STRUCTURED VISUAL THINKING
Visual Frameworks Group Partners Ltd
Chapter 1
Introduction
This brochure is our response to one aspect of the question - ‘Just what do you do?’ It’s also a slightly defensive response to the suggestions and perceptions that we draw cartoons on the wall or make workshops much more interesting - although we do claim the latter as well!
A Very Visual Perspective!
“Humans are biologically wired to process the world visually, which is why making content more visual increases its impact and efficacy”
By now you may have read, in accompanying documents or at our online sites, just how passionate we are about structure and visualisation. You may well have heard us speak about structure and visualisation being powerful tools in every aspect of strategy, decision making and change. Indeed we see them as vital in every aspect of today's business. What follows is in every sense 'design thinking' - a term worthy of extra definition. For us that term means a lot - from bringing the widest context, the views of many, the paradoxical ambiguity of life itself through to true design and systems thinking together with the world of critical and complex thinking. ii
We go way beyond just the thinking part too
From now on each section is dealt with as chapter openings given the layout and then on into some hopefully helpful
We are pretty obsessive about the sustainability of what we do from exploration all the way into execution. So we hope these pages add a little more appreciation as to why we feel so strongly about these techniques and give you a better idea of what we do - or at least the visual manifestation of the work . What follows is our attempt to explain just some of the uses to which we have put our philosophy, our imagination and our creativity.
caption sentences. We have kept the captions to a minimum so that the visuals can speak for themselves but please ask us for any further detail or clarification as required. This book is designed to illustrate, quite literally, the vast number of facets of our work. Because visualisation cuts across so many fields and an almost infinite number of applications it's often hard to explain this aspect of what we do. We always aim to maintain confidentiality so in this document you are only seeing materials that have been sanitised or that we have permission to use.
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Section 1
In Session 4
In Session A key dimension of our work calls for a highly collaborative approach One of the most powerful tools we have in the business arena is our ability to inspire and engage our teams by ensuring understanding through being visual - and that was the genesis of our work. By allowing people to literally see their ideas and thoughts be distilled and woven into structured modules and then frameworks in a live forum we can create vital meaning and ownership for team and for the visions and strategies that will emerge. In our collaborative sessions we work at scale. As you can see elsewhere in this document we are creating large walls which contain the logical models. We can also recreate these digital frameworks at the same size or they will find there way into interactive systems (explained later) or reprinted as large size artefacts for a wide variety of applications.
“90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual�
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In particular the vision imagery is used as backdrops to critical events and as the pivotal image to drive and motivate the whole team a achieving an important anchor to the outcome of the entire program
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“40% of people respond better to visual information than plain text�
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In our collaborative sessions we work at scale. As you can see elsewhere in this document we are creating large walls which contain the logical models.
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Section 2
Original Hand Drawn 10
Original Hand Drawn
When we work in group sessions the work that we co-create always starts life as one of our unique hand drawn developments Each framework is designed specifically for our client and their challenge and we draw from a vast portfolio of logical modules that we configure at the start of our engagement. We often move beyond this, and our use of visuals in our work takes many forms - but these ‘works of art’ hold huge emotional significance and are a valued part of any engagement, no matter how ‘sophisticated’ the subsequent outputs
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These original images are visually appealing and they also contain very deliberate structure that makes sure the context in here can be developed into something that is also actionable
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PERSONALISATION HELPS! In most cases we will take the original hand drawn image and add personal touches to it - client branding and identity as well as additional symbols to enhance the content and make even these early versions more ‘presentable’
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Every component of this module represents a story and a commitment that can be unpacked into more detail
Section 3
Complete Frameworks
There is a beautiful ‘tension’ in a completed framework - one that forces the right degree of though that really does answer the exam question
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Complete Frameworks
Unlike the simple scribing of meetings where all of the content can make it's way onto walls our work is rigorous and specific. It listens for the insights that are present in the discussion. It captures ideas within logical models and that narrows down the focus but opens up the minds to greater possibility and more likely resolution + sustainability for the future. Visualising frameworks and modules within the frameworks in this way ensures a highly valuable scan of alternative ideas. It allows for a far more reasoned dialogue which in turn breaks down bias and prejudice amongst competing audiences and ideas.
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Clarity of meaning and definition is really important in complex strategies and change processes. Important too in the thinking through and vision required for new opportunities and innovation.
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These digital modules and frameworks are very influential in the sharing of comprehensive ideas and the deployment of new thinking and it's progress across the enterprise
It is always helpful to create simplified and focused reminders of what now needs to be done - without losing the vital link to the originating framework
Section 4
Visual Landscapes 20
Visual Landscapes
We use the expression landscapes to cover a range of visual themes but they all share the same characteristics - they illustrate connected systems and show the connections between multiple moving parts - often the fundamental building blocks of an organisation. We find that very few organisations look at their world in this way and that it is very powerful to lose the physical ‘containers’ which are often the chosen lens through which to view any aspect of business or organisation.
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Exploring possible solutions to a specific requirement and using visualisation to make sure that nothing material is ignored or misaligned
Section 5
Visions of the Future
Creating emotional connection to the future and the art of the possible through multi faceted visual stories
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Visions of the Future
Abstract and intangible ideas abound in the business world. And yet they are at the heart of true leadership. Leadership relies on it's ability to explain and keep the future alive for everyone on the journey. By using these tools and techniques to first shape and then explain the vision we can engage and develop far more meaningful dialogue with wider stakeholder groups. In particular the vision imagery is used as backdrops to critical events and as the pivotal image to drive and motivate the whole team a achieving an important anchor to the outcome of the entire program.
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Vision images always contain certain common characteristics and are made up of several components that each can be developed into further detail and tell stories of their own. There is never just one way to tell a vision story and this is vital - organisations are filled with diverse groups of people, and each will have their communication needs and key messages that will resonate with them. These visuals make very powerful interfaces into online interactive tools and Apps.
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Many future visions are represented as scenarios - drilling down from the main vision into very specific topics to make the future more easy to explain and less threatening
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These digital modules and frameworks are very influential in the sharing of comprehensive ideas and the deployment of new thinking and it's progress across the enterprise xxx
Section 6
Wicked Problems
We are privileged to work with a wide variety of types of challenge. If you visit our web site you can see a whole range of case studies covering everything from national conflict and poverty to HIV/Aids and electoral reform.
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Wicked Problems
Every wicked problem is made up of many complex dynamics, has multiple perspectives and the main themes of the issues are typically highly entangled Visualisation is particularly powerful when the problem is massively complex especially when stakeholders are all speaking different languages, come from very diverse cultures and are working at different levels of maturity and capability. By being visual the frameworks themselves do the talking. Visualisation is a great leveller and enables everyone to 'see' their contribution and why it may or may not fit in the future.
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CREATING CONNECTION Where many stakeholders and multiple countries are involved in tackling a problem it is helpful to create some shared definition and structure and frameworks are the ideal tool for this. A framework, when well designed, creates that balance of shared meaning and local variability. It makes it possible to collaborate and share insight while remaining respectful of each country’s unique dynamics
Co-creation is another term that's a little overused these days but we mean it at every level.
We are impartial to the outcome so our approach is always facilitative - believing that the answer lays within the team or within the framework somewhere
In wicked problems there's no one answer and there's likely many places and ways for value to emerge that may be somewhere we least expect it.
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We can also recreate these digital frameworks at the same size or they will find there way into interactive systems (explained later) or reprinted as large size artifacts for a wide variety of applications xxxvi
Section 7
Thinking about Operation 38
Thinking about Operation
Another highly valuable application for structure and visualisation is within the operation itself. How things need to work once new visions or strategies get created. Because we need to think differently about how we need to work these new 'models' become quite important to make tangible to people. Processes, systems, procedures and policies are all still important factors in every business and they always will be but in the new world of knowledge sharing and collaboration with virtual and global systems outside the enterprise these things start to take on very different meanings and importance.
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The visual framework can explain these things in context. Complex links and connections can be made that would be very diďŹƒcult to convey by other means - and roles and accountabilities far easier expressed through an image that was borne of logic xli
Section 8
Large Events
With larger teams, and increasingly in general we aim to get the audiences involved ahead and after the events themselves via technology and social platforms and surveys to make sure the event is anything but just something that happened. 44
Large Events
As we travel the world it's surprising how few good venues exist for creative meetings. Most hotels are still designed to cater for big bands and wakes. Our approach demands that we at least try to create a sense of theatre and inclusion. So we bring our own walls. We create a theatre where one did not exist and cover the mud brown and (counter creative) ornamental banqueting fittings wherever we can. Encouraging daylight too so that the audience can witness life as we work.
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When working with large groups of a 100 or 200+ people then it's a very dierent kind of energy and there's inevitably less intimacy. So we typically work to a hybrid set of principles xlvi
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From supporting groups working at tables and in teams to groups in plenary working as a whole or with a limited amount of presentations. We limit presentations in favour of enabling people to actually work and be creative xlviii
We create a theatre where one did not exist and cover the mud brown and (counter creative) ornamental banqueting fittings wherever we can. Encouraging daylight too so that the audience can witness life as we work. xlix
Section 9
Storytelling
“At the end of the day, every strategy, every plan, every vision - is simply a story�
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Storytelling
We firmly believe that there's very little use in simply building a strategy. In fact whatever happens in business that's of value should be able to be told or what use is it. A major feature of our work has story as the central theme. Every module can be told as a story and as the modules build into whole frameworks they are themselves stories. As we progress through assignments we are refining and simplifying the stories as we go until that time when the simplest most compelling and often shortest expression stars to arise.
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Digital frameworks are often used to induct and onboard others, they will be used at the heart of the business plan and presentations to wider stakeholders, they will be used as governing artifacts for decision making and progress and they will act as the agendas of daily, weekly or monthly meetings to remain as vital context for working teams.
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Combining real life photography to the story we have created through the process adds greater connection and meaning liv
Section 10
Ownership & Commitment
Our ultimate aim is to transfer capability to others and this starts with making sure that those involved feel emotionally connected to the work that has been developed in sessions
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Ownership & Commitment
There's little chance of strategies and plans being held to if the folk delivering it are not bought in. A key component and reason for the success of this method is that it was built by the teams themselves. They own it and it's their blood that went into the making of it. Signing the wall isn't something that they take lightly therefore. The entire program is collaborative in every sense. They are completely involved and their place in the framework is complete.
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Section 11
Interactivity 60
INTERACTIVITY
It is often valuable to transfer the
'systems' as it was in the sessions that
hand drawn 'thinking tools' - the
created them.
• Multi Dimensional
'Original' frameworks - into
• Multi Perspective • Highly Immersive
digitised versions. This achieves a number of important and additional dimensions to our work.
• Connected to the core logic
Firstly by being digital they can be more legible/shareable in presentations but more importantly they can be refined from the thinking tool.
The power of technology these days enables us to do almost anything to animate and bring stories to life. Business is complex. We talk about our digital frameworks as lenses into multiple views and layers. We ask people to imagine them as truly interactive - with 'double clicks' and
This means distilled and synthesised
rollovers into the next level of
from where they carried all of the things
complexity.
we heard on into a more agreeable set of tools that will definitely have more salience with wider audiences.
Clarity of meaning and definition is really important in complex strategies and change processes. Important too
We turn many of the artefacts and
in the thinking through and vision
ideas you have seen in this guide
required for new opportunities and
into interactive applications. We
innovation.
spend a lot of time making sure that it's as logical and easy to get to the right information (or engineer the correct journey or outcome) from these
These digital modules and frameworks are very influential in the sharing of comprehensive ideas and the deployment of new thinking and it's progress across the enterprise. 61
Nowadays there are a plethora of diering ways to imagine how we can work together. Very few businesses will survive with hard baked hierarchies and traditional pyramid models. Even matrixed organisations are coming to terms with how hard it is to really share and avoid more and more multiple silos and divisions forming within the enterprise 62
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