This is from a short talk and a mini workshop I've run for various people. The latest incarnation was for the Change Management Institute chapter in London, UK. Interested in the workshop/talk? Contact info(at)businessillustrator.com

1. Illustrating CHANGE- Supporting change with drawn storytelling
Virpi Oinonen
virpi@businessillustrator.com
@voinonen

2. My work: Internal change
communication

3. I do Stuff like this:
(supporting behaviour change)

4. And Stuff like this:
(Event scribing - listening for the pain)

5. And Stuff like this:
(Event scribing - listening for the pain)

6. How I ended up doing what I do
I blame this guy

7. The problem:
Change communication
is
Boring &
alienating

10. How can
drawn storytelling*
help?
* Comics, narrative infographics, animations…

11. illustrations catch
people’s attention

12. Cartoons help deal with
negative stuff...

13. want to engage people in
change? Part 1
Start with the
Pain
Question : in your work is it ok to talk about the
negative aspects of change ?

17. Dilbert: all about pain
From Dilbert.com

18. Cartoons take the edge off
from the pain
and help people
go from griping to
”Ok, let’s do this”

19. want to engage people in
change? Part 2
Show that things are in a flux
with a hand drawn feel

21. “perfection kills engagement”. . .

22. What you think you communicate with
slick visuals =
Professionalism, success...
What else do you
communicate…?

23. Google book example. . .

25. Cartoons make abstract
concepts more
understandable
(if you can’t take a photo of it -
use a visual metaphor!)

28. RSA ANIMATE

29. Make the message stick
with (lo-fi) storytelling
(story is “data glue”)

32. I use a Narrative approach:

33. …Is Linear
…Reveals only one THING at a time
(Consultants beware: This takes discipline!)
…Has an obstacle
(shock horror – you have to show something negative!)
A story…

34. A story doesn’t have to be real!

42. “If you give people facts without a story,
they will explain it within their existing
belief system.
The best way to promote a new or different
belief is not with facts, but with a story”.
- Dave gray
Food for thought:

43. Exercise:
Draw a Comic strip
about
A problem

44. But first:
warm-up

45. Comic strip about A problem
1st Panel:
we want. . .
( THE GOAL )
2nd panel:
BUT . . .
( The obstacle )
3rd panel:
end result. . .
(How things suck
because we can’t
reach our goal)

46. We want…. But…. (obstacle) so….(the end result)

47. We want…. But…. (obstacle) so….(the end result)

48. Dilbert by Scott Adams
We want…. But…. (obstacle) so….(the end result)

49. TOPICS :
1. We want to become agile!
2. We want to become more innovative!
3. We want to change our hiring practices to
achieve diversity!

50. Tip:
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
matter a great deal

52. TOPICS :
1. We want to become agile!
2. We want to become more innovative!
3. We want to change our hiring practices to
achieve diversity!
1st Panel: we want. . .
( THE GOAL )
2nd panel: BUT . . .
( The obstacle )
3rd panel: end result. . .
(How things suck because we can’t reac
our goal)

53. How did you find it?

54. How can all this help in
Change management?
-Reveal culture / process blockers
(surveys are gold mines for culture blockers)
-Model new behaviours :
stories of people who are already doing things the new way
(LONG SHELF LIFE! can later form parts of an employee handbook)
-Explain the why behind change
-as a Workshop tool
Any Questions?

55. Get in touch:
virpi@businessillustrator.com
@voinonen
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