The Center for Graphic Facilitation

Cube Figures

About The Cubes:

Finally, the drudgery of corporate life has been captured in a play set for adults! Bob, Joe, Ted, and Ann spend eight hours a day, five days a week, at tiny desks in tiny cubicles in a giant room packed with countless similar cubicles in a giant building filled with countless similar rooms.

Each set has one 2-3/4" posable plastic figure and all the necessary plastic parts to build a classic corporate cube: four walls, desk, chair, file cabinet, in/out box, phone, and computer. Comes with a sticker sheet of decor for your cube, complete with graphs, charts, screens for the computer and pithy office posters. Also includes a job title sticker sheet so you can create a convoluted and meaningless position for your employee.

VISIT: www.cubefigures.com

(thanks to Jarrell McAlister, author of DonkeyTop)

Co-Creating the Next American City

In case you haven't read a local paper recently, pretty much all cities and towns across America are struggling with massive budget deficits.

They are suffering the ill effects caused by the chronic failure to invest in any quality, long-term planning (ex. inviting casinos to solve the crisis in public education?).

In pursuit of new models, many municipalities are calling on consultants and facilitators to help them re-think strategies for growth, sustainability and economic development.

Several emerging themes impact the thinking behind these initiatives: attracting and retaining talent, establishing knowledge-based economies, creating a place that your kids want to move back to after going of to college.

Oh yeah,... and jobs.

Many innovative solutions are afoot in rural Washington State, downtown Philly, Austin city limits and Basque Country.

Collected Lessons of Innovation

Innovators share the lessons they’ve learned during 2004
In early December 2004, Chuck Frey of InnovationTools posed this question:

What is the most important lesson you learned regarding innovation, creativity or brainstorming during 2004?

See responses at: http://www.innovationtools.com/Articles/ArticleHeadlines.asp

(thanks to Al of PSEA)

Bigger Picture Spring Training

Workshops in Visual Dialogue Tools for Co-Created Change Processes

Copenhagen
March 15-16th
April 29th
May 13th

London
May 23rd- 24th
May 20th
June 3rd

For questions regarding their services, seminars or products, contact:
Ole Qvist-Sørensen, [email protected]

Bigger Picture
Noerrebrogade 14 D, Mezz.
2200 Copenhagen N
Denmark
Tel: (+45) 28 11 36 64
URL: www.biggerpicture.dk

Office Playground Equipment

Need a pair of those wind-up chattering teeth? What about 480 kush balls for your next facilitated session? For direct access to the wackiest and most whimsical of office toys, visit Office Playground.

Great for workshops or just for outfitting your own cubicle, these toys serve the same purpose as rope swings at the zoo's monkeyhouse: They save poor, confined primates from boredom and monotony.

For the more vindictive crowd, they even offer voodoo dolls!

This site has all those squishy stress balls, desk toys, fortune telling devices, perpetual motion machines, puzzles and zen gardens that you see and ask yourself, "Where the hell do people buy this stuff?"

Graphic Facilitation Training

The Grove: Principles of Graphic Facilitation Workshops

San Francisco, CA
March 16-18, 2005
August 3-5, 2005
October 5-7, 2005

Baltimore/Columbia, MD
November 3-5, 2004
November 2-4, 2005

Fee: US $1,495

NOTE: The Grove Consultants International has an extensive calendar of upcoming workshops. view details

Meeting Magic: Advanced Facilitation Skills

9th and 10th March 2005
The Castle, Hurst, Berkshire, England.
Fee: £500 (non-residential) + VAT

Time, Space, Physics and Comic Books

Physicist Werner Heisenberg as featured in a panel from Suspended a Language, which tells the story of Niels Bohr and the role he played in the history of science in the 20th century.

Read or Listen to FULL STORY by Neda Ulaby from NPR.org

How Stuff Works

Ever wonder how your PC works? How about claymore mines? Blogs?

Wanna learn about stuff? They cover:

Computer Stuff   

Auto Stuff   

Electronics Stuff   

Science Stuff   

Home Stuff   

Health Stuff   

Money Stuff   

Travel Stuff   

People Stuff

IDEO Method Cards

DESCRIPTION: IDEO Method Cards show 51 of the methods they use to inspire great design and keep people at the center of their design process. Each card describes one method and includes a brief story about how and when to use it. The cards are divided into four categories Learn, Look, Ask, and Try making  it easy to reference, browse, sort, and share the cards.

(Thanks to Nikki Wise for introducing us!)

Edward Tufte Redux

Notes on a Lecture by Edward Tufte
by Peter Durand, Alphachimp Studio, Inc.

Seminar on the Visual Display of Quantitative Information
Wednesday August 16, 2000
Fairmont Hotel, Chicago

DESCRIPTION: Edward Tufte has written seven books, including Visual Explanations, Envisioning Information, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, and Data Analysis for Politics and Policy. He writes, designs, and self-publishes his books on information design, which have received more than 40 awards for content and design. He is Professor Emeritus at Yale University, where he taught courses in statistical evidence, information design, and interface design. His current work includes digital video, sculpture, printmaking, and a new book called Cognitive Art.

For more: www.tufte.com describes Edward Tufte's books, one-day course, and artwork. If you need further information, call Graphics Press at 203 272-9187, or fax 203 272-8600, or email [email protected].

To order books by Tufte:

Graphic Press LLC
PO Box 430
Chesire, CT 06410
ph: 800.822.2454
fx: 203-272-8600