Duration: 2-3 hours

Participants: Cross-functional team (designers, developers, product managers, content writers)

Materials: Sticky notes, markers, whiteboard/large paper, dot stickers for voting

EXERCISE FLOW

01 Introduction (15 minutes)

• Explain workshop purpose: identifying core values that will inform design principles

• Set ground rules for participation and discussion

• Brief explanation of the difference between values, principles, and guidelines

• Share examples of effective value statements from other companies

02 Individual Value Generation (20 minutes)

• Provide prompts:

  • "What qualities make our best work successful?"

  • "What do we believe makes good design?"

  • "What should our users feel when using our product?"

• Each participant writes one value per sticky note (aim for 5-10 values each)

• For each value, write a brief explanation of why it matters

03 Value Sharing (30 minutes)

• Each person briefly presents their values (1 minute per person)

• Place all sticky notes on a shared board

• No discussion or critique during this phase, just clarifying questions

04 Affinity Mapping (30 minutes)

• Collectively organize sticky notes into clusters of related values

• Create emergent categories and give each cluster a representative name

• Look for patterns and themes across contributions

• Identify overlaps and redundancies

05 Value Discussion (30 minutes)

• Discuss each major cluster:

  • Why these values emerged repeatedly

  • How they relate to user needs and business goals

  • Current examples of these values in practice

  • Potential tensions between different value clusters

06 Prioritization (20 minutes)

• Give each participant 5 dot stickers

• Participants vote on the value clusters they believe are most important

• Discuss the voting patterns and what they reveal
  

07 Refinement (30 minutes)

• For the top 5-7 value clusters:

  • Craft a clear, concise label (1-3 words)

  • Draft a brief description explaining the value

  • Provide 1-2 examples of how this value appears in practice

08 Next Steps and Closing (15 minutes)

• Determine how these values will inform principle development

• Assign responsibility for documentation and refinement

• Schedule follow-up session to develop principles based on these values

WORKSHOP OUTPUTS

1. Value Map: Visual arrangement of all identified values showing relationships

2. Prioritized Value Set: 5-7 core values with the highest team alignment

3. Value Descriptions: Concise descriptions of each core value

4. Practice Examples: Real instances where each value is demonstrated

5. Tension Points: Documented areas where values might conflict, requiring prioritization guidelines

POST-WORKSHOP ACTIONS

1. Create a clean, shareable document of the core values

2. Circulate to stakeholders not present for feedback

3. Use values as foundation for a subsequent Design Principles workshop

4. Reference values in team discussions to build familiarity

Would you like me to expand on any particular section of this workshop structure?

REQUIRED TOOLS & MATERIALS

Physical Workshop Tools

• Large whiteboard or wall space

• Sticky notes (multiple colors for categorization)

• Markers/Sharpies (enough for all participants)

• Dot stickers for voting (5 per participant)

• Large sheets of paper or poster board

• Painter's tape for posting materials

• Timer or stopwatch for activity management

Digital Workshop Tools (for remote/hybrid sessions)

• Video conferencing platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.)

• Digital whiteboard tool (Miro, Mural, FigJam, etc.)

• Shared document for real-time note-taking (Google Docs, Notion)

• Digital voting mechanism (built into whiteboard tools or separate polling)

PREPARATION MATERIALS

• Workshop agenda and schedule (to share beforehand)

• Examples of values statements from admired companies

• Pre-workshop questionnaire (optional)

• Brief explanation of values vs. principles vs. guidelines

WORKSHOP DELIVERABLES

Immediate Deliverables (Day of Workshop)

1. Raw Value Collection: All individual sticky notes with proposed values

2. Affinity Map: Photograph/export of the clustered values

3. Prioritization Results: Visual representation of voting outcomes

4. Workshop Notes: Key points from discussions, particularly areas of strong agreement or debate

Post-Workshop Deliverables (1-3 days after)

1. Values Summary Document including:

   • Final list of 5-7 core values with clear labels

   • Concise description of each value (1-2 sentences)

   • Examples demonstrating each value in practice

   • Explanations of how values connect to user needs and business goals

2. Values Relationship Map showing:

   • How values relate to each other

   • Potential tensions between values

   • Hierarchy or priority order if applicable

3. Next Steps Plan detailing:

   • How values will inform upcoming design principles work

   • Timeline for principle development

   • Integration plan for existing projects

4. Workshop Insights Report capturing:

   • Patterns observed during the workshop

   • Areas of strong alignment

   • Areas requiring further discussion

   • Unexpected discoveries

WORKSHOP FACILITATION REQUIREMENTS

• Primary facilitator (ideally someone with workshop experience)

• Helper/note-taker to document discussions

• Clear timekeeper role (can be assigned to a participant)

• Space arrangement that enables both individual work and group discussion