# Lo-Tech Social Network Participants write their names on sticky notes, place them on a shared wall, and draw connecting lines labeled with mutual links or shared experiences. **Time:** 15 minutes. UWT suggested duration based on Gamestorming opener guidance **People:** 6 to 24. Whole group working on a shared wall, or subgroups of 6 to 10 on separate flip charts for larger cohorts ## Choose this exercise **Purpose:** Map visible connections, shared history, and mutual acquaintances across a room using paper nodes and labeled links. **Use it when:** Use at the start of a meeting or retreat where at least half the attendees know one another or share common professional context. **Skip it when:** Skip when participants are total strangers with no shared work, common acquaintances, or organizational background. ## Materials and tools - 1 pad of 3x3 inch sticky notes per 6 participants - 1 felt-tip marker per participant - Wall space covered in butcher paper or 1 flip chart sheet per subgroup - Painter's tape for mounting paper - Timer ## Before participants arrive 1. Clear a prominent wall area or hang large butcher paper near the room entrance. 2. Post two sample sticky notes with names and draw a connecting line labeled with a neutral relationship such as 'Worked on 2023 budget together'. 3. Place markers and sticky note pads on a side table adjacent to the wall. ## Say this to open Welcome. We are building a visual map of how we connect. Write your first and last name on a sticky note and stick it anywhere on the wall. Then take a marker, find someone you know or share a background with, draw a line between your names, and label the connection on the line. ## How to run it ### 1. Post names and initial nodes (3 minutes) Participants write their name on a sticky note and place it on the paper wall. Facilitator points to the pre-drawn example to clarify the format. Anyone who prefers not to post their name may write a project name, role, or team name instead. ### 2. Draw and label connections (7 minutes) Participants walk up to the wall in parallel, locate people they know, and draw direct lines between sticky notes. On each line, they write a brief label explaining the link (such as 'worked together at company X', 'went to school together', or 'both like cycling'). If two people discover a new link in conversation, they add it. ### 3. Review the network map (3 minutes) Invite the room to step back and look at the full map. Facilitator invites 2 or 3 brief observations from volunteers about unexpected links or dense clusters. ### 4. Close and transition (2 minutes) Run a brief debrief using one or two targeted questions. Leave the paper map on the wall throughout the session for people to browse during breaks. ## Debrief questions - Which connection on this board surprised you most? - Where do you notice dense clusters or bridges between different groups? - What is one link you learned about someone that you did not know before today? **Finished output:** A physical or digital network diagram mapping participants and their shared connections. ## Remote Set up an online whiteboard with a blank canvas. Participants create digital sticky notes with their names. Using the board connector tool, participants draw labeled arrows or lines between cards indicating how they know each other. Allow 7 minutes of open drawing while playing background audio or working in silence. ## Hybrid Provide a shared digital whiteboard on screens in the room. Both in-person and remote participants post digital sticky notes and draw lines via their individual laptops or mobile devices, keeping all connections in one unified diagram. ## Access and participation choices - Participants may post an alias, role, or project name instead of a personal name. - Participants with limited reach or mobility can ask a neighbor or facilitator to place notes and draw connecting lines on their behalf. - Contributing lines is voluntary; participants may observe without mapping personal relationships. ## If the session gets stuck **Crowding occurs around a single paper sheet.** Divide the wall into two or three distinct zones or give each subgroup of 8 to 10 their own flip chart sheet, then post them side by side. **Participants write obscure inside jokes that exclude newer members.** Remind everyone to include professional, project, or general community ties so that newcomers can understand the relationships. ## Terms used here - Node: An individual point in a network diagram, represented here by a sticky note with a person's name. - Link: A connecting line between two nodes indicating a specific shared relationship or common experience. ## Sources and adaptation Observed in Gamestorming (blog post by Sunni Brown referencing page 105 of the book Gamestorming, and comments by Michael Cardus, September 2010). Retained the core mechanic described by Sunni Brown and Michael Cardus on the Gamestorming blog: posting name sticky notes, drawing labeled connecting lines on butcher paper, and optional subgrouping for larger rooms. UWT added explicit timing, step-by-step facilitation structure, access alternatives, hybrid setup, and debrief prompts. [Gamestorming](https://gamestorming.com/lo-tech-social-network-at-tedx-austin) [Gamestorming](https://gamestorming.com/lo-tech-social-network-at-tedx-austin/) Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/lo-tech-social-network-at-tedx-austin/