helped tell the
story of our end-to-end process.
You can use your own symbols and pictograms, which

can transport more emotions while mapping the
process (e.g., a disgruntled colleague or burned-out
employee). This approach leads to acceptance and
creates a positive image for process management.
PRO STORIES
I have been working in the realm of business
process management for over fifteen years, and
the documentation of processes has always been
one of my favorite activities. A room with a bunch
of people, a lot of energy, and everyone trying to
receive representation of their specific process or
workflow onto a wall of paper makes me feel alive.
Process-mapping workshops occur in meeting rooms, Figure 1: Pictures in Our Heads

not where the real work processes are performed. It is
often difficult for participants to imagine the reality of I’ve always wondered how to overcome this problem.
the actual work and activities of their peers. A descrip- How can we effectively work with people in pro-
tion of a process written on sticky notes often neglects cess-mapping situations to create a common under-
critical steps and information. Everyone in the room standing? How can visualization support this goal? This
creates their own version of the activity in their minds. chapter offers an answer to these questions.
WHAT IS BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT? Library (ITIL®),6 and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act,7 require
“Business process management (BPM) is a discipline different forms of documentation. Standardization
that uses various methods to discover, model, enables machines to read the data and allows
analyze, measure, improve, and optimize business specialists to understand it. The depiction of the
processes. A business process coordinates the processes are exact, analytical, factual, and objective.
behavior of people, systems, information, and That way, processes become comparable and readable
things to produce business outcomes in support across disciplines, which is fantastic if your goal is
of a business strategy . . . ” (gartner.com).1 to implement standards and share best practices.
Business Process Management relies on and requires

proper process documentation. Various methods HOW DO WE DOCUMENT PROCESSES?
are currently used, and depending on the purpose, When completed, the types of process documentation
there are many different ways to document a process. described above classically exist in electronic format.
The most prevalent are Business Process Modeling But in your meeting, where should you start?
Notation (BPMN),2 Unified Modeling Language™
(UML®)3 and Value Stream Mapping (VSM).4 Figure 2: Typical Example of a Process Map using Sticky Notes
Additionally, different methods of standardization, The first step is to create a map with pen and paper
like the International Organization for Standardization during an interactive workshop involving every person
(ISO),5 the Information Technology Infrastructure with a stake in the process. Each participant comes
1 From Gartner, Inc.’s Gartner IT Glossary at www.gartner.com/it-glossary/business-process-management-bpm.

2 The BPMN 2.0 Poster, created by Berliner BPM-Offensive, can be found here: www.bpmb.de/index.php/BPMNPoster.
3 Learn more about Unified Modeling Language™ here: www.uml.org/what-is-uml.htm.
4 Learn to create a Value Stream Map here: leanmanufacturingtools.org/551/creating-a-value-stream-map.
5 View the ISO’s website here: www.iso.org.
6 Learn more about ITIL® here: www.axelos.com/best-practice-solutions/itil/what-is-itil.
7 A full account of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is available here: www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/3763.
prepared with the necessary materials, documents, interconnections and making wise decisions. We need
policies, screenshots, etc., that will be utilized in the a unity of thinking, feeling and acting, rationality and
process. The process is then mapped together step-
by-step using the available information in the room.
There are different ways to conduct this mapping

exercise. Usually a facilitator or process expert will
guide the group. To build energy and ownership,
participants should be encouraged to work up on
the wall. Allowing them to write down the activities
themselves builds identification with the process,
and the mapping happens in a collaborative way.
The participants become invested and engaged.
If there is a lot of complexity or confusion,

a slower, facilitator-guided pace enhances
deeper understanding. The facilitator writes down
the activities, ensures readability, and guides
the group through the mapping process.
The activity is typically described with a verb and

noun. You do something to something, for example
‘print invoice’ or ‘compare invoice to purchase order.’
Depending on the level of detail you need, ask
PRO STORIES
about frequency (How often do you print invoices?),
quality (How many errors occur?), and speed (How
long does each process step take?). There are more emotionality, spirit, soul, and body.
questions you can ask, but these three are typical.
Figure 3: Examples of Value Stream Mapping Icons
Ideally, use language that everyone can understand.
If process-specific language is necessary, it needs In summary, the process-mapping techniques
to be taught before the exercise, to support mentioned above work, and they have worked for
acceptance among the participants and achieve a long time. Yet the documented processes feel
efficient process mapping. Without a common distant; they lack emotion and dynamics. Colleagues
vocabulary, very specific process language might who have not participated in the documentation
disorient the participants, and the facilitator might workshop sometimes have difficulties understanding
see only blank faces staring back. This is one of the the process map afterwards. It is not captivating,
challenges when using a specific method to document and there is no desire to revisit it. Connections and
a process; for example, the specially-developed context are missing. Additionally, the participants
icons used in Value Stream Mapping (Figure 3). mapping the processes don’t always open up and
share their daily experiences. Important information
that could have been really useful for the process
WHAT’S MISSING? map is shared quietly during coffee breaks.
According to neurobiologist Gerald Hüther,8 recent
brain research demonstrates that logical thinking alone
isn’t sufficient in understanding complex
8 Gerald Hüther is the author of Was wir sind und was wir sein könnten (What We Are and What We Could Be).
How do you encourage people to open When I started sketching, something happened to the
up, and then how do you capture this
important, revealing information?
TITLE workshop participants. They engaged in the dialog.
They loosened up. When necessary, they corrected
my images and added details to the descriptions. The
I often struggled to add important information to the drawing became an invitation to contribute; it encour-
process maps that I created. I felt restricted by the aged the participants to join the conversation. I was
required BPM standards. When the aim of the docu- able to embed emotions and dynamics into the process
mentation is to improve the process, the involvement map. At last, the richness and context began to emerge.
and engagement of the people running the process
is crucial. Without their knowledge and energy, Ideally, we attach the physical material needed for
improving the process is like pushing water uphill. the activity to the wall (for example, a form being
used in the process). But that doesn’t always work,
as not all materials can be brought to the room.
BACK TO THE BEGINNING So I experimented with drawing the activity. Once
Let’s return to the room full of people described at the I had written down the text for the activity (or
beginning. As we began mapping the process, I added after someone handed me a sticky note), I asked
a description to the sticky note, thinking, “How can participants what the situation looked like; I then
I make myself and others understand what the de- quickly sketched the situation above the sticky note.
scription on the sticky note means in real life? How can
I achieve this in an engaging way?” I started by breaking I noticed that because I had to draw the situation,
some BPM rules and added more descriptive text onto I began asking different questions than I had before.
the map. That certainly helped, but it didn’t feel like This led to a deeper dialogue and a much better
everyone was engaged. I then started adding visuals, process understanding. A process comic (also called
including a protagonist—the central part of any story. a visual process map) evolved. The workshop partic-
ipants liked it so much, they were eager to show it to
their colleagues. Even those who didn’t participate at
the workshop could identify with the visual process
map. In one example, colleagues related to the way
I had drawn the figure, because it looked like the
person executing the process. In another example, it
was the frustrated person hacking something into the
computer that resonated with the employees (Figure 5).
Figure 4: Adding Visuals to Process Steps

META: From the Satellite

The meta level, at satellite altitude, focuses on
strategies, principles, and culture. What are our core
values and beliefs? What are our big-picture plans
and intentions? At this level, templates come in
very handy and help communication by providing
visual maps (Figures 6-7). This level often deals
with change processes and long-range plans.
Figure 5: Process Comics
PRO STORIES
These experiences made me wonder how I could
create a universal method for visual process mapping, Figure 6: A Meta-Level Template
and how I could enable the workshop participants
to facilitate the same technique by themselves.
Luckily, I had the support of my clients, lean-manage-

ment colleagues, and my teammates at bikablo®.9
THE PROCESS AND COMMUNICATION LEVELS

One of the first process mapping points to identify
is the altitude from which you are looking at the
process. Are you trying to map a process at a strategic
level, because management must understand the
current state in order to make long-term decisions? Figure 7: Another Meta-Level Template
Or do you need to explain the process to your
colleagues on a very detailed level, to assess
the whole picture of an end-to-end process?
We need to distinguish between change processes

and detailed work processes. As such, we established
four levels, using a flight altitude metaphor.
9 For more information, visit: www.bikablo.com/en (the German language version of the site is: bikablo.com).
MACRO: From the Helicopter

At a macro level, the helicopter level, we focus inside
the organization. What are our core and supporting
processes? How do we create value? Who are our
clients and suppliers? Again, at this level, templates
can be very supportive (Figures 8-9).
MESO: Peering through the Window,

and MICRO: Mouse-Click Level
Compared to meta and macro, the meso and micro

levels study work processes from a close distance.
The processes depicted at these levels are typically
repetitive, transaction-based, and scalable. While the
meso level provides an overview about interfaces,
roles inside a process, etc., the micro level is a detailed
description that should enable anyone to execute
Figure 8: Macro-Level Template the process. I like to call it the mouse-click level.
Tip: Think of the micro level as the + sign in

front of a folder on your computer—it means
that you can always get into more detail. It
is challenging to define a final level at this
point, as you are often able to dig deeper.
The process-mapping workshops that I described

earlier happen at exactly this level. This is where
a process activity is captured on a sticky note. But
in the earlier scenario, the lack of exploratory detail
often results in misunderstandings and confusion.
Figure 9: Macro-Level Template

USING PROCESS COMIC CARDS
At bikablo®, we developed a specific type of card
to aid process mapping at both the meso and
micro levels using visuals, called the process comic
card. To provide enough space for a drawing, it’s
a bit larger in format than the standard sticky
note. The card serves as a guide; once the person
mapping the process has gained some experience, The protagonist is a central part of the process
the card might not be necessary (Figure 10). comic card. It could be a person, team, or
even a machine performing an activity.
Figure 10: bikablo® Process Comic Card
1. Activity description
Figure 11: Various Protagonists
2. Space for protagonist
We tested different approaches: in one instance,
3. Space for drawing the activity the participants drew the sketches themselves;
in another, the facilitator did the drawing. The
4. Space for inputs into the process step results were inconclusive. Some groups didn’t
PRO STORIES
like the drawing part at all, whereas other groups
5. Space for the outputs of the process step really enjoyed it. The approach that seemed
universally acceptable was when the facilitator did
the drawing after the description was delivered.
Figure 12: Visual Process Map with Comic Cards

Benefits and Variations while still allowing the flexibility to connect them.
The cards enable the person mapping the The main thought process was the same:
flow to focus on the protagonist. This way, the
process comes to life and tells a story. ∙∙Who is the protagonist?
Once the process is understood and the participants ∙∙What activity is being performed?
have experienced process mapping several times, the
cards become less critical, but it is still necessary to ∙∙Which input is needed?
apply a specific structure. When I was with a client and
didn’t have the cards with me, I experimented by apply- ∙∙What output is being produced?
ing the technique in a more flexible way. I’ve included
two versions in the examples below (Figures 13-14). ∙∙How does it feel to perform the activity?
The first example (Figure 13) shows boxed

activities. Boxes helped distinguish each activity,
Figure 13: Visual Process Map Without Cards

PRO STORIES
Figure 14: Visual Process Map—Free Flow
The second example (Figure 14) was created on an The documentation of processes requires these
iPad. As the team explained the process, I started human beings to interact with each other to
drawing. At the time, I didn’t know how many parties describe each of their activities. My point is this:
were involved in the process, so I used an open style the existing methods of process documentation
(as opposed to the swim-lane style shown in Figures don’t actually document what people do.
12-13). The team, delighted in the visual nature of this
process map, later used it to easily communicate the Business process management is very focused
problems to management. Several iterations were on the effectiveness and efficiency of processes,
necessary to arrive at the final result (shown). but the human capital is often left behind. Lean
management, which is an often-used methodology
to achieve business process management, places
OUTLOOK great value on employees, but I still don’t see any
There is a huge trend toward the automation technique that caters to the employees when it
of processes using software robots. Repetitive comes to process documentation. The documentation
tasks can be automated, thereby saving the might list how many employees are needed for
human capacity for knowledge-intensive tasks—the a task or how long the task will take, but it never
knowledge workers. Today, however, the majority shows how a person might feel executing the task.
of processes are still executed by humans.
I believe that we need to add a storyline to the For more ways to map processes, see Tiffany Forner’s
analytic representations, add emotion to the facts, chapter entitled Storymap Project Lessons: A Designer’s
and add the user perspective to the general view. Perspective, and Tim Hamons and Jerre Lubberts’
Visualization can support this endeavour in such chapter, Graphic Formats. Learn more about using
a fashion that a common view is created, the templates in the Templates section of this book.
dialogue is deepened, everyone feels engaged,
and—most importantly—the process is understood. The methodologies described in this chapter are a
training concept known as Visual Process Mapping,
part of the consulting portfolio at bikablo®.
WORKS CITED:
bikablo®: Mit Bildern Verändern. bikablo, bikablo.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
bikablo®: Picture Your Change. bikablo, en.bikablo.com/en. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“BPMN 2.0 Poster.” Berliner BPM-Offensive, www.bpmb.de/index.php/BPMNPoster. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“Creating a Value Stream Map.” Lean Manufacturing Tools,

leanmanufacturingtools.org/551/creating-a-value-stream-map. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“Gartner IT Glossary.” Gartner, Inc., www.gartner.com/it-glossary. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Hüther, Gerald. Was wir sind und was wir sein könnten (What We Are
and What We Could Be). Fischer Taschenbuch, 2017.
“ITIL®—IT Service Management.” AXELOS Global Best Practices,

www.axelos.com/best-practice-solutions/itil. Accessed 11 June 2019.
ISO—International Organization for Standardization. ISO, www.iso.org. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.” Congress.gov, 24 July 2002,

www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/3763. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“What Is UML: Introduction To OMG’s Unified Modeling Language™ (Uml®).”

Unified Modeling Language, July 2005, www.uml.org/what-is-uml.htm. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Pro Stories
Ben Tinker
HONORING PEOPLE AND

PROCESS THROUGH VISUALS
When human-centered design and visual facilitation
are paired, the results are vivid and remarkable.
Intersection with Other Fields

532 HONORING PEOPLE AND PROCESS THROUGH VISUALS INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS
HONORING PEOPLE AND PROCESS

THROUGH VISUALS
A Case Study Combining Graphic Facilitation
and Human-Centered Design
Human-Centered Design: The discipline of developing solutions in the service of people.1
1
Has a client ever said to you: As a visual facilitator, I am often asked to employ my
practice to enable another process that traditionally
“Do you know anything about has no foundational relationship to visual facilitation
(such as information technology portfolio manage-
human-centered design ment). Human-centered design, on the other hand, is
grounded in visual thinking—the same foundational
or design thinking? We want knowledge that serves as the platform of visual facilita-
tion. When human-centered design and visual facilita-
to add some of that into next tion are paired, the results are vivid and remarkable.
week’s session . . . we heard The core of visual facilitation is holding the space
for successful group processes and co-creation.
it is pretty powerful.” As a practitioner of both visual facilitation and
human-centered design, I design facilitation en-
gagements that are collaborative with a heightened
focus on empathy. My work focuses primarily on
“One of your co-facilitators supporting leaders and teams who are called to
create something (e.g., a strategy, business process, or
is going to do some communication program) in support of their customers,
clients, and organizational mission. I leverage my
human-centered design human-centered design and visual practitioner
knowledge and abilities to meet these needs and
activities—I hope that’s deliver value through visually-based experiences.
okay . . . ” Here is a story from the field illustrating how I com-

bined these practices to design an engagement to
achieve my client’s objectives for a newly-formed team.
“For our offsite, can you

do some things to help
my team think differently
and be more innovative?”
1 Source: LUMA Institute. For more information on the LUMA Institute and their methods, visit: www.luma-institute.com.
INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS HONORING PEOPLE AND PROCESS THROUGH VISUALS 533
THE INNOVATION WORKSHOP A critical decision when designing workshops that

The Challenge: Increasing Team Innovation introduce new information to attendees is determining
My client, a large government organization providing when and how to introduce the information. I learned
service and support to customers around the world, during planning meetings that we would have a wide
asked, “Can you help my team become more innova- variety of participants—innovation skeptics, innovation
tive?” Ultimately, they wanted to establish an innova- champions, and innovation novices. I cited the
tion office to improve the service design and delivery importance of giving the group a common vocabulary
of one segment of their organization. The vision for to practice, learn, and share innovation methods and
the innovation office was to leverage leading practices activities. (Common terminology is a foundational ele-
like visual facilitation, human-centered design, and ment of any high performing team, particularly in the
lean startup to generate new ideas, prioritize and field of innovation, where there are so many different
test possible solutions, and create small successes and valuable schools of thought.) To achieve this, I as-
that could then be scaled and deployed across the sembled and delivered multiple stories and activities
entire organization. These anticipated successes that provided expert information to the group (notice
included leveraging the latest technologies and I said stories, and not presentations . . . I wanted the
demonstrating instances of culture shift necessary to workshop to be lively and engaging from beginning to
engrain innovation into the fabric of the organization. end). In addition to the innovation vocabulary, I includ-
ed technology demonstrations to provide hands-on
The Solution: The Innovation Workshop practice. These new and varied technologies were
To meet these needs, I designed and delivered directly applicable to the innovation goals the partici-
a workshop that incorporated elements of visual pants would be striving toward in the coming months.
facilitation and human-centered design. On the next
few pages you’ll find a summarized agenda that lists To design the remainder of the workshop, I assembled
the client’s desired outcomes, the roles I performed, a journey through a series of human-centered design
PRO STORIES
and the activities I planned, facilitated, and trained. activities that would introduce participants to the
The day-long workshop included ten participants, value of human-centered design techniques. There
ranging from mid-level managers to senior leaders. are many methods for human-centered design. The
human-centered design methodology I find most
My sessions always begin the same way—I create space accessible and impactful belongs to the LUMA Institute.
for the group to discuss and understand why they LUMA organizes their techniques into three key design
are in attendance, what is expected of them, and the skills (looking, understanding, and making) that provide
meeting principles that will enable their success. For a natural and intuitive approach to problem solving.
this workshop, I also conducted a confidence check-in2
before and after the session, to gauge the growth
and change that would occur during the workshop.
2 The confidence check-in was suggested by my colleague, Dean Meyers.

OBJECTIVE: ACTIVITY TYPE:

ROLE
REASONING FOR ACTIVITY SELECTION ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION
1 Welcome Facilitator Graphic Facilitation
This is a meeting best practice. Drawing inspiration from The Grove

I always conduct a formal welcome Consultants’ Graphic Guide® Meeting
to get everyone on the same page. Startup—River Rafting,3 I facilitated
introductions, reviewed desired outcomes,
reviewed the agenda, and set expectations
for the workshop. I also asked each
participant to answer the question,
“What does innovation mean to you?”
2 Provide an Innovation Primer Trainer Human-Centered Design
This group of stories, models, and Designed and delivered custom content,
activities was designed to give everyone drawn from industry leading practices,
a common understanding and language open source content, and my own
for innovation. I made this decision experiences and trainings, to provide
based on the variety of backgrounds a common language and understanding
and experience levels in the room. of innovation and human-centered
design. Invited experts to demonstrate
technologies known to be relevant to
the customer’s mission and goals.
3 Conduct a Confidence Check-In Facilitator Graphic Facilitation
We decided to measure the change Asked participants to rate their confidence

in participants’ confidence regarding in the following question: “Assuming you
innovative thinking from the beginning had the right tools, and based on your
to the end of the workshop. current level of knowledge and experience,
could you use innovation in your work?”
This question was asked to create

a baseline. The anonymous results
were tallied and discussed as a group.
This was a 10 minute exercise.
3 For more information on The Grove Consultants International and their methods, visit: www.grove.com. To purchase the “Graphic Guide®
Meeting Startup—River Rafting,” see: grovetools-inc.com.

ROLE
4 Learn an Innovation Technique: Trainer and Facilitator Human-Centered Design

ORGANIZE STAKEHOLDER DATA
Using the LUMA Institute’s Stakeholder
It is good to start any design journey by Mapping approach, we created a robust
asking, “For whom are we designing?” mind map of stakeholders using sticky
This classic activity documents notes. We then clustered similar notes
stakeholders, customers, and any other to form stakeholder groups. Next, we
entity that cares about your initiative. named these stakeholder groups, and
drew arrows between groups to indicate
relationships. We went one step further
by assigning verbs to each arrow to
deepen the team’s understanding of the
relationships between stakeholder groups.

CREATE AN EMPATHY MAP
Several participants in this workshop were
Once you know your customer base, also customers of the new innovation office.
PRO STORIES
you should talk to them. Find out what We asked them to discuss their current
they care about. An empathy map state, and then used empathy maps to
is a classic template for gathering capture and organize their responses.
information about what your customer
feels, thinks, does, says, and hears.

ROLE

UNDERSTAND AND
PRIORITIZE PROBLEMS We used a modified version of LUMA
Institute’s Abstraction Laddering activity to
Now that you’ve collected the analyze perspectives and identify a single
raw information about your customer issue. This critical issue, which
customers, spend some time we would tackle during the remainder of
analyzing the data before moving the workshop, was placed at the center
ahead to consider solutions. of the ladder. We then interrogated and
decomposed the issue to identify its core.
What was the true problem to address?

TRANSFORM A PROBLEM
INTO A CHALLENGE WORTHY To invite exploration and open our minds to
OF EXPLORATION possibilities, we used the LUMA Institute’s
Statement Starters activity. We transformed
Now that we’ve identified the problem, our problem statements into bold, “How
we need to prepare it for exploration. Might We . . . ” questions. Notice the
Frame the problem in a way that difference in the two challenge statements
invites curiosity and creativity for its listed below. Both are solution-agnostic,
solution. Taking time to consider how which is good, but one is uninspiring. The
to generate a bold, inspiring, solution- other is bold and pushes the limits.
agnostic statement is very valuable.
Standard problem statement: We need
to improve our recruitment process.
Framed challenge statement: How might we

ignite the interest of potential employees
such that we dramatically reduce the
need for active recruitment efforts?

ROLE

BRAINSTORM POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
We used a LUMA Institute method called
I selected the Creative Matrix technique Creative Matrix to brainstorm solutions
because it is the most powerful to our challenge. Using boundaries
tool for brainstorming I’ve used. during brainstorming—I like to think
It provides just enough structure of them as asymptotes, boundaries
to invite rapid idea generation. that are approached but never
touched—helps to focus your efforts.

PRIORITIZE AND SELECT SOLUTIONS
USING A LIGHTWEIGHT PROCESS We used a LUMA Institute method called
PRO STORIES
Importance/Difficulty Matrix. The matrix
After brainstorming, there are several plots possible solutions using answers
methods for downselecting. I like to two questions: “How important is
the Importance/Difficulty Matrix for the solution?” and “How difficult would
downsizing dozens of sticky notes it be to implement the solution?”
into a set of 10 prioritized ideas.

ROLE
10 Learn an Innovation Technique: Trainer and Facilitator Human-Centered Design and

VISUALIZE THE DESIGN RATIONALE Graphic Facilitation
FOR THE SOLUTION
We now have a set of lightly prioritized

ideas. The next step is to test the best
idea—and test it in the most lightweight,
cost-effective manner possible. Before building anything, we need to
Are we headed in the right direction test our thinking . . . how might we
with our thinking? Concept Posters and articulate the idea for our solution
Cover Story Visions are two methods in the fastest manner possible?
for generating a lightweight, engaging
prototype to communicate ideas. We used a visually-based template inspired
by Graphic Guide® Cover Story Vision from
The Grove, LUMA Institute’s Concept Poster,
and the Business Model Canvas from
Strategyzer4 to capture the important, high-
level solution information on one oversized
page. The template had many containers for
information and sketches, such as Product
Name, Tagline, Benefits, Risks, Testimonials,
Directions/How To, and Ingredients.
11 Conduct an Innovation Facilitator Graphic Facilitation

Confidence Post-Test
At the end of the workshop, we asked
Both the client and the facilitation team participants again to rate their confidence
were interested in knowing whether in the following question: “Assuming you
or not participants’ ‘innovation had the right tools, and based on your
confidence’ had changed—and it had. current level of knowledge and experience,
We recorded a measurable increase. could you use innovation in your work?”
The anonymous results were tallied

and discussed as a group.
4 For more information on Strategyzer methods and products, visit: strategyzer.com.


ROLE
12 Close with Intention Facilitator Graphic Facilitation
We covered a lot in one day. Our closing activity was to identify our
I wanted to provide space for intentions after the workshop. The
participants to reflect on all they group discussed the following: Name
learned, and identify an action for something you learned today. What
themselves moving forward. will you do differently tomorrow as
a result of this new knowledge?
PRO STORIES
Figure 1: Agenda Design—My Working First Draft

We closed each activity by reflecting on what we had to reflect on the activity (What worked? What surprised
done, how it felt, what we learned, what we wish had you? How might this activity help you and your
been different about it, and how we might use it in our colleagues be more innovative?) and to share those
daily work as newly-annointed innovators. reflections with the group (going onto the balcony).
When we take a step back to analyze what we did and
what we learned, we deepen our understanding.
@ Tip #1: Know Your Role and Play It
My client’s primary goal was to provide innovation

training. My designed agenda required me to show
up as a graphic facilitator and a trainer during the
same workshop. Bouncing back and forth between
roles can create confusion for workshop participants.
Attendees will have a more enjoyable and fluid
experience if they know you are playing multiple roles
during the workshop. If you find yourself in a similar
situation, consider the roles you need to play in
front of the room. Frequently remind yourself of the Figure 2: The Balcony and the Dance Floor
purpose of these roles, and how to best leverage
them to achieve the most meaningful experience
for both your client and the workshop participants.
Lastly, communicate to the group the expectations
they should have for you. Consider creating a visual
aid to show the various roles you will play; as the
@ Tip #3: Human-Centered Design
Depends on Empathy Data
workshop progresses, place a sticky note on your
current role during each module of the agenda.
Step one of the IDEO methodology5 for human-cen-
tered design is empathy. Involve a diverse set of
customers in your process as frequently as possible,
@ Tip #2: The Balcony and the Dance Floor

especially in the beginning. Before a client attempts
to perform human-centered design, ask how many
people they’ve talked to about their product and how
they are using that data. In the table above, agenda
In the book Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive item number five (Learn an Innovation Technique:
Through the Dangers of Change, the authors describe Create an Empathy Map) provided an opportunity for
a principle for effective leadership called ‘The Balcony me to model—and participants to practice—informa-
and the Dance Floor.’ I’ve found this to be an apt tion-gathering techniques. To avoid what Steve Blank
analogy that informs my facilitation practice. I draw calls Innovation Theatre, it is critical to talk to people
upon this principle when integrating human-centered and understand the thoughts and emotions they have
design and graphic facilitation. For example, the in relation to your product or service. If there is no
participants of my workshop learned to perform empathy for the customer, and therefore no data about
innovation activities by doing them (being on the the customer, there is no human-centered design.
dance floor). After each module, I asked participants
5 For more information about IDEO methods and products, visit: www.designkit.org.
Human-centered design is not just for products or WORKS CITED:

design projects—it can be applied in many situations.
I use it for a multitude of client needs—strategic plan- Heifetz, Ronald and Linsky, Marty. Leadership
ning, service delivery models, and managing change, on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers
to name a few. I’ve even used it at home to determine of Change. Harvard Business Review Press, 2017.
how best to organize my family’s kitchen. Now that you
know a little more about human-centered design, how LUMA Institute: Empowering Innova-
will you apply it to your own work? I hope my example tion Around the World. LUMA Institute,
has inspired new thinking about the benefits of adding www.luma-institute.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
human-centered design tools into your toolkit.
The Grove Consultants International: Visual
SEE ALSO: Facilitation for Teaming, Collaboration and Change.
The Grove, www.grove.com. Accessed 10 June 2019.
For more on engaging participants through
stories, see Facilitating for Story, by Anthony “Graphic Guide® Meeting Startup — River
Weeks. To learn more about empathy maps, see Rafting.” The Grove Consultants International,
Better Communication with the Empathy Fore- grovetools-inc.com/collections/meeting-start-
cast, by Matthew Magain, and Human-Centered up-river-rafting. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Design: People Come First, by Dean Meyers.
“Graphic Guide® Cover Story Vision.”
The Grove Consultants International,
grovetools-inc.com/collections/cover-story-vision.
PRO STORIES
Strategyzer. Strategyzer AG, strategyzer.com.
“Business Model Canvas.” Strategyzer,

strategyzer.com/canvas/business-model-canvas.
Designkit.org, by IDEO.org. Design Kit,

www.designkit.org. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Blank, Steve. “ How to Avoid Innovation Theater:

The Six Decisions To Make Before Establishing
an Innovation Outpost.” steveblank.com, 08 Dec.
2015. steveblank.com/2015/12/08/the-six-criti-
cal-decisions-to-make-before-establishing-an-in-
novationoutpost. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Pro Stories
Dean Meyers
FACILITATING HUMAN-
CENTERED DESIGN:
PEOPLE COME FIRST
Human-Centered Design has come to pervade the landscape of
innovation. As it is based on focusing our problem-solving skills
on the wants and needs of others, it is an entirely relevant mindset
for the visual facilitator to bring to meetings of all kinds.

544 FACILITATING HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN: PEOPLE COME FIRST INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS
FACILITATING HUMAN-CENTERED
DESIGN: PEOPLE COME FIRST
Three Tools for Visual Practitioners
The expression, “If you build it, they will come!”1 thereby enhancing the all-important work of driving
is a common myth. We often believe our “great design thinking from a place of empathy with the
idea” (or great design) will obviously be something people being served. The practice of design thinking
others want or need. Following that line of thinking, has its own specific terminology, but I’d like to tell
we assume people will buy the product or use the you about some practical templates; in particular,
service because, like us, they clearly see the benefits the templates most useful at the beginning stages,
they stand to gain. But without knowing what will when you’re first learning about the people who’ll be
delight and engage our audience or customer using a product or service. Specialists may contribute
base, how can we expect to satisfy their needs? precise or specific language they’ll need when
filling out these templates, but you can maintain
Creating desirable goods and services of lasting value the flow by gathering information, uncovering what
requires that we focus first and foremost on the wants is hidden through open conversation, and keeping
and needs—both known and unknown—of clients, cus- participants engaged, and—I hope—delighted!
tomers, and the people we intend to serve. This hu-
man-centered focus needs to be present at the start This chapter introduces three foundational visual
of the creative process of design and in every phase tools that serve as design thinking templates inspired
of execution, production, marketing, and delivery. by human-centered design: the Empathy Map3, the
persona, and the Journey Map. With these tools,
This is called human-centered design, and it is the we can learn about (and develop understanding
underpinning of practices like design thinking, service and empathy for) the people we intend to serve.
design, solving wicked problems,2 strategic scenario
planning, and a host of other design-related activities.
THE EMPATHY MAP:
Designers and developers of software, apps, services, “WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ___?”
and systems often speak specialized and highly tech-
Think and Feel
nical languages within each of their fields. Sometimes
this leads to communication breakdowns and the feel-
ing that the two groups are working at cross purposes.
Hear See
Employing a visual facilitator during the design process
introduces participatory decision making, opens
the space for contributions from all team members,
Say and Do
and leverages a universal visual language to achieve
design outcomes—ultimately providing the design
and development teams the voice and clarity needed Pains Gains
to create useful work. Furthermore, visual facilitation

often directs understanding and decision making
from personal, emotional connections to the visuals, Figure 1: The Empathy Map template
(originally created by Dave Gray).
1 From the 1989 Hollywood movie, Field of Dreams.

2 Churchman, Management Science.
3 The Empathy Map template, designed by Dave Gray, can be found here:
medium.com/the-xplane-collection/updated-empathy-map-canvas-46df22df3c8a.
INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS FACILITATING HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN: PEOPLE COME FIRST 545
Designed to capture thoughts and feelings, the ∙∙How to use the Pain and Gain areas: Pain can uncover
Empathy Map opens a doorway of understanding about obstacles, difficulties, problems they’ve encountered,
a key issue, topic, situation, or the use of a product or actions they can’t complete. Ask, “What’s getting
that matters to people. The map is typically used at in the way of your productivity when you use this
the very beginning of a design-thinking process, when particular software or service?” Gain might include
we’re trying to learn about our potential client or the benefits they get from using a particular product
customer. I have used them in one-to-one interviews, or service, such as ‘improved self-esteem,’ or, ‘can
asking questions and filling in the template, or inviting complete task in three steps rather than five.’ Look
clients to fill them out themselves. Alternatively, you for unexpected gains, which create delight and add
can create a large, wall-sized version to use with a desirability to a product (“It solved two problems
group. Eventually, it makes its way back to the design at once!”). Ask, “What surprised you about this
team (and here I mean the whole team, including (software, service, product, meeting, game)?”
developers writing code who have no direct contact
with potential clients). This not only introduces In Matthew Magain’s chapter, Better Commu-
everyone to the client, but it reminds the team to bring nication with the Empathy Forecast, you’ll see
empathy into play throughout the design process. another use of the Empathy Map. Two maps
(a current-state map and a forecasted-state
Here’s a quick approach to using the Empathy Map: map) are used to show the desired effects of
implementing change on the user experience.
∙∙Personalize the face in the center. For
example, add facial features and hair to make
the person a man, woman, child, or simply THE PERSONA: “TELL ME ABOUT YOU.”
less anonymous. Add a name, as well. The persona tells the story of an individual who we
want as a client or customer, someone we hope will
PRO STORIES
∙∙Use sticky notes to capture short sentences or brief purchase or use our goods and services. The persona
descriptions in each of the sections as you fill it in. supplies us with insight about the motivations that
drive the person’s decisions (their why), as well as data
∙∙Engage with your audience (or the person you on the where, when, what, and how. To create personas,
are interviewing) by using the titles of the section you can either interview people out in the field, or
as prompts for your group inquiry or interview: you can schedule a time to get together: to sit quietly,
“What do you think about . . . ?” “How do you feel sketchnoting as you interview. This method creates a
about . . . ?” It’s often easiest to start with the rich and complete story of the person. Some parts of
think and feel sections, as you’ll generally spend a persona may include the results of formal analytical
the most time in those areas. Take turns with the data, but this can be added to the picture with well-de-
other sections to get more information and greater signed statistical graphics, such as clean bar charts,
insight. The see, hear, say, and do portions may be timelines, or scales of skill levels for particular tasks.
used to gather information about the individual’s
perceptions of their own behavior, as well as how Here are the opening paragraphs of a persona
they see others behaving, which often reveals being developed for a fictional toy design and
their own feelings or biases. Use questions like, manufacturing company that wants to incor-
“What do you see when you look at the screen and porate artificial intelligence (AI) into toys for
you’re trying to find the item you’re looking for?” seven- to twelve-year-old children.
(see); “Where do you go to look for that item?”
(do); “What have your friends told you about using
this application?” (hear). Look for the hidden
information people reveal about themselves here!
Emma’s Persona
Emma, thirty-three years old, is the Emma’s concern for her children’s
mother of two young girls. She has education has her thinking that
an MBA and worked in marketing she needs to find ways to enrich
at a tech firm before moving to a their learning beyond traditional
multinational hotel chain. She is schooling. She sees the big shift
interested in travel and creating toward technological skills as a
great experiences for people. requirement in the workplace, and
She shops exclusively online, is concerned about gender inequal-
making most of her purchasing ity in the tech world. She wants to
decisions based on suggestions give her daughters extra support
from friends and coworkers, and to prepare them for the world
by reading online product reviews outside of school, and she believes
(particularly those on amazon.com). they can learn through play.
Why would a toy company create a persona for There are many templates available to create
this thirty-three-year-old mother? The simple visual persona diagrams, but these methods
answer is that they want to understand the initial can be facilitated directly into interviews or
consumer, the purchaser of the toy. The toy maker during the research-gathering process:
would also create a persona of her seven-year-old
daughter, who will use the toy once it’s purchased. ∙∙Create a picture of the individual persona:
use a photograph or draw the person with
Returning to Emma, what would prompt her to enough detail to give the viewer the ability
buy one particular toy over another? To answer to see this person as a unique individual.
this question, we need as complete a picture of
Emma as possible, from her hidden motivations ∙∙Include pictures or sketches of where the
to her shopping habits. An Empathy Map gives us person lives, works, or carries out the particular
Emma’s view of her own motivations and behaviors. activity in question. Again, make it look as real
A persona gives us a more complete and objective and individual as possible—even a simple
view of the person to be served, incorporating data sketch of a messy desk can help create a better
and observations from multiple sources (interviews, understanding of that person’s world.
Empathy Maps, observations, market surveys, etc.).
Personas often contain narrative-style descriptions, ∙∙Use simple graphs and scales to show (at a
from short bullet points to full paragraphs. glance) skill levels or interests. Simple diagrams
are visually powerful and easy to understand.
∙∙Use bullet points to highlight details, and speech

and thought balloons to highlight memorable
quotes gathered during the interview.
PRO STORIES
Image 1: Building a persona with sticky notes.

PRO STORIES
Figure 2: Persona example4 including anecdotal
information, demographics, and relevant details
regarding skills, activities, and preferences.
4 Created using Smaply web software. For more information, see: www.smaply.com.
THE JOURNEY MAP:

A LONG AND WINDING ROAD
Customer Journey Map Template
Taking action(s):
• Making decision
State of the customer’s Fact gathering, • Making a Purchase Post-action status
World beforehand Preparation • Event takes place Results of actions taken
Storyboard
details of actions
Frontstage
Emotional points
(low to high)
Stakeholders
Touchpoints
Backstage
Backstage
Stakeholders
Backstage
Systems
Figure 3: The Journey Map template.
Storytelling is a powerful practice, used to These swimlanes show:

communicate information; describe transactional
events; elicit emotion; detail chronology, relationships, ∙∙ key actions,
and meaning—and storytelling with a Journey Map
does this all at once. As visual facilitators, we give ∙∙ emotional ups and downs,
stories clarity and create more empathy by visualizing
them, from beginning to end, in a compelling and ∙∙ relevant ‘actors’ in the journey,
organized way. A goal of the human-centered design
approach is to create or improve something after ∙∙ touch points (like websites, or specific physical
we’ve learned the full story of an experience. The locations where transactions occur),
journey map (also known as a customer journey
map or experience map) organizes the details of ∙∙ technological and organizational systems
an experience using swimlanes along a timeline. used during customer interactions, and
∙∙ outcomes, often at a granular level.

With the journey map, I’m also introducing you to Whose Journey is This?
another important design-thinking
concept: the stakeholder.5 Just as we might tell our protagonist’s story of transfor-
mation in the classic style of the hero’s journey, here
Stakeholders may be directly involved as decision we will focus on the journey of the key persona for
makers; for example, the people who choose, purchase, our journey map. This is their journey. As part of our
acquire, or use the service or product. Stakeholders persona’s journey, another stakeholder may interact
may be the manufacturers, software providers, suppli- with them at some point in the story, but always
ers, vendors, or other engaged parties along the chain with second billing, as a supporting cast member.
that impact delivery or use of the service or product.
Finally, they may be the influencers, like the family How to Display the Start, Middle
member who recommends the service knowing they’ll and End of the Journey Map
be the beneficiary of the end result (for example, a
spouse recommends using a particular income tax The journey map is a story with a beginning,
filing program, because it promises the most reliable middle, and end. Though the experience may
results—according to the commercial they saw on be repeated (buying groceries, commuting via
television!). Anyone who touches this product or service public transportation, logging on to a social media
at any point contributes to the experience—and has a account), most journey maps are drawn along a
role as a stakeholder. Think about your work as a visual linear timeline, from left to right, to make it easy
facilitator. You consider the room, the markers or digital to stack the many facets we describe (emotions,
device you’re going to use, the kinds of people you’ll be transactions, people, touch points) along the way.
working with . . . and that’s before you’ve even created
an agenda! Just as we want to know everything we can Begin the story just as the person is preparing to
about the facilitation environment, in design thinking interact with the product or service, at the point
PRO STORIES
we want to get a strong picture of all of the stakehold- of considering options. Using Emma’s persona
ers involved. The journey map condenses many from above, her journey begins when she decides
journeys of the many stakeholders into to research interactive technology games for her
one large timeline, through the lens of daughters. Maybe she thinks, “I wonder if there are
the primary person on that journey. good games for my girls that use technology?” The
highpoint (or apex) of the story appears somewhere in
For most of its existence, a journey map is an active, the center of the map, when Emma purchases the toy.
working document. Charted on paper, taped to a The final section describes the persona’s emotional
wall, and built with sticky notes and storyboard outcome after completing the purchase and receiving
sketches, each node summarizes a particular the toy, and, ideally, includes additional reflections
action or emotional moment that occurs along the gathered from data—level of satisfaction with the toy,
journey. Many times, journey maps are condensed, registering the toy online to become part of a new
summarized, and given a final polish before being community, posting a review of the toy, and so on.
shared with the team as a tool to create a common
understanding. The most effective journey maps
are maintained as active and changing documents
throughout the design process, modified to reflect a
new iteration or highlight a pivot toward a different
approach during the design and development sprint.
5 Stakeholder mapping is another interesting diagram often created in the first stages of design-thinking research activity. To learn
more, see Weprin’s article, “Design Thinking: Stakeholder Maps,” here: uxdict.io/design-thinking-stakeholder-maps-6a68b0577064.
Bonus: The Storyboard View of the Journey Map As visual facilitators, we’re at an advantage when using
human-centered design methods. Because our work
As a graphic facilitator, include the power of visual creates memorable experiences and high engagement,
storytelling in your work by using a series of images it’s natural that we should encourage and promote em-
that show key points as the story progresses. These can pathy through the power of images and visual thinking.
be sketched at any fidelity you like, from marker-drawn
stick figures to digitally-generated cartoons. Try it When you’re tasked to delve into topics like teamwork,
yourself; make this human-centered design tool even organizational development, or less obvious correla-
more powerful and communicative. (If you prefer, tions like creating training programs and strategic
online software is available to map the entire process planning, feel free to adapt these methods into your
for you—simple storyboarding included. See Figure 4.) work. After all, we facilitate people who strive to
improve their ability to serve their clients and
customers. Practice making Empathy Maps,
personas and journey maps for your own clients.
The insights you gain from these exercises
will help you become a better facilitator!
SEE ALSO:
For more information on strategic scenario

planning, see Renate Kenter's chapter, IMA-
GEning the Future and Dean Meyers’ chapter,
Facilitating with All Hands at Play.
Figure 4: Journey Mapping with Storyboarding (created using

Smaply web software).
WORKS CITED:
Churchman, C. West. “Wicked Problems.” Management Science, vol. 14, no. 4, 1967,
pubsonline.informs.org/doi/pdf/10.1287/mnsc.14.4.B141. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Gray, Dave. “Updated Empathy Map Canvas.” Medium, 15 July 2017,

medium.com/the-xplane-collection/updated-empathy-map-canvas-46df22df3c8a.
Smaply Web Software: Visualize Customer Experience. Smaply.com, www.smaply.com.

Weprin, Mathew. “Design Thinking: Stakeholder Maps.” UXDICT.IO, 15 Dec. 2016,

uxdict.io/design-thinking-stakeholder-maps-6a68b0577064.
PRO STORIES
Pro Stories
Lisa Arora
VISUALS
MEET MEDIATION
Mediators working visually offer the brain a second channel of
communication. This mitigates impacts of stress on communication,
and optimizes our ability to listen, understand, think, and remember.

556 VISUALS MEET MEDIATION INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS
VISUALS MEET MEDIATION
If you find yourself stuck in conflict, whether it be she was making of the discussions. There were
a business deal gone bad, an impossible colleague proposals flying back and forth, but the information
who sabotages your work, or your spouse walking off was written on the mediator’s notepad. With my
into the sunset with your kids and all your worldly background as a visual facilitator, this struck me
possessions, rather than battle it out in an adversarial as odd; as the decision makers, my ex and I were
process (like court), further damaging the relationship the ones who needed to see and work with the
and incurring expensive legal fees for a final outcome information—especially our financial information!
you can’t control, you might consider resolving your
issues through mediation. Increasingly, people are Most mediators are not trained to pay atten-
seeking the assistance of a mediator (an impartial tion to what the parties might find helpful to
third party) to settle their differences in workplaces, see. Visual communication has been grossly
business dealings, family situations, and more. underused in mediation . . . until now.
Mediation can be thought of as assisted negotiation.
As visual mediation makes its debut, mediators
The appeal of mediation versus adversarial methods around the world are beginning to combine
of conflict resolution is quickly apparent. The parties the traditional mediation process with live,
involved (not the mediator) get to make the decisions interactive visual-communication methods. Much
and have full control of the outcome. The process like peanut butter and jelly, visual communi-
allows for creative problem solving. It’s affordable, cation and mediation are better together.
confidential, and flexible.
VISUAL MEDIATION: THE BASICS

But do you know what the Visual mediation is the practice of using large-scale
imagery to support aggrieved parties in the process of
mediation process generally communicating their concerns, generating options, and
reaching agreements about how to resolve their issues.
isn’t? It isn’t visual.
During this type of mediation, visual information
As I discovered during my own divorce mediation, might be experienced in several different ways.
mediators typically take no notes at all. Most often they
take notes privately on their own notepad. The media- 1. Information graphics help explain mediation both
tor might write the issues for discussion on a flipchart, before and during the process. Graphics can also
but after that, the markers never move again. Instead, introduce additional information that allows both
the mediator returns to taking notes on their notepad, parties a greater awareness of their conflict
which the interested parties usually can’t see. dynamics. The Errors in Thinking graphic (Figure 1)
encourages self-reflection: what errors are present in
In my divorce mediation, I lacked confidence in my thinking? How do these errors perpetuate my
the mediator because I couldn’t see what sense ongoing conflict?
INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS VISUALS MEET MEDIATION 557
Figure 1: Errors in Thinking.1
PRO STORIES
2. For both the mediator and the parties, visual This agreement template, which includes Best Alter-
templates can also provide a clear frame in which native to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA), Most Likely
to focus, guide, and capture individual thoughts Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (MLATNA), and
when preparing a mediation session. Whether used Worst Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (WATNA),
in a session or completed individually, a visual helps clients identify the range of possible alternatives
framework (like the one shown in Figure 2) allows and outcomes from the perspective of both sides.
clients to analyze various aspects of a problem and
consider a situation from multiple points of view. 3. During mediation, ideas, expressions, and
information from both parties are captured as
they’re spoken—in text, images, and colors on
large blank sheets of paper. Visual templates can
also be used to guide and capture a predictable
segment of a mediation dialogue. For example, the
Visual Mediation Agenda Template (Figure 3) is used
to engage clients as they lay the foundation for
mediation. This template also provides a distanced
view of the process, illustrating the big picture.
Figure 2: Possible scenarios.
1 This infographic is adapted from Bill Eddy’s Managing High Conflict People in Court.
Figure 3: Visual Mediation Agenda Template.
By virtue of working in large scale, information

remains visible throughout the discussion. It naturally
supports non-linear discussions when issues are
interconnected, as they often are. A skilled visual
mediator actively leverages these maps as a facil-
itation tool in the process of finding resolution.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VISUAL MEDIATION Image 1: The setup of a visual mediation session can
Working visually optimizes people’s affect parties’ perceptions of their conflict.
ability to process information.
Both the physical setup and the process
of co-creating the meaning that is recorded on
the map prove especially powerful in a conflict
setting. Here are the top five reasons why:
1. The physical setup literally externalizes

the problem, making the problem the thing to
be worked on. This supports a core principle in
mediation: separate the problem from the people.
2. Working visually during mediation helps regulate

Figure 4: Visual aids increase focus and retention. emotion as people receive acknowledgement
that they’ve been heard. When people feel heard,
When we’re stressed or in conflict, our amygdala—the they’re more likely to listen to the other person.
part of the brain that experiences emotions—becomes
overactive. We become unable to process and store 3. Both parties can easily see whether or not
new information the way we usually can. Mediators the mediator understands what’s being said.
who work visually offer the brain a second channel This dramatically increases transparency and
of communication. This mitigates the impact of promotes trust in the mediator’s impartiality.
stress on communication, and optimizes our ability
to listen, understand, think, and remember.
INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS VISUALS MEET MEDIATION 559
4. Everyone can confirm whether the words on made about what to record and what not to record)
the page reflect their perception of what was is far more selective in mediation than any other
discussed. Parties will react to things that are type of meeting. After all, what is written on the map
recorded if there isn’t true alignment or agree- establishes focus for the parties. In mediation, the
ment. This serves as a beacon for the mediator, words that make it onto the map are absolutely not
making it obvious where more work is needed. benign to the parties’ success. Furthermore, mediators
must consider and ensure that the visual practices they
5. Parties see each other’s comments on the same adopt are carefully aligned with the practice standards
page as their own, facilitating an automatic shift and ethical codes of conduct to which they are held.
from ‘my point of view’ to a ‘big picture’ perspective.
For Visual Practitioners (Graphic Facilitators
These are all things mediators encourage as they and Graphic Recorders) Who Want to Partner
shift the parties from their initial, tightly held with Mediators
positions to a place of deeper understanding and It is possible that a mediator could partner with a vi-
sometimes empathy. How convenient that in a visual sual practitioner (graphic facilitator, graphic recorder,
mediation, collaborative problem solving is intrinsic! or even another visual mediator) to conduct a visual
mediation. However, before partnering with a mediator,
it behooves graphic facilitators and graphic recorders
PATHWAYS INTO VISUAL MEDIATION to have some formal training in the mediation process.
People Interested in Becoming Mediators A graphic facilitator or recorder working in tandem with
To become a mediator requires training. At present, a mediator does not need to display their own com-
mediation training and standards vary greatly around petence in core mediation skills (since the role they
the globe. Unlike facilitation, where facilitators play as a partner to the mediator is virtually silent).
often work without formal training or certification, However, in order to support (rather than unwittingly
PRO STORIES
mediators (depending on the type of mediation undermine) the mediator, they do need a strong
and country) are often legally required to complete understanding of mediation process models and styles.
comprehensive training programs, pass and maintain
certifications, and abide by codes of conduct.
It’s imperative to recognize that certain types of
mediation are regulated in certain jurisdictions. It is imperative for graphic
The International Mediation Institute (IMI)2 promotes facilitators and graphic
understanding and disseminates skills, all in
a non-service-provider capacity. IMI is working on recorders to recognize
transcending local jurisdictions to develop global,
professional standards for mediators, advocates, and that many of the norms
others involved in collaborative, dispute-resolution
processes. they subscribe to in
Mediators Who Want to Work Visually typical meetings are not
An online training program for experienced mediators
who want to learn to work visually is now available. appropriate in a mediation.
BIG Beginnings in Visual Mediation3 addresses
important nuances when applying visuals to mediation
that generic visual facilitation training does not.
Most crucial to recognize is that the filter (decisions
2 To learn more about mediation training, visit www.imimediation.org.

3 Arora, Visual Communication Skills for Mediators, www.bigbeginningsinvisualmediation.com.
To be effective in a mediation, a graphic ∙∙Be experienced at mapping highly organic

recorder must (among other competencies): conversations and creating meaningful
structure to the information.
∙∙Understand the mediation style being used
and the defining characteristics of that
approach. In some cases, this may mean IN SUMMARY
having some level of understanding of When properly applied, visual communication is
the legal context surrounding a conflict. an agnostic skill set that can improve any mediation
process. Applying visuals to mediation encourages
∙∙Have a clear understanding of each person’s mediators to consider the communication experience
role, and be aware of potential ways in which from their clients’ points of view, the exact wish
their presence in the room could negatively I had as a party to my own divorce mediation (where
or positively impact the mediation. visual communication was completely absent).
The mediation process becomes a lot more effective
∙∙Be willing to sign a formal agreement when people can see and work with their own
to participate and be legally held to certain information while making life-changing plans,
terms (including confidentiality). decisions, and agreements. It’s an exciting future for
mediators who want to mediate visually (and visual
∙∙Know what to cover by preparing with the mediator practitioners who wish to partner with mediators).
in advance. Trust building between the mediator Moving into that future, both mediator and practi-
and a visual practitioner partner is paramount. tioner share a responsibility to be well trained.
∙∙Be able to identify the current stage of mediation

at any given moment (as the process is rarely linear).
∙∙Be skilled at hearing the layers of a mediation

dialogue; distinguish between positions,
interests, possibilities, and more.
∙∙Be capable of making highly selective decisions WORKS CITED:

(that are in-line with the mediator’s judgment)
about what to capture. In mediation, while Arora, Lisa. Big Time Visual: Visual
all comments are valued, not all comments are Communication Skills for Mediators,
equally valuable for reaching an agreement www.bigbeginningsinvisualmediation.com.
and achieving the goals of the mediation. Accessed 11 June 2019.
∙∙Similarly, the visual practitioner partner must be Arora, Lisa. Lisa Arora: Visual Divorce Mediation,
skilled at making decisions about when to map lisaarora.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
the parties’ words and when to map the mediator’s
words. This involves a working knowledge of the Eddy, Bill. Managing High Conflict People
range of communication interventions used by in Court. High Conflict Institute Press, 2008.
mediators, and the ability to extrapolate why the
mediator has chosen a particular one in that International Mediation Institute.
moment. International Mediation Institute,
www.imimediation.org. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Pro Stories
Lynne Cazaly
AGILE WAYS OF WORKING
The world of work is uncertain, yet we still need to make progress,

working iteratively towards the solution. Using visuals in agile
ways of working enables others, rather than controlling them.
Photo: Moira Lomas, Doppler Media, New Zealand

564 AGILE WAYS OF WORKING INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS
AGILE WAYS OF WORKING

NIMBLE, RESPONSIVE, AND ADAPTIVE iterating on that work. Some of the biggest (and
The word agile is often heard or seen in people’s coolest) companies on the planet use agile practices:
descriptions and declarations of how to deal with Airbnb, Google, Spotify, Facebook Inc., ING Group.
an uncertain future (and the complexity If a team or project can be nimble, adaptive, and
of now). “We need to be more agile,” or, responsive, they’ll be able to create products and
“Let’s adopt agile ways of working.” services in response to customers’ needs, release
them to the market, and then make changes and
Agile means to be responsive, quick thinking, iterations to suit the market. Importantly, agile
nimble, and adaptive. These are all wonderful ways of working involve a cultural shift and change
characteristics for individuals, teams, and enter- in a team, project, or organization. You don’t just
prises if they are to survive, thrive, and prosper. flick a switch and become agile overnight.
With its beginnings in the software-development In 2001, the Agile Manifesto1 was created, listing
field as a way of working, agile focuses on being four values and twelve principles that guide people
agile—having a mindset of agility—rather than to work better, in better ways. The core values are:
doing agile—following a set list of techniques.
∙∙Individuals and interactions over processes and tools;
The traditional way of running projects (often
called waterfall) involved setting goals and targets, ∙∙Working software over comprehensive
planning everything—right up to the conclusion documentation;
of the project, and then starting the work.
∙∙Customer collaboration over contract negotiation; and
Agile teams work in shorter time frames, releasing
valuable work more often, and then improving and ∙∙Responding to change over following a plan.
Figure 1: The Visual Agile Manifesto, by Lynne Cazaly.2
1 To view the values and principles, signatories, and multi-language translations, visit agilemanifesto.org.
2 For a high resolution copy of this graphic, visit www.lynnecazaly.com.au/the-visual-agile-manifesto.
INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS AGILE WAYS OF WORKING 565
VISUAL MANAGEMENT Case Study: Visual Management in Action

For many agile teams, projects, and organizations, A financial services project team decided they
visual management is a powerful and effective needed to share more of the story about how they
tool that’s used every day. Visual management were working. These new ways of working seemed
takes relevant and useful information that might to unsettle some of the other departments and units
normally be hidden or buried in software programs across the organization. Did new equal scary?
or workplace-information systems, and displays
it so that it’s visible to the team (and others in I facilitated a workshop session during which we
the organization). It’s this transparency that makes co-created a large mural of six individual storyboards
targets, goals, progress, and processes more visible. (chunks of information). The mural explained:
For some teams, visual management might be 1. Why the project was being run and why
an early step toward working in more agile ways. it was a priority for the business;
You’re likely to see an agile project team’s walls, 2. The problems that customers had
windows, monitors, or notice boards with: identified as needing to be solved;
∙∙Sticky notes in columns and 3. The techniques and methods the team
rows with headings; used to work on the project each day;
∙∙Index cards laid out with key 4. The differences between these new ways of working
statements explaining the work and traditional project-management approaches;
the team is completing;
5. How the project was being led and governed;
PRO STORIES
∙∙Flipcharts with the results collated from
a recent fortnight’s sprint of activity; 6. The expected timing and delivery
of different phases of the project.
∙∙Images of customers and
the challenges or problems
the project is solving for them;
∙∙Television screens reporting progress

toward the day’s target or goal.
It’s through this tool of visual management that

many applications of visual thinking, visual facil-
itation, and graphic recording can be introduced
and integrated, whether through a schedule of the
work currently being done, a roadmap of what the
work ahead looks like, descriptions and images
of the customers or users of the products being
developed, or visuals mapping out the new and
different ways of working that the team is adopting.
This large mural found about the project and these

a prominent home on the new ways of working.
wall near the team’s area It wasn’t a perfect mural, but it was practical. It was
able to tell the story of what was going on; it was
and served as a conversation used as a stand-alone artifact (that is, people could
stand in front of the mural and read the informa-
starter, a problem solver, tion for themselves) and as a facilitated artifact
(whereby a member of the team could talk through
a debate winner and, most of and explain different parts of the mural to answer
questions, remove barriers and obstacles to progress,
all, an engaging, human way or help boost engagement with stakeholders).
of talking with other teams

across the organization
Image 1: A large mural as a conversation starter.

Many teams also use kanban—a lean manufacturing The paradox that high tech software develop-
approach that visualizes the work to be done, the work ment teams generally use analog tools (like
being done, and the work completed.3 For example, visuals) for collaboration and communication
a variation of the three headings might read, To Do, isn’t an accident; it’s because these methods
Doing, and Done. This approach to managing workflow are so useful, impactful, and practical.
helps balance demands with capacity. While some
teams simply write the individual tasks on separate
sticky notes and then arrange them in three columns
on the wall, I created a hand-drawn version of
a kanban board, with handwritten headings and small
icons or imagery. This template could be printed
out and used individually at A3 (legal) paper size,
or recreated and hand drawn on a whiteboard or wall.
This transparency is fundamental to the values

of agility. Visuals are already used as a tool
for information, communication, collaboration,
evaluation, and iteration. They may not always
be hand drawn, illustrated, or highly artistic, but they Figure 2: A hand-drawn kanban board.
are richly informative and referred to frequently.
PRO STORIES
Figure 3: The way software is designed in agile ways of working.
3 Kanban is a lean manufacturing approach to scheduling and managing productivity. The literal translation of the Japanese word
kanban is billboard.
Whatever I can do to help make the visual elements ∙∙capture insights and comments;
or artifacts used by an agile team more useful,
impactful, and practical will contribute to their ∙∙sketch out problems;
agile way of working. But putting excessive effort
into making my visuals prettier, more perfect, ∙∙map processes and systems;
or highly detailed, might not be so agile.
∙∙visualize prototypes and rough concepts.
It’s important to keep the visulas looking rough,
iterative, raw, made-by-a-human, and open to change. From insightful customer information, many agile
Who wants to critique a perfect process map or teams slice up the big list of work to be done into
beautifully aligned chart of boxes and arrows created ‘user stories’ that complete the statement, “As a (who),
after hours of work on PowerPoint? Rather, in agile I want (what), so that (why).” One approach is to write
ways of work, keep things open for comment, change, these stories on index cards, which then become
and iteration. This helps keep engagement high and known as story cards. The end result can be a wall full
interest growing as the items and information evolve. of story cards with statements like, “As a customer,
I want to be able to login to the app on the first
attempt, so that I can start shopping immediately.”
HOW TO WORK WITH VISUALS
There is much to read about agile ways of working. Case Study: App Frustration
A favorite source of mine is author Steve Denning. From a wall of hundreds of story cards, it can be
His four essential elements of agile4 uncover a raft of challenging to find the one card you’re looking for to
opportunities for visual facilitation. Let’s explore! begin your task! A visual method I created involved
sketching three images at the top of each index
card. For the example of the user story mentioned
THE GOAL: CREATE VALUE FOR THE above, I’ll sketch the who—a picture of a person’s
CUSTOMER face, maybe a young woman wearing jewelry; the
We can apply visual tools when a team engages with what—perhaps an image of a phone with the word
customers or users, or helps customers visualize what login; and the why—a shopping cart. That card is
is valuable to them. Too often, we give people a marker now unique. With the user story and the visual icons,
and ask them to draw their ideas. Perhaps we should the card is quicker to locate, easier to recall, and
talk with them, listen to them, and draw the informa- richer in content (having both words and visuals).
tion out of them. Consider the following questions:
∙∙What are the elements of value to our customers?
∙∙Why does the customer need this feature or service?
∙∙What problems are they currently experiencing?
Imagine patients in a hospital, passengers on

public transportation, customers in a new retail
environment, or online users tackling a new platform.
Each of these situations could apply visuals to:
Figure 4: An example of a user story card, uniquely created
with text and three images explaining the user story.
4 To read more about Denning’s four elements of agile, see

www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2017/10/15/what-is-agile-the-four-essential-elements/#58755e556e85.
Enable Others to Do Things, Rather than Control Them Accepting Uncertainty: Proceed in an Iterative Fashion
Project managers and team leaders in agile ways of toward the Solution
working are committed to facilitating and The unknown is scary. If we can visualize what we know
collaborating. They are keen to create conditions under so far—and then continue to update that imagery—
which people can do things, as opposed to creating people feel more comfortable with uncertainty. They
constraints or bottlenecks (where it’s all talk). begin to see that it is, indeed, changing and evolving.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD:

At a team’s daily stand up meeting (where they
meet for fifteen minutes to report in on plans for
the day), one member expressed that they were
particularly challenged with their work. They felt So we, too, need to be willing to change. Every-
stuck. The project leader sketched on a flipchart as thing. Too often visuals—and the hours put into
the team member spoke, using some key words and them—can become precious, unchanging, artistic
a few icons to illustrate the barriers and obstacles artifacts. But this may not invite engagement, change,
the team member described. The team member began or iterative improvements. Be prepared: you may
to see a possible way out or around the problem. have to adjust and shift the visual tools or images
The leader didn’t have to answer or direct or tell; you’re using or creating. This is agile, after all!
they simply enabled. Using visuals to capture
barriers and obstacles was a liberating moment for Be prepared to create multiple versions that aren’t per-
the team. They were then able to proceed with their fect—rough sketches that progressively become more
work for the day with greater clarity and confidence. detailed. And then we need to be comfortable with
And the team leader was able to move on to support putting those initial efforts aside to start again, maybe
other members of the team without rescuing, going off in another (still useful and valuable) direc-
PRO STORIES
fixing, or parenting the struggling team member. tion. Nothing is perfect and nothing stays the same.
There is a sense of progress with detachment.
Visual maps or timelines5 of needed work can help
guide people through the tasks to be done without STORIES FROM THE FIELD:
standing over their shoulder barking directions. Working with a team during a two-day event—and
one of my first agile projects—I was extremely
When it comes to agile, whatever allows something frustrated. As they talked and problem-solved,
to proceed or progress is good! These techniques all I facilitated and captured visual representations of
serve as a visual—a this-is-what-we-do-here guide—for their thinking. But a couple of minutes later, their
other departments who are curious and uncertain thinking changed. Completely! Throughout the two-
as to what’s involved with agile ways of working. day workshop my frustration kept rising. I wondered,
“Why can’t they make up their minds? How do they
Creating visual imagery for each team member’s not know this stuff yet? Why can’t they commit to
work for the day is a powerful anchor, reminder, anything?” With this type of frustration, I wasn’t
and archive of what’s being done and what has a helpful or thoughtful facilitator. But this was how
been completed. Many team members create they worked. It was me who needed to adapt—in this
their own avatars or imagery for team notice case, to their way of working. Their work changed
boards or work areas. These can be hand drawn or and iterated. In effect they were saying, “Here are
created from montages or collages of imagery. our first thoughts; here are the next . . . and the next
version of that; oh—and here’s what we’re thinking
now.” I needed to yield, to go with it and work with
them, accepting that they were in an uncertain space.
5 See the chapter Graphic Formats for more.

Values of Transparency and Continuous Improvement Communication,

Ideally, rather than keeping information close (or Conversations, Interactions at All Levels
deliberately hiding it), we can help provide transpar- Agile teams are often interdepartmental, put
ency. Visuals help create transparency; they provide together for the purpose of the project or period
the tools to make sense of lots of information. of work. With this mix of different and diverse
departments, skills, cultures, and capabilities, here
In agile environments you can ask, are some prompters for you as a facilitator:
“What information isn’t yet visible (or is hidden) that
we could make visible? What can’t we see yet?” ∙∙What can you do to help people communicate
better and more effectively?
This can yield a list of opportunities for
visualization—whether as large, combined ∙∙How can you support their conversations
visual story maps, individual flipcharts, or icons. and interactions at all levels?
The following questions invite transparency.
∙∙How do you help people work with this new
∙∙Why are we working on this project? or unusual mix of colleagues they don’t yet
know or aren’t used to working with?
∙∙Who is leading the project?
STORIES FROM THE FIELD:
∙∙How were customers involved? For a newly formed and remotely distributed team, we
created a chart, a map of the world with small carica-
∙∙How is it governed? tures for each team member illustrating where they
were from. Simple—yes. Effective—oh, yes! The mental
∙∙How is it different than a traditional image of the map helped remind the team where
type of project or team? people were located, potential time zone differences,
and the many cultural regions that were at play.
∙∙Who is on the team?
Case Study: Team Cohesion
∙∙What are they working on? A financial institution wanted to introduce agile ways
of working to one of their projects. To start, we created
∙∙How is quality checked and monitored? a large wall chart and poster that explained topics like:
∙∙When will it be finished? ∙∙Purpose;
If in doubt, I sketch it out. It’s always a good ∙∙Governance;

starting point to get the team focused and
make the topic visible and seen. ∙∙Style;
And I use whatever I can get my hands on: a sticky ∙∙Toolbox of techniques;
note or an index card, an A4 or A3 piece of paper,
a flipchart, a whiteboard. I’ll write or use a few words ∙∙Artifacts; Rituals;
to start mapping information, and we go from there. It
will iterate and change. The goal is to get it visualized. ∙∙Team members.
Then we can look at it and talk about it and tweak it.
This vast visual chart was mounted on the window in
the project area. It served as a conversation starter,
an explainer, and a focal point for sharing what was 1. Make people awesome;
going on and how the team was working with other
parts of the organization. The team met in front 2. Make safety a prerequisite;
of the chart each day. The graphic helped invite
conversations as people approached it with curiosity: 3. Experiment and learn rapidly;
What’s this all about, then? Too often, we walk past
other teams and coworkers without knowing who 4. Deliver value continuously.
they are or what they do. This broke that pattern
and opened up communication and conversations What wonderful principles: help take good
across the organization. The visual map became quite care of people, keep the working environment
a well-known artifact around the organization! safe for collaboration, try and test things out,
and never lose sight of delivering value.
Some other methods of communication include:
∙∙Using visuals to help people get a quick A WORD OF AGILE ADVICE

understanding of the issue, or to get them on the Agile ways of working are flexible. Ensure the visuals
same page when they first start working together. you use are also flexible, changing, and adaptable.
For example, a set-in-stone metaphor or template
∙∙Creating a common visual language or might assume or presume too much too soon; this
vocabulary for the project so that communication might destroy a wonderful opportunity for work and
is quicker and more effective. collaboration among the group. How can you co-create
and work with the team or group to make something
∙∙Creating briefing or welcoming visuals together, rather than prescribing or doing it for them?
for new members who join the team.
Be willing to change and
PRO STORIES
∙∙Using visual models, templates, and imagery
to share the story of what we’re working on and learn. The fi st idea may
how we’re working across the organization.
not be the last or the best.
∙∙Asking the team questions, like “How
can we use visuals to . . . ” or “What do There will be iterations. Be
we need to see to be more . . . ”
gracious, willing to yield and
∙∙Updating and refreshing earlier versions
of imagery and visual tools so these, to hear what else is needed.
too, are iterating and changing.
Feedback is everywhere. Agile cultures and teams love
giving and receiving feedback. It’s a feedback-rich
GROWING AND DEVELOPING culture. Be prepared to listen, give, and receive.
Agile ways of working are growing and developing.
It seems that agile, too, adapts and iterates! Note: The information in this
chapter may change over time! ;-)
A Modern Agile Movement has recently gained support
and popularity, with these four guiding principles:
WORKS CITED:
Agile Manifesto: Manifesto for Agile Software Development.

Agile Manifesto, agilemanifesto.org. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Cazaly, Lynne. “The Visual Agile Manifesto.” LynneCazaly.com,

www.lynnecazaly.com.au/the-visual-agile-manifesto. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Denning, Steve. “What is Agile? The Four Essential Elements.” Forbes, 15 Oct. 2017,
www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2017/10/15/what-is-agile-the-four-essential-elements/#58755e556e85.
Jeroen Blijsie
Pro Stories
Marko Hamel
VISUAL SELLING®: RETHINK

CUSTOMER CONVERSATIONS
ON PAPER AND DIGITALLY
You can only lead if you are ready to listen. Visual Selling®
is all about visualizing your customer’s impact points,
then co-creating the best solutions—together.

576 VISUAL SELLING®: RETHINK CUSTOMER CONVERSATIONS INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS
VISUAL SELLING®: RETHINK CUSTOMER

CONVERSATIONS ON PAPER AND DIGITALLY
Think about your business. I almost gave up, but suddenly an idea came to
mind. Since the topic of the proposed solution was
Do you find yourself in a position to sell an idea, Enterprise Risk Management, I asked the customer,
a solution, or a product to another person? Is it “What is your biggest risk?” He quickly replied,
a customer, partner, employee, or prospect? “A big fire on an offshore oil platform.”
What if, after your conversation, this person told you:
∙∙I really feel understood.
∙∙You gave me room to express my needs.
∙∙Finally, a salesperson who listens to me!
∙∙Now I am aware of the broad context of my problem.
∙∙I believe in your idea and in your

product. Let’s go for it!
I invite you to achieve this level of agreement—by

establishing a co-creative Visual Selling® experience.
THE BEGINNING Figure 1: My first visual customer meeting (in Norway)

My journey of developing and using
Visual Selling®1 started in 2007. I started visualizing this risk by drawing live on the flip-
chart. We soon discovered dependencies, possible trig-
I worked as a sales consultant for the software ger events, and mitigation activities. We drew the whole
company SAP®. While giving a pitch to a potential picture together. Finally, we mapped his big picture to
customer in Norway (using standard PowerPoint), the Risk Management solution I had in my pocket.
I realized that the customer didn’t understand
the value of the solution. The PowerPoint slides
had no meaning for him— the business examples
were abstract and not part of his reality.
1 For more information, visit visual-selling.com.

INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS VISUAL SELLING®: RETHINK CUSTOMER CONVERSATIONS 577
The customer was excited. And as so often happens, the customer—who is already
familiar with this kind of one-way presentation—sees
He understood nothing new and does not feel understood.
the competitive advantage It’s like the way television used to be: viewers could
either swallow the show as-is or turn it off. And that’s
of the solution, and what happens here. The deal falls flat—due to lack
of confidence and no real dialogue on an equal footing.
he invested. This was
Conventional sales
the ignition point for me.
techniques no longer work,
I researched this area extensively and refined
the approach in hundreds of sales discussions and these techniques are
as a SAP consultant working in Europe. Derived
from our experiences, my partner Miriam and driving customers away.
I developed the Visual Selling® method, and
founded the company Visual Selling in 2013.2
Visual Selling became our passion: a passion for

leading the dialogue with marker and (digital) ink.
WHY TO RETHINK CUSTOMER
PRO STORIES
CONVERSATIONS
There are huge changes occurring in customer
dialogue, especially in business-to-business
(B2B) situations. Internet searching and B2B
purchasing platforms enable customers to be very
well-informed. Often, the only way forward for sales
people is to offer discounts (or lose the deal). Figure 2: The classic PowerPoint presentation
makes customers run away
What if there could be a different—and more
successful—approach to connect with your Your customers want to talk to someone who has
prospects? An approach that proves you are a fresh way of looking at things; someone who can
a premium partner who is able to understand offer solutions to a problem that might not yet be obvi-
your customer’s problem—and solve it? ous, that nobody knew about before, and that might
have unintended consequences for their business.
When in doubt, customers tend to stick with the status
quo rather than making an investment on an unknown.
Maybe you have experienced a situation like the Well okay, go for it.
following. After the salesperson gets the customer
warmed up, the customer sits back and says, “Well Tell us what fabulous things
okay, go for it. Tell us what fabulous things you have to you have to offer.
offer.” The salesperson begins to regale the customer
with a revamped set of marketing slides.
2 Our new book, Visual Selling: The Workbook for more Efficient and Productive Customer Conversations, covers the complete sales
process, from discovery to presentation to closing. The focus of this chapter will be on visual discovery and co-creation—including
online sales meetings.
There is a solution—rethINK your conversations. Then, to arrive at your goals and define solutions,
use the co-creation phase to systematically develop
You have heard this before: take a genuine interest the optimal solution approach with your customers.
in others. This means, first and foremost, actively By visualizing, you can use clear blue-
listening. Focus exclusively on your dialogue partners, prints to solve customer problems during
so you can hear and see everything about them. these meetings and workshops.
For long-term B2B sales, we use the rethINK Business This will take you right into the final stage: winning!
Framework. This involves exploring the problem at Make your new approach a successful reality and help
hand from the customer’s point of view, looking your customers during the change process by imple-
at it from a new perspective, working together to menting and successfully launching your product.
come up with clear solutions, and successfully
implementing them. This can be both an individual
challenge in the target market with competitors,
and can also raise issues within the organization.
By visualizing the answers to

questions about the situation
during this discovery phase,
activities, values, goals,
and challenges become
visible and permanently
changeable from the outset
Figure 3: The RethINK Business Framework
for everybody involved.
The next step is to visualize your analysis and the
first interim results. You communicate them to your The ultimate catalyst during the process is
customer in the buying center.3 You may also create creating live visualizations while listening and
an internal campaign that brings all relevant people talking to your customers. This transforms
on board and helps to roll-out the new strategy or old-fashioned, conventional selling into a mean-
process. This keeps the communication going. ingful and engaging co-creation session.
Let’s start first with the methodology and then

highlight the digital tools that will unearth
the ‘treasure of the best solution’ for your customers.
3 The buying center refers to the decision-making unit of an organization.

To support this, we developed the Visual Selling®

Discovery Punch, which is derived from
the logical levels of thinking as defined by
Robert Dilts.4 This punch has nothing to do with
punching, fighting, or hard selling. It comes
from the Hindi word pañc, which means five.
Here are the five ingredients:
1. Context: find it out
Figure 4: Visual Co-Creation: the new way of selling 2. Actions: understand them
3. Values: look at them
4. Identity: reveal it
5. Desire: visualize it
PRO STORIES
Figure 5: Bridge the gap online
With the help of the following discovery model and

the underlying visual templates, you will reduce
the complexity of a problem statement, increase
positive experience of the sales dialogue for your
buyer, and reduce the cost of sales by shortening
the overall process in complex sales scenarios. Figure 6: The Visual Selling® Discovery Punch
All five ingredients are essential to build trust and

THE VISUAL SELLING® DISCOVERY PUNCH solve the problem that is hidden at the bottom of
In the B2B sector, the ability of a provider to the punch glass. They come up one after another in
supply new information is the most important the conversation, and function to gather information
factor influencing customer loyalty. and create connections—with full transparency,
right before the customer’s eyes. The market and
Understanding Customers the visuals that are created guide customers to
If a customer says, “Well then, go ahead. Let me see understanding their real wants, and identifies the exact
what great things you have to offer,” a successful core problem that prevents the fulfillment of these
salesperson will always look for the real issue plaguing desires. Finally, the marker shows the best solution.
that customer. The only way to do this is with dialogue.
4 For more on Dilts’ theory, see Changing Belief Systems with NLP.
Lead the Dialogue with Questions 3. Values. What is the basis of your customer’s
I’m sure you’ve heard this advice often: “Avoid closed behavior? This section works best with simple
questions; use open questions.” This is correct, images (like a tree or a dollar bill) because they
however: which questions connect deeply with trigger feelings. The problem becomes more tangible.
the customer? Which questions lead the customer This leads to the all-important question of why.
through the different phases of the dialogue?
4. Identity. Humans are social beings. Your customer
Pose questions and visualize your customer’s answers (and their company) plays a certain role in society.
live. To get to the problem, you can start with: It defines them and influences the decision-making
process. Try to reveal if they are a keeper, conqueror,
1. Context. Find out the business facts and the as-is innovator, or something else entirely. Ask, “Which
situation using typical open questions. best describes your role as a company in this market?
Who? What? Where? How many? How do you want to be seen by your competitors?”
2. Actions/Activities. Understand what your 5. Desire. Your customer’s situation is visu-

customer did in the past to handle issues alized in a condensed manner. You and the
and challenges. The answer helps you to customer will look at it together and add
understand the how behind the facts. missing links. Then ask your customer, “What
would be different in an ideal world?”
Figure 7: Your Visual Conversation Guide

These questions enable you to visualize the To make the process easy for you, we developed
deep desires of your customer. In order to mix the Visual Conversation Guide. Simply go through
the punch and unveil the problem, you can ask each of the following stages, using the visual
the final question: What prevents you from making conversation guidelines to lead the dialogue and
your wishes, wants, or desires come true? elicit the best spoken images from your customers.
Once you have put together the total picture through Visualize your Conversation Results with the Canvas
these five levels, give the punch a good stir. Following the model of the punch enables you
to ask the right questions. Now it’s important to
Help your customer see what might happen if the follow a method for filling your sheet with the
problem remains unsolved. Discuss and visualize neg- marker. The goal is to hand over the visual notes
ative consequences of doing nothing. As a final step, of the conversation to your customer. Therefore,
you can now move to the visual co-creation of the best we designed a structured way to bring the infor-
solution for the customer’s problem—and win the deal. mation together on paper or a digital canvas. The
model is called the Visual Discovery Spiral.
PRO STORIES
Figure 8: The application of the punch in the Visual Discovery Spiral
Visualize the customer using the first four ingredients of your punch: Context, Actions, Values, and Identity.
After the status quo is drawn, move on to Desire—and visualize it together with the customer. Ask for the
problem and draw it. Derive the possible negative consequences and make them visible, as well. And finally,
present the best solution for the customer. Share the marker or digital pen with the customer and ask them
to make their own marks. Ask them to circle the most important parts—and enjoy the new way of selling. To
close the meeting, ask your customer for the next possible steps and visualize them in the template, too.
The perfect result of the CONCEPTS: AN APP FOR VISUAL SELLING®

ON THE IPAD
visual conversation with the A visual customer dialogue can be created in
an analog method using a flipchart or whiteboard, but
customer is a map of all of a digital approach on your tablet has advantages.
their wishes, and an approach The projection area and participant group size
are scalable.
to solve the problem.
1. You can easily make changes to the visualizations.
As an added bonus, this map helps you to reach other
decision-makers who might not be present (especially 2. The results are immediately available in digital form.
in B2B scenarios). By physically handing over the visual
story to your prospect, your conversation partner is 3. Seamless switching to other digital
able to sell your product or solutions resources (like a website, app, or document)
internally—which they’re likely to do, simply because is easy during the demonstration.
they love and remember the story you created together.
4. You can access a wide range of colors.
Figure 9 shows the result of a customer conversation
using the Visual Discovery Spiral in combination 5. You can prepare your work environment flawlessly.
with the Visual Selling® Discovery Punch.5
6. You can travel light.
Especially in a sales discussion, these advantages

usually outweigh the disadvantages. There is
an initial learning period to become familiar
with the drawing interface, and the iPad lacks
the organic feel of real paper, but digital ink
gives you its very own powerful feeling.
The Concepts App

Our favorite app for visual customer
conversations is called Concepts.6
Sometimes a meeting takes an unexpected turn or

new contexts arise. Your material may seem endless
Figure 9: The filled canvas and you are in a state of flux. The Concepts app
following a customer discovery meeting provides an unlimited canvas and plenty of room
for your conversation. Because of its vector format,
anything you draw can be infinitely adjusted later
without quality loss. You can put items in groups, resize
them, rotate them, and move them around. You have
the conversation under control—and it becomes fun.
5 See the website that accompanies this book to download a high-resolution version (www.worldofvisualfacilitation.com).
6 Find the Concepts app here: concepts.app.en.
Figure 10: Concepts: an app for Visual Selling®
Concepts offers so-called objects that are

similar to stickers, but used in the digital
world. These are freely adjustable vectors that
can you drag and drop onto your canvas. Image 1: From the Visual Selling® Discovery Objects Pack
library in the Concepts app
In sales, time is a critical factor. For that reason,
we developed a special Visual Selling® Discovery Since most people struggle with having an avatar
Objects Pack for the Concepts app. You’ll find our ready, we included Business Larry and Business Lilly
sales canvas of the Visual Discovery Spiral, as free as male and female characters in different poses.
demo object as well as further communication They can be easily used and adapted to co-create
PRO STORIES
and goal-based objects, called IdeaPix, for your your story with your sales prospect. Image 2 features
live visualization during a sales conversation. an example of Business Larry and Business Lilly, taken
from the Visual Selling® Discovery Objects Pack library.
To access the objects in
the Concepts app, follow these four steps:
1. Open a new drawing.
2. Click the Import button.
3. Choose More.
4. Select the tab labeled Market (see Image 1—

the correct tab is on the far left). This enables you
to test the Visual Selling® Objects Pack. A number
of objects, like our Visual Discovery Spiral and
a few mannequins, are available for you to test.
Image 2: The Visual Selling® Discovery Objects Pack features

ready-made avatars named Business Larry and Business Lilly
YOU’RE READY: START YOUR VISUAL

CUSTOMER CONVERSATION
As a Visual Seller, you are the facilitator for your WORKS CITED:
prospect. You become the creator of a visual dialogue
that uncovers conflicts and misunderstandings. Concepts App: Infinite, Flexible Sketching. Concepts
Position yourself as a premium seller for premium App, concepts.app/en. Accessed 11 June 2019.
solutions: this is a powerful approach, because
you work on the basis of trust and transparency. “Concepts App Visual Selling® Discovery Objects
Library.” Concepts App, concepts.app/en/visualselling.
You no longer need to discuss Accessed 11 June 2019.
discounts, because the “Customer Experience: Malte Bong-Schmidt about

Virtual Live Class at SAP Germany—visualselling.de.”
benefits of our solution are Vimeo, uploaded by Visual Selling,
16 Mar. 2019, vimeo.com/324585798.
clearly visible, along with the
Dilts, Robert B. Changing Belief Systems
process that leads to results. with NLP. Dilts Strategy Group, 1990.
Your customers will understand the benefits of Hamel, Miriam, and Hamel, Marko. Visual Selling:
your product and buy—they will be overjoyed that Das Arbeitsbuch für Live-Visualisierungen im
you’ve shown them the perfect business solution. Kundengespräch (Visual Selling: The Workbook for
Meaningful Customer Conversations). Wiley, 2016.
As a final thought, if a solution other than yours is
a better fit to the customer’s challenge, be honest and Visual Selling®: Visual Strategy Consulting Company.
transparent. This openness will be paid back a hundred Visual Selling, visual-selling.com.
times over. Have fun, visualize, and enjoy the process. Accessed 11 June 2019.
With the Visual Selling

method, we build
communication bridges
between our salesforce
and our customers. We
are able to sell 22% more
individual solutions than
previously, and our sales
cycle is up to 30% shorter.77
7 According to the Sales Impact Measurement Program performed at SAP and delivered by EMPLAY (a data analyst and research
company). For more, see “Customer Experience.”
Pro Stories
Marko Hamel
THE 13 MOST COMMON

VISUAL SELLING PITFALLS
AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
Your creativity plus good preparation will make
your visual selling technique unstoppable.

588 THE 13 MOST COMMON VISUAL SELLING PITFALLS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS
THE 13 MOST COMMON VISUAL SELLING

PITFALLS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
13 Pitfalls
Whenever you implement a new practice in your My partner Miriam and I developed the Visual Selling®
life, there is a learning curve on your way to method.1 We tested our technique in countless
becoming an expert. Often the first try—the initial customer meetings. During our development process,
momentum—works very well. You might decide to we experienced a number of common pitfalls that
continue and repeat the success. However, whatever lower the likelihood of a successful outcome.
you do, you will make a few mistakes on the way
to becoming successful. And this is a good thing. But not to worry; this chapter is a cheat sheet—it’ll
help you learn about and avoid the typical pitfalls
Experience is the you might encounter when applying Visual Selling®.
It includes our best practices—the lessons we’ve
name everyone gives learned over the past ten years. This allows you to
start your process of growing into the method at
to their mistakes. a higher level of proficiency—ready to experience
your very own flavors of visuals in business.
― Oscar Wilde
1 For more on our method, please see visual-selling.com.

INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS THE 13 MOST COMMON VISUAL SELLING PITFALLS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM 589
PITFALL #1: PITFALL #2:

YOUR CUSTOMER DOES NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER WANTS TO SEE PRODUCT
THE WHY OF VISUALIZING THE SALES SLIDES BEFOREHAND
MEETING
Pitfall #1: “Why do we need markers?” Pitfall #2: “Just send me the product slides in advance.”
The meeting begins and during the conversation you Before a sales conversation, it can be fatal to
start to visualize. All of a sudden, your customer looks directly comply with a request for the product
at you, confused. He can’t understand what you are slides. By viewing the slides without your guidance,
doing and why you are sketching out what has been your customer may shape a mental picture that
PRO STORIES
said. After all, he expected an entirely ordinary doesn’t fit with your solution. For you, this means
conversation. You probably have not a lot of work later on, when you must demonstrate
adequately prepared your customers for how you will work individually with your customer.
the meeting and your approach. Previewing material often means that you will
simply be answering questions about unresolved
In order to avoid such a situation, point out your issues. You will lose control of the conversation.
approach when you plan the meeting. Describe
exactly what you are going to do, why you will To counteract this obstacle, you have two options:
be visualizing things, and how this can be useful
to your customer. Explain that images can be 1. Don’t send any materials in advance. Remind
used to avoid misunderstandings and facilitate your customer that your materials are as
a mutual understanding more quickly, thus individually unique as your clients. Explain that
increasing the productivity of your conversation. this is precisely why you do live visualization
during the conversation—so that your solutions
Once the meeting has started, you can again can evolve, and the outcome will be an exact
describe the procedure and the progression. fit for all your customer’s problems.
Your customers now have an opportunity to ask
questions about the method to better understand 2. Send abbreviated content that doesn’t really
it. At the same time, they will immediately see reveal anything. Prepare a visualization that
how it works, and experience that the evolving arouses interest, but doesn’t give everything
image actually supports the conversation. away. Be sure to add something about the topic
that will arouse your customer’s curiosity.

YOUR CUSTOMER IS RUSHED YOU HAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT
THE MEETING FACILITIES
Pitfall #3: “I have only time for a short call.” Pitfall #4: “I think we’ll be inside a room . . . ”
You would like to schedule an appointment to present Your meeting or workshop is going to be in an un-
your offer to your customer, but he tells you that that familiar location. Even your direct contact doesn’t
he has no time at all, and maybe you could explain know anything about the rooms or the building’s
what you are going to do over the telephone. particulars. This can be especially challenging if
it involves a workshop with several people during
Your customer obviously doesn’t have enough time which you plan to work together to find solutions.
to talk to you, so it is unlikely that they will hear what
you have to say during your brief conversation. At In this situation, see if you can get in touch
these moments, your customer can’t see the benefits with the Assistant, who can tell you about
of what you have to offer; therefore, they won’t the room and the equipment available. If
be interested in investing any additional time. possible, ask to see some pictures so that you
can have an even better idea of the layout.
Instead of hurriedly launching into your sales
pitch, take advantage of the short time you have But what if you are not able to find a contact
during the phone call to investigate the real person, or if your customer can’t meet your
problem. Find out exactly what is bothering your needs by the time of the appointment? Well, you
customer. You can do this by asking appropriate will need to be ready for whatever happens.
questions. For instance, you can use the Visual
Selling® Discovery Punch2 to chart out core and Be sure to take along any adapters and cables that
peripheral problems. (Learn more about these tools you might need. Maybe carry a small projector,
and techniques in the chapter, Visual Selling®.) plenty of extension cords, and a few power strips.
And you will definitely need a conference camera to
quickly connect with colleagues at other locations.
2 Download on visual-selling.com.

WORST CASE: YOU HAVE NO MEETING ROOM YOU CAN’T IDENTIFY THE DECISION MAKER
AT ALL
Pitfall #5: “Um, let’s try the other room?” Pitfall #6: “I invited some other interested people . . . ”
Occasionally, you may need to deal with an office Your meeting is about to start. Gradually,
location that doesn’t have a projector, the participants enter the room. But who
flipchart, or whiteboard. This will make among them makes the decisions?
a presentation quite difficult.
PRO STORIES
You take a good look at everybody. Judging by their
Ask for a larger display, which many companies have appearances, you think that only one person could
available. Or use the monitor on the desk. You can be right for this role. But is that really true? If you
connect your tablet to it using an adapter. Then, only focus on someone who may not be a decision
guide your customers through the meeting visually. maker, you might lose the rest of the participants.
If a monitor is not available, have the participants This means you have lost the deal at the very start.
sit in such a way that they will be able to see your
tablet. This will only work in very small discussion Therefore, always be sure to include everyone
groups, usually with a maximum of three people. present in the conversation by asking active
questions using the Discovery Punch model.
In this situation, be sure to show the visualization Treat everyone as a decision maker.
multiple times, so that everyone can see it and
then share their thoughts. This type of presentation At the end of the meeting, talk openly about the
can be difficult, but in this case, it is probably decision-making process; at this time you can inquire
the best solution. And sometimes it can create as to who is involved. Add these names to the Next
even more closeness and a better rapport. Steps section of your visualization in the Visual
Selling® Discovery Spiral.3 This will make it clear who
should get which document and when. Because of your
live visualization, you can work transparently and get
direct feedback and agreement from the participants.
3 Read more about this in the chapter, Visual Selling®.

PITFALL #7: The live visualization approach will lead you and
YOUR CUSTOMER EXPECTS A SMALL SALES your customers to discover the real issues quickly
PRESENTATION and effortlessly. As a result, pricing considerations
will take a back seat. Your customers will definitely
be more satisfied with the product, and will feel
better about spending a little more money.
PITFALL #8:
YOU ARE NOT LISTENING CLOSELY
Pitfall #7: “Just give me the quick sales pitch.”
Many customers want to save time. That is under-

standable. But don’t be tempted to make a fast pitch.
If you do, you really won’t have much chance to help
your customers out by guiding them to the best
solution. Get in the driver’s seat right from the start.
Pitfall #8: “Do you know what I mean?”
Explain to your customers how much time they will
be able to save with a visual discovery meeting, and As you know, good listening is the be-all and end-all of
how it speeds up the selection process (because every sales conversation. But still, you’re only human.
you will be assisting them directly to focus on And sometimes this will happen: you didn’t quite
their needs and find the perfect solution). catch everything, or you misunderstood something.
Many classic sales-pitch tactics push the customer to Fortunately for you, you have your visualization.
decide which provider to use without really knowing Because of this, the progression of the conversation
very much about how they work. When customers are will be understandable. Your customers will see if
unable to compare various options, they’re forced you are not illustrating an important point, or if you
to go with the least expensive alternative. But is this are using different images than the ones they had
the right way to achieve target goals? Under certain in mind. With live visualization, this will immediately
circumstances—in fact, most of the time, customers become apparent and can be instantly addressed.
discover during the course of a project that the
chosen solution is not working. So, they have to If your customer is still holding back a little and are
start from square one with the selection process not forthcoming, you can simply ask if everything is
meeting their expectations. Then, you can adjust
This approach means that projects have to be the visualization or re-arrange the elements.
started all over again from scratch. Needless to In the end, both of you will have a clear
say, this is both expensive and time-consuming. picture and a solid mutual understanding
During your sales conversation, concentrate on the of the issues and the existing situation.
immediate challenges and the appropriate solution.

YOU CREATE A LOT OF VISUAL EYE CANDY, LACK OF THOROUGH INVOLVEMENT
BUT NO RAPPORT
Pitfall #9: “It doesn’t fit . . . ” Pitfall #10: “I do not agree.”
You have a customer and you have a really Sometimes I’ll host a great sales discussion, but
interesting product to offer. You are engaged have difficulty getting everyone involved. While I
in a sales conversation. The customer shares want to be sure to include everyone, I’m also careful
his challenges and tells you why he needs your here. There’s nothing worse than forcing people
solution. You are excited and start visualizing. to talk or coercing conversation. So, keep a close
PRO STORIES
eye on your participants. Are there people who
You ask a few more questions; your customer says want to talk but can’t quite get it out? Take that
something that you find absolutely captivating. into account and direct your conversation to those
A fantastic image comes to mind and you absolutely people by making connections with visualization.
must put it down on paper or display it on your tablet. That will come off less aggressive, but ensures
The result is a true work of art. But in the process, you everyone has a say. Your efforts will be appreciated.
have completely forgotten about your customer. At
some point, your customer looks at you with a puzzled Also, at certain points during the meeting, it will
expression. He feels you’ve left him hanging in midair. be important to gather everybody’s opinion.
Go around the room and ask if there is anyone
To avoid this, you need to concentrate on rapid visual- who would like to add something, or if there are
ization. Put your focus on listening and on the dialogue. any other topics that people would still like to
Don’t forget that although visualization is important discuss. As you go around, look closely at each of
for dialogue, it is, in the long run, simply a tool. the participants for a few seconds to make sure
that they are able to communicate their ideas.
In any case, make sure that the meeting is not

dominated by just a few people. Facilitate exchanges
with targeted questions. Feel free to interrupt conver-
sations that stray from the topic or don’t make a point.

YOU HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED A CLEAR TIME IS UP!
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Pitfall #11: “I do not understand the benefit for us . . . ”

Pitfall #12: “Sorry, I have to leave for another meeting.”
Some customers really have a hard time identifying or
naming their problem. Sometimes they’re embarrassed Your meeting is in full swing. Everyone is in a good
to talk about it. They are afraid of losing face. Other mood, and you are having a heated—but productive—
people simply don’t know how to articulate it. It may discussion. The visualization has been terrific. And then
be that they don’t even know what their problem is. you look at your watch and see—oh no, time is up.
Or they have so many points of departure that they
can’t (or don’t want to) figure out where to start. If you continue with the meeting, your customer
will eventually get stressed and have negative
In these situations, clarify the issues with visualizations feelings, making it hard to bring things to a positive
that have already been done. Using the Discovery conclusion. Now you need to wrap things up in
Punch, you were able to identify your customer’s a hurry. Tell your customers that the time they
situation comprehensively. Now you can both take allocated for you is up; this lets them know that
a look and review this together. Are there any spots you think their schedules are important. This is
where contradictions or breaks can be seen? an important step to creating a trusting relationship.
As you identify problem areas, make them a Now put the ball in your customer’s court and ask
priority (together with your customer). Be sure an open question. For example, you can inquire
the marker is available. This way, you can come about the best way to proceed. Or ask what the most
up with a sequence and create a sensible plan important thing would be to reach a satisfactory
for solving problems. The next step is for you conclusion. Inquire about the next steps, as well.
and the customer to develop a strategy together.
They will be excited because you have helped Visualize this in such a way that the schedule is
them reach some clarity about their problems. followed and everything is transparent. If
everyone agrees, you can bring things to
Visualization will suddenly become enjoyable, a close. Using visualization, it will be feasible
fun for your customer, get more momentum to continue on to the very last point.
and much more productive meetings!
PITFALL #13: And you can always hand them the marker and
YOUR CUSTOMER WON’T TAKE THE MARKER hope that some native reflex will lead them to use
it. Once your customers take the marker in hand, it
is highly likely that they will start visualizing. If this
happens, give them some encouragement. Don’t be
critical of the image, and be sure to stay on message
so that you can both start talking about the topic.
Visualization will suddenly become enjoyable.

It’s fun for your customer, it provides momentum,
and it allows for more productive meetings!
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

Using the power of visual language as part of
your sales process will help you connect with
your customers in a meaningful and productive
way. You will shorten the sales cycle, have
Pitfall #13: “No, I can’t draw.” better relationships in business, and close more
deals—just be ready to learn, and then go for it.
For even better results and a deeper mutual
understanding of the topic, it is often helpful to have
your customer take the marker in hand to illustrate
their ideas. But many people have a real phobia of WORKS CITED:
PRO STORIES
drawing and absolutely refuse to use markers.
Visual Selling®: Visual Strategy Consulting Company.
If this happens, start with visualization and keep Visual Selling, visual-selling.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
encouraging your customers to play a more active
role. You can ask specific questions that get your
customers to think deeply about topics that concern
them. Sooner or later, everyone takes the marker in
hand because it’s easier for people to visualize things
themselves, rather than trying to explain them.
YOUR FUTURE
AS A VISUAL
FACILITATOR
YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR 599
FUTURE OF THE FIELD: AN INTRODUCTION

Trent Wakenight
If the first two decades are any indication, You will hear these themes reflected throughout
the twenty-first century will continue to present this chapter. Our contributing authors have taken
unparalleled, never-before-experienced dilemmas and to heart the value of visualization and facilitation,
decision points. Encroaching environmental challenges, and the value that practitioners provide.
political stalemates and conflicts, battles over basic
human rights, the redrawing of social and geographic In the chapter, Future Casting Our Field, Mathias
boundaries, and economic upheaval in some parts of Weitbrecht offers a framework, including a set of
the world mean that the decisions made today may key questions, to effectively frame problems, engage
impact the existence of humankind more than clients, and support the management of difficult
ever before. dilemmas in the midst of changing local and
global contexts.
One might argue that the pervasiveness of technology
is playing a more meaningful role (in both good and The chapter Attending to Tone, by Kelvy Bird, defines
bad ways) than at any other time in history. tonality as a method, mindset, and practice by
Additionally, at no other time has our global population which to optimize organizational energy, settings
been higher, with increasing demands on resources. for conversation, and spirit as a manifestation
Every new corporate maneuver or takeover, and propelling how we and others think, act,
the stagnant behavior or harmful legislation of some interact, and influence each other.
governing structures, all produce winners and losers.
The Growing Edge for Visual Practitioners from
Visual practitioners play Michelle Walker outlines strategies and techniques
that early-career and experienced visual practitioners
a unique role as guides can adopt and implement to better communicate
the value that they provide, grow their business,
through the murkiness of an and build individual knowledge that can be shared
with the global practitioner community.
increasingly complex and
YOUR FUTURE
Sabine Soeder and Mary Alice Arthur describe
rapidly changing world. An Integrated Approach to Visual Facilitation of
the Future, presenting the Four Fold Practice, in which
The marker is a sense-making tool; the paper a method the art of hosting and the harvesting of conversations
of illustrating a better future. Deeper than this, how- create the magic that often appears as leaders in
ever, is how we (as visual practitioners) can guide and the facilitation world demonstrate their craft.
influence the systems, organizations, and individuals
with whom we work and serve. Just as individuals can These chapters illuminate the ability and extent
bring positive or negative energy to a system, visuals to which you can succeed in making a difference
and the conversations around visuals have the ability based on how you position yourself in other’s
to unlock energy and foster human connections. This minds. You have the opportunity to be an influencer
is important, both now and in the future, as there are demonstrating compassion and courage, and
seemingly more and more disenfranchised segments striving toward creating a greater good.
of society who lack representation and a voice.
Mathias Weitbrecht
FUTURE CASTING OUR FIELD
To ignite change, we must question everything.

By following the model of Future Casting, we can help
our clients reach a new level of consciousness.

602 FUTURE CASTING OUR FIELD YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR
FUTURE CASTING OUR FIELD
Deep inside, visual practitioners are aware of their Others (some with whom we work) may also be in
contributions to facilitating solutions in today’s world. denial, or at various stages of the resistance to change.
We have the power and ability to deeply impact
society: the manifestation of goals, communities, Visual practitioners reside in the center of this
and individual consciousness itself. For those new paradox. Our role is a new empowerment: we,
to this field, this chapter is about you—perhaps as a professional field, are part of an innovative
a side of you that you have not yet experienced. movement, ushering society as it updates itself.
As we get to know our clients, we become more Fulfilling this role requires stepping out of our beloved
aware of what’s keeping them awake at night. comfort zones. Doing so also fortifies the value of
As practitioners attuned to an ever-changing what we do, and presents an opportunity to form
world, we similarly can become concerned about something deep, meaningful, and rewarding.
humanity, society, and the transitions that our
global and community systems are undergoing. “It’s far too late and things
are far too desperate for
pessimism.” –Barbara
Marx Hubbard
I believe that facilitation can help us navigate
the current transitions and dynamics of the world.
And just as a journey calls for a map, people navigating
change benefit immensely from visualization.
This awareness, this spark, already exists deep
within us. Paradoxically, it also needs us to
help it manifest—to bring it into being.
Figure 1: Future Casting leads us through
a series of critical questions. The current (often very negative) ‘meta-narrative’ of
society must be replaced by a new one. One that will
For some parts of humanity, things have never catapult us onto a new, positive trajectory. One that
been better; for many others, things have never felt transcends our precarious global and
worse. It is without doubt that hundreds of millions planetary situation, and guides us into
of people may find themselves grappling with a marvelous, uncharted future.
transition—in shock about what is being done to
the planet, while in awe over the rate of innovation. Human consciousness develops in non-skippable
stages of development.1 First, every evolutionary
1 For more, see Kegan; Kegan and Lahey; and Cook-Greuter in the Works Cited section.
YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR FUTURE CASTING OUR FIELD 603
drive has a forward-moving force. Secondly, every the most powerful forces for igniting change. In that
personal and societal level has a gravity (commonly spirit, consider adding some (or all) of the following
expressed as a desire for things to remain as they questions to your Future Casting practice.
are). People try to remain in the familiar when
something new is too uncomfortable. Nobel physicist
Ilya Prigogine found that as systems become more WHO ARE YOU? WHO ARE WE?
chaotic, they approach a forking point: there is The discipline of visual facilitation emerged in the early
either collapse, or an entry into a ‘higher order.’2 1970s. It is a relatively young discipline that cannot
This is where human societies are today. be categorized under the domain of the artistic or
illustrative industries. Today there exists a full-blown
Working to create change in these times requires spectrum of visualization methods and techniques.
working with consciousness. Examples of such This growing field is filled with career changers
practices can be found both within our professional coming from illustration backgrounds; they have
field (for example, Kelvy Bird’s Generative had an impact on quality, prices, and reputation.
Scribing3), and outside the field (like Otto Scharmer’s (This is especially true in high-growth countries
Theory U large-scale change framework4). with hundreds of practitioners, such as Germany.)
Our future role will not happen by accident, but
rather by actively embracing such creative acts. Facilitators learn from illustrators, and illustrators
Then we, as a professional field, become part of learn from facilitators. People coming from a process
the aforementioned update mechanism of society. world learn how to draw better, and career changers
coming in from illustration must learn that the work is
Future Casting is a model that proposes a set not only about images. We all learn from each other!
of questions to reach a new level of conscious
embodiment. After all, questions are one of
YOUR FUTURE
Figure 2: Together we create change.
2 See Prigogine, Order Out of Chaos: Man’s New Dialogue with Nature.
3 See Bird, Generative Scribing: A Social Art of the 21st Century.
4 For more, see www.ottoscharmer.com/programs/ulab.
WHAT’S OUR CORE SKILL? attention management must become innate core skills.
Soon, technology will have reshaped most Let’s choose wisely where our attention and energy go!
professional fields, including events and meeting
organization and facilitation. Perhaps in the future,
visual practitioners will counteract the wave of WHAT IS OUR BUSINESS?
auto-draw apps, voice-recognition graphic recording Our ability to innovate is directly proportional to
bots, real-time visualization algorithms, and other our ability to elevate. This includes how we live and
forms of technology enabled for our field. embody our purpose. Many popular commercial brands
sell a product, but actually embody something else.
We have evolved and massively trained our perception, For instance, Harley Davidson sells motorcycles, but is
sensing, and facilitating skills. Creating group spaces, really in the business of life experiences. Apple sells
asking questions, sensing energy, harnessing collective electronics, but is really in the business of enabling
intelligence, and hosting solution spaces are our individual potential. Google is not in the business of
future. Let’s include these in our visual practice! search engines, email, and cloud storage, but rather
maintains a rigorous business model of advertising.
Becoming future-ready means going beyond markers,

paper, and meetings; we are in the business of
helping organizations and society elevate themselves
to their next evolutionary stage. Let’s step out of
our own shoes and embrace other perspectives!
WHERE IS OUR WORMHOLE?

The current paradigm of time stems from Sir Isaac
Newton. He said, and humanity still widely believes,
that time is absolute, unchangeable, and linear.
Today some believe that time and space fluctuate
based on varying perspectives. Plus, importance and
complexity often lead us to establish good priorities;
this results in the ability to complete more in less time.
Wormholes are bridges through the space-time

continuum that create shortcuts from one reality to
Figure 3: Question everything—start from within. another. Where will our field be if this magic happens?
What’s our impact? How can we create this? Let’s
consciously bend time, become exponential, and
WHERE IS OUR FOCUS? massively scale our impact. Let’s allow for expansion!
When futurists speak, they describe future technology,
facts, and figures. This, however, is only a small slice
of the future; the domains of consciousness and WHAT’S OUR ATTITUDE?
energy are exponentially larger! And they evolve, too. Hopefully, rather than just thinking about the drawings,
you hold a facilitation attitude around everything
Where attention goes, there energy flows. We you encounter. Facilitators and graphic recorders
manifest what we focus on and visualize. To keep up are trained to be neutral, but neutrality is often
with the accelerating pace of the world, energy and misunderstood. Furthermore, it can be difficult to
YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR FUTURE CASTING OUR FIELD 605
maintain a neutral attitude when facilitating spirited Without these, we are exploring a territory of
discussions around topics like ecology or technology. paradox, preoccupied by the previous stage.
We must consider whether our inner attitude is
displayed by our verbal and visual expressions. Our work as visual practitioners exists in the
domain of emergence. It’s that little drop of light
We must strive to remain in a conscious, constant that shines through a crack—we just need to widen
observation and listening mode, just as in meditation; the opening. Let’s identify our emerging light!
being present and yet detached. Visual facilitation
allows us to engage other viewpoints and gain new
perspective. If we are able to reflect, rather than HOW STRONG IS OUR ‘WE’ SPACE?
react, and we learn to set aside our own attitudes, In the future, we can evolve into a Transformative
we can easily move toward our collective, imagined Community of Practice (TCoP).6 That term, coined by
future. Let’s allow more truths to be included! my friend and fellow facilitator, George Pór, goes a step
beyond the traditional communities of practice (CoP).7
As a Transformative CoP, we can address vertical
HOW CONFIDENT IS OUR TRUST IN development, and initiate a new stage
INTUITION? for social systems.
If you strive for impact, one of several
necessary ingredients is intuition. It’s the power of As a field, we don’t operate from fear, competition,
knowing, without the availability of normal reasoning. predict-and-control linear thinking, or other ego-driven
Intuition is quick—it offers sincere information, manifestations. Our field operates more or less as
consciousness, and capacity. a living organism; a mutual ecosystem that enables
practitioners to learn from each other, and to share
We’re up at the wall, ready to scribe what we sense our jobs and resources. Let’s truly be one field!
and hear, ready to deliver an amazing graphic
recording. Fear is not helpful. Worries will get
us exactly where we don’t want to be. We must CONCLUSION
trust that the right things will come up. We must While these perspectives may be new to some visual
trust the truth of our intuitive perception. practitioners, I am confident that together we can
shift our normal way of thinking. Rather than trying to
solve twenty-first century problems with nineteenth
HOW AUDACIOUS IS OUR CONFIDENCE IN or twentieth century thinking, let’s become Future
YOUR FUTURE
EMERGENCE? Casting thinkers together. Our role gives us space to
A transition from one developmental stage to play a dramatic part in what’s ahead. New thinking
the next follows a pattern. It discards what’s not also means that nothing ahead of us is futuristic.
working, and carries forward what is working. In When we pay attention and make an effort to be
addition, opportunities for emergence5 are invited. present and open, we are living in the now.
5 For more on emergence, see Soeder and Arthur’s chapter, An Integrated Approach to the Visual Facilitation of the Future.
6 Pór, “Transformative Communities of Practice as an Evolutionary Force.” (Part two of the two-part column.)
7 Pór, “What is Next? Transformative Communities of Practice.” (Part one of the two-part column.)
WORKS CITED: Pór, George. “Transformative Communities

of Practice as an Evolutionary Force.”
Bird, Kelvy. Generative Scribing: A Social Art Enlivening Edge Magazine, 25 Jan. 2018,
of the 21st Century. PI Press, 2018. www.enliveningedge.org/columns/
transformative-communities-practice-
Cook-Greuter, Susanne R. “Mature Ego Development: evolutionary-force. Accessed 30 April 2019.
A Gateway to Ego Transcendence?”
Journal of Adult Development, vol. 7, Pór, George. “What is Next? Transformative Communities
no. 4, 2000, pp. 227-240. of Practice.” Enlivening Edge Magazine, 12 Dec. 2017,
www.enliveningedge.org/columns/
Kegan, Robert. The Evolving Self: Problem and Process what-is-next-transformative-communities-practice.
in Human Development. Harvard Accessed 30 April 2019.
University Press, 1982.
Prigogine, Ilya, and Stengers, Isabelle. Order Out
Kegan, Robert, and Lahey, Lisa L. Immunity to of Chaos: Man’s New Dialogue with Nature. Bantam
Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Books, 1984.
Potential in Yourself and Your Organization.
Harvard Business Review Press, 2009. Scharmer, Otto. “U.Lab: Transforming Business, Society,
and Self.” ottoscharmer.com,
www.ottoscharmer.com/programs/ulab.
Kelvy Bird Mark Tarallo
Kelvy Bird
ATTENDING
TO TONE
Embrace the subtleties of energy to tune attention
when approaching clients, projects, and empty walls.
Photo: Orest Tabaka

610 ATTENDING TO TONE YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR
ATTENDING TO TONE
As we head into the great unknown called the future, The point of this example is not to overshare—it’s
with all its demands and uncertainties, attending to to demonstrate that if I were able to address my
tone—an energetic field of presence—will help us keep nervousness, everything else, including my symptoms,
our cores steady, our hearts open, and our connections would change. As I rework the essence of my tone—my
with one another resilient. Tone, as I’m defining it in energy field, my spirit—I can embrace other ways of
regard to scribing, is a vibrational quality that infuses thinking (accept the nervousness and/or shift the root
our work, from the invisible to the visible domains.1 cause), find other structures (a nearby park with grass
and trees), attempt new behaviors (go for a walk), and
The 21st century will challenge the very existence of our produce new results (likely, a more relaxed Kelvy).
species. Climate change, inequity, and violence are ris-
ing at alarming and unprecedented rates. We live with As in life, so in scribing. Anything we can understand
the results—a disconnect from the planet created by personally we can apply directly to a visual—or other
over-consumption, a disconnect from each other creat- professional—practice. If we confront the subtleties
ed by social bias, and a disconnect from our authentic of energy in ourselves, then we can also attune
selves created by habits of addiction and avoidance.2 our thinking as we approach a client, a project,
or an empty wall waiting for our inky markers.
To address these symptoms, we can seek to understand
the structures and energy that cause them. What is this tonality, this spirit? How is it defined?
Additionally, we can inquire into the deeper tonality, What is its quality? I can reach into my own practice
or internal acoustics—the sounds within us,3 from for three positive reference points as examples:
which all our thinking and actions manifest. For
example, when I am nervous, I overeat (my own habit 1. Individually, when my spirit has felt most alive;
of addiction). Temporarily I feel better, but in the
long term my weight will increase and reinforce my 2. Organizationally, when client trust has bred
nervousness. To further break this dynamic down: confidence; and
∙∙My tone: nervous 3. Systemically, when care has activated

a global community.
∙∙My thinking: ice cream will help me feel better
These three points of light help guide my work as
∙∙The enabling structure: neighborhood a visual practitioner. Your own points of reference
market selling Ben & Jerry’s ice cream will be unique to you, and can be a similarly
powerful guide to constructive, creative action.
∙∙Behavior: overeating, consuming the entire pint
∙∙Symptoms: short-term relief, persistent

long-term nervousness
1 I use the term scribe to define the visual practice of drawing in front of and for a group of people. It harkens back to something
ancient, rooted in the Egyptian word sesh. According to Wikipedia, Seshat was the Egyptian goddess of wisdom and knowledge; she is
credited with inventing writing.
2 Scharmer and Kaufer, Leading from the Emerging Future: From Ego-System to Eco-System Economies (p.11).
3 Isaacs, Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together (p. 247).
YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR ATTENDING TO TONE 611
INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT
Image 1: The woods near where I grew up in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, USA.
I love the woods. I grew up between two households, I found rocks to sit on and cleared areas where
my mom’s and my dad’s, with a single common I could lie on the ground. Although I can’t remember
feature—a backyard surrounded by dense woods. exactly what else I did, I do clearly remember how
No neighboring houses were visible through I felt in those times: at ease, relaxing into something
the trees, not even in winter. There was complete larger than my small self, my issues, the day,
privacy, and in the 1970s, it was still safe for the year. Time was suspended. My senses came fully
children to wander alone in places like these. online to experience the wet earth, the plunking of
YOUR FUTURE
My brother and I spent hours back in the woods, falling acorns, a breeze skimming my face. I merged
each in our own section, enjoying the solitude. with the life force that the woods provided.
The regional setting was the lower Hudson Valley There is a coherence in nature, even with its great
of New York, where wildness meets suburbia. We complexity. Multiple feedback loops balance each
had four seasons of continual change that brought other to create regenerative cycles of growth. Each
buds in spring, dandelions and milkweed in summer, fern unfurls toward the light. Every bird takes
mounds of dried leaves on the ground in the fall, pause on a branch. Rotting logs renew the earth.
and iced puddles trapping twigs and pinecones No one part of a forest is independent. Even after
in winter. In private expeditions that took me out an extreme storm or raging fire, for example, when
of the house, beyond the mowed grass, and into creeks flood or prairies burn to the base, nature
the intricacies of a less-tended and freer space, rebalances and regenerates to remain whole.
I left textbooks and chores and family dynamics
behind. I was able to simply be in my surroundings.
Today when I scribe, it is the spirit of nature and my key qualities of the company’s culture. Marvin had
belief in its interconnected order that most infuses experienced graphic facilitation during an executive
my approach. Sometimes I do literally represent program at Harvard University. He had also worked
ferns, birds, branches, and logs. I also trust that closely with the Presencing Institute4 to explore EnPro’s
the parts within a drawing relate and that their potential as a publicly-traded company deliberately
relationship will make itself clear to me at the right focused on both human development and financial
time, and that the picture will unfold organically in success. From these past experiences, he was already
a way that makes sense. Spirit met me as a small a believer in the combined power of scribing and
child on a rock among tall trees. As an adult, when learning, though he had not previously applied these
I’m lost or seeking inspiration, or when nothing practices together within his own organization.
seems to fit together, I try to access the same wonder
I felt then, and bring it into the present moment. During the company retreat, he had the perfect oppor-
tunity to experiment, and his commitment to setting
I trust in natural order. I trust that you, too, can conditions for the most positive possible outcomes
identify a place or setting that evokes a similar sense of was clear. As the scribing team sat down with Marvin to
wholeness. Maybe it was grandmother’s arms or a best walk through his intent in bringing us together (in an
friend’s smile. Maybe it was the synergy of your softball open circle of chairs with no table), it occurred to me
team at the bottom of the ninth inning. Or maybe that, as a full group, we’d not yet had a conversation
it was the marvel of light shining through a glass bead. around the purpose of our work. Marvin and I had met
once in person to explore the role of visual facilitation
Wherever spirit meets us, it offers an aperture to at the conference, and we’d had several planning calls
another way of seeing, another way of being. to discuss the working agenda and logistics. I had
likewise communicated all that I knew to the team.
But it was not until the eleven of us met in the hotel
ORGANIZATIONAL TONALITY ballroom that the pieces started to fit into place.
When working with organizations, how we engage
tonality will either make or break a project. Tone When we heard Marvin speak about the company, his
informs the thinking in the room, the structures in deep concern for personal development became ob-
play, and the behaviors in use. Many of us know what vious. This was not an, “Okay, I’m the COO and you are
it’s like to walk into a room intended for dialogue all here for the day, working for me to make something
(which requires a generous tone, a space where open pretty . . . let’s make this quick,” kind of talk—which
sharing is encouraged) to find instead an ill-suited would have been purely outcome-oriented. No. He
room with a huge table surrounded by chairs (a set genuinely believed, and conveyed to us, that our pres-
up that results in half of everyone’s body being ence in the room—and our resulting drawings—would
hidden from view). What happens? The physical be part of the transformative act of learning that he
block creates barriers in the conversation, distances wanted his company’s ninety top leaders to experience.
people from one another, and inhibits the flow of
energy—not what was intended, but what occurs as He walked us through the vision he held for EnPro,
a consequence of the organizers failing to include and then took as much time as was needed to answer
tone as a foundational component of the gathering. our questions about the session, the company, his
own role, and so on. With his commitment, he set
In early 2018, nine scribes and I came together as the tone. He trusted our inner capacity to find our
a team to support the global manufacturing company, way into the topics, into the values infused in his
EnPro, at an annual leadership retreat. We were company’s culture. This established a key condition
brought in by Marvin Riley, the company’s COO, to that helped us show up and scribe in a generative
apply visual facilitation to ten conversations around way that best served his team and organization.
4 The Presencing Institute is an awareness-based, action-research community for profound individual and institutional renewal. For
more information, visit www.presencing.org.
Image 2: Custom inks mixed to match the palette I developed for EnPro, based on their
logo, to establish a harmonious element between the many drawings.
YOUR FUTURE
Image 3: Row of images from the EnPro session (distorted, but . . . you get the point!).
SYSTEMIC ENERGY The energy? Early on, our team crowdsourced key
Just as spirit can be found in the woods and tone is qualities of u.lab; we call the results the three C’s:
set in organizations, energy is manifested in systems. curiosity, compassion, and courage. These qualities
continue to infuse the design and delivery of
“A system is an interconnected set of elements the course materials, the efforts to convene people and
that is coherently organized in a way that achieves related events, the coaching circles where participants
something . . . [It] must consist of three kinds of meet to discuss their cases, the overall platform
things: elements, interconnections, and a function development, and many other aspects of the program.
or purpose.”5 And energy, a core systems-activator
that influences tone, flows through them all. Another C that affects tone in systems is care.
From planning and delivery through prototyping
Take a family system, for example. The elements and scaling, the u.lab team and ecosystem are
are the family members. The interconnections are infused with a quality of care—for each other, for
conversations and activities. And the purpose might be the platform itself, and for the outcomes we are
to tend to one another through cycles of growth and trying to achieve: the transformation of business,
change. In many families, the fortunate ones, there is society, and individual selves. When I meet others
also a quality of love that flows through the members, who are part of u.lab—people I previously did not
activities, and cycles. The love is the energy know, from regions and cultures around the world—
of the system. we instantly connect because of this common care.
Another system I am deeply familiar with is an Occasionally, during my scribing for u.lab, I’ve felt
online learning platform called u.lab.6 For several overwhelmed by the complexity of the live broadcast.
years now I have been on the core design and I have started sessions by drawing from habit or
development team, while providing live-broadcast memory, marking shapes and titles in a way I have
scribing and other graphic components that done many times before, too quickly filling the 5×14
anchor key content. The elements of the platform foot blackboard (approximately 1.5×4 meters) in
are individuals, teams, and self-organizing hubs. the first twenty minutes of a ninety-minute session.
The interconnections are exchanges of content and My eagerness to perform well has driven my behavior,
ideas between the participants. The function is causing me to bypass the slower, longer-term rhythm
societal transformation. And the deeper purpose is of the multi-month and annually-repeating program.
awakening the intelligence of the human heart. When I’m able to catch this behavior, all I need to do is
sense and reconnect with the tone of my colleagues.
Reorienting in this way produces space for my practice,
for the resulting drawing, and for the participant-
audience to engage in a more conscious
(less reactive) manner.
A FINAL THOUGHT
As practitioners—visual or otherwise—we can make
decisions based on our sense of spirit, influencing
the energy we want to bring to a situation, influencing
a tone we set. Doing this can underpin how we think,
the structures we form, the ways we conduct our-
Image 4: Participants of u.lab share a mindfulness moment selves, and the results of our actions. It is a gesture
during a session in 2017 where we broadcast toward intentionally creating the future we want.
scribing from the Munich Hub.
5 Meadows, “The Basics,” in Thinking in Systems: A Primer (p.11).

6 Otto Scharmer’s course, u.lab: Transforming Business, Society, and Self, is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). It was developed by
Scharmer and, since 2014, has been delivered annually through MITx to more than 100,000 participants across the globe.
Photo: Orest Tabaka

WORKS CITED:
Isaacs, William. Dialogue: The Art of Thinking Together.

Random House, 1999.
Meadows, Donella H. “The Basics.”

Thinking in Systems: A Primer. Edited by Diana
Wright, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008, pp. 11-34.
Presencing Institute. Presencing Institute,

www.presencing.org. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Scharmer, Otto. “U.Lab: Transforming Business, Society,
YOUR FUTURE
and Self.” ottoscharmer.com,
www.ottoscharmer.com/programs/ulab.
Scharmer, Otto, and Katrin Kaufer. Leading

from the Emerging Future: From Ego-System to
Eco-System Economies. Berrett-Koehler, 2013.
Wikipedia contributors. “Seshat.”

Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia,
en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seshat&oldid=877606403.
Michelle Walker
THE GROWING EDGE FOR

VISUAL PRACTITIONERS
Identifying the value of the services we provide is not always
intuitive. If you struggle to articulate the nature of your
services or the extent of the benefits ou provide, or if you’ve
ever questioned your daily rate, this chapter is for you.

618 THE GROWING EDGE FOR VISUAL PRACTITIONERS YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR
THE GROWING EDGE FOR VISUAL PRACTITIONERS

There are aspects of our work that can pose What we do outwardly—
difficulties for new-to-the-field practitioners. From
my experience (as a visual facilitator and business working on large format
coach to other practitioners), I have found three
important factors that optimize communication with paper with markers, or
clients and encourage the growth of our field.
using digital tablets—and
1. Framing and Explaining: How do you
describe this work in ways that matter what we do less obviously—
to clients and prospective clients?
being present, holding
2. Valuing and Charging: How do you highlight how
this work helps clients achieve their outcomes? the space, listening,
3. Learning and Growing: How can we learn from synthesizing, organizing,
our own experiences, and share these learnings
with others to enable community growth? making ideas visible—are
Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors. two very different things.
Tools, techniques, and processes are more tangible
1. FRAMING AND EXPLAINING: DESCRIBING and easier to explain; however, focusing on these
OUR WORK can overshadow the less apparent aspects of our
New practitioners may struggle with work. For example, a graphic recorder might say, “I
explaining this work to others. work with large chart paper that I hang on the wall,
and I capture the conversation as it unfolds using
icons and words with my colorful markers.” The
description is accurate, yet it misses the value that
a graphic recorder brings to a group discussion.
This struggle is often shared by visual facilitators.
To illustrate, I want to introduce a marketing

metaphor. Imagine the client is on pain island
(the problem they want solved), and they want to
get to pleasure island (the results they seek). You
are the captain of a boat that can transport them
between the two.1 As practitioners, the tools and
techniques we use are the ‘boat’. We know the boat
can transport clients from where they are now to
where they want to be. We find it easy to talk about
the boat because it is tangible and obvious.
1 This metaphor comes from Vrinda Normand of Irresistible Marketing. For more, see: www.irresistiblemarketing.com/blog-home-page.
YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR THE GROWING EDGE FOR VISUAL PRACTITIONERS 619
Clients, however, want to hear that we under- ∙∙For Groups: Describe how your work empowers
stand both the problem they want solved (pain a group to move through conflict and past
island) and the results they want to get (pleasure polarized positions by recognizing and mapping
island). If we focus on the tools and techniques different viewpoints, which, in turn, can enable
(the boat), clients may miss the extent of the groups to reach an agreeable position faster.
value that visual techniques can provide.
∙∙For Organizations: Describe the value of visual
techniques to support performance reviews,
solidify identification of future goals, and
clarify indicators of success. Similarly, our
techniques support organizational change,
the effects of new processes, and structural
and cultural changes on an enterprise.2
∙∙For Individuals: Describe your ability to map

personal and professional strengths, professional
goals, and identify career opportunities.3 Our work
also plays a role in managing difficult, high-conflict
situations, such as navigating the powerlessness
Figure 1: We take clients from Pain Island to Pleasure Island. and frustration felt during separation and divorce.4
We have the opportunity to link our work directly

to client struggles and describe it in their terms. 2. VALUING AND CHARGING: HIGHLIGHTING
This might require adjusting how we speak about OUR VALUE
our work to demonstrate our ability to move Some practitioners struggle to articulate the value
clients from their pain to their desired results. this work brings to their clients because it can seem
nebulous and subjective. In addition, because
Pain points that a client might be experiencing the work of listening, synthesizing, and visualizing
include group conflict, a lack of shared vision, or low comes naturally to many attracted to this work,
participant engagement. Desired results might include the suite of skills may not be clearly understood
improved team morale, robust decision-making, by the practitioners themselves. Some might also
consensus, and shared clarity of vision and strategy. experience ‘comparitis,’ whereby they hold themselves
YOUR FUTURE
to standards of other, more seasoned practitioners,
Examples of clear, results-oriented language and deem their own abilities less worthy. As a result,
to speak about our work include: a newer practitioner might downplay the value of
their work and drastically discount their billing
rate. Those new to the field might also overlook
the skills and experience transferred from previous
professional fields, which is often quite valuable.
2 For more on this, see the chapter entitled Conversations that Matter: Visual Collaboration among Educators.
3 For more, see the chapter, Coaching with Templates.
4 For more, see the chapter, Visuals Meet Mediation.
Limiting beliefs common among more work. While some practitioners do use this to
visual practitioners include: their advantage, the following should be considered:
∙∙It’s easy, so everyone must be able to do it; 1. Will the event give you practice and
experience that you feel is a valuable
∙∙I’m new, so I’ll take any work I can exchange for your time and skills?
get and not charge a full rate;
2. Will the event add needed work to your portfolio?
∙∙I’m not as good as <insert name of
very experienced practitioner>; 3. Will it allow you to learn from others?
∙∙I love the work I do, so I don’t feel 4. Will it foster professional relationships that
right to charge a full rate; could serve your practice in the future?
∙∙I can never have too many markers, 5. Is the event something you wish to
colors, or funky-shaped sticky notes. support as a community contribution?
Okay, I completely agree with the last one! But If the answer is yes to any of those questions, then
the others can impact a practitioner’s ability to fully lean in! Pro bono work may not always bring paid
value and charge their worth with confidence. work, so when I accept an invitation, I do so knowing
that future paid work must not be my motivation.
Some tips for rethinking this issue are:
Managing pro bono requests can be made easier
∙∙Consider the cost of gathering a group and holding by using an application that defines your values.
an event. This includes participants’ salaries, The group making the request can then become
plus direct event costs. Consider how your skills familiar with your why, and offer information
can make the event more effective and efficient, that indicates their level of seriousness, helping
relative to the time and resources expended, you make a decision that is right for you.
and directly amplify the delivered results.
A note of caution when accepting pro bono work—you
∙∙Think of how unguided conversations can result may want to avoid the expectation that you will
in a disengaged audience, and how the work provide services at no cost in the future. One approach
of visual practitioners supports people to is to send the requestor an invoice that shows
stay focused and engaged, and encourages the usual rate with the discounted or pro bono rate.
them to contribute to the discussions.
The bottom line is that practitioners are
∙∙Consider the stress and struggle that individuals seeking to earn a living from this work. If
and groups face when working together, and the majority of us undercharge for our services,
how your skills can guide their way forward this will negatively affect impressions of the
and make their goals easier to achieve. field, limit its value, and stunt its growth.
One consideration for valuing and charging is how to

handle requests for pro bono work. In my experience,
the request is often accompanied by an assertion
that the event will give you exposure and lead to
3. LEARNING AND GROWING: HARVESTING Option C starts with viewing the event as an in-
LESSONS AND SHARING EXPERIENCES tervention, carefully designed to achieve specific
When you complete a project, which of the outcomes for the client. This is very different than
following do you most commonly do? simply facilitating a workshop, graphically recording
an event, or developing an animated explainer video.
A. Exit stage left. Leave with your chart roll
or tablet, waving goodbye to the client. Adopting a process for structured feedback regarding
the impact of your services must include
B. Conduct an informal harvest. Have a quick chat specific methods; this way, you can measure
with your client before heading out the door. success. I use the same approach for every
project: ask the client to imagine they are at
C. Conduct a formal, structured harvest. the end of the event.5 It has been a huge success.
Get written feedback and have a de- Then ask them to describe the following:
tailed debrief with your client.
∙∙What are they seeing?
∙∙What are participants saying to one another?
∙∙What have they seen take place during the event?
∙∙How are they feeling?
For graphic recording work, you might also ask how

the client sees the final visual outputs contributing
to the outcomes that have been identified. While
working through these questions in advance, you can
also speak directly to the benefits of visual capture,
such as focusing participants’ attention, paraphrasing
their input, enabling observations from different
perspectives, highlighting common themes, and
serving as a memory anchor long after the event.
YOUR FUTURE
My experience is that this direct questioning leads to
details that define success. Speaking with individual
members of the organizing team can elicit different
priorities and areas of emphasis. Doing so in advance
helps avoid differences in perspective and priority;
ideally, these issues should be resolved
before going into the meeting room. (I had
one memorable planning discussion with a
Figure 2: A few extra minutes helps you avoid client group that took two ninety-minute calls
missed opportunities for learning. before an agreed purpose became clear.)
Those who answered A or B are missing The process I described above relates to
an opportunity to gather detailed information the immediate outcomes. Identifying medium
about the quality and impact of their work. and long-term outcomes are just as important.
5 For more information, visit Curious Minds Co., at www.curiousmindsco.com.au.

I find it useful to picture an event (such as a workshop of good communication across the new company,
or company retreat) as a pebble. The organization and know whom to contact and for what.”
or group is investing time and resources to hold
the event (throwing the pebble into the pond) “Twelve months from now . . . All staff, from the front-
and they expect certain outcomes (ripples across line customer service officers to the executive leader-
the water). If these outcomes are clearly defined ship team, are aligned with the new cultural values of
before the event, you can identify feedback questions the company, see how their roles contribute, and
that will assist in evaluating what results have been understand that by helping others achieve their targets,
achieved by the visual facilitation or recording. they are helping the company achieve its overall goals.”
This client agreed to evaluate the event’s

success in three steps.
1. Participant feedback form on the day: seeking

views on the value of the event to individuals, the
biggest thing they learned, the most (and the least)
important sessions, and any ideas for improvements.
2. Team debrief within a week of the event:

reviewing feedback from participants and
Figure 3: The metaphor of creating ripples from tossing a pebble discussing outcomes and learnings.
into a pond can be helpful when discussing the impacts that the
client wishes to create from an event. 3. Organizational survey three months
after the event: gauging the longer-term
To explain further, I was once engaged to facilitate changes in behavior and attitudes as a result
a workshop for an organization going through a of the workshop, and its impact on culture.
merger. I asked the client team what outcomes
they were seeking from the event, including how Other business practices you might include for
they would describe success on that day, at their each project are sending a client satisfaction
workplace on the following Monday, and twelve survey to your key contact so you can learn and
months after the event. Their combined answer was: improve your practice, and personally completing
a post-event reflection process to document what
“At the end of the day . . . People will be commenting you did, what worked, any unexpected outcomes,
on how much they’ve learned about the strengths and what you would do differently in the future (see
of the two companies, and what’s going to be great the companion website to this book to download
about the new, merged company. Everyone was fully a copy of the “Practice Reflection Template”6).
engaged during the discussions and willing to shift
their perspective from the company they knew to The project is not complete when the participants
the new company that we are forming together.” leave or the deliverable is emailed to the client. There
is an opportunity to harvest more from each job so
“Back in the office Monday . . . The executive we can learn and grow as a community of practice.
team is rock solid, enjoying stronger personal
relationships, which, in turn, support collaborative
action toward company goals. Managers are
more likely to seek out the views and advice from
managers in other sections. They’ve got open lines
6 For more of Michelle Walker’s templates, see her book, Building Your Visual Language Library: 15 Visual Templates for Facilitators,
available here: www.curiousmindsco.com.au/visual-templates-book.
Conducting structured evaluations and reflections, consultants, coaches, business owners, and
and sharing lessons learned with others in the visual organizational learning specialists;
practitioner community, can contribute to growing our
collective knowledge. Vital learnings can come from: ∙∙Different regions of the globe, with differences
in language, culture, customs, and history.
∙∙Any level of practitioner, whether new to
the field or with decades of experience; My wishes for the future are that we continue to:
highlight the value we provide, find new and innovative
∙∙Different perspectives based on unique ways to explain our work (in terms most useful
backgrounds, and the knowledge and to our clients), and grow and share our individual
disciplines (and life experiences) that shape learnings to contribute to our collective knowledge.
the focus of each person’s practice;
So remember: If you can define success, you
∙∙Different perspectives due to the unique can learn from it. And if you can demonstrate
roles, such as team leaders, managers, results, you can demonstrate value!
YOUR FUTURE
Figure 4: Using the Practice Reflection Template can help you improve your future practice.
WORKS CITED:
Curious Minds Co.: Drawing Out Great Ideas.

Curious Minds Co., www.curiousmindsco.com.au.
Normand, Vrinda.
Irresistible Marketing. Irresistible Marketing Blog,
www.irresistiblemarketing.com/blog-home-page.
The Draw Ability Project: Boost Your Visual Vocab.

Draw Ability, draw-ability.com. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Walker, Michelle. Building Your Visual Language

Library: 15 Visual Templates for Facilitators.
Curious Minds Co., 2016. Available from
www.curiousmindsco.com.au/visual-templates-book.
Sabine Soeder and Mary Alice Arthur
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
TO VISUAL FACILITATION
OF THE FUTURE
The Four Fold Practice described in this chapter
empowers an awareness of different perspectives. It
enables an ongoing practice of developing possibilities
through the use of visuals as a harvesting tool.
628 AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO VISUAL FACILITATION OF THE FUTURE YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO
VISUAL FACILITATION OF THE FUTURE
Have you ever watched the masters in the field of to administrations like the European Commission and
visual practice or facilitation? Their work seems almost NGOs, to the education sector, to local communities.
effortless, even magical. They seem to create a field of
intention and invitation around themselves, a space
where people listen and connect more deeply. How do THE FOUR FOLD PRACTICE
they do that? We believe that the quality and focus of The Four Fold Practice is one of the main
their personal practice leads to a quality of work that pillars of this approach. It’s a way of making
invites the presence of magic. In this chapter we offer the different perspectives around the practice
a map, so you can discover how to do this yourself. of hosting and harvesting more tangible.
The co-authors of this chapter are both Art of We use the concept of
Hosting1 practitioners, one firmly grounded in visual
facilitation, and the other in facilitation. While we hosting as “creating a
each had a toolbox full of resources and skills
when we first met the Art of Hosting, we recognized space for meaningful
a ‘glue’ that would take our foundations of working
in groups to a new level. We met as practitioners, conversations that matter
working together in teams to practice hosting with
groups. Below, we’ll share a practice pattern that to the participants,” and
we use, including specifics and real-life stories.
harvesting as “generating
The approach, The Art of Hosting (AoH) and Harvesting
Conversations That Matter, is a form of collaboration group outcomes and results
whereby dialogic collective intelligence becomes
tangible and, through this, different results can to support the sensemaking
be co-created. AoH is based on the premise that
conversation is a medium of transformation and, process in a strategic way.”
therefore, its foundation is based on interactive
conversations. With as minimal structure as needed It starts at the personal level and evolves into co-cre-
(and as much self-organization as possible), it offers ation inside a community of practice. It is a holon,
both a process field and tools for framing processes meaning that each fold encompasses and takes further
of collaboration and transformation. This enables the fold before. If the most dramatic impact on any
new solutions to be generated in complex context group is the inner state of the intervener
situations. AoH is an open-source practice, shared (as Bill O’Brien2 posited), then creating a foundation
through trainings worldwide, and in continuous for your work is vitally important.
further development. It is practiced in very different
fields and applications, from classical enterprises,
1 To learn more about the Art of Hosting organization and philosophy, see www.artofhosting.org.
2 Scharmer, “Uncovering the Blind Spot of Leadership,”
www.dailygood.org/story/450/uncovering-the-blind-spot-of-leadership-c-otto-scharmer.
YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO VISUAL FACILITATION OF THE FUTURE 629
We think the Four Fold ∙∙Host Yourself: Find the practices that will
help you to stay focused and present
Practice offers a solid
∙∙ Be Hosted: Be a good participant and
container for visual support others to participate
practitioners to track their ∙∙ Host & Harvest Conversations That Matter:

Practice the skills that create spaces where
own development, and to conversations support transformation
consider and enhance their ∙∙ Hosting Together: Be part of a

community of practice; co-create
learning edges. Furthermore,
it allows a broader WHAT DOES HOSTING MEAN?
On a meta-level, hosting is a broad approach to
consciousness around leadership and facilitation. Instead of focusing on
the process as the instrument of transformation,
the possible impact on hosting uses participatory processes that engage both
the mind and heart to open the door to emergence.
performance through visuals. Participants are supported as they work together
YOUR FUTURE
Figure 1: The Four Fold Practice.

through the divergent and emergent phases of devel- of the art. Practice begins wherever you are, and
opment to co-create a new level of potential. Through continues as a journey of discovery throughout the
skillful weaving of process, group energetics are years. There are endless ways to begin the journey, and
enhanced and supported. A strong container is created continual layers of depth and dimension to uncover.
so that people can stay together through turbulence.
Anything might happen, but when people feel well and Let’s unpack what a practice of hosting and harvesting
respectfully held in a collaborative field, they are more might look like. The journey starts with ourselves.
trustful in exploring what else might be possible.
1. Host Yourself – Be Present –
@ Pro Tip: Emergence is the space between

divergence—when a group comes to
Harvest Yourself
The more present you are,
the more curious you can
know all its qualities, questions, and be, and the more helpful,
attributes—and convergence—the time as well. This begins with
when a group starts to co-create its goals. hosting yourself and
developing your personal
practice.
Emergence is that messy space in the middle
where no one knows the answer; that place where I was invited to work as a steward for a team of young
we have moved beyond our known concepts. Most hosts. “We have this training handled,” they said, “but
people feel very uncomfortable in this space, you can come along for the ride!” The turbulence began
and yet this is the place of ultimate possibility with my arrival. We learned that a fire had broken out
and innovation.3 Good hosting makes a strong in the night and devastated the heart of the commu-
container for people to stay together during nity. One of the team pulled out to tend to it. A young
the turbulence that emergence often requires. woman in the community died in childbirth the next
day. A tragedy happened in the extended family of one
of our other teammates. And there was turbulence
WHAT DOES HARVESTING MEAN? within the team itself. I knew life was asking me to
More than just a graphic recording of what happened, step up and create a solid ground for the training.
harvesting is about generating meaningful outcomes The only way to do that was to rely on my deep per-
that add value. Harvesting can be created in many sonal practice to remain calm, grounded, and focused
different forms—visuals, texts, stories, photographs, enough to support both the team and the training.
and more (many of which you can discover in this –Mary Alice
book). By making different perspectives visible
we can be more mindful of what we use, how we How do I host myself? My body, my mind, my spirit?
use it, and when we use it. Integrating harvesting Hosting and harvesting require presence: a quality of
at the beginning of a project is a highly strategic authenticity, vulnerability, confidence, and courage,
approach to reaching successful results. We also gain which come from deep personal work. Presence is
more clarity about what is needed at each particular a holistic emergent quality, incorporating physical,
phase of facilitation, as harvesting supports the un- mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Presence
folding of collective sense and meaning-making. is what allows a host and a harvester to stand in
the midst of intense emotion and tolerate chaos
Hosting and harvesting are like yin and yang. While without rushing to fix anything; to be comfortable
distinct and different, they are complementary partners with silence, to work in service of a purpose.
in creating great outcomes. Both hosting and harvest-
ing are an ongoing practice leading to the mastery
3 These principles have been well constructed in Sam Kaner’s work, Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making.
What is my personal practice for being present? There you can listen to someone else first, and then
are so many ways to begin! Some people meditate; encourage others to speak up and contribute.
others run, swim, focus on breathwork, pet the dog, or
play with the children. Some people swear by a good Have you ever thought how you would like to be
night’s sleep, some focus their intention. . . . There are harvested? Which messages of your story are really
as many ways to create a personal practice of aware- important for you? Which key insights should
ness as there are people! Having a personal practice the audience hear, understand, and remember?
means you have solid ground to return to when some- Consider an event with a visual facilitator in
thing unexpected happens. This will keep you from the room—which elements, from your perspective,
becoming overwhelmed by someone’s outburst, or by must be on that drawing? How do you ensure
a sudden and complete change of plans. It enables that this happens? Or where can you release
you, the host, to stay in a mindset of “I wonder . . . ?” control and let a natural emergence occur?
rather than being wedded to a preconceived answer.
To go one step further: how can you help create expe-
The other side of the coin is self-harvesting. What riences in which everyone is part of the harvesting?
helps you to be in self-reflection and to harvest
your experiences and learning? In what ways do How do you make sure that the key messages you
you structure your thoughts and working steps? In want to provide to an audience are understood and
a journal? A planner? Sketchnoting? By writing diary received? What is the responsibility of the person
entries? The goal here is to discover how you harvest speaking to ensure that the audience is getting the
for yourself. How do you make sense of what you message? As the graphic recorder, how do you ensure
hear, experience, and learn? What structures help that the most important points are captured?
you quickly grasp and integrate your learning?
One day I met with a friend of mine, a well-known
2. Be Hosted – Participate – Be Harvested keynote speaker. He was sharing an experience of a
Once you have a solid ground talk he had recently given in London. “And there was
on which to host and harvest one of your guys in the room—a graphic recorder.
yourself, your next step is Afterwards, I wanted to take a picture to tweet it . . . but
working with others, I found none of the key elements from my talk.” (Yes,
participating. How do you as we all know, there are keynote speakers who are
best enter into listening? difficult to understand—but this is a topic
In which surroundings are for another day . . .)
YOUR FUTURE
you most comfortable –Sabine
participating in conversations? Where do you feel like a
welcomed guest? Where are you able to relinquish Of course a graphic recorder can always check with
control of the outcome? Where can you be a simple the speaker after the presentation and before things
observer and contributor to a bigger goal? Participating are published—but let’s think a bit more about
on all levels means engaging in a curious, open way. that. How can we take collective responsibility—as
the speaker, the harvester, and the client? Who
For some of us, this is challenging. We are often can take part in the harvest, and in what way?
goal-oriented and focused on an outcome.
As a participant, I can take care to clearly articulate my
We feel the tension to produce something, to have points. I can also support others to help make their
our contribution noticed. Hosting yourself means points clear. I can invite them to participate. Together
you’ve created enough solid ground inside that we can bring more clarity to the conversation, working
in tandem to ensure that clarity gets harvested.
3. Hosting Conversations that Matter – Helping a group of people connect through dialogue
Harvesting Conversations that Matter around a common purpose supports them as they
generate something new. Diverse methods for creating
the conditions of a good flow are available. Select
your hosting method based on the intention and
value-creation process of conversational rounds.
Art of Hosting uses The Circle Way, World Café,
Open Space Technology, and Appreciative Inquiry
as some of its foundational methods, but there are
myriad ways to create a good group process.
Similarly, there are a wide variety of harvesting

methods that can be used, depending on your required
The third element in the Four Fold Practice is Hosting outcome. The foundational methods of the Art of
and Harvesting Conversations that Matter. While Harvesting include graphic recording, graphic
most visual practitioners will be mainly engaged facilitation, storytelling, photography, and more. In fact,
in work they are hired to do, it also pays to think having the harvest in mind first helps to focus
about which conversations you want to support, the hosting, and might indicate the best process flow
either because they appeal to you, or because it’s to use. The harvesting process can be determined
the right thing to do. In fact, a great question to by asking questions like: What is important to
continually ask yourself is this: What is mine to do? be documented? What should be reflected and
made memorable? What will the people who were
I remember hearing the story of Denmark going part of the process need later to remind them
bankrupt in 1813, and I realized that there were layers of the agreements they made? What should be
of meaning within this story—things that the world communicated to people outside the room?
should know. At the time I didn’t live in Denmark,
speak Danish, or even know much about the history Sometimes harvesting will be greatly enhanced by
surrounding this period, but the story claimed me. including templates to engage the participants.
It was mine to do. At first I felt alone, but I gathered And, of course, harvesting can be both analog
a team around me, including visual facilitators and digital, visible in the room on paper,
who could bring this little-known part of history or visible and shareable on-screen.
to life. We spent more than two years in a variety
of forums learning from this historical moment. It’s always good to have a hosting-harvesting team
that works seamlessly together. This provides
–Mary Alice more presence in the room, which supports
the flow of whatever wants to emerge.
Hosting a good conversation is balanced by hosting

a good harvest. Both of these are strategic moves
focused around providing the best experience—
now and in the future—for the people
who are participating in the process.
4. Hosting and Harvesting

Together – Co-Creating and Learning
In 2014, I was asked by the Catholic community of

Oberursel (north of Frankfurt) if I could support them
to create a participatory approach to community
visioning. From the beginning it was clear that we
needed a diverse group, a gathering where all could
bring their knowledge, skills, and wisdom to co-create
something new. I was invited to show up not as
an expert of participatory processes, but as an expert
As we learn to host and harvest, we need a on how to host co-creative spaces for something new
lot of practice. Most of us learn best through to emerge. The idea was to connect all that was in
experience, or by explaining to others what we the ‘system’ at that moment and let it evolve.
are doing (teaching). The opportunities to practice It took over a year to create the process,
together are powerful. And if you want to be and two years in the process to result in a vision for
a practitioner, the practicing never stops! that community—staying in the space where we have
to share our knowledge, but at the same time, let go
Our experiences lead us through all the other folds of fixed ideas so that something bigger can emerge.
of the Four Fold Practice—how are we hosting and Eventually we became a community of practice.4
harvesting ourselves? How are we hosted and harvest-
ed? And how are we hosting and harvesting others? –Sabine
The fourth fold asks, how can we become a learning
community? This is one of the gifts we experience Both hosting and harvesting are skills which everyone
at the Art of Hosting, and in visual facilitation can master. They are much needed to help us step into
communities worldwide. When we come spaces of complexity and difficult issues together.
together in a community of practice, we create We dream of a future where everyone can use these
more ground for the tangible skills of our skills, to help bring us to a new stage of human
profession to arise, and for the intangible co-working and development. From the use of simple
YOUR FUTURE
connection we feel as practitioners to grow. visuals and drawing, to creating more complex forms of
harvesting, we are moving toward a time when every-
Co-creation has become a kind of buzzword—it one can make visuals a foundation of their practice.
can be challenging to co-create something! When
co-creating a space where something new can The Four Fold Practice empowers an awareness
emerge, every contribution is appreciated, and of different perspectives. It enables an ongoing
everyone feels they are contributing to a bigger practice of developing possibilities through
purpose. This creates a deeper value to the work. the use of visuals as a harvesting tool.
4 To read about the co-created harvest, see XXL Pfarrei: Wie Menschen Kirche entwickeln (XXL Parish: How People Develop Church), a
book co-authored by more than ten participants of this project.
WORKS CITED:
Art of Hosting. Art of Hosting, www.artofhosting.org. Accessed 11 June 2019.
“Core Art of Hosting Practices.” Art of Hosting Online Community,

artofhosting.ning.com/page/core-art-of-hosting-practices. Accessed 11 June 2019.
Degan, Susanne, and Unfried, Andreas. XXL Pfarrei: Wie Menschen Kirche entwick-
eln (XXL Parish: How People Develop Church). Echter Verlag, 2018.
Kaner, Sam. Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making. 3rd ed., Jossey-Bass, 2014.
Scharmer, C. Otto. “Uncovering the Blind Spot of Leadership.” dailygood.org, 09 July 2013.
www.dailygood.org/story/450/uncovering-the-blind-spot-of-leadership-c-otto-scharmer.
Accessed 11 June 2019..
YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR FUTURE OF THE FIELD: CONCLUSION 635
FUTURE OF THE FIELD: CONCLUSION

Trent Wakenight
Our world is a stage for the constant interplay between

competing and complementary forces. The shifting bal-
ance between opposing ideological beliefs and actions
is played out daily, and never before has the ability
to draw others together, shape a vision for the future,
and foster unity been more valuable and important.
The role of visuals and the visual practitioner will never

be lost in this process. Reaching back to our hominid
days, when our ancestors created paintings on the
walls of caves, and stretching far into a technologically
advanced future, when our great-grandchildren will
use visualization tools we have yet to imagine,
the ability to capture stories and bring meaning
to context will always have a place and a role.
Collectively, we can strive to help others recognize the

value of our work, and the importance of our contri-
butions, far beyond the ‘mechanics’ of what we do.
THE FUTURE
WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION ABOUT THE EDITORS AND CO-AUTHORS 637
ABOUT THE EDITORS AND CO-AUTHORS

MARSHA ACKER graphic recorder, trainer, and conference presenter,
Renatta is a globally recognized thought leader.
Marsha is a leadership and team coach. She With a unique blend of business acumen and art,
helps leaders tap into their collective wisdom Renatta uses her visual practice expertise and
and intelligence so that they can lead with deep listening skills to shine a light on issues
alignment, clarity, purpose, and vision. Marsha is in HR, at the board level, and in the C-suite. She
a Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF), a Pro- maximizes her natural creativity while getting
fessional Certified Coach (PCC), and the founder the most functionality from the best materials.
of TeamCatapult, a leadership coaching and Renatta serves on the board of the International
team development company based in Maryland. Forum of Visual Practitioners (IFVP), and is a
She combines twenty-five years of experience founding board member of the IFVP Institute.
in facilitation with executive coaching, systems www.ifvp.org/users/renatta-pastorino-
thinking, structural dynamics, and agility to algalarrondo
support leaders as they tackle complex challenges
and lead change. She holds a BS from Virginia
Tech and an MS from the University of Maryland. LISA ARORA
www.teamcatapult.com/about/our-team/
marsha-acker Lisa is the founder of Get The Picture, based in
Victoria, Canada. An expert facilitator for over
a decade, Lisa helps executives, CEOs, boards,
BRANDY AGERBECK government officials, and project leaders clarify
their desired futures and align their actions
Brandy writes, speaks, and teaches how to to get results. A pioneer of visual mediation,
reclaim drawing as your best thinking tool. Brandy Lisa works with teams and families leveraging
published the much-loved book The Graphic the power of visual communication to resolve
Facilitator’s Guide in 2012. She followed this disputes quickly and easily. She speaks at
bible of the field with the book for every visual dispute resolution conferences and is the creator
thinker, The Idea Shapers, called “A new alphabet of BIG Beginnings in Visual Mediation, the
for the visual age,” by cultural analyst Patricia world’s only online dispute resolution program.
Martin. Brandy is also the proud co-editor of the www.getthepicture.ca and www.bigtimevisual.com
anthology Drawn Together Through Visual Practice
with fellow contributors Kelvy Bird and Sam Bradd.
Teaching online and in-person, Brandy is a ‘triple MARY ALICE ARTHUR
threat’ of world-class expert, top-notch trainer,
and seamless facilitator. www.loosetooth.com Mary Alice is a Story Activist, using story to help
create positive systemic shift and to apply collec-
tive intelligence to the critical issues of our time.
RENATTA ALGALARRONDO She creates brave and transformational spaces
where people can find, craft, and—through partic-
Renatta, a lifelong visual artist, has been a ipatory practice—live the stories that take them to
graphic recorder for over fifteen years. As a their most flourishing future. As an international
638 ABOUT THE EDITORS AND CO-AUTHORS WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
steward of the Art of Hosting, she teaches partic- SAM BRADD

ipatory practice around the world. Mary Alice is
spreading the meme of story activism, supporting Sam helps groups engage, solve problems, and
people to develop their practice and engage in lead. As the principal of Drawing Change, Sam
leading-edge conversations about power and has worked in nine countries with countless
potential in our world. www.artofhosting.org, organizations (including the World Health Orga-
www.storythefuture.com, and www.getsoaring.com nization and the First Nations Health Authority)
to amplify groups working for social impact. Sam
earned a Master of Education from UBC and is the
KELVY BIRD co-editor of two books, including Drawn Together
Through Visual Practice. He lives on unceded
Kelvy is an artist and internationally recognized Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish terri-
visual practitioner. As co-founder of the Pres- tories (Vancouver, Canada). drawingchange.com
encing Institute, she has helped shape many of
the online and global community offerings, most
recently the edX course u.lab, “Leading From LYNN CARRUTHERS
the Emerging Future.” She co-founded dpict, a
firm specializing in scribing to advance social Lynn is a co-founder and producer of the
understanding. In 2018, Kelvy authored Generative Salesforce Futures LAB. Prior to joining Salesforce,
Scribing: An Art of the 21st Century, and in 2016 she was a graphic recorder for close to twenty
co-edited the anthology Drawn Together through years. Her super skills include the ability to
Visual Practice. Kelvy delivers workshops around listen deeply, to capture the very essence of
the world, with the aspiration of increasing the ideas and insights, and to make the connections
capacity for ‘systems seeing.’ She holds a BFA and between them. Designing workshop materials
BA from Cornell University. www.kelvybird.com and participating in hundreds of workshops,
meetings, and events showed her the power
of a simple, well-designed template. Lynn’s
JEROEN BLIJSIE graphic recordings are archived in the Smithsonian
Institution. She is a past president (2013-2015) of
Jeroen is a visual facilitator, trainer, author, and the International Forum of Visual Practitioners
founder of the company The Visual Connection, (www.ifvp.org), the global organization of
located in The Netherlands. After he graduated people like her. www.lynncarruthers.com
with a degree in technical business administration,
he specialized in facilitating workshops and
conferences, as well as training professionals in LYNNE CAZALY
facilitative leadership. Together with his team,
Jeroen facilitates organizations in strategic Lynne helps people transition to new ways of
visioning and planning, business improvement, working. She is an international keynote speaker,
and team building. With his experience, he helps author, and master facilitator. Lynne has authored
professionals develop their own facilitative six books: ish: The Problem with our Pursuit for
leadership and visual communication. Since Perfection and the Life-changing Practice of
he stepped into the world of visual facilitation, Good Enough, Agile-ish, Visual Mojo, Leader as
visual tools have become an indispensable Facilitator, Making Sense, and Create Change. She
aspect of his work. www.thevisualconnection.nl works with executives, senior leaders, and project
teams on major change and transformation TIFFANY FORNER

projects. Lynne helps people think better, make
sense of information, and handle the challenges of Tiffany is a designer and visual artist. She
information-overload with clever tools, techniques, is the art director for The Grove Consultants
and methods. She is on the faculty of Thought International, where she has worked since
Leaders Business School and an experienced 1998. Tiffany has been the creative lead on a
board director and chair. www.lynnecazaly.com.au variety of communication-design and visual
tool-development projects. Through information
gathering, facilitated conversations, and creativity,
LAURIE DURNELL she clarifies complex information and processes
with visual frameworks. Tiffany has a bachelor’s
Laurie is Director of Consulting for The Grove Con- degree in design from the University of California,
sultants International in San Francisco. Since 1996, Los Angeles. She lives in the San Francisco Bay
she’s taken The Grove’s pioneering work in visual Area (California, USA) with her husband, two sons,
planning and organization change and seeded it and a dog named Chowder. www.grove.com
through facilitation and training worldwide. Laurie
designs and graphically facilitates strategic vision-
ing projects, supports teams to become high per- JESSAMY GEE
formance, and collaborates with clients on change
and culture transformation processes. Her work Jessamy is one of Australia’s leading graphic
is informed by early experiences directing com- recorders, and is internationally renowned for
panies in team and leadership development and her work. She founded Think in Colour, a visual
adventure education. She has an MBA and a BS in communication business, in 2011. Jessamy has
conservation of natural resources. She is a mom, worked with a broad range of clients in the private,
a passionate gardener, certified SoulCollage® community, and government sectors throughout
facilitator, and outdoorswoman. www.grove.com Australia, New Zealand, and Asia to create live
graphic recordings, illustrations, infographics, and
videos. Jessamy is committed to sharing her learn-
TRACEY EZARD ings around listening, visual thinking, and visual
communication through workshops, writing, coach-
Tracey is a speaker, author, educator, and ing, and speaking. In 2018, Jessamy gave the open-
facilitator, dedicated to inspiring people to ing keynote at VizConf, Australia’s first conference
collaborate and thrive in the workplace. She is for visual practitioners. www.jessamygee.com.au
the author of two books, The Buzz: Creating a
Thriving and Collaborative Staff Learning Culture,
and Glue: The Stuff that Binds Us Together JILL GREENBAUM
to do Extraordinary Work. Tracey works with
leaders and teams who want to elevate above Jill is passionate about creating authentic,
convention and create extraordinary outcomes. effective communication. She focuses on how
She uses visual tools to increase collaboration, we listen to and speak with each other. Jill
and rapidly deepen the quality of the discussion. integrates her expertise in instructional design,
She is currently working on her third book, accelerated learning, communication styles,
Ferocious Warmth: Connecting Heads and Hearts nonviolent communication, and visual thinking
to Transform Education. www.traceyezard.com into her training, facilitation, and coaching, to
nurture the transformation of individuals and their
organizations. Jill creates engaging environments
in which participants learn and practice the based on these conversations, using creative
skills that build better relationships, focus on facilitation and integrated visual tools. Trained
shared goals, and get the work done. She is the as a graphic designer, he is a recognized thought
United States member of the bikablo® global leader in visual practice in Asia, and works with
training team, and served two terms on the IFVP organizations all over the world. Tim leads Art
board of directors. www.icoachidesign.com of Awakening with his wife Irene; together with
their team, they have delivered workshops
and events on visual practice for business,
PHILIP GUO education, and nonprofits in over thirteen
countries. www.artofawakeningasia.com/vfl
Philip is an innovation consultant, creative
designer, and visual facilitator based in Shanghai,
China. He creates science+art synthesis by RENATE KENTER
combining his expertise as a strategy and
organization-development consultant with over Renate has practiced scenario planning since the
twenty years’ experience as a comic artist. Philip late nineties. She is a strategy consultant at De
is a founding member of Deloitte Greenhouse Ruijter Strategy. De Ruijter Strategy is a leading
in China (a business-innovation driven lab), firm in The Netherlands specializing in scenar-
and currently leads the consulting visual io-to-strategy projects. Renate has broad experi-
practice of Deloitte Asia Pacific. He works across ence supporting and leading scenario-to-strategy
continents with a specialization in the high tech projects in both the public and private sectors. She
and internet industries. bit.ly/DeloitteChina facilitates organizations with designing and exe-
cuting co-creative strategic processes. She lectures
and leads training courses on scenario thinking
MARKO HAMEL at VU University Amsterdam, University of Amster-
dam, and Nyenrode Business University (executive
Marko graduated as an engineer specializing in education). www.deruijter.net/home-en.html
information technology and sales. He and his
partner (Miriam Hamel) are authors of the book
Visual Selling: The Workbook for Visualizing Live JEANNEL KING
in Customer Meetings. With their visual-strategy
consulting company, Visual Selling, Marko and his Jeannel brings nontraditional processes to
team support organizations in co-creating new traditional business environments. Her sweet
visual and digital strategies for more productive spot is facilitating change that sticks while
and sustainable customer dialogues. This is part generating business results that impress. Jeannel
of their comprehensive rethINK business process is a seasoned visual facilitator, entrepreneur,
for sales, marketing, and leadership. Visual Selling author, speaker, coach, and consultant. She holds
works with companies like Daimler, SAP, Siemens degrees in psychology and nonprofit management,
Healthineers, and Wacom. visual-selling.com and is a past president of the International Forum
of Visual Practitioners. In 2016, Jeannel left her
consulting practice to create a new role within
TIM HAMONS the construction industry, using her diverse skill
set with teams to cultivate a deeply collaborative
Tim is a visual facilitator, trainer, and speaker. culture. She lives in San Diego with her cat and
He enjoys great conversations, and supports her boyfriend, and blogs at jeannelking.com.
teams and individuals in making positive changes
MALGOSIA KOSTECKA psychology and holds a master’s degree in human

resource development. www.visual-sharing.net
Malgosia specializes in creating interactive visual
frameworks for group collaboration and strategic
visioning. With a background in psychology, edu- TUL LEKUTAI
cation, fine art, and project management, Malgosia
is dedicated to leading people toward their ideal Tul is an architect by training. After graduating
outcomes using creative techniques. She is a from Chiang Mai University in Thailand, he
graphic recorder, visual facilitator, and trainer with discovered another true calling as a visual
The Grove Consultants International. She graduat- storyteller, applying the systematic thinking skills
ed from UC Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in of an architect with drawing to create visual
psychology and fine art. www.illumistories.com narratives in various forms and techniques. In
2004 he co-founded Deco Moda Studio, an
experience design firm, and founded Pictures
NEVADA LANE Talk, offering pioneering visual recording, visual
facilitation, and visual thinking workshops in
Nevada is the founder of Lane Change Consulting, Thailand. Tul’s seventy-plus clients include
based in San Francisco. An expert facilitator, corporations, academic institutions, international
trainer, visual strategist, and coach, Nevada’s organizations, and government agencies, both
secret sauce is her ability to weave together domestic and international. www.deco-moda.com
facilitation, visual thinking, and coaching to help
teams learn, grow, and succeed in times of rapid
change. Nevada is also the creator of LeaderSto- AMY LENZO
ry™, a visual leadership coaching and storytelling
program. She holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an Amy facilitates and designs online engagements
MS in organizational development from the Uni- for international meetings, events, and learning
versity of San Francisco. lanechangeconsulting.com programs. Drawing on skills and relationships
developed over a decade as senior director for
the World Café Community Foundation, her work
JILLIAN LEE combines state-of-the-art digital technology, con-
versational methodologies, and earth-connected
Jillian is an organizational development consultant hosting. Artist, designer, writer, and photographer,
and graphic facilitator based in Seoul, South Amy is passionate about the natural world and
Korea. Her passion is supporting innovation the use of the language of art to communicate our
in society. As George Bernard Shaw said, all essential human connection with life. Her goal is
human progress is made by unreasonable to create effective and hospitable spaces—online
people trying to adapt the world to themselves. environments that ‘call to the mystery’ and
We all experience adversity. Visualization helps connect us to our bodies, our spirits, and whatever
individuals to physically express their vision and the task at hand may be. www.wedialogue.com
dreams through the process of graphic facilitation.
One of Jillian’s many strengths is turning vague
visions into concrete strategies. Her goals are to SOPHIA LIANG
help educate people to think, focus, and plan for
the future based on reliable facts and data. She Sophia is passionate about enabling sustainable
has a background in industrial organizational communications within teams and organizations.
She utilizes the power of visual communication
to create moments that matter. Sophia believes implemented blended learning programs and
true listening and understanding come when system-dynamics projects. www.worldofminds.com
individuals are engaged on multiple sensory
levels. She works with a diverse range of organiza-
tions, from both the nonprofit and public sectors, MATTHEW MAGAIN
including Fortune 500 companies. Her work is
featured in Graphic Recording: Live Illustrations Matthew began his career as a software developer,
for Meetings, Conferences and Workshops. and left that corporate life to teach English in
She regularly teaches graphic facilitation and Japan. In Tokyo, he realized his students were
graphic recording workshops for public and more receptive when he used hand-drawn
private clients. Sophia enjoys traveling with her artifacts, rather than those created on a computer.
husband and son, and competes in West Coast Back in Australia, he started a business to help
swing dance events. graphicfootprints.com/about people gain clarity of their ideas by visualizing
them. Sketch Group employs over twenty
illustrators, videographers, copywriters, and
MIA LILJEBERG graphic recorders, and Matthew is a sought-after
visual consultant, working with organizations
Mia advises leaders, helping them and their large and small, delivering presentations and
organizations survive and thrive in the VUCA workshops on visual thinking in six countries.
(volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world, uxmastery.com/author/matthew-magain
by building resilience and calibrating their orga-
nizations to stay ahead of the game. She has over
fifteen years of change management in several HEATHER MARTINEZ
industries, has worked in twenty countries, and
lived in ten. Mia’s vast international experience Heather studies with master calligraphers,
has shown her that the power of visuals can sign painters, and graffiti artists to translate
overcome cultural and language barriers. Mia has their techniques into ones we can use when
written two books in Swedish about visual com- working live at the wall. As an Appreciative Inquiry
munication and facilitation. www.mialiljeberg.com Facilitator and visual arts coach, Heather brings
out the best in others by helping them see their
potential. She likes to travel and seeks out letters
JERRE LUBBERTS and people to collaborate with wherever she goes.
www.letslettertogether.com/pages/about-me
Jerre believes in human-centered organizational
design and sharing knowledge by putting human
capital, work satisfaction, and the environment DEAN MEYERS
in which we work at the center of thinking,
deciding, doing, and learning. Jerre is a facilitator, Dean is a visual problem solver and facilitator,
coach, trainer, and serial entrepreneur. He works helping companies work through change via
in the area of strategy development and high technological innovation and cultural shifts. He
performance teams using live digital mapping, teaches design thinking—from human interaction
gamification, knowledge circles, and dynamic to technological transformation—in various
dashboards. He developed “A New Smarter Way industries, encompassing startups through
of Working” for companies like Shell and ABN enterprise-level systems. Dean is also a certified
AMRO. As an assistant professor and member of facilitator in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methods
the advisory board of Webster University, Jerre and materials, and publishes VizWorld.com and
Visual Thinker’s Way, focusing on exploring visual enable clarity and help people create a better
thinking approaches for better critical thinking future. He does this at the strategic level for
and releasing creativity. Dean is dedicated to companies, such as Zurich Insurance, Roche, and
helping people apply visual thinking in their work, IKEA, and on a personal and professional level
learning, and personal improvement. vizworld.com for his coaching clients. Holger says he helps
clients create lasting solutions rather than quick
fixes. His clients say he performs magic with his
JIM NUTTLE visual imagination. www.holgernilspohl.com
Jim is an independent graphic recorder, based

in the Washington, DC area. For the past MIKE ROHDE
twelve-plus years, he has worked with a wide
range of corporate, nonprofit, and government Mike is the author of two bestselling books:
clients at home and abroad, visually capturing The Sketchnote Handbook and The Sketchnote
their thoughts and insights in a variety of Workbook. He presents workshops around the
settings. His unique images, created in real-time, world, encouraging people to use visual thinking
engage people, stimulate discussion, and help skills to generate, capture, and share ideas
everyone actually remember what they talked effectively. He’s the illustrator of bestselling books
about. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth REWORK; REMOTE; The $100 Startup; and The Little
University, Jim spent the bulk of his previous Book of Talent. He lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
career as an independent designer and illustrator, with his wife and three children. rohdesign.com
leaving him with a head full of images that he
puts to use every day. www.jimnuttle.com
ROSANNA VON SACKEN
TOMOHIDE (TOMMY) OSHIMA Rosanna is a Certified Professional Facilitator
(CPF), a visual facilitator and coach, an expert
Tommy is a communication trainer, speech coach, trainer, and the founder of Advanced Consulting
facilitator, ThinkBuzan Licensed Instructor (TLI), and Facilitation Ltd., based in Vancouver, BC.
graphic facilitator and recorder, and CEO of For over twenty-five years, Rosanna has used a
Speaking-Essay Inc., based in Yokohama, Japan. human-centered approach to help individuals,
Tommy has twenty years of experience working groups, executives, and leaders who are ready to
with government agencies, local government, stretch, explore, and see possibilities. She guides
academic institutions, nonprofits, and companies. as they shift, learn, and grow through designed
He offers visual thinking workshops, Mindmap® processes, strategic thinking, and integrated visual
training workshops, and facilitation training tools. A lifelong learner, Rosanna holds a number
workshops in Japan. Tommy is an author and of certifications for facilitation and disaster man-
co-author of eight books, including The Toolbox agement related work, an MSc in geological sci-
of Facilitator, and How to Communicate Logically. ences from UBC, and a BSc from the University of
blog.livedoor.jp/smilingtommy-oshima Waterloo. www.advancedconsultingfacilitation.com
HOLGER NILS POHL RACHEL SMITH

Holger likes to have great conversations. He Rachel has facilitated groups in face-to-face and
is a visual strategist—his core capability is to virtual settings for more than fifteen years. She
operates at the frontier of virtual collaboration, practice, and sailing in the Caribbean every
developing ways to integrate technology and chance she gets. www.MakingIdeasVisible.com
visual practice in support of remote workers
and teams. Formerly the Director of Digital
Facilitation Services for The Grove Consultants TOMOKO TAMAARI
International, Rachel has worked with a wide
range of clients around the world, including high Tomoko is a graphic designer, visual facilitator,
tech, education, health services, manufacturing, and lecturer at Tokushima University (Tokushima
and retail. Rachel holds an MA of Education with Prefecture, Shikoku Island, Japan). Using her visual
an emphasis in educational technology from practice, she facilitates town meetings, workshops
Stanford University. www.digitalfacilitation.net on gender issues, and disaster protection.
Tomoko teaches visual facilitation to students
in high schools, universities, local governments,
SABINE SOEDER companies, and various organizations. She
has a strong belief that visual facilitation
Sabine is an architect, facilitator, and founder really helps to facilitate dialogue among people,
of CoCreativeFlow, based north of Frankfurt, especially those who have experienced natural
Germany. She combines architectural thinking with disasters (such as earthquakes and tsunamis).
organizational development as a ‘flow architect.’ Tomoko develops and facilitates activities to
With her business partners, Sabine guides people build and rebuild a strong society. envsn.info
going through transformation to new ways of
working, with the focus on leadership through
interactive spaces and visual, tangible results. BRIAN TARALLO
She works with executives, senior management,
and project teams to gain clarity and develop Brian has been a graphic facilitator since 2009.
the best ways to co-create change. Sabine is a He is the managing director of Lizard Brain
steward of the World Café Community Foundation Solutions, an associate and trainer for The Grove
and co-author of XXL Pfarrei: Wie Menschen Consultants International, a graphic facilitator
Kirche entwickeln. Sabine and her team work and trainer for the US Army’s Red Team School,
across Europe. www.cocreativeflow.com and an IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator.
Brian cofounded NOVA Scribes and the OGSystems
Visioneering Team. In 2014, Brian delivered a TEDx
JULIE STUART Talk entitled “What’s Wrong with This Picture” on
the power of visual literacy, which has had over
Julie was a political strategist leading political 16,000 views. He and his wife live near Washington,
campaigns and legislation before becoming a DC, with their two daughters and two sons.
visual consultant and facilitator. This unique com- www.lizardbrainsolutions.com/think-with-ink
bination of business strategy, systems seeing, and
organizational development—along with creative
and design thinking, embodiment practices, and BEN TINKER
intuition—infuses Julie’s work with her clients all
over the world. She has a BA from Purdue Uni- Ben is a visual practitioner, facilitator, trainer, and
versity and an MFA from Georgia State University. advisor based in the Washington, DC area. Ben
Currently she’s working on her teaching certifica- combines visually-based tools and techniques
tion for 5Rhythms, a worldwide dance movement with facilitation and human-centered design
principles to create productive, meaningful
project-team meetings and experiences. He has TRENT WAKENIGHT

twenty-plus years of professional experience as a
facilitator, consultant, and project manager. Ben Trent has been a graphic facilitator and graphic
also advises and trains professionals worldwide recorder since 2011, with experience in the graphic
on human-centered design, lettering, and con- recording field since 2002. He is sought out by
sulting practices. Ben graduated from Penn State think tanks and nonprofit entities, and provides
University where he studied business and art. Find full-time support to the US federal government.
Ben on Instagram and twitter: Trent covers a wide range of topics: science and
@common_clarity. www.common-clarity.com technology, government policy and national
security, public health and safety, human rights,
and corporate visioning and strategic planning.
JENNY TRAUTMAN Most frequently, he applies visualization to
change management and strategic communication
Jenny helps executives plan, navigate change, methodologies, strategy development, and
evolve their strategy, and build profitable implementation. Trent’s background includes
organizations. A seasoned technology executive, experience as a meeting rapporteur, and he
she can quickly analyze complex situations and has training as a ninja. www.markerninja.com
rapidly align a team to achieve their goals. In
2012 she began using visual processes to spur
creativity in strategic planning. Now she can’t MICHELLE WALKER
imagine holding a meeting without a visual guide
and marker in the hands of every participant. Michelle helps people achieve more success
Jenny is past president of the International Forum in their businesses and careers with less
of Visual Practitioners and an IAF Certified™ struggle and stress. She is a master facilitator,
Professional Facilitator. She holds an MBA business coach, and author. Her visual thinking
from Emory University and a BSEE from the company, Curious Minds Co., specializes in graphic
University of Utah. www.SamePagePeople.com facilitation, as well as training and coaching
for professionals in visual thinking. Michelle’s
coaching programs include those tailored to
MARTINE VANREMOORTELE support visual practitioners who are enjoying
business success and thriving in the work they
Martine is a visual facilitator, trainer, and entre- love. Michelle has written several books in the
preneur. Before she founded Visual Harvesting in visual thinking field, including her latest, Build
2009, she worked in communications, marketing, Your Visual Vocabulary Library: 15 Visual Templates
and quality management. She combines her for Facilitators. www.curiousmindsco.com.au
creative talent with her many skills and insights
from those years. The result is an exceptional
ability to conceptualize and visualize. Martine ANTHONY WEEKS
is surrounded by a thriving team of Visual
Harvesters, each of who add their strong points Anthony has twenty years of experience as a
and talents to the group. In order to create the graphic facilitator, storyteller, and public listener.
greatest added value possible, she strives to He has worked with teams around the world to
find the perfect match for every assignment and listen with intention, discover their wisdom, and
every client. www.visualharvesting.com/en turn data into stories. Anthony is also a writer,
performer, and avid traveler. He holds a Master of
Social Work degree, as well as a master’s in fine picture, map out strategies, share their vision,
arts (documentary film). thepubliclistener.com and accomplish their goals. Greg lives in sunny
Santa Barbara, California, with two kids and a
dog named Bailey. www.facilitationgraphics.com
MATHIAS WEITBRECHT
Mathias is a European pioneer in the field of GERAULD WONG
visual facilitation. Since 2005 he has developed
products, business models, and teams—always Gerauld is a facilitator who believes strongly in the
aligned with a strong purpose-driven approach. statement, “When you grow, your team grows.” For
He is founder and CEO of Visual Facilitators over fifteen years he has been supporting individ-
GmbH, which has a team of twenty-five visual ual personal growth and leadership development,
strategists, graphic recorders, and facilitators; as well as the growth of countless international
he is also author of the book Co-Create! Das institutions and organizations, through facilitation
Visualisierungs-Buch. visualfacilitators.com/en and training. Gerauld specializes in transformative
and learning conversations (concept to applica-
tion) through the purposeful usage of experience.
FRANK WESSELER He uses a range of methodologies, such as process
facilitation, technology of participation, and visual
Frank has two professional passions—visual facilitation, and marries them with brain-based
facilitation and process improvement. A Lean learning and experiential learning. He is the
Six Sigma Master Black Belt for fifteen years, founder of Oopa! Consulting. www.oopa.asia
he joined bikablo®, a pioneering development
lab and training center for visualization, in 2016.
Frank is head of bikablo’s global training program DANA WRIGHT WASSON
and delivers a variety of bikablo’s visualization
trainings. In this role he combines his passions: Dana is the founder of Take Action Inc., an
applying visualization skills while improving international consulting firm based in the United
processes. Frank lives in Cologne, Germany, States, which focuses on employee experience,
with his wife, daughter, and dog. bikablo.com strategic planning, culture, and leadership.
Whether facilitating, speaking, writing, or training,
Dana is always using her visual thinking skills,
GREG WHICKER which she has been practicing for over twenty
years. She is the author of three books: Talk the
Greg’s early career was as a design-build Walk; We’ve Got to START Meeting Like This!; and
contractor—listening to client’s ideas and creating To Meet or NOT to Meet?; and the creator of the
a visual rendering (to make sure everyone was Meeting in a Box (MIAB) toolkit. Applying creativity
on the same page), and then devising a plan to in all facets of work and life is Dana’s hallmark.
bring their vision to life. Today he applies the As a proud third-generation San Franciscan,
same principles to help organizations, such she is happily married with two daughters
as Red Bull and the United Way, to see the big and two stepsons. danawright-wasson.com
WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION INDEX 647
INDEX
3D, 64, 416-423, 426-429 Clarity Framework, the, 138-142 372, 377, 422, 564, 612, 622
clustering, 134-135, 191, 245 customer journey map, 550-551
A co-creation, 193, 388, 432, 558, 571,
abstract concepts, simplifying, 578, 628, 633 D
502-503 co-facilitation, 127 data, using, 316, 317, 320, 365, 443,
activities collaboration, 274, 364, 478-479, 567 545
for groups, 155-160, 170-176, 178- collective intelligence, 440 decision making, 48, 51, 56, 193, 265,
180, 308-309, 374-375, 502-506 color 316, 348, 367-368, 544, 591
image cards, 155-157, 359 depth, 20, 65 Decision Rules, 367
agenda, 56, 149, 184, 214, 217, 233, meanings of, 21 decision tree, see also graphic
236, 308, 311, 364, 367, 417, 421, using, 19-25, 62-65, 80, 117, 135 formats, 51
502, 533-540, 557, 558 communication design
agile, 382, 383, 564-571 transparency of, 149, 558, 565, 567, fundamentals of, 60-65, 118-121
agreement, gradients of, 368 570, 579 human-centered, 532-541, 544-
Art of Hosting (AoH), see also visual, 556 552
hosting, 190, 628 community of practice, 605, 633 process, 308, 544
complex issues, clarifying with slide, see also slides, 164
B visual facilitation, 473-474, 502- design thinking, 544
brainstorming, 47, 48, 50, 52, 55, 57, 503 dialogue, 264, 440, 446, 486, 522, 557
88, 89, 95, 106, 134, 141, 170, 270, Concepts (app), 582-584 digital facilitation and recording,
332, 360, 366, 397, 398, 399, 420, conference, 148, 179, 276, 492 182, 186, 382-388, 390-392, 396-
427, 537 large scale, 426 403, 411, 412, 419, 421, 492-496
breakout groups, 245, 275, 343, 360, planner, 217 digital facilitation versus paper,
366, 368, 392, 410, 436 conflict, 556 387-388, 390, 397, 492, 582
consciousness, 255, 603, 604 digital graphic recording, see
C container digital facilitation and recording
camera, 178-180, 461-462 for conversation, see also digital mapping, live, 49, 396-403,
capturing conversations, 60, 66-70, templates, 47, 302, 364, 373, 416, 492-496
242-248 422, 629 diversity, 160, 201, 233
cards in graphic recording, 43, 116, 118, drawing
index, 155, 565, 368, 568, 570 240, 341, 352 facial expressions, 39-43, 65
story, 568 safe space, 47, 116, 302, 442, 629- for beginners, 29-34, 38-44, 60-70
change 630 fundamentals, 10, 60-65, 104,
navigating (managing), 46, 52, 53, conversation, 223, 240, 442 115-117
56, 279, 358, 441, 541, 564, 602, container for, 416 seed shapes, 10-16
619 structured, 340
organizational, 46, 48, 323, 326, culture E
429, 619 change, 310-311, 323, 533, 564, 619, emergence, 193, 254-261, 605, 629-
process, 47, 48, 49, 52, 56, 57, 312, 622 630
396, 426, 502, 523, 578, 619 diverse, 119, 295, 297, 300-303, emoji, 119
Charters® Markers, see tools: 358-359, 570 emotion, 114, 222, 255, 486-488, 558
Charters® Markers organizational, 46, 157, 234, 277, drawing of, 38-44
648 INDEX WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
empathy, 232-234, 532, 544, 552-553 decision tree, 47, 48, 51 International Forum of Visual
Empathy Forecast, 286-290 digital, 49 Practitioners (IFVP), 223, 250, 419,
empathy map, 286-287, 504, 535, examples of, see templates 512
544-545 experience map, 550-551 intuition, 254, 260, 605
energy (human), 129, 614, 436, 447, journey map, 48, 56, 279-280, iPad, for visual facilitation, 101,
604 550-551 382, 385, 390-392, 456, 493, 527,
engagement, 46, 102, 148, 170, 178, mandala, see also mandala, 47, 582-583
184, 186, 217, 288, 340, 356-361, 54, 494
406-412, 426-428, 503-504, 568- matrix, 48, 56, 157, 537 K
569 metaphor, see metaphor kanban, 57, 436, 438, 567
explainer videos, 421 mind map, see also mind map, kinesthetic activities, 154-160, 170-
50 176, 178-180, 297, 299, 309, 416-417,
F process map, 48, 53, 519-528 427-428
feedback, receiving, 173-174, 236, project dashboard, 48
518, 622 storyboard, see also storyboard, L
feeling heard, 44, 49, 187, 240, 244, 48, 57, 454 Ladder of Inference, 368
248, 340, 358, 361, 377, 396, 398, timeline, 47, 48, 52, 215, 569 language, visual, 10, 571
442, 558 graphic wall, portable, see also lean, 567
fishbone diagram, see also graphic tools, 76, 86, 89-90 LEGO® bricks, 154, 157, 416, 432
formats, 52 graphs, 444-446, 546 LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, 302, 417,
flipchart, see tools: flipchart 422, 432-437
flow, state of, 121, 434 H lettering, 28
foam board (foam core), see tools: handwriting, 28-31, 33, 65, 81, 101, fundamentals, 29-34, 65, 116
foam core 103, 119 hierarchy, 29-34
Four Fold Practice, 628-633 harvesting, 185-187, 193, 203-204, legibility, 29-34, 119
framework, visual, see templates 206, 407, 412, 621, 628-633 styles, 31-33, 64-65
future casting, 256, 501, 602-605 bingo, 185, 193 listening
popcorn-style, 104, 185, 240-241, learning how to, 224-226, 230-236
G 243, 307, 374, styles of, 225
gallery walk, 344, 360, 375, 429, 481 heard, feeling, see feeling heard listening deeply, 222-226, 230-236,
games, 170, 352, 375, 377, 427, 433, hosting, 183-184, 193, 377, 406-412, 255-256, 278-279, 592
435-436, 501, 552 628-633 live digital mapping, 49, 396-403,
gaming, see games, see also 492-496
activities I LSP, see LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®
geography of the room, 440-447 icebreaker, 160, 374-375, 435, 436
graffiti, 30-31 icons, creating, 16, 513, 521 M
graphic facilitation, online, see Idea Realization Cycle, 48 management, visual, 565-566
online visual facilitation idea wall, 91, 215, 478, 482-483 mandala, 47, 48, 54, 364-365, 368,
graphic formats, see also IFVP, see International Forum of 409, 494
templates, 45-58, 397 Visual Practitioners map, mind, see mind map
argument map, 48, 51 improvisation or improv, 126-130, map, see also graphic formats
card deck, 46 170, 433 argument, see also graphic
cause-effect diagram, 52 infographics or information formats, 51
cluster map, 47, 54-55 graphics, 216, 556 cluster, see also graphic formats,
concept map, 47, 48, 53, 398-399, ink, see tools: ink 54
538 innovation, 16, 533-540 concept, see also graphic
customer journey map, 550-551 interactive display, 428 formats, 53
WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION INDEX 649
empathy, see empathy map O S

journey, see also graphic OB+ model (Outward Bound Plus), safe space, see also container, 154,
formats, 550 264-265, 269-271 297, 358, 364, 367, 416, 442, 630
markers, 24, 29-32, 35, 80-84, 135, online engagement, 397, 406-413 safety, 148, 154, 184, 416, 571
462-463, 595 online visual facilitation, 201, 387, scaffolding, 247, 256
materials, transporting, 95-96 397, 406-413, 419, scattergrams, 244, 313
mediation, visual, 556-560 scenario planning, 332-334, 500-508
meetings P scribe, scribing, 55, 222, 226, 258,
best practices, 148-150, 162-163, palette, color, 22, 249 261, 603, 610, 612, 614
360, 387-388, 426-429 paper, see tools: paper seed shapes, 10, 12
closing, 149, 173-174, 178-180, 539 pastels, see tools: pastels serious play, 432-437
followup, 187, 196, 326, 622 persona, 172, 276, 287-289, 504, 544- Sibbet, David, 10, 17, 293-303, 364-
large scale, 190-196, 199-207, 212- 552, 565-566, 568 365
217, 492-493 photography as an activity, 178-180, signage, event, 427
multilocation, 199-207, 385, 493- pinboard, see tools: pinboard sketchnotes, 85, 100-110, 242, 275-
496 play, 432-437 276
report outs, 344 role play, 433 basics of, 103-104
warm ups, 154-160 serious play, 432-437 sketch video, 286, 450-457, 460-466
worst practices, 149 Post-it® Notes, see tools: sticky steps to creating, 452-454
memory, 34, 50, 102, 114-115, 121, notes slides, 163-167, 216, 316, 331, 496, 577
162, 242, 243, 417, 421, 426, 621 PowerPoint, see slides stakeholder, 49, 171-172,187, 232, 290,
memory palace, 421 preparation (for meetings or 297, 315, 317, 324-325, 397, 460, 535,
metaphor, 55, 57, 70, 155, 159, 163, sessions), 66, 128, 138-141, 183, 551, 553, 566
166, 200, 204, 277-278, 293-303, 187, 190-193, 205-206, 212-217 sticky notes, see tools: sticky notes
304, 320-321, 331-332, 433, 571 presence, 302, 406, 610, 612, 630 story, 312, 316, 551
forced, 55, 304, 321, 323 presentation, 141, 212, 366 storyboard, see also graphic
mind map, see also graphic sales, see Visual Selling® formats, 48, 57, 454, 552, 565
formats, 50, 66, 186, 187, 245, 397- pro bono work, 620 storymap, 316-323
403, 420, 535 process storytelling, 161-162, 164, 170, 299,
model, OB+ (Outward Bound Plus), business, 520 306-313, 320, 433, 453, 465, 552
264-265, 269-271 strategic, 316 how-to, 306-308
model, Team Performance®, 364 Procreate (app), 390-392, 493 visual, 552
model, Think-Decide-Do-Learn, props, 166, 426, 427 strategy, 270, 331, 334, 349, 434
47-49, 58 prototype, 418, 420, 568 scenario-based, 330-337
model, Visual Selling® Discovery substrate, see tools: foam core
Punch, 579-581, 590 R synthesis, 223, 246
models, building, 434 reflection, 193, 277, 441
mural, 481, 482-483, 565-566 report outs, 155, 156, 157, 158, 175, T
214, 241, 245, 278, 344, 375 tandem, working in, 32, 214, 559, 631
N retention, 102, 114, 166, 167, 217, 243, tape, see tools: tape
narrative, visual, 473, 481, 483 422, 558 team, 14, 56, 148, 440
Neuland® brand, see tools: role play, 433 Team Performance Model®, 364
Neuland® brand room setup, 74-75, 139-140 templates, see also graphic
Noun Project, the, 16-17 impact of, 558, 612 formats, 47, 50-57, 214-215, 340-
345, 348-352, 356-361, 364-365,
392, 454, 479-480, 512, 523-528,
650 INDEX WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
544-552, 557-558 462-463, 595 V

designing, 342 Neuland® brand, 24, 29-30, 32, 35, Value Stream Mapping, 520-521
examples of, 47, 50-57, 121, 157, 76, 80-97, 463, 466 virtual facilitation, see digital
215, 341, 342, 343, 345, 350, paper, 92, 94, 96, 461, 570 facilitation and recording
351, 364-365, 367, 398-401, 454, pastels, 84 virtual reality, see also 3D, 419-423,
480-481, 512-514, 523-527, 539, pinboard, 76, 86, 89, 94, 461 504-505
557-558, 567, 568, 579-582 portable graphic wall, 76, 86, visual facilitation, online, see
The Grove (The Grove Consultants 89-90 online visual facilitation
International), 32, 80, 82-83, 281, sticky notes, 55, 56, 57, 95, 133-135, visual facilitator, becoming, 4-6,
316, 324, 364-365, 421, 433, 534, 141, 157, 183, 187, 202, 203, 206, 472, 512, 618
538 214, 215, 287, 288, 299, 336, 344, visual note taking, 100, 105-110, 114-
Think-Decide-Do-Learn model, see 365-368, 375, 384, 387, 392, 417, 122, 486-487
also change process, 47-49, 58 427, 433, 520, 522, 524, 540, 545, Visual Organization Scale (VOS), 10,
three-dimensional, see 3D 547, 565, 567, 620 240-241, 249, 250
timeline, see graphic formats: storage, 82-83, 95 visual practice
timeline tape (adhesive), 87, 92, 461 demonstrating results of, 621-622
tone, as a feeling, 118-119, 610-614 traveling with, 95-96 value of, 114, 216, 222, 240, 241,
tools whiteboard, 80, 93, 247, 276, 287, 246, 303, 602, 618
activities, image cards, 155-157, 417, 450, 460, 463 visual process map, 53, 518-528
359 train the trainer, 193, 512 Visual Selling®, 576-584, 588-595
Charters® Markers, 32, 35, 82-84 transparency of communication, Visual Selling® Discovery Punch
digital, 142, 149, 206, 323, 364-365, 558, 565, 567, 570 model, 579-581, 590
382, 400-403, 410-411, 419, 454, traveling with tools, 95-96
455-456, 463, 493 trust, 148, 233, 260, 274, 278, 280, W
electrostatic sheets, 49, 80, 88 368, 372, 377, 433, 443-444, 560, wall, idea, 91, 215, 478, 482-483
flipchart, 81, 82, 86-87, 149, 165, 579 whiteboard, see tools: whiteboard
166, 174, 184, 287, 308, 331, 360, World Café™, 182-188, 190-196, 199-
385 U 207, 412, 479, 482
foam core, 30, 32, 91, 419, 426 user persona, see persona
ink, 24, 80, 81
markers, 24, 29-32, 35, 80-84, 135,
WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION THANK YOU 651
THANK YOU!
This book would not have been possible without
the support of our fantastic Kickstarter backers.
We offer our sincerest thanks to all of you:
A.W.J. Willemsen Aušrinė Balkaitytė Chris Spalton Debra Sawyer

Aafke Frederik Avril Orloff Christian Bätzel Detlev Ott
Aaron Axelle Skaxal Christian Doll Dhairya Shikhar
Johannes-Rosenberg Barb Siegel Christina Hemmingsen Dierdre Messerli
Abdulrhman Bugnah Bassam AlKharashi Christina Wodtke Dino Zafirakos
Adamma Stekovics Bea Broskova Christine Capra Dirk van der Heyden
Adam Polansky Belinda Brosnan Christine Koehler Donald Harrison
Ahmed Avais Ben Conklin Christopher Wonders Donatella Pastorino
Akiko Aijima Benjamin Aw Christy Gharbo Don Goddard
Albert Mark Benjamin Maslen Chris Wilson Donna McGeorge
Alenka Oblak Ben Tinker Chuck Grimmett Dorota Hoffmann
Alexia v Schaardenburg Bernadette van Zuidam Cindy Abbott Dyral Parker
Alex Medel Birgit Smit Claire Atwell Ed Post
Alison Kent Brandy Agerbeck Claire Jeuken Edwin Sanchez
Alison Neilson Brett Patching Courtney G. Markuson Eimear McNally
Alke Gröppel-Wegener Brian Tarallo CP Tham Eirik Vandvik Johnsen
Allen K. Britta Lange Dagmar Vriends Elaine Groppenbacher
Alwin D. Macalalad Britta Ullrich Damion Triplett Elena Urizar
Amy Chan Bruno Pešec Dana Wright Eliane Kunnen
Amy Sparks Carla Jonker Dan Dalal Elina Salmi
Ana Luisa Nossar Carl Chilley Daniel Cheung Elisabeth Lamboy
Ana Vasilache Carlos Jiménez Daniel Dow Elvira Cyranka
Anders Falkeholm Carly A. Staunton Daniel Osborne Emile Schoffelen
Andi Roberts Carole Alt Daniel Perdigão Eric-Jan van Kakerken
Andra Leurdijk Carolyn Chia Daphne Ullers-van Eric Suydam
Andrea Edwards Carolyn Ellis Hasselt Erik Larsson
Andrew Webster Cécile Yadro Dave Eresian Eva Leffef
Andy de Vale Cecil Lee Dave Silberman Eva Lopez
Angelique McAlpine Celeste Benavides David D Gaddy Eveline Moolenaars
Angie Busch Alston Celine Tran David J. Antón Menéndez Evert van de Plassche
Anne Plokkaar Chai Prabhu David Neal Famke Kweekel
Antonio Iturra Charles-Louis de Maere David Sibbet Fiona Chandler
Ariadna Denisova Charlotte Angus David Tinker Frank Wesseler
Ariane Curdy Charo Lanao Dean Meyers Fran O’Hara
Arien Mol Cherry Hopley Deb Aoki Frédéric Debailleul
Ariska Keldermann Cheryl Kartes Debora Gordon Geertje Appel
Ashton Rodenhiser Ching Chin Joo Deborah Robson Gelson Goncalves
652 THANK YOU WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION
Gerhard van der Bijl Jen Mein Kari McLeod Lydie Huon
Geri Briggs Jennifer Carle Karin Perry Lynn Carruthers
Gertjan van Diggelen Jennifer Charlesworth Kassie Layne Lynn Kearny
Gerton de Goeij Jennifer Lengyel Kate Hayward Lyn Wong
Gina Chiri-Osmond Jenny Trautman Kate Rutter Makayla Lewis
Goh Ai Yat Jeremy Radovcic Katina Nowak Malgosia Kostecka
Graeme Ford Jeroen Medema Kati Orav Marc Bourguignon
Graham Bishop Jeroen van ‘t Hoff Katrin Mäntele Marcelo Vasquez
Gray Miller Jess McNiece Kazuaki Kayaba Marc Tscheuschner
Gregory Benge Jill Greenbaum Keesjan Kleef Maree Burgess
Gregory Fleet Jill Langer Keith Mantell Mariano Lizarraga
Hanneke Döll Jimmy Lee Kellie Fay Marie-Louise Krause
Han Smit Jim Nuttle Ken Miller Marielouise Mieschner
Harold Strawbridge Joe Blalock Kerianne Pinkstaff Mariëtte Haarlem
Harriet Holman Joerg Jelden Kevin Cottam Mario Hubel
Hasse Cox John Bloch Kim S. van den Berg Mario López de
Heather Corey John Chan Kirsty Wescombe Ávila Muñoz
Heather Martinez John Ittelson Kit Irwin Marjolein Klijn
Heidi Declercq John K. Estell Kris Neckelmann Marjolein van
Helen Russo John Kenworthy Kris Plummer Braam Morris
Henk Wijnands John O’Brien Krista Hennessey Mark Monlux
Henri Haarmans John Rogers Kristina Friedrich Marko Hamel
Heyyoung Jang John Roskam Kristin Leydig Mark Tippin
Holger Balderhaar John Sauer Krisztina Szerovay Markus Bloos
Hubèrt de Groot Joleyne Mayers Kylie Dunn Markus Linden
Hubert Weikert Joost Koolen Lai-Yee Soh Marque Sentman
Hunter Gatewood Jose Luis Anzizar Laura Brodrick Marsha Acker
Ia Brix Ohmann Jose Luis Fernandez Laura Leenhouts Martijn Lambooij
Ian Murray Joseph McCarthy Laura Supalla Gilchrist Martin Aldergard
Ina Wienesen Jose Pinto Lawrence G. Miller Martine Vanremoortele
Inge de Fluiter Josep Ma Rocamora Lea Albers Martin Murgas
Iulian Olariu Josh Rensch Lee Downes Martin Sienty
Jacob Eastham Joshua W. Davies Lee Post Masatoshi
Jacob Jaskov Joy Keller-Weidman Leonardo Tapia J. Matt Bjornson
Jacqueline Schneider Jude A. Rathburn Lisa Kay Solomon Matteo Becchi
Jacqui Phillips Judith Gordijn Lisa Wolf Matthew Darlison
Jakob Kohlbrenner Juergen Polaszek Lochana Wijesundera Melanie Zucker
Jakub Wolf Julia Curtis Lori Danyluk Melissa Dinwiddie
James Bishop Julie Stitt Lot Bakker Melissa Kendzierski
Jane Harvey Julie Stuart Louisa Lee Mette Boecher
Janine Underhill Julie Swanson Louise Wester Mette Ullersted
Javier Pecci Jiménez Kalani Parnell Louis Wong Michaela Kühn
Jaya Machet Kanako Nakamura Lubomira Nentcheva Michael Ambjorn
Jeannine de Jong Karen Ballinger Luis Marques Michael Clayton
Jean-Paul Smissaert Karen Forkish Lula de León Michael Holmes
Jeffrey Davidson Karen Monique Chan Luz Lévano Michael Kaufman
WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION THANK YOU 653
Michelle Ow Peter Vruggink Sarah Heimeier Tim Frame

Michelle Walker Peter Wagner Saskia Knol-Hermans Tim Limbert
Mike Rohde Petra Rona Sauro Orsini Timmy Meyers
Mike Schlegel Phil Guo Sergey Erlikh Tine Willemyns
Miki Kobari Philip Bakelaar Shanya Attasillekha Tobias Bahlinger
Mindy Forsyth Philippe-Marie Laurent Sharon Bockhoudt Tobias Wieland
Mindy Hall Phil Koczan Sheila Brear Tom den Boer
Minke Wessels Phillip Judd Sherrill Knezel Tomohide Oshima
Mireille Beumer Piotr Leszczyński Shirley Maeir Tomoko Tamaari
Mireille Groet Polly Chandler Shoba Chandran Toni Tassani
MJ Broadbent Rachel Michaud Shoichi Goto Tracey Ezard
Mona Ebdrup Rachel S. Smith Simon Davies Tul Lekutai
Monique & Mirjam Rachel Thompson Simon Johnson Tyng Tan
Monique Broekhoff Raffaelina Rossetti Sioux Thompson U Chia
Muguette Elbersen Rainer Deußen Sonja Stone Ulrich Motz
Nakajima Atsushi Raquel Cabrero Olmos Soo Beng Khoh Urs Ruetz
Nancy Cavender Raymond Guyot Sophia Liang Verena
Natalia Zlateva Rebecca Wilson Stan Holt Paepcke-Hjeltness
Nathalie Delaney Regina Schaller Stefan Schäfer Veronique Marguet
Nathalie Jacquemin Reiner Walter Steffen Dralle Véronique Marguet
Niall Daly Renate de Ruijter Steven Byers Victoria Brown
Nicolas Gros Renatta Algalarrondo Steven McInnes Vida Ogorelec
Nicole Funke Rhonda Ladd Steve Silbert Walter van der Laan
Nikola Rajić Richard Hart Summer Koide Wendi Pillars
Olga Nozhnina Richard Korff Susan Kelly Werner Küper
Olivier Durbec Rickard von Essen Susannah Childers Werner van Mook
Olivier Pesret Ricky Ohashi Susanne Kitlinski Wiebke Herding
Onno Makor Rika Ueta Susanne Krogh-Hansen Wiebke Koch
Oscar Muñoz Lozano Rikki Jinqiu Zhang Su-Yen Wong Willemien de Rie
Oyabun Rinse van der Schoot Suzanne Saxe-Roux Willemijn Lambert
Pamela Enz Rob Cottingham Suzanne Warmerdam William Dyer
Parasuraman Roberta Newman Suzee Sanderlin William Potapchuk
Sethumathavan Robert B. Hayward Sven de Koning Wim Koevoets
Pascalle Karthaus Robert Benn Sylvain Mahe Wolfgang Säckl
Pascal Maramis Rogier den Dulk T. Morikawa Wolfgang Weicht
Pat Loughery Rosanna von Sacken Tamar Harel Won van Kalsbeek
Patrick Hutsler Roya Damabi Tamsen Mitchell Xavier Rodriguez
Paul van der Wardt Sabine Soeder Tania Cotter Martinez
Penny Black Sachiko Ishihara Tanya Gadsby Yaïsa Gottenbos
Penny Liddington Samantha Bloom Tanya Gerber Yasuhisa Kishi
Pepa Zeman Samantha L. Dye Tara Z. Baumgarten Yumico Aonami
Peter Coesmans Samantha Lim Teresa Weaver Yves Stalgies
Peter Jos de Jong Sam Bradd Terri Lonier
Peter Phelps Sander Jensen Terry Chong
Peter Ravnholt Sandra Grahl Tiina Hoskari
Peter Tancig Sarah Bell Tim Dykstra
WORLD OF VISUAL FACILITATION OUR SPONSORS 655
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THE WORLD

Initiator and Project Manager: Jeroen Blijsie

Copyright © 2019, The Visual Connection Publishers. All rights reserved.

July 2019: First Edition

For errors and omissions, please notify info@thevisualconnection.nl.

Graphic [or visual] facilitation is the use of large scale

LISA ARORA BRIAN TARALLO KELVY BIRD

GREG WHICKER JEANNEL KING

Visuals for Recovery:

An Integrated Approach to GERAULD WONG

Designing Meetings with MICHELLE WALKER

App Magic: Presenting

Shooting a Sketch Video:

Dana Wright Wasson

THE BASICS Sam Bradd

Tomohide Oshima Renate Kenter

VISUAL LISTENING Jill Greenbaum

Brandy Agerbeck TEAM PERFORMANCE

Greg Whicker INTERSECTION WITH OTHER FIELDS

Tomoko Tamaari Mathias Weitbrecht

ONLINE BONUS MATERIAL

Free resources available for all readers!

Check back often or subscribe for regular updates!

FROM THE EDITORS

have come to expect from

1 To learn more about the GLEN, visit glen.grove.com.

PART 4: PRO STORIES

PART 5: YOUR FUTURE AS A VISUAL

And a great gratitude to all authors! We feel honored

THE BOOK BEHIND THE SCENES

In 2014, while vacationing with his family in the south-

During David Sibbet’s coffee break, they had a ten min-

OCTOBER 2017: DETAILING THE PLAN

Book sprint meeting with the North American co-authors.

Book sprint meeting of the Asia-Pacific region.

Book sprint meeting of the European region.

Working at the European book sprint venue.

Brainstorming the book’s concepts.

Restructuring the book during the editorial week in San Francisco.

∙∙Reading and editing each chapter

∙∙Working with each co-author to

∙∙Having each chapter professionally copy edited

∙∙Working again with each co-author to

∙∙Sending each chapter to the design team for layout

∙∙Proofreading the layouts Trello helped structure and organize the

The design team working on the layout of the book.

The result of this extraordinary

Holger Nils Pohl

Visual Language and Drawing

EUVIZ.com / photographer: Orest Tabaka

MY JOURNEY AS A VISUAL FACILITATOR

Becoming a carpenter happened to be just the

There is a distinct connection between drawing

Long story short, visual facilitation has allowed me

If I should point to the one single thing that has

I’m curious by nature and

Visual Language and Drawing

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF VISUAL LANGUAGE

Figure 1: The Visual Organizational Scale (VOS).

1 Sibbet, Visual Meetings.

Maybe you decide a tree would be a good image

Figure 2: Letters are made of shapes.

Well, it’s the same story when learning to draw

In actuality, maybe your tree turns out like this: