How do you deal with common challenges and pitfalls of online design thinking sessions?

The usual pressure and agitation is to use the diverse multi-featured premium platform which is not bad. However, the most important thing to consider is a platform that can deliver the necessary communication goals, chats, video, document and image sharing, drawing tool, annotation tool which Zoom and Google meets among others can provide.

Online design thinking sessions offer undeniable convenience, but they can fall short in replicating the key benefits of physical collaboration. While information sharing translate well online, many core design activities suffer. The focus fostered by a shared physical space, with large whiteboards, is crucial for brainstorming and prototyping. These activities rely heavily on real-time connection and the ability to build on each other's ideas visually. While online tools can't fully replace the physical presence, recognizing this limitation allows us to make informed choices. For sessions that require deep collaboration and creative exploration, consider the physical space, reserving the online for tasks better suited to its strengths.

When selecting tools for an online design thinking session, it's essential to consider accessibility, compatibility, and connectivity to ensure a smooth experience for all participants. Take into account the cost, security, and privacy aspects, aligning them with your organization's policies. Provide training for those unfamiliar with the tools and ensure they integrate well with existing software. Evaluate collaboration features, scalability, and user support to promote effective teamwork and problem-solving. Making a thoughtful choice in tools sets the stage for a successful session that aligns with objectives and accommodates the needs of both current and future participants.

You certainly shouldn't feel pressured to pick the most complex or feature-rich tool. If everyone in your organization already uses Google Docs, then you'll probably be more productive collaborating through Google Docs than trying to teach everyone how to use a more complicated tool like Mural or Miro.

One thing I found helpful is to choose the right tool, where anyone can login and use easily. Here are a few tools that I use during the Online Design Thinking Session. 1. Jamboard - Most of the company's around the world have no problem using this platform. There are some limitations and it's not as good as the other apps. Looks like it's going to go away after October 2024 2. MiroBoard - My all time favorite. Some companies doesn't allow us to use this tools. This is one of the coolest tools you can use. 3. Mural - Similar to Miro.. A lot more companies doesn't allow us to use this. It has similar functions as Miro.. 4. Zoom or Teams Whiteboard - Most of the company's allows this. Not much features. I don't prefer this.

Develop a structured agenda that outlines the session's flow and allocate time for each activity to keep everyone on track. Provide necessary materials and emphasize the significance of diverse perspectives and active participation. Encourage real-time feedback mechanisms to refine the process continuously. Stress punctuality, manage time wisely, and incorporate breaks to maintain participants' energy. Ensure technical support is readily available, and have a conflict resolution plan in place. It is also important to communicate how outcomes will be documented and acted upon, fostering a productive and collaborative environment throughout the session.

Setting the stage and expectations in the beginning of the program is crucial for good learners experience. Here are the few expectations need to set in the beginning. 1. Program Structure 2. Program Methodology :- Is it a Game Based Learning or a Project Based Learning? 3. Program Timings. 4. Online Infrastructures and Contingency Plan. 5. Activities and Discussion Tools and Setups. Normally we could run a short activities to make them feel, how the program structure looks like.

This is a critical and often overlooked element of online or virtual design thinking. We are creatures of comfort, so empowering consistent and clear guardrails that your community is in agreement on and held accountable to practicing is a sure-way to inspire trust and breed continued cooperation across IRL and online design thinking sessions.

In addition to establishing expectations and rules, it's crucial to cultivate the right mood and mindset. Here's how I do it: I send participants a briefing guide before the session and I go through it again at the start of the session to ensure everyone is fully prepared. So what does this guide have? 1. Personalized invitation letter from the curator, setting the tone and the required mindset 2. Defined learning objectives, briefly outlining the tools and expected outcomes 3. Event itinerary with time stamps 4. Brainstorming boards and instructions on how to use them 5. Workshop rules 6. Past workshop images 7. Facilitators' information The design of the guide itself can be used to set the mood. Happy to share the guide template, dm me.

Solution: Explore a Range of Different Approaches First. Start with a diverse range of ideas. Solution: Start with Cheap and Fast Prototypes. Start simple. Solution: Have a Bias Towards Action. Solution: Have a Question in Mind Solution: Reframe the Idea of Failure. Solution: Adopt a Long-Term View.

Two challenges 1) not being prepared as an organizer and 2) not communicating actionable outcomes. I've been guilty of one or even both across my career, here's a few ways you can address them: 1) Reduce the amount of time you're talking at people and increase the time the group is talking to each other. Not only will that alleviate pressure on you, but you're going to come out of this with better collaboration, trust, and ideas. Any interactive exercises should come with guidance, don't leave it up to others to figure it out. 2) Participants don't want to feel like they're wasting their time. Tell them what you're going to do with the insights gathered today. Follow up after the session on next steps you're going to take.

Understanding and addressing the unique challenges of the virtual environment is crucial for the success of online design thinking sessions. 1. Develop a clear communication strategy : Make sure your audience understands the objectives and aims of the session. This includes communicating what is expected out of them and what is useful for them 2. Use the right tools : The one which the audience is familiar with and which is easy to use. 3. Foster collaboration : Engage your audience with structured activities which encourages collaboration throughout the session. 4. Test your tools for technical glitches. 5. Follow up post session with the key insights and next steps

There are some great interactive workshop platforms and software out there, so there's no excuse for not providing plenty of opportunity for engagement and interaction. (Butter and Slido are great for this.) Getting people laughing early during a session reduces anyone's anxiety about participating and helps build connection and trust.

I kick off the session with a unique warm-up activity called 'Crazy Bad Ideas' to spark the initial engagement. Teams are sent to breakout rooms for 5 minutes to brainstorm and list as many wild ideas like meat milkshakes or candy cameras. Then, in the next 5 minutes, they choose one idea and create a marketing tagline to sell it. Finally, teams gather in the main room to pitch their wild products using the tagline. This activity serves three primary purposes: 1. To set a relaxed and fun atmosphere within the team, promoting teamwork 2. To encourage participants to think creatively and unconventionally, adopting a non-judgmental stance towards idea generation 3. To introduce the fundamental principles of divergent and convergent thinking

In order to have a successful program it's crucial to have a project Based Learning approach. That would create great engagements among the team members and also the facilitators. To do this the facilitator needs to be an authentic DT Professional who has done real projects using DT approach. In that way the facilitator could manage the learners project well. The facilitators mannerisms make a big difference during the session. The more Jovial and fun the facilitator is the better.

10 RULES FOR ONLINE DESIGN THINKING WORKSHOPS Check out 10 practical rules for online design thinking workshops from the new book ‘ONLINE INNOVATION’: # 1 – Do a tech onboarding session before the workshop. #2 - Keep the boards simple. #3 - Send people real-life stuff, for engagement, inspiration and fun. #4 - Don't facilitate it alone. #5- Let people interact freely in small groups online. #6 - Use a "Star" model facilitation, when in plenary. # 7 - Engage participants also emotionally (as there are so many distractions). #8- Manage Time more strict online. #9 - Set clear instructions. #10 - Follow up to help people take action. Ps. Check out this new book ‘ONLINE INNOVATION’ for more rules, tools, methods and tips.

When it comes to delivery through an online program, there are high possibilities where people join from different parts of the world. When that happens, we need to adapt to the different Time Zones and Different cultures. It's important to Plan and study a bit on various cultures and how to cluster them to facilitate the discussion and activities. I found it useful to have a paper to map out the time where different countries come into the program. When communicating in English it's important to go slow and steady as people from different parts of the world have a different way of consuming the language.

I totally agree with the point of co facilitating a design thinking workshop. On of the benefits for this was when my co chair was doing the demonstration on the tool I was speaking and explaining.

In an online setup, ensuring timely progress across teams is a key challenge. Time is strictly limited in my workshops. Participants are expected to pitch their ideas at the end. Hence, it is crucial that every team completes their boards within the designated timeline. To address this challenge, appoint a master facilitator alongside team moderators. The master facilitator coordinates time management across teams, making time-sensitive announcements via Zoom's 'Broadcast message' feature. Moderators can take notice of this broadcast and inform the master facilitator of any observed delays in their teams. In response, the facilitator can choose to extend the time for all teams as needed, ensuring fairness and adherence to the schedule.

Maximizing Online Opportunities Leverage Technology: Use digital tools for real-time collaboration, such as Miro or Mural for brainstorming and ideation. Take advantage of features specific to online platforms that might not be available in person. Access to Global Perspectives: Use the online format to include participants from diverse geographical locations, bringing in a wider range of perspectives and ideas. Resource Availability: Utilize the vast array of online resources for research, inspiration, and data gathering. Flexibility in Participation: Offer asynchronous activities for participants who can’t be present for the whole session.

In my experience, fostering trust and empathy within an online environment is like lighting a candle in the dark—it illuminates hidden paths of human connection. A safe and supportive space isn't just an ideal; it's a necessity for unguarded expression of ideas and emotions. Story-sharing becomes a transformative tool here, bridging the gap left by absent non-verbal cues. Stories aren't mere anecdotes; they're emotional waypoints that guide your design process, connecting you to the lived experiences of your team and your users. By instilling these practices, you don't just foster trust and empathy, you make them the bedrock of your design thinking sessions, reaffirming that even in a digital world, human connections can thrive.

Build trust and empathy for effective online design thinking. Create a safe space: Clearly communicate that all ideas are valued and there are no wrong answers. This encourages open participation and vulnerability. Foster storytelling: Utilize prompts or structured activities that encourage participants to share personal experiences and perspectives relevant to the challenge. Employ empathy tools: Guide the team in actively creating personas, empathy maps, and journey maps to visualize user needs, pain points, and motivations. Lead by example: Demonstrate empathy and vulnerability yourself to model the desired behaviour.

The sooner you can introduce a basic level of creativity and humour, the sooner you will garner both trust and a willingness to participate.

In my Design thinking Session, in the beginning itself I'll create an environment where people feel easy and I'll build up a fun learning environment. After about 3 hours into the session the team feels very comfortable with each other. It's also important to let the participants collaborate in a group. Ensure the group is not too big. A team of 5 pax is great for them to build trust and empathy among them.

After the session, gather feedback and reflect on what worked. Use this to continually improve the experience for future meetings.

One thing I've found useful, is to record the online session. Then you could identify what are the improvement you need in every segments of the program. Here is how, you could dissect the whole session and work on improving it. 1. The Icebreaker 2. Setting the stage 3. Flow of the Content 4. Which content the learners engaged most 5. Which part of the content the learner engaged least 6. How the learners like to engage? 7. Any improvement on the activities done 8. Any improvements on the discussion formats among the learners. 9. The feasibility of online tools. and many more.

For online sessions in particular, I'd suggest adding a reflection or feedback tool at intervals throughout. Not only does it allow you to gauge the energy in the (zoom) room, it gives you better data re the exercises that work best in a virtual space. (And to adjust what you have coming up if necessary.) They also 'wake' the less engaged up on a regular basis, or give neurodivergent individuals an opportunity to refocus.

Keep a record of key learnings, both positive and negative. Document strategies that have worked and pitfalls to avoid. Identify best practices: Distill best practices from the feedback and your observations that can be applied in future meetings. These could include new facilitation techniques, better ways of using digital tools or more effective methods of engaging participants. Plan improvements: Based on the feedback and lessons learned, create a plan to address opportunities for improvement. This could include acquiring new skills, experimenting with different tools or adapting the meeting format. From the feedback and your observations, distill best practices that can be applied in future sessions.

After the session, gather feedback and reflect on what worked. Use this to continually improve the experience for future meetings.

Consider incorporating icebreakers and team-building activities, encouraging active listening, and involving users directly. Use virtual whiteboards for visual communication, and empower the facilitator to play an active role in promoting empathy. Build in moments for reflection and storytelling to deepen emotional connections, while being culturally sensitive and establishing feedback loops for continuous improvement. These strategies collectively bridge the gap in online interactions, creating an environment where participants can better understand each other and the users, ultimately enhancing the human-centered aspect of design thinking.

Since 2020, I have advocated for conducting most of our workshops online. In the past, I have seen a lack of active participation when some members were physically present in a room, while others tried to participate remotely. In my view, having everyone participate online is an advantage as it encourages better engagement from all participants. Additionally, we can capture all the information digitally during the workshop with tools such as Miro or Mural, which makes it easy to reference and synthesize later. It may be necessary to rethink the process of conducting some of your older workshops online. Remember Workshops are your Product, and you should be reusing and improving them constantly.

Here's a tactical list I use for online design thinking sessions: - Ensure seamless transitions between activities and stages to maintain momentum. - Ask participants to create a dedicated, quiet space for the session. - Schedule sessions at times that work for the majority and record sessions for those who can't attend live. - Encourage more verbal communication and use reaction features or polls to gauge participant reactions. - Use interactive elements, regular breaks, and energizing activities to keep participants engaged. - Use secure platforms and set clear guidelines for handling sensitive information. - Include virtual breakout rooms and informal activities for relationship-building.

It's common to have challenges when you are conducting A Design Thinking Program online. It's important to set the stage right in the beginning. I normally take up to an hour to set the stage for a whole 7 hours program. - We bring out the child in everyone during the beginning. - We have about 5 mindsets which they can choose during the whole day. And they can commit to those by announcing it. - We advise them,on what to do when there are online glitches. These are some examples.

Any design workshop that is conducted online should be limited in time. Zoom fatigue is real. My recommendations are not having sessions longer than 2 hours with at least one break for 10-15 mins. Also, in my experience, apart from having a set agenda and goal, to keep teams engaged including breaks and activities that ask participants to stand up and stretch (if they can). This help with engagement and energy levels through out the session