In this latest in our Censemaking Methods Series we turn our focus toward applying design to generating impact through better events and gatherings.
Crafting an unforgettable gathering is an alchemy of art and science. Through intentional design, we can learn from service design
From board retreats, annual general meetings, to brainstorming sessions, a stellar event emerges from thoughtful design. This design integrates the essence of both the art and method, cultivating experiences that transcend one-to-one encounters. This is why we gather in the first place.
The Event as a Service
Instead of an event as a punctuated point in time, what if we viewed it as a service? Great, useful services possess:
- A defined purpose
- Resources tailored for that purpose
- A context and setting
- An interplay between the service provider and seeker
In this context, an event acts as a service. Attendees, or service-seekers, approach with certain expectations, searching for a reason to participate. As designers, our task is to identify these underlying motives and create an experience that matches that. Participant interests might vary from gaining knowledge, networking, seeking business opportunities, to just a break from the usual.
Similarly, event hosts or organizers harbour their own objectives – so they are also a user group to design for. Be it promoting a concept, linking individuals, garnering feedback, problem-solving, or decision-making; the reasons for gathering are vast. A great design will aspire to address as many of these as can be done coherently and with integrity.
Designers must then carve out value for both parties – the hosts and attendees. This entails catering to diverse needs, desires, and capabilities, ensuring alignment.
Subsequently, it’s vital to assess available resources, like venue, time, personnel, and budget, to guarantee an experience worth the attendees’ precious time and focus. This is what design does: it considers demands, resources, constraints, and aspirations and puts them together to achieve a purpose.
To visualize participants’ journey, tools like storyboards or attractor maps can be instrumental. These cover everything from the first promotional message to post-event engagements, spanning both digital and physical realms.
Events as Transformation
It’s our human-to-human links that make the most meaningful moments of our lives.
Joshua Cooper Ramo
Recent times, especially the pandemic era, have highlighted the importance of collective experiences. We’ve witnessed the strength of virtual collaborations, while simultaneously understanding the importance of in-person interactions.
Our time is valuable; so it’s important that every gathering imparts true value. And by value, we mean creating meaningful encounters, experiences, and opportunities that are achieved because we gathered together. An impactful event doesn’t just happen; it has be shaped in ways that make it special. It mandates participant interaction and mutual learning, while also recognizing people’s preferences, capabilities, and needs. A solitary webinar viewer, without communal engagement, seldom experiences genuine transformation.
It’s about charting the journey – knowing the start, the participants, possible routes, and the desired outcomes. Combining journey-mapping techniques with change theories helps. It needn’t be complex, just purpose-driven.
Events as Process
Who hasn’t experienced ill-conceived, poorly designed events? We’ve all attended educational seminars lacking clarity, networking events with minimal connections, or think tanks offering scant reflection space.
Truly memorable events are borne from intentionality. And transformation stems from connecting purpose to delivery.
Impact doesn’t just rest within the event itself, it’s just a focal point. For lingering effects, the experience should resonate long after the event’s conclusion. Why not extend the journey? Post-event reflections and engagements (e.g., email newsletter, social media channels, Slack or Discord channels, or meet-ups) can magnify the experience.
This underlines the importance of viewing events as ongoing processes as a life-span. From the initial announcement to post-event touchpoints, it’s this continuous engagement that imprints memories. And it’s these imprints that enrich our existence, reinforcing the reason we assemble.
Combine these insights with service design principles, and you achieve more than a mere event – it’s creating a metamorphosis.
Please contact us if you’re looking at hosting a strategic gathering to achieve impact and transformation. We design, facilitate, and evaluate them for impact.