A workshop about sketching

28th november 2019

Challenge & Selection

I work as a UX Designer in the Design Team of a tech company. I take part in simple or

challenging projects, getting in touch with stakeholders, programmers and project managers.

Each one of this figures have different focus and behaviors, and for me is not always easy to

maintaining the focus on user needs. Stakeholders think their ideas are disruptive and

programmers think about tech requirements, and that can limit my expression.

Two weeks ago I attended to World Usability Days, a design conference in Rome. I take part to a

really creative ​workshop about sketching​, where I build confidence with this technique.

Visualization is ​a great way to ​generate new ideas, ​improve ​communication​ and collaboration

with stakeholders and colleagues, using ​sketching​, ​images​, and other ​visual stuffs​ instead of

words.

Application

At the workshop we were about 20 people at all, in a very quiet location. We had material

environment such as sheets, post-it notes and all kinds of markers. The workshop started from

the basics, doing some ​exercises to becoming familiar​ with simple lines to further expand our

visual vocabulary.

Next, we were divided in ​groups of 4-5

persons​ to develop a small project using

sketching.

The project was about creating a product for

an ​inter-space shipping company​, delivering

packages between humans and aliens. We

started reading the ​brief​ and the ​personas​,

empathizing with users contexts, frustrations

and goals.

Then each group had 5 minutes to ​generate a

lot of ideas​ on post-it notes. The rules were:

● each participant sketch individually

● one idea = one post-it

● quantity is better than quality

● no talk

● free your mind!

At the end of the time, each participant attacked post-it notes on the wall and quickly share the

ideas to the group. When all post-it were explained, we use ​dot voting​ to prioritize them and

define the best ideas​.

Every partecipant choose one of the best ideas of his/her

group, and work on that. We took a big sheet, fold it into 4

section, and each of us ​develop the idea​ choosen in

his/her section of sheet. The exercise was individually,

and we couldn’t talk to each other.

Only with sketching, visual and few words​, I explored the

idea going through the possible solutions but also

considering problems.

After 10 minutes, we rotate the sheet and had other 5

minutes to understand our colleague’s solutions, only

interpreting his or her visual artifacts, and add new

sketching to improve that with our point of view. We

rotate the sheet until we take part in every idea.

The results was a collaborative way to improve each others ideas ​only using visual

communication and without talking!

After that, we talk for some minutes to explore the result and ​choose the final best solution​.

The last exercise was about better explain the final product on a new sheet, using storytelling

and visual, no longer individually but collaboratively with the whole group. At the end, all groups

attacked on the wall the sheets and presented the solution to all the people.

Insight & Approach

The exercises gave us the opportunity to free the mind and generate new and crazy ideas

without any limits. ​The final results were very creative, and we all had a lot of fun!

This workshop allowed me to ​understand the power of visualization​, and how it can be used to

improve communication and creativity with colleagues, stakeholders and project managers

without using words​.

After the conference, ​I propose this workshop at work​ with my Design Team to share with them

this technique and get even more familiar with the subject.

The goal of these exercises can be not only to generate ideas during a real project: it can be

also applied in different contexts. For example, a designer can have communication difficulties

with the programmers during a project. The application of a collaborative sketching activity can

help to ​loosen the tension​ in the team, ​increase collaboration​ and bring more technical minds

to a more free and ​creative approach​.

My intention is to being able to repeat it in the future, with others teams and projects!


A workshop about sketching 28th november 2019 Challenge & Selection I work as a UX Designer in the Design Team of a tech company . I take part in simple or challenging projects , getting in touch with stakeholders , programmers and project managers . Each one of this figures have different focus and behaviors , and for me is not always easy to maintaining the focus on user needs . Stakeholders think their ideas are disruptive and programmers think about tech requirements , and that can limit my expression . Two weeks ago I attended to World Usability Days , a design conference in Rome . I take part to a really creative ​workshop about sketching​ , where I build confidence with this technique . Visualization is ​a great way to ​generate new ideas , ​improve ​communication​ and collaboration with stakeholders and colleagues , using ​sketching​ , ​images​ , and other ​visual stuffs​ instead of words . Application At the workshop we were about 20 people at all , in a very quiet location . We had material environment such as sheets , post - it notes and all kinds of markers . The workshop started from the basics , doing some ​exercises to becoming familiar​ with simple lines to further expand our visual vocabulary . Next , we were divided in ​groups of 4 - 5 persons​ to develop a small project using sketching . The project was about creating a product for an ​inter - space shipping company​ , delivering packages between humans and aliens . We started reading the ​brief​ and the ​personas​ , empathizing with users contexts , frustrations and goals . Then each group had 5 minutes to ​generate a lot of ideas​ on post - it notes . The rules were : ● each participant sketch individually ● one idea = one post - it ● quantity is better than quality ● no talk ● free your mind ! At the end of the time , each participant attacked post - it notes on the wall and quickly share the ideas to the group . When all post - it were explained , we use ​dot voting​ to prioritize them and define the best ideas​. Every partecipant choose one of the best ideas of his / her group , and work on that . We took a big sheet , fold it into 4 section , and each of us ​develop the idea​ choosen in his / her section of sheet . The exercise was individually , and we could n’t talk to each other . Only with sketching , visual and few words​ , I explored the idea going through the possible solutions but also considering problems . After 10 minutes , we rotate the sheet and had other 5 minutes to understand our colleague ’s solutions , only interpreting his or her visual artifacts , and add new sketching to improve that with our point of view . We rotate the sheet until we take part in every idea . The results was a collaborative way to improve each others ideas ​only using visual communication and without talking ! After that , we talk for some minutes to explore the result and ​choose the final best solution​. The last exercise was about better explain the final product on a new sheet , using storytelling and visual , no longer individually but collaboratively with the whole group . At the end , all groups attacked on the wall the sheets and presented the solution to all the people . Insight & Approach The exercises gave us the opportunity to free the mind and generate new and crazy ideas without any limits . ​The final results were very creative , and we all had a lot of fun ! This workshop allowed me to ​understand the power of visualization​ , and how it can be used to improve communication and creativity with colleagues , stakeholders and project managers without using words​. After the conference , ​I propose this workshop at work​ with my Design Team to share with them this technique and get even more familiar with the subject . The goal of these exercises can be not only to generate ideas during a real project : it can be also applied in different contexts . For example , a designer can have communication difficulties with the programmers during a project . The application of a collaborative sketching activity can help to ​loosen the tension​ in the team , ​increase collaboration​ and bring more technical minds to a more free and ​creative approach​. My intention is to being able to repeat it in the future , with others teams and projects !