[OSList] Open Space flip charts, signage and proceedings

[Suzanne Daigle]

Dan & Ralph Fink (OS facilitator),  I can feel the spirit of invitation of a
wonderful host team. And now the only thing that remains is to "be prepared
to be surprised!"

Suzanne



On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 11:40 PM, Daniel Mezick
<dan.mezick at newtechusa.com>wrote:

>  On 9/29 in Boston, we (Agile Boston) are producing an event called Agile
> Day 2011 Boston. We have about 250 people coming.
>
> See http://newtechusa.net/user-groups/ma/agileday2011/
>
> The event includes an Open Space in the afternoon. We are planning full
> proceedings. The proceedings are to be delivered in PDF format not later
> than 48 hours after the event.
>
> We are taking a shot at experimenting with some small improvements that may
> prove useful for OST practitioners.
>
> Here is the list of things we are trying:
>
> 1. Helium Balloons for Session Location Signage. We are using helium
> balloons as the session-meeting-space signage. The balloons are marked
> A,B,C,D etc and then tied to chairs or easels. The letters and colors make
> it simple to use expansive convention spaces (no walls or corners)  for OST
> and point people to session spots from very far away. "See that green
> balloon marked G way over yonder? That's your session!" Etc. Chairs can get
> moved around and the spot for meeting is still clearly marked and visible
> from far away. That's the idea anyway !
>
> 2. Yardsticks on Flipcharts. We know this one works. This technique
> originated with the Agile Boston group, which has done 6 Open Spaces so far.
> The technique allows the use of use flip charts in a session without the
> need for an easel. The flip chart goes on a chair instead. The technique
> goes like this:
>
> a. Get a flip chart, a yardstick, and some duct tape
>
> b. Affix yardstick to back of flip chart with duct tape, to make a backbone
> for the flip chart. Let 1/2 inch of yardstick protrude at bottom. This
> creates a little foot or anchor.
>
> c. Now place flip chart on  chair. Back of chair supports yardstick,
> yardstick supports flip-chart. The yardstick makes the flip chart rigid. The
> 1/2 inch foot cushes into the chair seat cushion and keeps the flip-chart
> upright and easy to write on when seated.
>
>
> 3. Searchable PDF Proceedings.
> We are producing a high-quality, searchable, transcribed PDF of the Open
> Space proceedings. At least 100 pages worth. Up to this point few if any
> Open Spaces in Agile conferences are producing any proceedings. Those that
> are, are not producing a searchable file. Rather, the proceedings contain
> copies of proceedings forms, or scanned images.  We are aiming at producing
> a searchable PDF by using a transcription service to convert scanned images
> to text to render said text searchable in a delivered PDF.
>
> Steps
>
> a. At the event and before, make it very plain that conveners are expected
> to make free-hand, paper-form-based proceedings happen. Provide forms and
> pens but do not force anything further per se
>
> b. When a convened session is over, conveners are expected to go to
> Newsroom with freehand forms filled out, to hand over.
>
> c. Volunteers rush to meet and serve convener, bench-checking the
> handwritten form, photographing any artifacts generated on flip-charts, and
> finally, sending the convener on his or her way thereafter.
>
> d. Copy of proceedings-form is made, gets posted immediately in Breaking
> News. Original gets scanned, sent to transcribers by email and filed. Said
> transcribers send back RTF file. RTF file is inserted into PDF and is now
> searchable etc. JPG artifacts are added as needed per session.
>
> e. The completed searchable PDF is posted on a public share,  free to
> anyone in the world who has the link.
>
> f. Expected latency is no more than 48 hours per 200 pages of proceedings
> generated
>
> We expect 20 sessions per round over 3 rounds of 50 minutes each in this
> afternoon event. We expect 230++  people so we expect 60 or 70 sessions to
> document.
>
> We plan to post a full experience report here after the event, to let you
> know how it goes, what we learned etc. We welcome and strongly encourage
> suggestions, historical information about similar stuff people have tried,
> specific guidance and so on. The event is in one week.
>
> Dan
>
> --
> Daniel Mezick, President
> New Technology Solutions Inc.
> (203) 915 7248 (cell)
> AgileDay2011 Sept 29! <http://newtechusa.net/user-groups/ma/agileday2011/>
>
> Bio <http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/>, Blog<http://newtechusa.net/blog/>,
> Twitter <http://twitter.com/#%21/danmezick/>,
> Team Training <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-training/>, Team
> Coaching <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-coaching/>
> Agile Boston! <http://newtechusa.net//user-groups/ma/>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
>


-- 
Suzanne Daigle
NuFocus Strategic Group
7159 Victoria Circle
University Park, FL 34201
FL 941-359-8877;
CT 203-722-2009
www.nufocusgroup.com
s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com
twitter @suzannedaigle
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20110923/e7b90b8b/attachment-0008.htm>