Visual energizers for online whiteboards

Today we had Visual meetup with an aim of 

• Meeting new visual practitioners 
• Learning visual energizers, icebreakers and visual game to be used in trainings / meetings 

People who attended the meeting were 

Chitra, India  (https://www.facebook.com/architrac)

Julia, Denmark (https://www.facebook.com/Hoopfish)

Ashley, India (https://www.facebook.com/ashley.vinil)

Halle, Austria(https://www.facebook.com/helle)

Swathi, India(https://www.facebook.com/swathi.sujir)

Carol, Hong Kong (https://www.facebook.com/carolshines)

Tarun, India (https://www.facebook.com/tarun.arora.1044)

Nitasha, India(https://www.facebook.com/tashu.nbr)

Rohit, India(https://www.facebook.com/rohit.123.soni)

Miriam(https://www.facebook.com/miriam.baumhof)

Shailesh(https://www.facebook.com/Shaileshkintsugi)

Here are the methods we learned from each other 

1. Storyweaving / Participatory story weaving (Shared by Chitra)

• Use white board sharing on zoom call or webex or any other collaborative video method
• The first person starts with any simple drawing 
• The second person adds to the story to move it in a particular direction 
• The third person then draws something else to keep the story going.
• At the end there is a weird kind of story looking at which every one can laugh
• TIP : When its your turn, draw something which gives the story a weird direction. Then it will be more fun 

2 Product innovation  (Shared by Piyuesh)

• You need to use the whiteboard function of zoom or webex and every one else can draw on single whiteboard
• make a mesh of 3*3 .
• In the two end squares draw any two unrelated objects 
• Now assign a vacant box to the other 7 members 
• They will have to combine the two objects either by taking there shape as it is or using their quality attributes and come up with an innovative new product. The red one is the middle is shows as example 

3. Visual triggers: which picture represents you or your situation (Shared by Julia)

• You need to prepare a word document with 8-9 very abstract pictures. 
• Ask one person in the group, which picture you do relate to the most 
• He/she picks up a picture and explains why he associates himself/herself with that picture. 
• Be ready to experience some laughter when you hear the reasons of their selection 🙂 

4. Discovering perspectives  (Shared by Ashley)

• You need to use a common whiteboard in this exercise as well.
• You will draw an abstract thing on the object. 
• Then one by one every one says what this looks like by looking at from their own perspective.
• Be amazed to see what other people can see which you were not able to see.(
• (Extra fun) Ask every one to construct a story with the words on the whiteboard and then hear them out.
• Be ready to hear some crazy stories 🙂 

5. Rethink the object (Shared by Piyuesh)

• You need to run this exercise by giving a printed sheet to every one or use a common whiteboard on zoom or webex or microsoft teams or any other.
• Download some PNG images of the real objects and using Photoshop or by microsoft paint, prepare a sheet with that image kept in very many ways. 
• Ask every one now to rethink that image and draw anything around it to convert it into another something. 
• In the example above, a Donut was drawn in many other ways. 

5. Rebus puzzles: Guess the word (Shared by Chitra)

• You can keep the drawings ready with you and ask people to guess.
• It will be more fun if you draw then and there and let them work out the word.
• Example: A chill pill can be drawn by drawing a pill with glasses on. 
• Example: Sleeping pill can be drawn by drawing a pill with eyes closed
• Example: Understanding can be drawn by drawing two people one on the other’s shoulders.
• Search on Google with Rebus so find more such examples. 

5. Closing Summary (Shared by Ashley)

• You can use it by giving separate sheet of paper to every one or even with a webex or zoom whiteboard.
• Request every one to use a drawing to convey what was the key learning of the whole session. 
• Let others then make a guess of what is the drawing. This way every one will be able to revise the key learning of the whole meeting. 

5. Guide your partner(Shared by Nitasha)

• Make group of two
• One person stays back and other goes to the white board 
• The other person who stayed back chooses a word 
• This other person now guides the person who went to whiteboard with simple geometric guidance to assist him draw the exact object. 
• If the person who is drawing also guesses the object, then the team gets point.

6. Games which we discussed

• Dixit: A visual storytelling game: Watch video
• Storycubes : Dices have different figures on each side. You throw the dice and using those figures, you need to make a story. Watch the video 
• Head2Head: Divide the group in two teams. One player from each team wears the drawing board on the head. Common dice is rolled and an object name is picked up from the cards. Both have to draw and the team has to guess. Watch the video
• CAT game: Use images to the CAT to make a story. Watch the video

7. Software which we discussed 

1. Zoom whiteboard sharing in collaborative environment
2. Mural.com
3. Google meet 
4. Facebook group video calls (NEW)
5. Click to check out more collaboration tools

Join my Facebook group 

You can join my Facebook group where we share more of these games and methods with each other. Mind well that this group is also about sharing and not just listening. So if you have something to share with others, you are most welcome in the group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3491687930843130/

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