Canvases & Tools
Canvases and other visual collaboration tools have proven to be effective means for structuring and focusing discussions. The following continuously updated selection contains materials by 3rd parties as well as tools we have developed at go3consulting.
Most of the materials are made available under various Creative Commons (CC) licenses. Pls. note that individual copyright and other legal restrictions may apply. All descriptions and how-tos provide direct links to the sources of the materials on a best-effort basis.
How to use Canvases & Tools
Canvases are made for interaction. Regardless whether you use a printed poster with a group of people (our preference), an online collaboration tool like Miro or Mural (the second-best option), or a shared PowerPoint slide during a videoconference with one participant acting as scribe, fill them with a group of collaborators.
Use sticky notes (or their digital equivalents). Canvases are not questionnaires. Working with your team you will have discussions and want to change inputs as your thinking develops.
Write headlines, not details. At least for starters. Don’t try and write an essay or a business plan. At least not for now. Capture ideas.
Use the how-tos provided. Discuss inputs in a logical order. Some canvases, like e.g. the Business Model Canvas, have a canonical order for filling them. Fields in other tools have an implied logical order; it makes little sense to fill a persona template before deciding on gender and age.
Step back from time to time to look at the overall picture. Fields in many canvases and tools have interdependencies or logical connections. Make sure the inputs add up.
Give it time to settle – and iterate. Ideally, come back with new learnings and thoughts after a few days and refine your input further. One startup we coached updated their buyer personas after every week of customer meetings with new learnings.
Keep refining until you feel you have a coherent and sufficiently detailed picture.
The Impactors/Impacted Map
The Impactors/Impacted map is a different take on a stakeholder map. It is a helpful tool that creates agreement and visualizes a team's view on the relative importance of the stakeholders. It aims to separate the "impactors" – the ones wielding the power – from the...
The Organisation Design Tool
The "Organisation Design Tool" starts from "desired outcomes" based on Strategic Objectives as the design principle for designing or re-designing organisations. It aids organisation design by identifying the to-be-formed team's core activities and the resources...
The Mission Statement Tool
This tool aids in creating Mission Statements. The Mission statement is a short statement that connects an organization’s Vision to Strategic Initiatives and -Objectives. It usually includes the organization’s tenet, the purpose, and the beneficiaries or primary...
The Business Model Canvas – For Teams
It is important to understand and demonstrate how your particular department or team delivers value to the overall organisation (and ideally its customers) and how these benefits could be increased even further – while potentially reducing effort and cost.Time If you...
The Business Model Canvas
The Business Model Canvas was developed as a strategic management and entrepreneurial tool for the development and improvement of business models. It allows to describe, design, challenge, invent, and pivot business models. The BMC is often also used to understand,...
The Culture Design Canvas
While one cannot “re-design” an organization’s culture in a workshop or two, it is important to take stock of current culture and clarify intentions with respect to its future. If differences turn out to be meaningful an organization needs to set themselves concrete...