Procedures of Contextmapping Research in JAM

Contextmapping research involves the following several phases: “Preparation phase”, “Sensitizing phase”, “Deep reflection sessions”, “Case studies”, “Analysis”, and “Communication” (See Figure above). The findings of the Sensitizing and Deep reflection sessions, and Case studies are analyzed in the Analysis phase. In the Communication phase, the findings in the Analysis phase are represented in a way to communicate learned insights to the following designers and inspire them.

Research Method: Contextmapping

I apply contextmapping research method in this research to explore subjects’ experience in both explicit and implicit information. Visual Thinking practice is non-linear, even non rational and mixing up within the interactions between participants and Visual Thinkers in sessions. In this case, the contextmapping method is helpful to record what JAMmers say, do, know, feel, and dream for their experience in the Visual Thinking sessions. The subjects can take the sensitizing steps as a stairway to gain deep personal knowledge effortlessly (See Figure above). This knowledge cannot readily be expressed in words, and people even do not know they possess but only feel it.

Further Interpretation About Visual Thinking Processes in Sessions

This drawing above depicts Visual Thinking processes in sessions: to reach hidden insights deep in people’s minds, come to shared visions and solutions, and finally realize the ideas in practical actions in Visual Thinking sessions. Different from the post: Does the Flow Run only on the Surface or Deep in Minds?, an extended explanation about realizing shared visions into actions is added in the drawing. This conceptual framework in the drawing can therefore be categorized in four major processes and five main stages (See the drawing below).

According to different features in Visual Thinking process, the five major processes are named: Grounding, Diving, Showing, Lifting, and Landing. The four main stages are named: Common Ground (Shared Mental Models), Personal Insights, Shared Visions, and Action.
The five major processes
1. Grounding
In a multi-disciplinary group, Visual Thinking can help to build shared understands in which people can communicate on a common ground. Visual Thinking in this process provides a common language (visual language) and works as a catalyst to create a fluid thinking flow. This process also includes the preparation before the sessions.

2. Diving
Visual Thinkers in this process dive with people to gain the personal insights. Visual Thinkers concentrate on all information they can detect in the process and help participants to gain deeper insights with instant sketches.

3. Showing
Visual Thinkers visualize the personal insights to bring it to the stage, “Shared Mental Models”, where people can really see and discuss each other’s ideas. As a result, the insights can be discussed and be built on with others’ ideas.

4. Lifting
The “Shared Mental Models” can be leveled up to the stage, “Shared vision” through the transformation in Visual Thinking, for example, to give a proper metaphor to describe a potential crisis in the market.

5. Landing
After a team forms a shared vision, the shared vision needs to be developed into a down-to-earth solution. In this process, Visual Thinkers will work with the clients closely to finalize the realistic solution. The “Landing” process can last longer after the session ends.

The four main stages
1. Common ground (Shared Mental Models)
Multi-disciplinary groups need to form shared Mental Models (Common ground) to communicate. The stage is the foundation for a group to talk and work together.

2. Personal insights
The stage, “Personal insights”, is where people’s personal ideas and thinking lie on. The drawings need to connect to people’s personal ideas. Visual thinkers have to work on detecting people’s real thinking and try to associate the different insights with each other.

3. Shared vision
“Shared Vision” is the stage where people share coherent ideas about the issues of the session. This vision is a higher level concept of the shared Mental Models, such as a shared future strategy to an issue. Shared visions in a team take more time to transform and develop in order to reach the core of issue and provide clear motivation for “Action”, compared to shared Mental Models.

4. Action
This stage, “Action”, is where people realize the shared vision in a practical plan. One of the purposes in the Visual Thinking is to eventually create new thinking with drawings which triggers people to action. However, having shared Mental Models is not enough to trigger radical or lasting actions for an organizational change. People need clear motivation with the shared vision.

A Fresh Start After a Long Pause

Hello all...

It's been a long pause for this blog. Actually it is four months long. I had some setbacks on my ill management of the graduation project. The pressure was quiet overwhelming and therefore I decided to pause the blog. It's a bitter but necessary decision. I had to focus intensively on making the project balanced again between two ends, TU Delft and JAM. It occupied my full energy to be back on the right track and could not afford to keep an eye on the blog.

I was insensitive about the gap in between the academy and the company, the expectations of mentors in TUD and mentor in JAM. It's a harsh lesson worth to learn.



Nevertheless, the end of the project is near. Before the curtain falls, there is time to move on and reflect the process in this blog. Please stay tuned...

JAMmers' Characteristics

The characteristics of the JAMmers in this chart are based on Wouter's and Jeroen's findings as they prepared for the JAM school. Here I summarized them in two dimensions, which are "Hard and Soft" and "Outward and Inward".

Personally, I see different personalities in JAM. Somehow they do share some characteristics, like sympathetic, eager to help, energetic, open-minded and humor. But none of them have all of the characteristics in the chart. There are some difference in between them. And these also lead to the difference on how they perform their Visual Thinking method in the sessions.

Focus of the Project in JAM's Work Categories

After the five-year practicing, this year (2009) is a watershed for JAM visual thinking to rethink their future strategy in Visual Thinking. The categories of their previous projects indicate what they are capable to do and how much involvement of the Visual Thinking method are in each category. The involvement here means the degree that JAM visual thinking can be part in the problem-solving process with their clients.

Almost the JAMmers graduated from the Industrial Design faculty in Delf University of Technology. Designer-orientation minds motivate JAMmers to consider more about the solutions for their clients instead of being a fast and reflective drawer only producing pretty drawings. The idea triggers JAM to put their strategic focus on group sessions and long-term projects .

In the graduation project, I chose the Visual Thinking group sessions as the focus of the study because, on one hand, the group sessions can provide a holistic reflection with the effectiveness of Visual Thinking, and, on the other hand, the long-term projects need longer time to follow and more aspects to observe which can hardly scale in a 23-week research.

Strategy Week in JAM!

This year, 2009, is the fifth year of JAM visual thinking. As a company, they are still as young as the babies in the field of Visual Thinking. They are still curious about everything and trying every possibilities in the Visual Thinking world. They are also wondering what their next steps are. They have numerous questions in their heads and numerous tools in their hands now. So... Maybe the first step for JAM is to jam everything together...

In the final day of the strategy week, Dennis, Mike, and Wouter brought the clay on the table. Through the clay sculpturing, we shared others' thoughts and dreams. Finally, we were jamming together to be an "one" again.

Let's wait and see what would be born in the jamming ball!