Last Friday, I joined a New Book Release event in a harbor restaurant in Amsterdam. There were several presentations present by co-authors and one "Dare to Dream Together" workshop. In the workshop, JAMmers helped the participants to draw a business with their own hands. For most of them, it was the first time to do some small hand drawings themselves (probably it's just too old to remember). Neverthaless they relly liked it and were so involved in this process...
It is a great experience to see the participants to be fully engaged in the process. You can check their works and smiles in the on-line album. This workshop started with a presentation to describe how the drawings in the book were created and how Visual Design Process worked in JAM. Then in warm-up session, participants followed guidance with JAMmers to draw small objects, such as a car, a tree, a building, a starman, and etc. JAMmers went on asking them to draw each others' business model and suggested them to use the objects they just drew in the warm-up.
Amazingly, all of them were immediately engaged in the process to discuss and to draw. They really used the objects in the warm-up and created the model in their style even though most of them were not trained drawer. They seemed really enjoyed!!
I think one of the reason is that the warm-up session indeed paid off because the objects they drew were fully useful in the following drawing session. They therefore can be more confident to draw. Another reason could be that participants can simply follow a basic model (business model) instead of coming up with a new one. So with the basic structure, they can focus more on the parts they choose and the linkages between parts.
One of the participants thought it's a good way to communicate because the hand drawing is more open to interpret. Then people would not jump into the conclusion so quickly. Applying this drawing in a given discussion can offer people chances to explore new solutions. And he also wanted to use the drawing next week in his company.
He Po!
ReplyDeleteLet's hope that we reached these business minded folks with our visual approach! Over time we will see if they have remembered what they have learned in this dare 2 draw workshop.... they will either start to draw the models themselves or call us in...either way is good. It might be interesting to make a small questionair to send these people a week after the session. To see if they have really understood the beauty and the power of the sketch!
d.
Hello Dennis!
ReplyDeleteA questionnaire could be interesting! I did already have some questions in mind now. For example,
"Where is your business model drawn in the workshop now? 1) I don't know. 2) In my suitcase... maybe? 3) Posted it on my bulletin."
"If you still kept it, why? 1) It is good to explain my model to others. 2) The other side is still blank, right? My mother told me not to waste. 3) I can get more inspiration from it that a non-visual one."
"What would be the best thing you learn here?"
"How about the worst?"
...
If we can make an on-line questionnaire, the result could be easily summed up and to review.
Cheers,
Po-Chih