Lessons learned during the IDE master elective course 'Creative Facilitation'. Industrial Design Faculty, Technical University Delft.

1. 5 LESSONS
FROM
CREATIVE FACILITATION

2. Creative sessions can be a gold mine

3. Creative sessions can be a gold mine
..or a time-wasting disaster.

4. These lessons will increase
both the quality of your results,
as well as your productivity.

5. PREPARE
LESSON 1

6. Never go into a creative
session without a clear
idea of what you want out
of it.
The desired output will
guide your session.
IDENTIFY GOALS.

7. It is crucial that you
carefully plan your
session in detail. You
want to know exactly
how each part of your
session follows the other.
PLAN YOUR SESSION.

8. That means making a
detailed schedule
and a logical order.
TIP: Look at your results after each
activity. Walk through each step and
see if the structure makes sense.

9. PREPARE THE GROUP.
Try to get the group familiar with the problem
and its context. This will avoid wasting time in
the session and give you a headstart!

10. If you’re working with a
buddy, explain what you
expect. Think beforehand
what you’ll need help
with. Inform him or her
of your weaknesses.
INFORM YOUR BUDDY.

11. DEFINE
LESSON 3

12. Always look critically at
the ‘problem as given’
and try to define the
‘problem as perceived’.
Often the roots of the
problem lie much deeper.
ANALYZE THE PROBLEM.

13. “A problem well understood, is a problem half solved.”
- Charles Kettering

14. IDEATE
LESSON 3

15. Ice breakers can be a
great way to ease the
tension and get everyone
in a relaxed state of
mind.
TIP: You can also use energizers
when energy is low and you need a
bit of a boost!
BREAK THE ICE.

16. MORE IS BETTER.
At the beginning of the process you want
quantity over quality. Don’t over-think ideas.
Take everything and move along. This is known
as ‘suspension of disbelief’.
TIP: Try to aim for 10 ideas a minute!

17. “Nothing will stop you from being creative so effectively,
as the fear of making a mistake.”
- John Cleese

18. 3 STAGES OF IDEA GENERATION.
Make sure you always follow your idea
generation sessions through. The silly ideas are
necessary to get to the new and useful insights!

19. USE THE ROOM.
Your mood is largely
influenced by the room
you are in. Just going
from one area to another
will help clear your mind
and prevent you from
getting stuck.
TIP: Go outside! Take a walk!
It might seem like wasting time, but it
is does wonders for your creativity.

20. You can also use the
room, to connect it to
your problem.

21. PLAYFUL ATMOSPHERE.
Creating a playful vibe will help remove
boundaries. Having toys or stress-balls lying
around can be a great way to do that.

22. IDEATE INDIVIDUALLY.
Allow people to generate ideas individually for a
fixed amount of time. This allows you to gather
everyone’s opinions.

23. GUIDE
LESSON 4

24. It’s up to you to make
sure everything goes
according to schedule.
Take the lead when
necessary.
TIP: If you feel lost during a session
ask your buddy to help you.
BE IN CHARGE.

25. Your focus should be on facilitating and guiding,
not controlling and participating. Learn to let
things go.
AVOID CONTROLLING.

26. PRESENT
LESSON 5

27. The presentation is your moment
to shine, to influence and to spread ideas. You
don’t want all your hard work to go unnoticed.
Think about what you want people to remember.
And schedule plenty of time to make it!
GIVE A KILLER PRESENTATION.

28. We are wired to listen
to stories. Use that to
your advantage. Take
the audience on a
journey.
WRAP IT IN A STORY.

29. And most importantly...

30. The single most important thing to remember is
that there is no one good way. Make it your own.
Use what’s distinctive about you. Play to your
strengths and facilitatie in a way that’s authentic!
DO IT YOUR OWN WAY.

31. Let’s recap:

32. PREPARE DEFINE
PRESENTGUIDEIDEATE
LESSON 1 LESSON 2
LESSON 5LESSON 4
LESSONS
LESSON 3
5

33. THANKS FOR WATCHING!
SPECIAL THANKS: MARC TASSOUL , LILI SUKIRMAN, JAN BUIJS
CREATIVE FACILITATION 2014
Luke Veerman
lukeveerman@gmail.com
@lukeveerman
lukeveerman.com