Proper preparation is key to the success of the Business AI Design Workshop. This includes organizing essential materials, coordinating with the project sponsor, and briefing both participants and coaches. Setting up the space and ensuring all tools are ready will enable smooth facilitation and active participation during the workshop.
Take the following steps to prepare for the Business AI Design Workshop:
- Have a well-documented use case
Coordinate with the project sponsor or the individual requesting the workshop to clarify and confirm the use case that will be analyzed and improved. Ensure that participants complete the business view section of the Use Case Brief in advance in case they haven’t done the Business AI Explore workshop beforehand. Additionally, designate one participant to present the use case at the start of the session, ensuring that everyone has a clear understanding of the focus area from the beginning.
- Prepare a Stakeholder Map and Personas of the main end-user groups (recommended)
If possible, hold a preliminary session with participants to explore the key actors in the process being analyzed. Using tools like the Stakeholder Map and Persona will help document and understand these roles. This ensures that all participants have sufficient insight into the end-users, enabling them to ideate truly beneficial solutions.
- Brief your participants
Send out the meeting requests a few weeks prior to the session, so participants can arrange their attendance. Include the workshop objectives, a simplified agenda and the link to your video conference and MURAL board in the case of a virtual session.
- Adapt the agenda
Modify the duration of the exercises in the agenda according to the number of participants and time available. You need at least 2 minutes for each participant to share their ideas, therefore, the more participants you have in each team, the more time you will need for the share-outs. Prepare a simplified agenda on a flipchart for on-site workshops.
- Brief the coaches and review the instructions
Make sure all coaches are familiar with the exercises and their sequence before the workshop starts. You will find all the instructions in the coach guide or in the MURAL board.
- Prepare the space
Make sure you secure a space large enough for the audience.
Each team of participants working on a use case will need a space with a table that can accommodate the whole team and 2 whiteboards or similar vertical surfaces.
The room should also be equipped with a projector or big screen to explain the exercises.
- Prepare the materials
Print the following materials for an on-site session:
- 1 deck of the Business AI Ideation Cards per team (size A6)
- 8 Capability Idea Napkins per team (size A4)
- 1 Experience Journey Map per team (size A0 – draw or print)
- 1 agenda sheet per coach (size A4)
Make sure each participant has access to a thick pen and that each team has a package of post-its.
Have magnets or tape available to hang your material and game coins or voting dots to slect the cards.
In the case of a virtual session, create a new board from the Mural template available. Remember to create one board per team.
Let’s summarize what you’ve learned:
- Use Case Preparation:
Coordinate with the project sponsor to confirm the use case and ensure participants complete the business view of the Use Case Brief.
- Stakeholder Insights (recommended):
Hold a session to create a Stakeholder Map and Personas for key end-user groups.
- Participant Briefing:
Send meeting invites early, including the agenda and necessary links, to ensure participants are prepared.
- Agenda Adaptation:
Adjust the workshop agenda based on the number of participants and the time available for discussions.
- Material and Space Setup:
Ensure all necessary materials, spaces, and tools are prepared for both onsite and virtual sessions.