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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: d3e6d8f2d4d0d0ca1c2d55c97ecf97b0cf56dc1dc6203402e0ffbc0aade26fdf

# Zine Creation

Small groups create a mini handmade magazine using paper, collage materials, and text to express shared perspectives on a focused topic. The session ends with a brief showcase where teams present their finished publication.

**Time:** 60 minutes. Source recommends 60 to 120 minutes. Planned here for a 60-minute standard workshop session.
**People:** 4 to 24. Small groups of 3 to 5 participants per table

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Produce a collaborative, tangible visual publication that synthesizes group ideas on a specific subject.
**Use it when:** Use when a team or community group needs to synthesize ideas, summarize findings, or voice diverse perspectives through visual and written media.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the group needs to make rapid binding operational decisions, produce formal data reports, or when table space and tactile materials are unavailable.

## Materials and tools

- Sheets of blank paper (A4 or A3, at least 4 per group)
- Scissors (1 to 2 pairs per group)
- Glue sticks (1 to 2 per group)
- Markers, pencils, and pens (assorted set per group)
- Old magazines, newspapers, or printed image sheets for collage (1 bundle per table)
- Staplers or rolls of clear or washi tape (1 per table)
- Sample folded paper zine prepared before the session as a visual model
- Digital zine board template prepared on an online whiteboard (for remote or hybrid delivery)
- Flat display surface or wall space to show finished zines

## Before participants arrive

1. Organize tables with 3 to 5 chairs each.
2. Fold one blank sheet into a sample 4-page booklet to show during the introduction.
3. Distribute paper, scissors, glue, writing tools, and print clippings on each work surface.
4. Set up a central display table or clear wall space for final viewing.
5. If running online or hybrid, set up the multi-frame digital template boards in advance.

## Say this to open

Welcome. Today we will make zines. A zine is a self-published mini-magazine made by hand. It combines short text, collage, and sketches to communicate a clear point of view. In small teams, you will plan, cut, write, and assemble an original zine on our chosen topic.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce topic and structure (8 minutes)

Deliver opening script. Present the central theme, such as 'What Our Community Needs Next'. Hold up the prepared sample folded paper zine. Divide the room into teams of 3 to 5 people. Give each team their base paper and refer them to the Zine Layout and Role Guide.

### 2. Plan pages and layout (10 minutes)

Teams agree on their publication message, title, and structure. They decide what goes on the front cover, inside spread, and back cover. Groups sketch quick page layouts before cutting or gluing final content.

### 3. Build and assemble pages (25 minutes)

Participants cut images, write headlines, sketch visuals, and glue elements onto the pages. When pages are filled, teams bind the spine using staples or tape. Announce time remaining at 10 minutes and 5 minutes.

### 4. Showcase publications (10 minutes)

Each team places their zine on the central display table or designates a speaker. Give each group up to 60 seconds to state their title, central message, and favorite visual detail. Keep strict time across all teams.

### 5. Debrief the exercise (7 minutes)

Facilitate a brief group reflection on the messages produced and the collaborative process. Take up to 3 responses from the room using the debrief questions.


## Debrief questions

- What common ideas or patterns appeared across the different zines?
- How did cutting, pasting, and visual layout change the way your group framed the topic?
- Which page or section delivered its message most clearly, and why?

**Finished output:** A set of completed physical or digital mini-magazines bound by tape or staples displaying text and collage on the chosen theme.

## Remote

Run in breakout rooms using an online collaborative canvas (such as Miro, Mural, or Canva). Provide each breakout room with a pre-formatted four-frame board template (Cover, Page 2, Page 3, Back Cover). Participants copy images, add text blocks, and arrange layout in real time. During the showcase, each team shares their screen or directs the facilitator to project their frames.

## Hybrid

Pair in-person participants with on-site paper zines and form remote participants into an entirely remote team working on the digital zine template. During the showcase, project the remote team's canvas onto the room screen while in-person zines are shown to the room camera.

## Access and participation choices

- Offer diverse contribution roles: participants can dictate words, sketch, organize layout, cut materials, or document ideas without needing to cut or draw personally.
- Participants may decline speaking during the showcase and instead place their zine on the table with an optional written note.

## If the session gets stuck

**Groups spend too long planning and run out of time to cut and paste.**

Prompt teams at the 15-minute mark to start placing physical clippings and text onto the paper, even if written copy is still in draft form.

**One team member dominates the artistic direction while others sit idle.**

Intervene gently and suggest assigning individual pages or specific tasks from the Zine Layout and Role Guide.


## Terms used here

- Zine: A self-published, small-circulation non-commercial booklet, often created by hand using collage, drawing, and brief written text.

## Participant material: Zine Layout and Role Guide

ZINE STRUCTURE GUIDE

Standard 4-Page or 8-Page Booklet Layout:
- Front Cover: Title, subtitle, and one bold visual element or collage clipping.
- Inside Spread (Pages 2 & 3): Main ideas, short narrative text, supporting images, diagrams, or collaged quotes.
- Back Cover: Concluding thought, question for the reader, or contributor credits.

Team Roles (suggested division of labor):
- Scribe/Writer: Drafts headlines and short narrative snippets.
- Curator/Clipper: Finds and trims magazine images, textures, and words.
- Layout Lead: Organizes spacing, paper folds, and page composition.
- Assembler: Glues components, binds the spine with tape or staples.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Participatory Methods (participatorymethods.com) under the title 'Zine Creation'. Original author or historical origins not specified in supplied evidence.

Retained the core mechanic of collaborative paper zine making from Participatory Methods, including cutting, writing, assembling, and group presentation. Structured the timing into a 60-minute facilitation plan, added specific page layout instructions in participant materials, established hybrid and remote rules, and added structured debrief questions.

[Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/zine)

[Participatory Methods](https://participatorymethods.com/activities/zine-creation/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/zine-creation/