Another workshop with M today proved very fruitful. From the various information collated, R + J created a spreadsheet of an audit of the current activities, mainly focusing on materials that has been printed. From there, they also evaluated how effective that was and the priority of it being worked on further.

Another evaluation was conducted to see what the energy workshops are currently doing, in terms of its effectiveness in behavioural change. A rough calculation indicated that as a result of attending these workshops, 1% of Moreland households were reducing their carbon emissions. This was a very positive and reassuring feedback to gain. However, the future plan is not as simple as undertaking the workshops 10-fold, as that is not able to be resourced successfully by the organisation. In order to make sense of what the ‘gap’ or ‘potential’ is, we created a ‘map’ that consolidates all this information into a birds-eye view of the activity that is already taking place. This ‘map’ was roughly drawn like below. On the x-axis, we plot the number of people (or even better, identify the personas) who the activity is informing, and on the y-asis, we plot the degrees relating to behavioural change.

insert diagram here.

From this map, it is easier to see at a glance, what is working for who, and also identifying what are needed to reach the 10% target. We felt that this visualisation can enable us to plan the next steps more effectively and build on the current and projective knowledge of the staff. Initially scribbled (badly) on the whiteboard, I was quite surprised that both J and R nodded enthusiastically to the purpose of this diagram and stating how this visualisation made sense of what they were doing so far. I was again reminded of the power of visualisations – how such ‘maps’ and sketches can be catalytic and revealing. We also discussed how great it would be to have them displayed more prominently and permanently, as a reminder and communication tool for the rest of the staff. These are things we can tackle another time.

On reflection, there are two things I have learnt from this process. Undertaking the workshops and regular discussions with the organisation had prompted them to re-look and re-evaluate what they are doing. It had highlighted that, in fact, they are actually doing something positive and effective already. This seemed to have boosted their morale and optimism for doing even better. This was something I had not expected – that engaging them through this process also had an added benefit. Secondly, I am encouraged that they are already ‘owning’ the activities that are undertaken, and even doing it further than I had expected. I was conscious that I was setting ‘homework’ for them to do and I was a little worried that this may seem patronising. In contrast, J revealed that she liked these tasks and ‘homework’ set, and this was reflected in how she extended them further. B’s visualisations and R+ J’s spreadsheet are great example of these. They had infact considered very thoroughly each task that was asked them to do, and not only did it well but have really made them effective for each workshop so that we can accelerate further.

Organisation ‘M’ and I have been engaged with several workshops over the last few months. In the beginning, they have been passionate yet unclear on what they wanted to achieve with their new campaign.

We begun with clarifying the What, When, Why and Who:
What included the mission and vision of the organisation
Why included why this was important and to who (in hindsight, this seemed like a redundant exercise)
When indicated objectives and targets – when this was compiled, it indicated gaps in targets and actions.
Who is identifying potential audiences through personas. This was effective in bringing to life the audiences that could easily be forgotten.

Each workshop has been successful in clarifying what the campaign intends to achieve. Today, P discussed how difficult it was for him to decide on what logo to go for (the designers have put forward several options) because he didn’t yet know what this campaign was about. It was a comment that highlighted the common challenges organisation faces – that they need external help by communication design / strategists to look at the project brief first, before a logo / brand could be designed. However, often the logo can become a catalyst and a crystalisation of what the campaign is – a chicken and the egg scenario – that can trigger questions and a response to what it could potentially be. The logo design becomes a conversation starter that enables the stakeholders to realise what needs to be clarified. Unfortunately for the graphic designer who has undertaken this task, this can be a frustrating experience.

The main target for the campaign is to reach 10% reduction by households and businesses by 2010. We then discussed what this 10% means, and even though it roughly translates into 5,000 households and 500 businesses, consideration is needed to translate what this means for different people. What does 10% mean to Grace or to Serge? Are there enough people like Joley or Jill and Ben who are already conscious, aware and keen to be active? If not, who else do we need to engage, and how realistic would it be for them to reduce 10% of their emissions?

B examined the current activities the organisation undertakes – which was varied and extensive – and they are up to a stage where they evaluate the effectiveness of these activities and the potential of what they can become. It seemed that they are very good at what they do – in giving practical advice and targeting the messages to certain members of the public. From there, we discussed the need to re-evaluate what they do now, and how through simple modifications, they could become more effective (eg. update of existing communication materials, or instigate different activities that can reach a wider audience group etc). Through this evaluation, it may identify the gaps of what could be undertaken (eg. R mentioned that more effort could be made for schools, which is a great way to engage a larger number of people).

J mentioned that the personas could expand more to enable us to have a focused understanding of not only who, but where and how they live. These details are touched upon at the moment, but more emphasis could be given to them.

In the next few weeks, the team is going to map out an over-view and conduct evaluations of what is currently done, and what still needs considering. From there, it will provide us with a rough road map of what communication strategies can be deployed. We also discussed reveiwing all their current communication materials and seeing how they can be tied and unified into one message.