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Tools of the trade: flip charts
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Flip charts (or butchers paper) are the second oldest form of ‘public memory’ after the blackboard. They are still going strong, even in this digital age. So what makes for effective and/or creative flip charts?
In my experience they need to work well physically, enable good communication, and contribute to your overall suite of facilitation or training tools.
Placement and use in spaceFlip charts are the tool of choice to Write it Down and Hang it on the Wall. It also makes a difference how you set up the room.
‘Fit for purpose’
In short, professional materials and equipment for professional results.- Good paper that doesn’t bleed. This allows for nice crisp letters and line work. It’s also good when the sheets are perforated so you can easily tear them off.
- At the risk of stating the obvious, flip chart stands that don’t move when you write on the charts, that are still easy to move around the room, and that make it easy to get the blocks of paper in & out.
Effective visual communication
Typically, we or the participants tend to write dot points that capture what they have been saying. This works well for folks who are ‘word smart’. Alternative formats include mind maps, a variety of drawings and/or variations on these.- Like sticky notes and paragraphs, each sheet needs to have its own focus. So, a heading tells everyone the topic of that sheet. Also, a border around the sheet subtly focusses people’s attention by enclosing the contents.
- I highlight different aspects of a message with colour. It adds visual interest, helps retention and reinforces important parts of the group dialogue.
Placement and use in spaceFlip charts are the tool of choice to Write it Down and Hang it on the Wall. It also makes a difference how you set up the room.- If you are doing the writing, remember to face the group as much as possible. Talking to the wall lacks a certain something… Also, consider how you will get your flipcharts, whiteboard and projector working together to support your work.
- We’ve all had small groups report their work on flip charts. One way to add value to this is to hang all the sheets together as a gallery. You can then run a focussed conversation on this collected material, rather than rely on the vagaries of individual reporters.