Presentation Designer's Toolkit
The Metaphor Game
What is it? The Metaphor Game is a creative brainstorming exercise that sharpens your ability to create meaningful metaphors.This process enhances your communication abilities, as metaphors are powerful tools for simplifying complex ideas by relating them to something more familiar. Start by forming pairs—this activity works best in groups of two. One team member person secretly selects a word related to a chosen theme, while the other generates random nouns within a set time. The person with the secret word uses one of the nouns to create a metaphor. After swapping roles and refining their metaphors together, the pair shares their most interesting creations with the group. This activity enhances creative thinking by encouraging connections between unrelated concepts. This process sharpens creative thinking skills and enhances your ability to forge abstract connections, making it a valuable tool for writers, designers, and problem solvers seeking to infuse fresh perspectives and creativity into their work. Over time, you'll notice that your mental associations become more diverse and expansive, and you'll become more adept at drawing connections between seemingly unrelated things in various aspects of life. When to use it To practice making creative and meaningful connections between ideas. As a warm-up exercise before tackling more significant creative tasks, helping you overcome initial creative blocks. As a team building activity to kick-off a new project and encourage creative thinking. Remember to Don't limit yourself to obvious or literal connections between your chosen concepts. Instead, let your imagination run wild. After creating metaphors using the game, take the time to reflect on your choices. Consider how well they convey the intended message or concept. Are they vivid and engaging? Do they enhance understanding? Step-by-step 1 Gather materials Collect index cards or scraps of paper, writing utensils, and a notebook or paper for each team. 2 Choose a focus Select a theme or focus for your metaphors. For example, "emotions" or "nature." 3 Generate a list of related words Brainstorm 30 nouns based on your chosen theme. Chose your favorite 20, and write each one on a separate index card or scrap of paper. For example, if “emotions” was the theme, this list could include words like Joy, Happiness, Laughter, Melancholy, Fury, Serenity, Confusion, Elation, Anxiety, Anger, Contentment, Bitterness, etc. 4 Mix up the list Shuffle the list on a table or in a box. 5 Get into groups of two Divide participants into teams of two. Each team chooses one member to start. The selected team member draws a word from the pile of related words without showing it to their partner. 6 Set up a simple metaphor structure On their own paper or index card, the first team member writes "[the word they drew] is a ____________________" 15 times, leaving a blank space for the metaphorical comparison. 7 Set up a timer and fill in the blank Set a timer for 2 minutes and have the other team member provides 20 random nouns (objects, animals, places, etc.) to their partner. The first team member fills in the blank with each of the provided nouns to create 20 different metaphors. The emphasis here is on quick, spontaneous creativity. 8 Reverse roles Switch roles within the team. Now, the second team member draws a related word and the first team member generates random nouns. 9 Collaborate and refine As a team, review both sets of metaphors created. Look for opportunities to combine, expand, or refine them into more elaborate and compelling metaphors. 10 Share and discuss Have teams share their most intriguing metaphors with the group. Encourage discussion and exploration of the metaphors' meanings and imagery. Download the worksheet
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Scavenger Hunt
What is it? A design scavenger hunt is a creative exercise where participants are tasked with finding or collecting a specific set of items, ideas, or elements related to a design project or creative challenge. It is a fun and engaging way to encourage creative thinking, gather inspiration, and generate new ideas. Observing and analyzing design elements used in different contexts can help you find new ways to tell stories, write copy, layout slides, and visually organize information. For example, if we explore packaging design at a specialty or boutique food store, we can learn how to organize information effectively and create visually appealing layouts. We can also discover persuasive writing techniques that resonate with specific target audiences. By studying how key selling points are presented in clear and visually appealing ways, and how everything works together to grab attention and inspire action, we can develop our own unique approach to storytelling and messaging. You can use the scavenger hunt activity at any stage of the presentation design process, from brainstorming to final polishing. It's a great way to break out of creative ruts and discover new approaches to verbal and visual communication. When to use it 1. When you're feeling stuck or uninspired in your writing or design process. 2. As a way to generate fresh and unique solutions to common challenges. 3. As a team building activity to kick-off a new project and encourage creative thinking. Remember to: 1. Take notes and photos of found design elements. 2. Set clear boundaries for the scavenger hunt, including the time limit, areas to be explored, and elements to look for. For a less structured inspiration gathering activity, see the Creativity Walkabout. How it works 1 Define the objective: Determine the purpose of the scavenger hunt and what you hope to achieve by doing it. Are you looking to spark creativity, build teamwork, or improve communication skills? Identifying the objective will help guide the rest of the planning process. 2 Choose a location: Select a location that offers a diverse range of design elements to explore. This could be a city center, a museum, a shopping district, or any other location with an abundance of design inspiration. 3 Create a list of items: Define a set number of items that can be found within the allotted time. These items should be diverse in nature and can include anything from advertisements and signage to architecture and nature. 4 Set a time limit: Determine the amount of time allotted for the scavenger hunt. This can range from a few hours to a full day, depending on the complexity of the items and the location. 5 Gather tools: Get what you need to document findings, such as cameras, notebooks, post-its, and pens. 6 Divide into teams: Divide participants into teams of two or more, depending on the size of the group. Encourage participants to work together and share their insights and ideas. 7 Review and share At the end of the scavenger hunt, gather everyone together to review the findings and share insights. This is a great opportunity for participants to learn from each other and discover new ideas. Remember that this activity can be done solo as well, just adapt to suit your individual goals and interests. It's also a great opportunity to partner with other designers in your area for a team-building and/or networking activity. Activity guide coming soon
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The Mash-Up Method
What is it? The "mash-up" method in brainstorming involves combining unrelated or seemingly disparate ideas, concepts, or elements to generate new and innovative solutions or insights. It encourages the blending or fusion of diverse perspectives, domains, or fields to create something unique and original. The primary goal of using the mash-up method is to break away from conventional thinking patterns and stimulate creativity by forcing connections between unrelated ideas. By merging different concepts or elements, you can uncover fresh perspectives, identify novel solutions, and foster innovative thinking. When to use it When you need to get past obvious solutions, explore new possibilities, and break through mental barriers Remember to: Select two categories or concepts that are unrelated and not typically associated with the problem you are trying to solve Focus on quantity over quality Let loose and have fun Step-by-step 1 Define the challenge you're facing Clearly articulate the specific challenge or problem you are trying to address. For example, if you're working on visuals for a sustainability-focused keynote and need a fresh way to approach a visual metaphor for uncertainty, you might write down: "How could I visually represent uncertainty in a way that is unexpected, thought-provoking, and aligns with the theme of sustainability?" 2 Choose two unrelated categories Select one category that relates to your challenge, such as "Sustainability" in this case. For the unrelated category, think of an area or field that could provide interesting elements to explore, like "Outer Space" or "Team dynamics" 3 Create columns for each category and define a high number of outputs Divide your workspace into two columns, one for each category. Aim to generate a substantial number of ideas, like 20 for each column. The quantity of ideas is important at this stage to increase the likelihood of uncovering unique and creative concepts. 4 Generate ideas within each category Set a timer for a short period, such as 2 or 5 minutes, and brainstorm as many elements or ideas as you can within each category. For the "Sustainability" column, you might list concepts like "renewable energy," "nature," "ecosystems," or "sustainable practices." In the unrelated category column, you could write down items like "galaxies," "rocket ships," or "planets." 5 Combine elements from each category Review the lists you've created and start combining elements from the two columns. Don't hesitate to experiment with seemingly unrelated or even silly combinations. For instance, you might combine "uncertainty" from the sustainability category with "galaxies" from the unrelated category to create a visual representation of uncertain paths among infinite possibilities in the universe. Embrace the unexpected connections, as they can lead to highly creative and innovative solutions. Guide coming soon
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Crazy 8s brainstorming
What is it? Crazy 8s is a fast-paced and dynamic brainstorming method that encourages rapid idea generation. This technique helps bypass overthinking and self-censorship by pushing participants to think beyond their initial assumptions. The name "Crazy 8's" derives from the structure of the exercise, which involves folding a sheet of paper into eight sections and setting a time limit of 8 minutes for participants to generate eight unique sketches or ideas. Here's a few different ways to use this activity for presentation development and design: Visual metaphors: come up with different visual metaphors to represent a key message or theme of the presentation. These metaphors can then be used as inspiration for imagery, illustrations, and/or visual aids. Presentation structure: brainstorm different ways to structure your presentation. For example, you could ask each participant to come up with eight different ways to open the presentation, or eight different ways to close it. Slide content and layout: brainstorm ideas for individual slides. You could focus the activity on eight different visual aids or layouts that could be used on a specific slide. Audience engagement: brainstorm ideas for how to engage the audience during the presentation. This can include coming up with eight interactive activities or questions to involve the audience. When to use it When you need to generate a large quantity of ideas quickly When you're stuck or facing a creative block. Its fast-paced, time-bound approach can help break down mental barriers and spark new ideas that you may not have thought of otherwise. Remember to Approach the activity with an open mind, embrace the constraints as a creative challenge, and remember to have fun. Step-by-step: how to run a Crazy 8s session 1 Define the problem or topic Clearly state the problem/area you want to brainstorm about or specify the topic you want to explore. Be as specific as possible. 2 Gather materials Each participant should have a sheet of paper divided into eight equal sections. You can provide blank sheets of paper, or you can use templates that already have the sections pre-drawn. You'll also need writing utensils, a timer, and a flat surface for drawing and writing. 3 Set the time limit Allocate a specific time frame for each round of idea generation. The typical duration for each round in Crazy 8s is 8 minutes, but you can adjust the time based on your preference and the complexity of the challenge. 4 Start the timer Begin the timer and let the participants know they have 8 minutes to generate as many ideas as possible. It's essential to emphasize the importance of speed and quantity over quality during this process. 5 Generate ideas Participants individually brainstorm and write down their ideas. Encourage them to be creative, think outside the box, and avoid self-censorship. Remind them to quickly move from one idea to the next, aiming to generate at least 8 ideas within the time limit. 6 Pin-up and share After the 8 minutes are up, have each participant pin or stick their ideas on a wall or board where everyone can see them. Each participant takes turns presenting their ideas briefly, explaining them if necessary. As they present, others can ask clarifying questions or provide immediate feedback. 7 Group and cluster Once all the ideas have been shared, look for similarities or themes among the ideas. Group similar ideas together and create clusters or categories to identify common threads or patterns emerging from the brainstorming session. 8 Reflect and prioritize Take a moment to review the clusters of ideas and discuss their potential value or feasibility. Prioritize the clusters based on their relevance, potential impact, or feasibility in solving the problem at hand. 9 Select ideas for further development From the prioritized clusters, choose the most promising or interesting ideas to explore further. These ideas can serve as a foundation for the next stage of the brainstorming process or be developed into actionable plans. Guide coming soon
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