Visualise Your Project

Geoff Higgins

Lots of Options

There are innumerable ways to represent your project using lines and shapes.The advantage of visually representing your project is that people can get a better understanding of:•Why the project is being undertaken•What the project should achieve•How it will be achieved•Who will be involved•How it all ‘fits together’

Visual Representations

The Stakeholders• Mind MapYour Team• Skills Matrix• Resource Availability CalendarThe Project Phases• Chevron Diagram (or similar)The Approach• Network Diagram• Gantt Chart• Bar Chart• One Page Project Manager (Dots & ‘Gas Bar’)The Product/Deliverable• Anything goesAn Approach/Product Hybrid

Mind Map (Stakeholders)

Government

Federal

State

Local

Industry

Employer Groups

IndividualOrganisations

Consultants

PROJECT

???

Image source: Performance People Pty Ltd

Mind Map (Stakeholders)

Government

Federal

State

Local

Industry

Employer Groups

IndividualOrganisations

Consultants

Image source: Performance People Pty Ltd

PROJECT

You can mindmap lots of things:•System Functionality•User expectations•Interface alternatives•Audience experiences•Project deliverables

The Approach

• A diagram that represents ‘how we will get there’.• Focussed on process/resourcing/timeframes.

• Could be used to:– Show people what they need to do.– Show people what will be done.– Convince people we know what we are doing.– Convince people ‘it can be done’.

• Useful for anyone interested in the project.

Image Source: CQUniversity 2009 Project Management Framework Guide

Chevron Diagram(CQUniversity’s Project Management Framework)

Project Schedule(Project Plan)

Project Definition

Project Specification(Project Charter)

– Project Activities– Estimated Durations – Assigned Resources– Budget

+ =

Sign Off

– Project Title– Project Manager– Stakeholder Analysis– Project Objectives– Project Constraints

Box Diagram (Phases)

Image Source: Performance People Pty Ltd

Basic Network Diagram

Image source: Performance People Pty Ltd

Network DiagramActivities on node (no resources).Network DiagramActivities on node (no resources).

Image source: Performance People Pty Ltd

Network DiagramActivities on node (no resources).Network DiagramActivities on node (no resources).

Image source: Performance People Pty Ltd

Drawn by hand – ugly but effective!

Image source: Performance People Pty Ltd

Network DiagramActivities on nodes, arrows for relationships.Network DiagramActivities on nodes, arrows for relationships.

Henri Gantt (1861 - 1919)

Image source: Performance People Pty Ltd& www.wikipedia.org

Gantt Chart

Thank-you Henri!(And Karol Adamiecki)

Gantt ChartTimeline with a bar for each task and an arrow for relationships.

Gantt ChartTimeline with a bar for each task and an arrow for relationships.

Image source: Performance People Pty Ltd

Gantt Chart

Bar ChartBars by related work & by resource.Bar ChartBars by related work & by resource.

Image source: Performance People Pty Ltd

Bar Chart

Image source: : www.octanner.com & Performance People Pty Ltd

The Product/Deliverable

• A diagram that represents the ‘outcome’.• Focussed on objectives/purpose/products,

not activities/tasks.

• Could be in a one- to two-page brochure, including:– Project objective & benefits.– The diagram of the project.

• Useful for the Project Board & other stakeholders.

Green Dorm/Living Lab at Stanford University

Source: http://www.stanford.edu/group/greendorm/greendorm.html

Teligence – Building Data Centres

Image Source: Teligence www.teligenceuk.co.uk

Approach & Product Hybrid

• A diagram that represents both ‘how we will get there’ and ‘the outcome’.

• Focussed on activities/tasks and objectives/purpose/products.

• A holistic way of showing off the project.

• Useful for the Project Board & other stakeholders.

TAFE NSW Search for a VET Pedagogy

Source: http://www.icvet.tafensw.edu.au/aboutus/ourwork/vet_pedagogy/

Pop!Tech’s Accelerator (a social innovation incubator)

Source: http://www.globaldevelopmentcommons.net/node/1377(A project of the Global Development Commons)

Image source: www.flickr.com creative commons license: Grayskullduggery; gabig58; Bev Traynor

Knowledge Café (Introductory Slide)

User Stories as Collaborative Design Tools

Source: http://johnnyholland.org/2009/08/13/user-stories-a-strategic-design-tool/(Johnny Holland Magazine)

Call To Arms!

• Draw it! (rough is OK)• Put it on the wall where you can see it• Give it to the project team• Email it to the steering committee• Make it your desktop & screen saver• Put it on the wall in the foyer

If possible, mark off progress, and update when the project changes a lot

© Performance People Pty Ltd, 2010

Added to SlideShare by GeoffatPerformancePeople

www.performancepeople.com.au