Planning for the final 2 weeks to final presentation of GP

This drawing presents the planning for my last two weeks in the graduation project, a cooperated project between JAM visual thinking and TU Delft. Of course, this is already a historical document since I already graduated in the 25th of Feb, 2010. In the picture, you can still taste how intense in these two weeks when I had to finalize my 9-month project in a 30-min oral presentation.

Planning and collected data in Deep Reflection phase

In the Deep reflection sessions, participants reflected on what they have done in the three-day tasks and received instructions to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas about the Visual Thinking in sessions. Their experiences were surfaced when they were asked to present and to explain their reflections of the possible problems and solution based on the conceptual framework (See Figure below). Interview questions were asked in each step of the session (See Table above). According to the result of the discussion, they were asked to map the possible problems and solutions in the conceptual framework. Three participants finished both of the sensitizing phase and deep reflection sessions.

The image below is an example of the interview in the Deep reflection phase.

Tasks and Materials in Sensitizing phase

Three-day sensitizing tasks consisting of small tasks each day are designed. JAMmers reflect on their personal information, general experience, and specific experience as a Visual Thinker in Visual Thinking sessions in the three-day tasks.

A. First-day tasks
The first-day tasks require the participants to describe their drawing history and characteristics. Each task is asked to finish in 15 minutes. (See Figures below)

The image below is an example of the first-day task, which is made by one of the JAMmers.

B. Second-day tasks
In the second-day task, participants answer what their roles, preparation, activities, tools, and techniques are in general Visual Thinking sessions. They are also asked to refer to the results of the first-day tasks. This task is asked to finish in 20 minutes. (See Figure below)

The image below is an example of the second-day tasks, which is made by one of the JAMmers.

C. Third-day tasks
In the third-day task, they are asked to reflect on their best and worst experience in Visual Thinking sessions. They are instructed to reflect on the results of the first-day and the second-day tasks. Each task is asked to finish in 20 minutes. (See Figures below)

The image below is an example of the third-day tasks, which is made by one of the JAMmers.

The Process of Sensitizing phase and Deep Reflection phase

Sensitizing over a period of time prepares participants to access their experience and to express and discuss these in Deep reflection sessions. Three-day sensitizing tasks consisting of little exercises each day are designed and sent to participants several days before the Deep reflection sessions. JAMmers reflect on their personal information, general experience, and specific experience as a Visual Thinker in Visual Thinking sessions in the three-day tasks (See Figure above). There are seven participants who finished the sensitizing phase. Five of the seven participants did the tasks as I observed them and asked them some questions about their doings in the phase.

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.

Portraits of supervisors drawn before Plenary Meeting 1

Not a final version... keep updating.

Renewed Graduation Subject Description

I tried to reflect deep on what has triggered me to do this project and then what will be my expectations (or my dream) for it. (see My 10-min in JAM!) Then, according to the new insights and a "tangible" goal, I changed the Graduation Subject Description a lot. Hopefully, it could be a better and less abstract ground for the GP description.

Introduction
In a gradually “globalizing” world, people have less time to communicate but have to deal with more issues in rather diverse groups, i.e. cultural difference, and professional backgrounds, etc. It is so relevant to help people to cross the barriers of misunderstandings and reach a common ground in a complex and changeable reality.

Hand drawings stand out in this domain because of its unique qualities which represents the values of imagination, naivety, creativity, freedom and error-tolerated. People can speak out-loud and to use their imagination freely without being afraid of offending others or embarrassing themselves.

For the last five years, JAM have used their drawing techniques to help people deal with complex issue within public organizations, private sectors and personal projects. In a given assignment, JAM help their clients build up shared understandings in a one-day or multi-day workshop for new ideas, solutions or visions, depending on types of assignments. In JAM, they already accumulated abundant experience in their practice and are eager to contribute their knowledge in visual thinking/graphic facilitation (VT/GF) to a promising future.

Problem definition
Due to a busy schedule and demanding daily work in JAM, people in JAM have less time to share their knowledge at work. So, what happened in the process of workshops is like a black box, which is never deciphered in a thorough research.

The research will focus on the people in JAM, their experience at work, their techniques, their limitations and expectations regarding to the VT/GF. Based on a thorough research, we can unveil the magic of the drawing power, which leads to unlimited creativity and free communication in diverse group.

Furthermore, the results of the research will also be beneficial to the world by giving a certain platform to document JAM’s works and inform benefits of the VT/GF. This platform can be, on one hand, an encyclopedia for people to explore the beauty of the drawing power in VT/GF. On the other hand, it could update with time by receiving others’ opinions.

Assignment
Decipher the “Magic” of drawing power in visual thinking/graphic facilitation, and share its benefits to the world.

Approach
1. Conduct an Analysis research on literature research and real world practice:
In the literature research, the following questions will need to be answered:
- How are creative facilitation applied in complex problem-solving? What is the purpose of using hand drawings in VT/GF? (VT/GF theories)
- What are the relationships between team mental model and team performance? How does a diverse group get shared understanding? (Shared understandings)
- How effective or in-effective are the facilitation methodology based on reviews of the outcomes? (Review of outcomes of empirical VT/GF cases )
- How should a contextmapping research be conducted in JAM? (Contexmapping theory)
In the real world practice, there would be two aspects to explore:
- In JAM’s previous projects study, the outcomes of works will be sorted and examined.
- In universal trends study, the trends of visual thinking/graphic facilitation will be looked into in websites, companies, conferences, and personal blogs.
The results of Analysis phase will form the theoretical framework for the Contextmapping phase. A research protocol will be formulated, and it will consist of research questions, theoretical framework, and methodology for contextmapping phase.

2. Conduct a Contextmapping research in JAM:
By using the theoretical framework as a fundamental, the Contextmapping research will focus on mapping the context of the real practice in JAM in VT/GF. The research will be conducted in two aspects; internal and external research. The internal research will focus on the overall graphic facilitation experience of people in JAM. In the external research, several case studies will be done and researcher will ask for opinions of their clients and experience of their partners. The results will form a model to describe VT/GF process and suggest improvement in JAM’s real practice.

3. Conceptualization and Evaluation:
This phase will mainly focus on conceptualizing a possible solution to inform the findings of the Analysis phase and Contextmapping phase. The concepts will be tested and evaluated regarding to their performance to inform and potential to evolve with time.

Results/Deliverables
• An analysis report with focuses on literature research and real world practice.
• A contextmapping report including results in contextmapping phase.
• A JAM’s VT/GF model describing VT/GF process and suggesting improvement in JAM’s real practice.
• A concept to inform benefits of drawing power reporting development of the project and receiving comments. The concept could be a platform which is a website, a booklet, a lecture, or an exhibition.
• A final thesis, an informative poster, and an oral presentation

Preliminary Exploration: Planning for Analysis phase

In the Analysis planning, I focus on three major aspects, literature research, previous projects study, and global trends, and they are also primary objectives in this phase. There are secondary objectives, such as reporting progress on blog regularly.

Primary objectives:
1. Literature research: There will be four fields to study in the literature research.
- Visual thinking/ Graphic facilitation
The literature in this field will refer to previous studies on aspects about the graphic facilitation. The aspects will range from "creative facilitation in group problem-solving" to "story-telling drawing techniques".

- Shared understanding
The literature in this field will refer to previous studies about how shared understanding is being build up during a group meeting or a period of time while meditating in multidisciplinary team. The aspects of the field are "relationships between team mental models and performance", and "how a diverse group get shared understanding".

- Review of facilitation results
This literature in this field will focus on assessment on outcomes of group facilitation. The aspects will be on methodologies and results of empirical studies.

- Contextmapping
The literature here will be a preliminary study for the research methods in the following "Contextmapping phase".

2. Previous projects study: Preliminary research in JAM's works and people.
- What are JAM
- Who are JAM
- Previous project categorization
- JAM's tool, environment, and stimuli

3. Global trends study: Look into some companies, conference, personal blogs, websites, and news about trends in visual thinking/ graphic facilitation.

Secondary objectives:
Reporting progress on the blog regularly.

A Journey to the summit: GP planning

For planning of Graduation Project, there will be five phases which are Analysis, Contextmapping, Conceptualization, Evaluation, Reporting & Presentation. I used a metaphor, climbing mountain, in the planning drawing to represent the process. To start from the bottom-left corner, there will be several checkpoints and milestones on the way to the peaks of the mountain. From May 11th to Oct 16th, the project will last for 23 weeks.


The major mission of the blog is actually born for reporting the progress of the Graduation Project. All the findings, insights, and even setbacks will be published here publicly.

In Analysis phase, I will focus on three aspects which are literature research, JAM's previous project categoriztion, and Global trends in Visual thinking/Graphic facilitation. I will try to look for diverse angels about the topic, such as visual thinking/graphic facilitation, shared understanding, contextmapping thecnique, facilitation theory. In the checkpoint of this phase, I will hand out an analysis report. From May 11 to June 5, It will take 4 weeks to finish.

In the Contextingmapping phase, there will be two major aspects which are internal research and external research. They could be conducted parallel. In the internal research, I will first analyze outcome of the previous projects. For further insights about people in JAM, I will first do individual interviews about their own experience, limitations and dreams, and then hold a group session later on. In external research, I will do some case study and ask client's opinions and partner's experience. In the end of the phase, I will hand out a contextmapping report. From June 8 to July 31, it will take 8 weeks to finish.

In Conceptualization phase, I will conceptualize proper tollkits for visual thinkers based on Analysis. I will hand out a conceptualization report. From Aug 3 to Aug 28, it will take 4 weeks to finish.

In Evaluation phase, I will do a concept evaluation in the real parctice, and choose and refine concepts. From Aug 31 to Sep 25, it will take 4 weeks.

In the final phase of the GP, a thesis, and a poster will be finalized contenting the evaluation of project and process. There will be a final oral presentation. This phase will take 3 weeks from Sep 28 to Oct 16.