Sensitive Balancer

“I have to keep alert and sharp all the time. Sometimes it is difficult for me.” (C-D-6)

Based on the results of the previous post, JAMmers have to keep sensitive all the time in the sessions to observe and listen carefully about people’s doing and talking. They also pay a great deal of attention on the group dynamics to address unnecessary tensions. They balance the certain participants’ dominance by using drawings to surface unheard voice.

Discussion Supporter

“I am dancing with the participants to lead them.” (G-D-5)

Based on the results of the previous post, JAMmers support the discussion in the sessions with the coordinated interactions. They are just like to dance with the participants, sometimes leading and sometimes following. If the flow of the communication is good, they keep it with the drawings. If the discussion does not work well, they have to take the lead and show them the possible direction.

Passion Trigger

“I like to astonish them by making a lot of drawings and draw unexpected ideas” (F-S2-2 & F-S2-3)

Based on the results of the previous post, JAMmers trigger people’s actions by creating the moments which awakens their passion.

Truth Teller

“I like the dinosaur I drew to depict the state of being of my client because it confronted him with his actual situation. Once seen, denial becomes impossible.” (G-S3-1)

Based on the results of the previous post, JAMmers challenge the clients about the reality they avoid to face, such as complacence and ignorance. They have to be able to differentiate the essences in the sessions and express them honestly to the participants. Taking advantage of hand drawings (See the section 2.1), the challenge can be less intimidated than the one in face-to-face confrontation.

Discussion on Findings of Research Question 1: Part 3

It is suggested in this work that the four corners of the previous mapping also indicate the four major roles/functions of the JAMmers in Visual Thinking sessions (See the first figure below).

• The essence of the inside-out process (Part A) indicates that JAMmers’ nature is to actively support discussion and thinking flow in sessions, which meets the description of “Discussion supporter”.

• The essence of the logical output (Part B) indicates that JAMmers compose systematic and organized drawings to convince and challenge participants, which represents fairly the value of “Truth teller”.

• The essence of the outside-in process (Part C) indicates that JAMmers uutilize their all sensory to receive explicit and implicit information in order to follow the dynamic context, which fits the description of “Sensitive Balancer”.

• The essence of the empathetic output indicates that JAMmers use empathy to find out participants’ motivation and inspire them with proper drawings, which is in line with the function of “Passion Trigger”. Passion Trigger inherits the essence of Passion Finder and also the value of JAMmers’ approachable characteristic.

Discussion on Findings of Research Question 1: Part 2

If the table is rotated 45 degrees anti-clockwise, the renewed mapping actually sheds the light on the right-brain and left-brain sides of interactions of JAMmers in Visual Thinking sessions. JAMmers bring these two sides together by switching around these two sides of their brain and apply proper techniques to deal with the dynamic context in sessions. The processes of switching (inside-out and outside-in) also play a key role to support the flow of the thinking in the sessions and to balance these two sides dynamically. To sum up, the left-brain and the right-brain are not contradicted but complete each other with proper processing.

Previous mapping

Renewed mapping

Discussion on Findings of Research Question 1: Part 1

The answer to the research question 1, “How do JAMmers interact with the dynamic context in Visual Thinking sessions?” is discussed based on the results of analysis in the last post (or see the table above). I have discussed the content of general table with the JAMmers, we have consensus that the two-dimensional map can be identified as four parts: part A (Top-right), part B (Top-left), part C (Bottom-left), and part C (Top-right).


The content of each part features a specific type of interactions. Part A is an inside-out process to process received data into systematic and organized thinking. Part B is a logical output to translate the logical thinking into convincing and clear drawings in order to lead sessions to correct direction. Part B is an outside-in process to read people’s thinking, body language, and the group dynamic to understand their intentions and to gain key triggers. Part D is an empathetic output to surface people’s expectations and to trigger their inspirations and actions.

Analyses for research question 1: Part 2

The terms in each posters, "Characteristics", "Techniques", and "Roles/functions" (See previous post) is summarized in a new table. All three new tables are finally integrated into one general table. On the new general table, the relationships between each categories and each specific term are ready to identify and discuss. The discussion on the new poster will lead to an understanding to human interactions in Visual Thinking sessions.

Procedures of the analysis approach

The integrated table of three groups, "Characteristics", "Techniques", and "Roles/functions"

Analyses for research question 1: Part 1

In order to answer the first research question, “How do JAMmers interact with the dynamic context in Visual Thinking sessions?”, the coded phrases are categorized in three major groups, “Characteristics”, “Techniques”, and “Roles/functions”. An experimental analysis is applied for further investigation.

Based on the findings in literature study (Horn, 1998. pp. 209-210; Pearse, 2007), the emotional dimension of Visual Thinking is as important as the logical dimension, for example, to be able to empathize with others’ difficulties. I apply a two-dimensional map to demonstrate the coded phrases of each group in line with Visual Thinking’s reality.


These Two dimensions are identified as “hard and soft” and “outward and inward” because Visual Thinking is not only to solve practical problems but also to support group interactions in the sessions. The key words in two-dimensional map have been discussed with JAMmers, and we have consensus with this idea.

The “hard and soft” dimension differentiates the coded phrases from the logical and rational inclination (hard) to the emotional and empathetic inclination (soft). And the “outward and inward” differentiates the coded phrases from the tangible and physical activities (outward) to intangible and mental activities (inward).

Based on the two-dimensional model, the coded phrases in the groups of "Characteristics", "Techniques", and "Roles/functions" are composed as three posters (See the images below).

Characteristics

Techniques

Roles/functions

In each poster, coded phrases with similar meanings or inclinations are identified as a small group, and the general content of each cluster is summarized in a specific term. The image below is an example of the Cluster with Related Coded Phrases and a General Tem, “Passion finder”.

Deconstruct the Collected Data in Contextmapping

The documents and notes collected in the Sensitizing phase, Case studies, and Deep reflection phase are coded as 246 single phrases. Furthermore, they are categorized with four groups, "Characteristics", "Techniques", "Roles/functions", and "Problems & solutions", in order to solve research question 1 and 2.

Here are some examples of the coded phrases.

Goal and Research Questions in Contextmapping

Goal of the research
The goal of the research is to understand human interactions and to define the most critical problem when JAMmers interact with the context of JAM visual thinking. It is suggested in this work that human interactions in the Visual Thinking sessions are what JAMmers do, interact with, and expect for in Visual Thinking sessions.
Research questions
1. How do JAMmers interact with the dynamic context in Visual Thinking sessions?

2. What is the most critical problem when JAMmers interact with the dynamic context in Visual Thinking sessions?

The research question 1 focuses on three aspects, ‘’Characteristics”, “Techniques”, and “Roles/functions”. Visual Thinkers’ experience in Visual Thinking sessions is about how people deal with the dynamic contexts by proper techniques related to roots of different characteristics. Research question 2 focuses on the “Problems & solutions” in the sessions, which paves the way to identify the most crucial problem in the interactions of Visual Thinking sessions.

Welcome to my final presentation!

After 9 months, the fantastic journey is near the end.

On 25th of Feb, I am going to give a final presentation of the graduation presentation. I wish to see you all there, my dear friends.

The graduation project cannot be completed without your supports, whether they are warm embraces or harsh criticism.If possible, please let me say thanks to you in person by showing the wonderful scenery that I have gone through in this project.

Topic:
Decipher the "magic" of Visual Thinking and design a
concept to inform it for JAM visual thinking

Date:
Thursday, 25th February, 2010

Time:
15:45

Location:
Wim Crouwelzaal (Room U),
Faculty Industrial Design, TUDelft,
the Netherlands Google map

PS:
1. It is a project with a focus of Visual Thinking, a young facilitation method featured creative problem-solving process with instant drawings.
2. Contextmapping research method is applied on exploring a methodology instead of a physical product.

Best Regards,
Po-Chih Tsai
蔡博智