3D mapping workshop
Make complexity tangible
3D mapping is a collaborative method that offers a way to make complex systems more tangible, by using physical objects to create a three-dimensional representation of a system and discover places to intervene.
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3D mapping is very versatile, it can be used in many different contexts. Some examples of questions that you could explore with 3D mapping are:
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How can we increase the resilience of our neighbourhood?
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How can we improve the experience for patients in our clinic?
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What are the (unintended) consequences of our new policy?
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How can we increase our teams ability to learn?
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Which relationships and interactions do we need to be aware of in order to make our impact startup succeed?
How does it feel to be part of a 3D mapping workshop and what are the benefits?
When choosing a method for your group to work with, you need to think about what the experience will be like on the individual and group level and if that supports the groups goal.
Play replaces fear with curiosity
Working on complex challenges with a group of people that we are not familiar with can feel daunting. 3D mapping allows us to tap into a more playful mindset, making us less afraid of mistakes and more open to explore new ideas and perspectives and to connect to new people.
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Connecting the pieces reveals patterns
A 3D mapping workshop feels like a process of discovery. Relationships between components that have seemed abstract before become more tangible. People feel like they are uncovering hidden patterns or solving puzzles as the map reveals new connections.
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Making ideas tangible brings them to life
Language alone can feel abstract and theoretical. By making ideas tangible, we are not just talking about them, we are bringing them to life. Once the ideas are on the table, the group can play way with them and explore different scenarios.
Connecting perspectives creates a shared understanding
As people move around the table, there’s a shared sense of ownership over the map that reflects the group’s collective thinking. Each participant bringing something unique to the table. People feel more aligned as they see the system unfold and can more easily understand each other’s perspectives.
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Play invites humor and makes it easier to work through tension
3D mapping invites us to use humor to talk about topics that are otherwise difficult to address. During a 3D mapping session, the groups will move through multiple cycles of deep conversation, laughter and quiet contemplation.
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Disconnecting ideas from people makes it easier to think critically
Being able to put our ideas and perspectives literally on the table makes it possible to detach them from ourselves. This makes it easier for us to look at our own ideas critically and makes comments from others less personally confronting. The group is exploring the topic together from different perspectives and building a shared understanding, instead of fighting over who is right and wrong.
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The shared exploration process creates motivation to take action together
Based on this shared understanding of the relationships and patterns in the system, the group can identify new places to intervene and plan concrete actions together. Having been part of the collaborative process means that all participants understand the reasoning behind the interventions and makes everyone more motivated to take action together.
How does it work and what do you need?
The outline of a 3D mapping workshop is relatively simple, consisting of 4 main phases, framed by preparation before and follow up after the workshop:
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A. Workshop preparation
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Framing the context and posing the question
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3D mapping
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Distilling and sharing insights
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Reflecting and planning next steps
B. Workshop follow up
A. Workshop preparation
During the preparation for the workshop, there are three main questions that I will help you to answer:
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a. What do I want to achieve with this workshop?
After formulating your first answer to this question, I will keep asking you “Why?”, until we find the underlying goal. Based on your goal, we will then formulate your challenge question. If you are still very close to the beginning of exploring this challenge, you do not need to try formulating the “perfect” question. As the participants work on the challenge together, the group will also refine the goal and challenge question. If in step 4 during the reflection it becomes apparent that there are differences between the sub-groups in how the question has been reframed, I will guide the group to define a shared goal.
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b. Who should participate in order to best support this purpose?
Based on the goal you have defined, we will think about who should ideally be present a the workshop to support this purpose. We could also use 3D mapping with the organizing group in this step, to explore the stakeholder landscape. To help identify the stakeholders, I will ask questions like:
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Who interacts with this system?
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Who benefits from it and who is negatively affected?
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What do people contribute to this system?
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Who has power over the rules of the system (written and social)?
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Who determines the goal of the system?
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Who influences the mindsets of people?
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How does information flow through this system and who is involved in that process?
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How do resources flow through this system and who is involved in that process?
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Who are you afraid of involving and why?
The maximum number of people I would recommend is 60. The minimum is 1, but having more people and diverse perspectives will enrich the exploration.
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c. What resources are needed?
The main thing you need to provide is a room large enough to fit a table and chairs for each sub-group to work at. Depending on the total number of participants, we will split them into sub-groups of 3–6 people. I will provide the collection of objects for each group to create their 3D maps with.
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Good preparation is key for a successful workshop. During the workshop, I will take care of the facilitation, so that you can focus on the content. As the initiator of the workshop, you will still have some tasks that are different from those of the rest of the participants.
1. Framing the context and posing the question
At the beginning of the workshop, it is your task to explain the context of your challenge and what you already know so far that is relevant for the participants to know, then you introduce the question. I will help you to prepare this before the workshop.
If you are still close to the beginning of your exploration of this topic, let the participants know that this is the first iteration of the question and that they are encouraged to question and reframe the question throughout their exploration. If you are already further along and do not want to shift the question anymore, take more time to explain the reasoning behind this question and the process you went through to formulate it.
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From here I will take over to explain the method. I will invite the groups to open their bags with objects and spread them out along the edges of the table, leaving room in the middle to create their map. I will use some objects myself to give examples of how to give meaning to the objects and explain the process we will go through during this workshop.
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To get the mapping process started, I will ask the participants to first choose one idea and object to represent that idea per person and then go around the circle to share their ideas one by one. After someone has shared their idea, they choose where on the table to place it in relation to the other objects already on the table and explain their reasoning to the group. Once everyone has shared their first idea, the process becomes more organic, with the group working on the map together and moving things around.
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Once the process is clear to everyone, I pose the question again and let them get started. I recommend that you join one of the sub-groups and participate in the 3D mapping.
2. 3D mapping
While the subgroups are working on their maps, I will keep an eye on them to answer any questions that might come up and help groups that are struggling. I avoid as much as possible to disturb the flow of the groups, but I will provide guidance if I see that:
- people are talking a lot but not building
- participation is very unbalanced
- tension in the group is high and some people start to feel unsafe
- a group is stuck and neither talking nor building
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​From time to time, I will remind the groups how much time they have left until we will move to the next step.
3. Distilling and sharing insights
Once the time for the 3D mapping is up, I will hand out note cards and pens and ask the subgroups to write down their main insights and distribute them between the group members, so that each person has a couple of insights that they will share with the whole group. Once all insights have been written down, we all come together in one big circle. One person starts by sharing one of their groups insights and places it on the floor in the middle of the circle. Anyone who has a related insight can share it next and add it to the emerging landscape of ideas, giving meaning to the placement in relation to the ideas that are already present.
4. Reflecting and planning next steps
Once all of the insights have been arranged in the landscape I ask the participants to take a moment to think about what they are seeing now and what practical next steps they want to take personally and as a group. Based on this, we create a list of next steps. Next steps can mean implementing specific changes or identifying areas that need further exploration and thinking about how to get access to that information. In order to carry out these actions, it is helpful to establish a core group that will meet regularly after the workshop and coordinates the implementation. If this is needed, I will already mention it at the beginning of the workshop and ask for volunteers at the end.
B. Workshop follow up
The concrete outputs from this workshop will be a picture of the insights landscape and the list of next steps that can be shared with all participants. But of course, each individual participant will also walk away with their own memories of this experience that will influence their future behaviours.
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Optionally, each group can also make a recording giving a walk through of their 3D map. This can be especially helpful if the 3D mapping workshop is part of a longer systems mapping process and the intention is to bring together the information from the 3D maps into one systems map that can then be further build upon.
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The core group will be in charge of coordinating the implementation of the next steps and monitoring the impact. I am also available to provide support with this process.
What now?
If based on this description of the 3D mapping method you think this might by the right method for your group and you want to explore further what this could look like for your specific group and context, you are welcome to schedule a free discovery call with me.