Workshop participants are asked to capture an abstract representation of their idea. This can be a physical object as well as a process or an intellectual procedure. The idea is documented abstractly in any form. The only form of documentation that is not permitted is text elements. Beyond that, everything is allowed. The tool of choice here is PowerPoint, in which all possible elements can be easily combined, but alternatives such as online whiteboards etc. are also possible. The ideas collected are then presented and discussed in plenary.
In order to make effective use of this method, it is important that the participants are intimately aware of the task on which the workshop is based and what goal or goals are being pursued. Depending on the number of participants, this should be clarified beforehand in order to prevent an escalation of the diversity of ideas and to prevent too much distance from the original task and the loss of any connection to the topic.
For the implementation, it must be ensured that all participants have access to the chosen tool and that an online communication platform is available for the subsequent discussion.
An exact adjustment of the time frame to the scope of the task is essential here. We recommend that the task itself is carried out several times at best and that a suitable time frame is found. Remind the participants what the task (topic) is before carrying it out.
If done well, this method is perceived as pleasant by the participants and results in an ingenious variety of ideas, all of which are nevertheless related to the task.
It is also advisable to test the resilience of the chosen online tool with a suitable number of participants in advance to prevent a breakdown during the workshop.
Modified prototyping (fast prototyping) method.
