Understand the Workspace

Beyond post-its, flip-charts and coffee sipping.

By Ola Möller & Jordan Lane

Despite the rapid evolution of digital workspaces and online collaborative tools, most of us feel the need to meet people we work with on a daily basis. What makes the analog workspace so important — why, sometimes do you ‘just have to be there’? This article & infographic explores the analog workspace through common analog tools, offering insights into their strengths and weaknesses and when to use each one.

Most meetings, workshops and brainstorming sessions start with blank canvases — An empty whiteboard. A pile of post-it notes. Fresh notebooks. Finding a balance between the opportunities of the carte blanche and the structure of a step-by-step guide is critical.

Below is a visual summary of the analog workspace — enjoy!

Most meetings start from zero

With the ‘carte blanche’ tools above a good facilitator is critical. Someone who can guide the process and create a structure for going forward.

Choose your level of structure… wisely.

Choosing the right tool for the job:

Unstructured & creative chaos

Tools that do not have any pre-defined content.

Structured still creative

Tools that have a small amount of information that would support and provide help.

Structured & defined

Tools that provide a predetermined sequence of action or events.

Master the tools

When you walk around with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. It is important to have a complete analog toolbox. Each tool format presents pros and cons. Together they create a valuable toolbox.

What they have in common:

3 ways to understand the tools

When to use different tools?

When you walk around with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. It is important to have a complete analog toolbox. Each tool format presents pros and cons. Together they create a valuable toolbox.

CREATIVE CHAOS


Post-its

Post-its are good when documenting ideas and thoughts (that are not reoccuring).


Empty cards

Empty cards fill the same function as post-its. The difference is that cards are more robust and feel more like artefacts (that easier can act as a representation for something).


Roll of paper

Big sheets of paper can be used as a canvas for multiple activities on tables.

SUPPORTIVE STRUCTURE

Cards

Cards are great when you need a visual overview of a certain field, and can save you time and energy as they provide a framework for thoughts & discussions.

Canvases & worksheets

It saves you time and energy to use canvases if you use the same aspects of a process in a specific order on several occasions.

Grids

Post-its are good when documenting ideas and thoughts (that are not reoccuring).

Checklists

Post-its are good when documenting ideas and thoughts (that are not reoccuring).

Cards + post-its

Cards together with post-its help you create a tailor-made process based on what you need. Cards and post-its have the possibility to be talking sticks in meetings and conversations. Something you can hold, discard or sort.

STRUCTURED & DEFINED

Manuals & how-tos

Books provide the most information. Cards, post-its and canvases are useful in workshops but sometimes a topic needs to be understood in detail. That is when you should reach for the book. Just remember reading in a workshop can come across as somewhat anti-social.

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