Creating a virtual Think-Tank

Successful creative agencies seek to develop an environment that spawns big ideas — a place where a team can collaborate and be inspired towards brainstorming by creating a Virtual Think-Tank.

It’s an exploration for those “out-of-the-box” concepts, digging deep for solutions, opening up all the options in an ambiance that yields fruitful results.

In the good old corporate days, we used to lock ourselves in the conference room with a bunch of coffee and pound our heads together to fill our notebooks with concepts with which we could expand! Corporate offsite meetings have always been excellent venues to get folks together to define successful goals and game plans.

In today’s digital world, we have a new challenge.
Creating a network system that works efficiently to gather a remote team of freelancers. Sharing ideas without a conference room.

designWorks Brainstorming Sessions 2019 style 

How do we facilitate a fireside chat environment in today’s digital world?

The goal was to create a virtual Think-Tank, a fun-relaxed environment that encourages a clear vision with inspiring artistic freedom — a place where team culture would thrive to define the ideas that create brand success.

Once again, today’s technology came to the rescue.
We have brought together three incredible software tools—
Avaza, Trello and Slack efficiently assemble our remote creative teams online. 

Here’s how we do it—

Advanced preparation is essential in setting up our Brainstorming Sessions. First, we assemble all information, data and media where it is team accessible.

1. Once a new project is approved, it’s details, tasks and team members are assigned in Avaza. Details of the project parameters and timeline are entered along with any special requirements.
2. The Trello Storm Board is set up to bring together the creative side of the project. Storm boards are the place to post fresh ideas, suggestions, links to related media and content.
3. A Slack communications channel is set up for each specific project and team members are invited. 

We schedule Brainstorming Sessions a week in advance. The DM invite provides team members with complete access to all materials related to the project. This package gives everyone a chance to look over the details of the creative mission before the first session. Folks can comment on the agenda and help refine the focus ideas and priorities. 

How do these applications work together as Think-Tank tools to empower digital meetings in real-time?

Every conference at designWorks starts with a Slack Communications Channel

We can quickly launch a Slack Video Conference for the discussion to begin. You can even share your screen for others to draw on whiteboard style. Meetings flow dynamically when we keep three windows open during brainstorming sessions—

• Avaza— references all tasks involved to complete the project; it’s the collaboration interface that manages specific project assignments, tasks, client goals, team assignments, incoming client requests, target market, core customer research and deadlines.
• Trello— we create a Storm Board where Project Ideas and Concepts are assembled. The entire team has quick access to all the “thinking” data, an overview of the challenge at hand. Like a good old whiteboard with post-it notes, everything creative for a project is gathered in one place.
• Slack— is our centralized communications tool that brings it all together as the hub for messaging, voice and video communications.

A unique Slack Channel links all the vital reference data found for the project in both Trello and Avaza.

At the meeting’s end, final thoughts and actionable items can be gathered. A digital recording of the session is transcribed to searchable text for addition to the Trello Storm Board.

Follow up direct messages (DMs) can be sent in the Slack Channel for all to solidify ideas, tasks and upcoming deadlines.

All of this “organization” helps users to analyze the business problem with clarity, to slow down and ask questions with perspective. After all, we’re not in a rush for quick solutions, the best answers come when we dig a little deeper. That’s one of the biggest advantages of creating a virtual think tank!

Are you looking to work with an agency leveraging this kind of technology?

Delivering better creative is our goal; our team would like to hear about your challenges and explore successful solutions with a designWorks Brainstorming Session!