Facilitating Remote Design Workshops

Even though remote work has been on the uptick over the last decade, now, many teams have moved to distributed work by necessity, and are facing some challenges with converting in-person workshops into digital endeavors.

Shipra Kayan will share her methods and tools for ensuring remote design workshops are both engaging and productive. This seminar will provide tools and techniques both for experienced facilitators and those new to running design meetings.  

You will learn:

• How to overcome common challenges with remote workshopping
• How to plan a successful remote workshop, including setting participant expectations to minimize technical issues
• Common remote workshop tools, tips, and tricks
• How to engage participants and read the room when running a remote design workshop
• How to be inclusive and make sure every voice is heard
• How to effectively timebox conversations and come to a decision

Topics Covered

• What is facilitation
• Why it is important for UX designers to facilitate conversations at work. 
• Planning a design workshop 
  • Crafting the agenda
  • Setting up your remote tools
  • Pre-meeting emails
  • Ground rules for the meeting
• Methods for engaging participants  
  • Gauging participant engagement while facilitating remotely
  • Running helpful breakout discussions
  • The value of engaging physical senses while remote
• Examples of remote design activities 
  • Ice breakers
  • Problem framing and synthesizing 
  • Sketching and ideation, especially with non-design stakeholders
  • Brainstorming and converging