Reflections on the Visualization Technique

Challenge & Selection

I have been using the technique of visualization or visual thinking for a long time. This

technique helps a larger group of people working together to understand the nature of problem

in a much impactful and less ambiguous manner. It leaves people working together with no

scope for interpretation and hence there is uniformity in understanding the problem. Problem

is understood by everybody working on the solution in the same way it must be understood.

What I mean to say is that there is uniformity in terms of understanding the problem.

I work in the area of learning and development and leadership in my organization. In my role

I need to design learning programs and journeys for the employees of the organization. The

learning experience is a critical part of the entire design process. Learning program design or

the instructional design as we call it goes through multiple iterations. There are multiple steps

involved in designing or learning program like analysing the problem designing developing

implementation and evaluation I use visualization technique during analysing the program to

suggest a learning intervention, designing the program and development steps.

Application

In my work while designing a learning program I need to interact with a lot of with multiple

stakeholders. My stakeholders include learners, talent managers, instructors and business &

HR leaders. At the analysis step when we are deciding or working on to understand the

problem and what kind of learning intervention is required to solve that problem, we use a lot

of visual techniques to understand no problem.

We use strawman graphic to draw on the board. We ask the line managers and HR leaders

to make us understand their problems true pictures. I also ask all the stakeholders to draw

their understanding about the problem on a piece of paper. this ensures that everybody is on

the same page as far as understanding the problem is concerned. Here it is important for all

the stakeholders to understand that we do not expect them to be an artist as far as drawing a

picture is concerned. More importantly the instruction to the stakeholders is to draw as vividly

as elaborately as they can and not worry about how good the picture is looking. They use

multiple material to give shape & size and pictorial representation to their ideas and thoughts.

Other forms of pictorial representation are flow chart, organogram and simple diagram. We

use flip charts, markers, sticky notes and whiteboard for this activity.

Similarly, during the design and development step, we use visualization technique to

generate, discuss and evaluate ideas and solutions.

Insights and Approach

While doing this exercise it is important know that the main purpose of bringing all the

stakeholders together is not to make pictures but to generate and discuss ideas. What I feel

is that we get carried away in the process of pictorial representation of ideas and the focus

shifts from generating ideas to representing ideas. This is not right. When we do a

brainstorming or idea generation, I ensure that the focus is on generating ideas and

communicating those idea impactfully through pictorial representation.

I also use this technique slightly differently at times. I ask the participants or the stakeholders

to paraphrase the ideas I want to communicate through pictorial representation of their

understanding.

My approach to our visualization technique has always been to consider a picture of an idea

as the theme for discussion. The graphic or the picture must be very dynamic in nature so

that it keeps on evolving and modifying itself with the maturity of tideas and thoughts within

the group. the process of feedback through validation important from the participants is

extremely important.

I have realised the importance and power of visualization techniques. I will surely use

visualization to discuss ideas another part of any design thinking approach to problem solving.

