Overview

This exercise transforms draft manifesto statements into a cohesive, powerful design manifesto. Building on the highest-voted statements from previous exercises, this session focuses on addressing any gaps, creating a logical structure, and refining language to ensure the manifesto truly represents your team's design philosophy.

Duration

75 minutes total:

• Full Group Synthesis: 30 minutes

• Small Group Refinement: 30 minutes

• Final Review and Consensus: 15 minutes

Materials Needed

• Printouts of all top-voted statements from previous exercises

• Whiteboard or digital board for organizing statements

• Sticky notes for additional comments/edits

• Markers in various colors

• Handouts with examples of well-crafted manifestos

• Projector or shared screen for displaying work in progress

• Refinement worksheets for small groups

Exercise Flow

01 Full Group Synthesis (30 minutes)

Review Highest-Voted Statements (10 minutes)

• Display all top-voted statements from the previous exercise

• Read each statement aloud and confirm understanding

• Discuss the strengths of each statement and why it resonated with participants

• Begin clustering related statements to identify themes

Identify Missing Themes or Values (10 minutes)

• Compare statements with insights from earlier workshop activities:

  • Are there key themes from provocations that aren't represented?

  • Did any powerful insights from the future vision exercise get lost?

  • Are there important values from the reaction cards that aren't captured?

• Facilitate discussion about any important gaps:

  • "What feels missing from our manifesto so far?"

  • "Which of our core beliefs isn't yet represented?"

• Consider whether new statements need to be drafted or if existing ones can be modified

Discuss Overall Narrative and Structure (10 minutes)

• Explore how statements might fit together to tell a cohesive story

• Consider different organizational approaches:

  • Thematic groupings (e.g., process, craft, impact)

  • Progression from foundational to specific

  • From abstract principles to concrete applications

• Discuss the desired tone and voice for the overall manifesto:

  • Bold and assertive vs. thoughtful and nuanced

  • Professional vs. conversational

  • Aspirational vs. grounded

• Agree on the target number of final statements (typically 5-9)

02 Small Group Refinement (30 minutes)

Assign Sections or Statements to Small Groups (5 minutes)

• Divide participants into groups of 3-4 people

• Assign each group a subset of statements to refine

  • Can be organized by theme or simply divided evenly

  • Consider assigning strengths (e.g., wordsmithing, technical expertise)

• Provide clear guidelines and templates for refinement

Polish Language for Clarity, Boldness, and Memorability (20 minutes)

Each group should work on their assigned statements to:

• Strengthen the core message:

  • Eliminate unnecessary words and jargon

  • Replace weak verbs with strong, active ones

  • Ensure each statement takes a clear position

• Enhance memorability:

  • Create rhythm through sentence structure

  • Consider alliteration or parallel structure

  • Test statements by reading aloud

• Increase boldness:

  • Remove hedging language ("we try to," "we believe in")

  • Make declarations rather than suggestions

  • Push boundaries while maintaining authenticity

• Add supporting details:

  • Craft a brief explanation for each statement

  • Provide a concrete example of the principle in action

Ensure Consistency of Tone and Voice (5 minutes)

• Review all refined statements as a small group

• Check for:

  • Consistent voice and perspective

  • Similar sentence structure where appropriate

  • Complementary rather than contradictory positions

  • Unified level of specificity and boldness

• Make final adjustments for harmony across statements

03 Final Review and Consensus (15 minutes)

Present Refined Statements (10 minutes)

• Each group presents their refined statements

• Display all statements together in proposed structure

• Read through the complete manifesto to experience flow and rhythm

• Note any inconsistencies or awkward transitions between sections

Check for Team Alignment and Commitment (5 minutes)

• Conduct a final temperature check on each statement:

  • Quick thumbs up/middle/down vote

  • Address any statements with significant concerns

• Discuss any final adjustments needed:

  • Focus on substantive issues, not minor wording preferences

  • Prioritize changes that address alignment concerns

• Confirm team commitment to the manifesto:

  • "Can everyone support this manifesto, even if it's not perfect?"

  • "Are we ready to share this with the wider organization?"

  • "Will we stand by these statements when they're challenged?"

Facilitation Tips

• Balance perfection with progress: It's easy to get stuck wordsmithing. Keep the group moving and focus on substantive improvements.

• Use the "one more word" test: Challenge the group to remove one more word from each statement without losing meaning.

• Maintain energy: If discussion becomes circular, table that point and move on to keep momentum.

• Encourage specificity: When statements sound generic, ask "How is this uniquely ours? Would our competitors say the same thing?"

• Test with scenarios: Ask "How would this statement guide us in [specific design scenario]?"

• Manage strong opinions: When there's disagreement about wording, collect multiple options and test them with the whole group.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Wordsmithing Paralysis

Solution: Set a timer for each statement. When time is up, capture the current best version and move on. You can always revisit if time permits.

Challenge: Diluting Bold Statements

Solution: When someone suggests softening language, ask why. Often concerns about a statement being "too strong" reveal important nuances that can be addressed without weakening the core position.

Challenge: Inconsistent Style Across Groups

Solution: Have each group read their statements aloud before the final review. Hearing the different styles helps identify inconsistencies that might not be obvious on paper.

Challenge: Too Many Good Statements

Solution: If you have more quality statements than ideal, consider:

• Combining related statements

• Creating a hierarchy with primary and supporting statements

• Voting on which statements are truly essential

Post-Exercise Next Steps

1. Finalize Documentation: Compile all refined statements with supporting explanations

2. Visual Design: Plan how the manifesto will be visually presented

3. Socialization Strategy: Determine how to share and promote the manifesto

4. Application Framework: Develop methods for applying the manifesto to design decisions

5. Implementation Timeline: Create a schedule for rollout and adoption
   

This exercise serves as the critical refinement phase that transforms promising draft statements into a powerful, cohesive manifesto that authentically represents your design philosophy and can effectively guide your team's work.