the art of warroom

THE ART OF WAR-ROOMA FRAMEWORK FOR A BETTER ETHNOGRAPHIC TEAM SPACE

WITH WHOM ARE WE AT “WAR”?

THE ELEPHANT IN THE WAR-ROOM...THE ETHNOGRAPHIC TEAM-WORK-ROOM IS THE UNSUNG HERO OF FIELD RESEARCH. OFTEN CALLED THE “WAR-ROOM”, I SUBMIT THAT THIS TOOL IS AS IMPORTANT TO RESEARCHERS AS THE SCREENER, PROTOCOL, CAMERA AND NOTEBOOK AND IS A VITAL COMMUNICATION AND THOUGHT TOOL FOR ETHNOGRAPHERS, TEAM MEMBERS AND CLIENTS.

THE WAR-ROOM IS A 3-DIMENSIONAL INFORMATION AND STORY-TELLING FRAMEWORK THAT IS BOTH A WORK/COLLABORATION SPACE AND A VITAL COMMUNICATION ROOM FOR COLLEAGUES AND CLIENTS. THIS SPACE IS AN ON GOING “DELIVERABLE” THAT COMMUNICATES NOT JUST OUR WORK, BUT WHO WE ARE, OUR PROCESS AND EVEN OUR COMPANY BRAND. CLIENTS OFTEN DEMAND PROJECT CHECK-INS AND UPDATES THAT GO BEYOND MERE WRITTEN REPORTS AND TEMPLATED PRESENTATIONS. THEY WANT TO SEE REAL PROGRESS AND INITIAL FINDINGS. THE WAR-ROOM IS A GREAT DEVICE FOR THESE PURPOSES.

10 RULES FOR GOOD WAR-ROOM

1. DEMAND A WAR-ROOM

WRITE IT INTO PROJECT PLANS AND STATEMENTS OF WORK. SOCIALIZE THE CONCEPT INTERNALLY.

2. COMMUNICATE

COMMUNICATE THE WAR-ROOM CONCEPT AS A KEY DELIVERABLE JUST AS YOU WOULD A CUSTOMER-JOURNEY, PERSONA, ECOSYSTEM, EXPERIENCE MODEL AND ETHNOGRAPHIC REPORT.

SHOW EXAMPLES, BENEFITS AND BUILD IT VISUALLY INTO PROJECT PROPOSALS AND YOUR COMPANY CREDENTIALS.

3. PLAN AND SHAPE THE BATTLEFIELD

PLAN THE WAR-ROOM AS A SPACE THAT EXISTS ON THE CLIENT SITE. THOUGH TEAM WORK-SPACES OFTEN EXIST AT OUR OWN OFFICES, THE POWER OF A WAR-ROOM IS THAT IT EXISTS AT THE CLIENT SITE AND CLIENTS CAN VISIT AND INTERACT WITH THE SPACE AND MATERIALS WHEN WE ARE NOT PRESENT.

TEAM-ROOMS ARE FOR US IN THE OFFICE; WAR-ROOMS ARE FOR US AND THE CLIENT, IN THEIR REALM.

4. BUILD A FRAMEWORK

BUILD A FRAMEWORK FOR THE WAR-ROOM. CREATE A SENSE OF ORDER. DESIGNATE CERTAIN SPACES FOR KEY ACTIVITIES, DELIVERABLES IN PROGRESS, STATUS, BACKGROUND MATERIALS.

LABEL SECTIONS OF WALL SPACE, WHITEBOARDS, ETC WITH EASY-TO-READ AND UNDERSTAND LABELS THAT WILL GUIDE VISITORS THROUGH A STORY. LABELS LIKE “WHO ARE WE TALKING TO” ARE MORE HUMAN THAN “USERS” FOR INSTANCE.

5. BRAND THE SPACE

BRAND THE WAR-ROOM AS YOUR OWN. DEDICATE SOME SMALL AMOUNT OF SPACE FOR TEAM BIOS (WITH PHOTOGRAPHS) SO CLIENTS CAN SEE YOU EVEN WHEN NOT THERE.

PLACE BUSINESS CARDS AND COMPANY COLLATERAL IN A USEFUL PLACE SO CLIENTS AND CLIENT COLLEAGUES CAN SEE WHO IS WORKING THERE, HOW OFTEN THEY ARE THERE AND HOW THEY MAY CONTACT YOU.

6. REFRAME THE METAPHOR

REFRAME AND PUBLISH. THINK OF THE WAR-ROOM AS A LIVING DOCUMENT AND OVERTLY OR SUBTLY KEEP A “PUBLISHING SCHEDULE” WHERE CERTAIN PROJECT ELEMENTS ARE UPDATED AND REPLACED.

DON’T CROSS-DATES OFF A CALENDAR LIKE YOU ARE IN PRISON. CELEBRATE TIME, CALENDARS, MILESTONES AND MEETINGS.

7. DESIGN FOR HUMANS

DESIGN A SPACE THAT IS USEFUL, COLORFUL, VISUAL AND WELL-LIT. BRING YOUR OWN WELL-DESIGNED LAMPS. THIS SPACE SHOULD FOCUS AND INSPIRE CREATIVITY.

BRING AND PROUDLY DISPLAY YOUR TEAM CARE AND FEEDING TOOLS LIKE AIRBORNE, TYLENOL, ALTOIDS, GUM, ETC.

DON’T BE ASHAMED TO ALWAYS HAVE TREATS (HEALTHY OR OTHERWISE) ON-HAND FOR THE TEAM AND FOR THE CLIENT.

BE A GRACIOUS GUEST AND TEAM LEADER.

8. DEMONSTRATE PASSION

DEMONSTRATE YOUR PASSION FOR THE CLIENT AND THEIR BRAND BY POPULATING THE SPACE WITH CLIENT MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, PHOTOS, EPHEMERA, SCREENSHOTS, ETC.

DOCUMENT THE SPACE AND SHARE THE PHOTOS WITH YOUR CLIENT SO THEY CAN BETTER TAKE CREDIT FOR BEING THE AWESOME SMART CLIENT WE LOVE.

9. RESPECT THE SPACE

RESPECT THE SPACE. YOU ARE A GUEST. KEEP IT CLEAN – ALL THE TIME. BE JUDICIOUS WITH FOOD AND JACKETS AND BAGS.

BE CLEVER WITH EXTRA POWER CORDS, ETHERNET CABLES, PAPER, OFFICE SUPPLIES AND USB STICKS.

KEEP THE CORDS MANAGED USE WELL-DESIGNED HUBS AND GADGETS.

DON’T BE CHEAP. DON’T LOOK CHEAP.

10. SHOW UP

BE THERE.

USE THE SPACE FOR MEETINGS, UPDATES, BRAINSTORMS AND CONFERENCE-CALLS.

GO ALL IN OR DON’T GO.

1

1

2

3

4

2

3

4

ORIENTATION

TIME

PEOPLE

THINKING

• PROJECT DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

• TEAM BIOS - CONTACT INFO

• CLIENT SPONSOR INFO

• BUSINESS CARDS

• COMPANY COLLATERAL

• CLIENT COLLATERAL, PRODUCTS

• BACKGROUND MATERIAL - CLIENT MISSION

• RESEARCH VENDOR INFORMATION

• CALENDAR

• PROJECT PLAN

• STATUS UPDATES

• FIELD WORK SCHEDULE

• TRAVEL PLANS

• HOLIDAYS/VACATIONS

• ANYTHING RELATED TO CUSTOMERS

• PERSONAS

• CUSTOMER ANALYTICS

• FIELD RESEARCH PHOTOS

• RESEARCH OBSERVATIONS

• COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPES

• POST-IT NOTE CITY

• FRAMEWORKS

• SYNTHESIS & ANALYSIS

• IDEAS AND INSIGHTS

• SKETCHES

• IMPLICATIONS

• EXAMPLES/ANALOGIES

THE ROOM SETUP FRAMEWORK

1

1

2

3

4

2

3

4

ORIENTATION

TIME

PEOPLE

THINKING

• PROJECT DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

• TEAM BIOS - CONTACT INFO

• CLIENT SPONSOR INFO

• BUSINESS CARDS

• COMPANY COLLATERAL

• CLIENT COLLATERAL, PRODUCTS

• BACKGROUND MATERIAL - CLIENT MISSION

• RESEARCH VENDOR INFORMATION

• CALENDAR

• PROJECT PLAN

• STATUS UPDATES

• FIELD WORK SCHEDULE

• TRAVEL PLANS

• HOLIDAYS/VACATIONS

• ANYTHING RELATED TO CUSTOMERS

• PERSONAS

• CUSTOMER ANALYTICS

• FIELD RESEARCH PHOTOS

• RESEARCH OBSERVATIONS

• COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPES

• POST-IT NOTE CITY

• FRAMEWORKS

• SYNTHESIS & ANALYSIS

• IDEAS AND INSIGHTS

• SKETCHES

• IMPLICATIONS

• EXAMPLES/ANALOGIES

THE ROOM SETUP FRAMEWORK

1. ORIENTATION

3. PEOPLE 2. TIME4. THINKING

• PROJECT DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

• TEAM BIOS - CONTACT INFO

• CLIENT SPONSOR INFO

• BUSINESS CARDS

• COMPANY COLLATERAL

• CLIENT COLLATERAL, PRODUCTS

• BACKGROUND MATERIAL - CLIENT MISSION

• RESEARCH VENDOR INFORMATION

• POST-IT NOTE CITY

• FRAMEWORKS

• SYNTHESIS & ANALYSIS

• IDEAS AND INSIGHTS

• ANYTHING RELATED TO CUSTOMERS

• PERSONAS

• CUSTOMER ANALYTICS

• FIELD RESEARCH PHOTOS

• RESEARCH OBSERVATIONS

• COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPES

• CALENDAR

• PROJECT PLAN

• STATUS UPDATES

THE ROOM SETUP FRAMEWORK

• FIELD WORK SCHEDULE

• TRAVEL PLANS

• HOLIDAYS/VACATIONS

• SKETCHES

• IMPLICATIONS

• EXAMPLES/ANALOGIES

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