Tom Wujec: Got a wicked problem? First, tell me how you make toast

Summary

The speaker introduces a design exercise involving drawing how to make toast without words, which reveals insights into problem-solving and collaboration. The exercise progresses from individual drawings to using sticky notes and then to group collaboration. It highlights the value of visualizing complex systems with nodes and links, the importance of iteration, and the power of collective intelligence in creating comprehensive models. The speaker advocates for using this approach to tackle real-world organizational challenges and shares resources on drawtoast.com.

Takeaways

• 😊 The design exercise of drawing 'how to make toast' helps people understand and solve complex problems.
• 📝 The process starts with a simple drawing of how to make toast, with no words, just visuals.
• 🍞 Most drawings feature common elements like bread, toaster, and the transformation process of making toast.
• 🔗 These diagrams use nodes (objects) and links (connections), which form a systems model, revealing how people think something works.
• 🛠 Different people emphasize different aspects of toast-making, such as the toaster mechanics, the human experience, or the supply chain.
• ⚙️ More detailed models can have between 5 to 13 nodes; fewer nodes make the model too simple, and more make it too complex.
• 🗂 Using sticky notes or cards allows for better clarity and easier changes to the model through rapid iteration.
• 👥 Group collaboration helps build richer, clearer models by integrating everyone's points of view.
• 💡 Silent collaboration leads to faster, better outcomes when people build models together.
• 🌍 This visual method of solving complex problems can be applied to more relevant topics like organizational vision, customer experience, or sustainability.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the toast-making exercise described in the script?

The toast-making exercise helps people understand and solve complex problems by breaking them down into simple, visual components. It reveals how individuals think, collaborate, and make sense of processes.

Why do participants in the exercise draw toast-making differently?

Participants draw toast-making differently because they each have unique perspectives on the process. Some focus on the transformation of the toast, others on the toaster's mechanics, while others include the people or the supply chain involved.

What common quality do most of the drawings share, according to the speaker?

Most drawings share a common structure of nodes and links. Nodes represent tangible objects, like the toaster or people, and links show the connections between these nodes, helping to visualize the entire system.

How can the complexity of the toast-making process be measured in the exercise?

The complexity of the toast-making process is measured by counting the number of nodes in a drawing. Simple models typically have 4-8 nodes, while models with more than 13 nodes may cause 'map shock,' where the complexity becomes overwhelming.

Why are sticky notes or cards used in the second part of the exercise?

Sticky notes or cards are used because they allow participants to rearrange nodes easily. This flexibility encourages rapid iteration and refinement of the model, leading to clearer, more detailed, and logical systems representations.

What happens when participants work in groups to draw how to make toast?

In groups, the process starts messy but becomes clearer as participants refine the model by building on each other's ideas. The collaborative effort leads to a more comprehensive system model, integrating diverse points of view.

How does silence impact group collaboration in the exercise?

Silence improves the group's efficiency and effectiveness in creating the model. The speaker observes that when participants work without talking, they collaborate better and complete the exercise more quickly.

What are the key lessons from the toast-making exercise?

The key lessons are: drawing helps us visualize complex systems, movable cards produce better models through iteration, and group models synthesize diverse perspectives to create more comprehensive outcomes.

How can the toast-making exercise be applied to real-world challenges?

The toast-making exercise can be applied to real-world challenges like organizational vision, customer experience, or sustainability. Collaborative visualization helps organizations tackle complex problems by making their ideas visible and tangible.

What is the significance of the example of Rodale mentioned in the script?

The Rodale example illustrates the power of collaborative visualization. By mapping out their entire business systems, the company recovered $50 million in revenue and improved their customer rating from a D to an A, demonstrating how visualization aligns team perspectives and clarifies decision-making.