In recent times, we’ve been doing a lot of work in the university space, typically around determining a practical strategy for a new intranet/portal (depending on what you call it).

Our work is always informed by field research, and in one project,  this involved holding four workshops with a mix of staff.

Very quickly, word started getting around, with comments and feedback from the workshops including:

• “Wow, am I in the right place, I thought this was a workshop about the portal?”
• “I wasn’t going to come along but a friend came to one of your workshops last week and said it was fun”
• “I feel like I am in Kindy (in a good way)”
• “How did you manage to turn a grungy tute room into something that looks inviting?”

These are exactly the kinds of comments we’re looking for, because one of our consulting principles is: never underestimate the power of a colourful room.

(The photo above is from one of our actual sessions at the university.)

Our standard “consultants kit” now includes:

• coloured pens
• sticky notes
• coloured paper
• pens (of all sorts)
• sweets and lollies ;-)

It’s also about mixing up the formats, and using a range of different techniques to uncover insights. These approaches include:

• Microsoft Product Reaction Cards (“What is your ideal intranet?”)
• individual activities (“What are your information needs?”)
• group discussions (“What could be made easier?”)
• presentation (screenshots and examples from other universities)
• sketching (“What would the ideal intranet look like”)
• whole group discussions (“What should the university be telling us about?”)

After all, who said intranet projects can’t be fun? :-)