Design Technique: Rich Pictures
To some people this may sound silly but one of the best tools you have when you walk into a client’s office is their own mind. The client knows their business and they have a better idea of who their customers might be. They even have more of an idea about what budget they can invest even if they are probably going to hide that figure defensively behind a solid belief you will just charge whatever they tell you is there. So where do rich pictures come in?
When you rock into their office you might just think of bringing with you a really large roll of scrap paper and a bunch of marking pens. Roll the paper out on the floor, a large desk or somewhere accessible and hand out the pens. Every person has their own colour and this will help you identify who thinks what. Then just start an informal conversation where anyone who talks is free to scribble and draw their view of the issues onto the paper. Rich pictures are about talking in metaphors and symbols and collecting rich ideas which might get lost in paragraphs or interviews. The process itself is obvious and you shouldn’t ever have any trouble with non-compliance.
So you have a question. Why not use their blackboard if they have one? Well you can’t take their blackboard when you go. You can take this roll of paper. Pin it to your wall. You have collected an information artefact which may describe anything from their perspective of the organisation, their views of how the web solution might turn out, information heirarchies, critical ownership of responsibilities can unfold, what applications might be included and ideas on interface design.
Naturally when you arrange this meeting you might want to give advanced warning you’re bringing these executives marking pens and a scribble sheet. But you’ll probably find with enhancements like snacks and some coffee they will be hard to shut up at the end of the meeting. Honest. It not only enhances the information you take away and can use but also says you care what these people think. Its brainstorming so there aren’t any silly answers or ideas.
It is also a perfect opportunity to align key stakeholders to a shared vision and expectations about the outcomes of the project and can save a lot of trouble down the track when you may have found those conflicting visions in conflict.
