Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: fb01745e6bbf177ad9c415b94233789cde9d64d59308b3f14a1455625c2c6df2

# Reflection Board

Participants view a curated board of 12 to 25 varied photographs, select one image that answers a reflective prompt, and explain their choice in pairs or to the wider group. The visual metaphor helps people express their thoughts without searching for abstract words.

**Time:** 12 minutes. Playmeo lists this as a debrief tool; 12 minutes provides time for viewing, paired talk, and four to five room shares.
**People:** 4 to 24. Independent selection followed by pairs, concluding with limited whole-room sharing

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Express personal reflections on a shared task or experience using a visual metaphor.
**Use it when:** Use during a debrief, retrospective, or workshop transition when people need an accessible prompt to share qualitative impressions.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the goal is hard metrics or when the room lacks screen visibility or visual access accommodations.

## Materials and tools

- 1 display board or slide featuring 12 to 25 diverse numbered photographs
- 1 digital screen or printed poster to display the image board
- Scratch paper and pens (optional, for individual notes)

## Before participants arrive

1. Curate 12 to 25 distinct images (such as landscapes, objects, animals, abstract textures, or work settings) onto a single poster or digital slide. Number each image from 1 up for easy reference.

## Say this to open

Take a look at the image board on the screen. Think about our work together today. Look over the pictures and pick one image that best captures how this experience felt to you, or where your head is right now. You do not have to justify your choice to anyone yet; just lock one in your mind.

## How to run it

### 1. Display and silent selection (2 minutes)

Show the board of numbered photos. State the reflection prompt clearly and read the opening script. Give participants 90 seconds of silent viewing to choose an image. Neutral example: Someone might choose a picture of a winding mountain road because the morning project felt slow and uphill, or a picture of a crowded train platform because there were too many ideas arriving at once.

### 2. Pair exchange (4 minutes)

Ask participants to turn to a neighbor. In pairs, each partner takes up to 90 seconds to state which image number they picked and describe what it represents about their experience. If an odd number of people are present, create one trio and adjust individual speaking time to 60 seconds.

### 3. Sample whole-room sharing (4 minutes)

Call the whole group back together. Invite 4 to 5 volunteers to name their image number and share their takeaway in one or two sentences. Explicitly state that passing is welcome and no one is required to speak to the full room.

### 4. Closing synthesis (2 minutes)

Facilitate a brief group wrap-up using one debrief question. Note any themes or contrasts that surfaced across the selected images before transitioning to the next session block.


## Debrief questions

- Which image did you initially look at, and what made you switch to your final choice?
- What patterns or opposing perspectives stood out among the pictures our group selected?
- How did using an image change the way you described your experience?

**Finished output:** Shared set of visual reflections identifying participant impressions, energy levels, and perspectives from the session.

## Remote

Share the numbered image board on the presentation screen. Allow 2 minutes of silent review. Put participants into breakout rooms of two for 4 minutes to discuss their choices. Return to the main room and invite participants to type their selected image number and a brief phrase into the chat, calling on 3 to 4 people to unmute.

## Hybrid

Ensure the remote camera clearly shows in-person speakers, and share the numbered image board digitally via screen share so both audiences see identical high-resolution pictures. Pair in-person attendees with in-person partners and remote attendees in digital breakout rooms. Take two shares from the physical room and two from the remote channel.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may select an image based on color, mood, or subject matter, or opt out of the visual board entirely and use a single descriptive word.
- Participants can share their choice in pairs only and pass during the whole-room discussion without giving a reason.
- Provide brief alt-text or verbal descriptions of the images for participants with low vision.

## If the session gets stuck

**Multiple people rush to choose the same picture and think they must change their answer.**

Remind the group that different people can choose the exact same picture for completely different reasons, which often highlights great contrasts.

**Participants give lengthy stories and run over the sharing time.**

Prompt speakers before they begin to state the image number first and give their explanation in two sentences or fewer.


## Terms used here

- Reflection Board: A single collage or slide showing multiple varied photographs used to prompt associative thinking.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo, where it is attributed to Mark Collard.

Retained the core mechanic from Playmeo: presenting a board of 12 to 25 photographs, posing a reflective question, having participants choose an image, and sharing selections. UWT added explicit paired structuring to fit group sizes up to 24 within 12 minutes, along with remote and hybrid adaptations, access options, numbered image guidance, and structured debrief prompts.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/debriefing-activities/reflection-board/)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/debriefing-activities/reflection-board)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/visual-reflection-tool-inspires-group-sharing-reflection-board/