A classical TED-talk in the world of communication.
Tom Wujec’s Got a wicked problem? First tell me how you make toast.
Wujec explains how you can use drawings to tackle complex issues in a group. For instance, for your organizational strategy, your views on sustainability, or a better customer experience.
When you draw a topic, you divide it into smaller steps (nodes), which you connect. Often with arrows (links). As a result, a visual ‘systems model’ emerges.
By drawing it, you also make it concrete. Because it forces you to include tangible items, such as, in the case of making toast, people, a toaster, and a pot of jelly.
And by drawing something, you also visualize how you think about that something. With making toast, some people emphasize the human experience, others focus on the supply chain, or on the technology of toasters. And the American way of making toast turns out to be very different from the European way.
When you draw on sticky notes, you can remove, add and re-arrange parts of your visual model. Improving it step by step.
Wujec recommends this approach as a tool for collaboration. Because you can include various perspectives in the model, and bring them together.
In this way, meetings become more effective and more fun.
Regards,
Arnaud