The Caption Game

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Practice concise written framing and explore multiple perspectives on shared visual prompts.

Use it when: Use during remote or hybrid team meetings as an introductory visual warm-up or creative pause.

Skip it when: Skip when participants lack form access, cannot view images, or must handle urgent operational issues.

Group arrangement: Individual writing followed by whole-group voting and review

Timing: 20 minutes suggested by UWT to allow quiet submission, reading, and structured voting across two images.

Materials and tools

• Online form tool (such as Google Forms or Microsoft Forms) with 2 prepared image prompts
• Video conferencing platform with screen share capability
• Chat window or polling feature for voting

Before participants arrive

1. Select 2 neutral workplace-appropriate photographs or illustrations.
2. Embed concise alt-text descriptions for both images in the form and prepare to read them aloud.
3. Insert both images into a digital submission form with a short-text field below each.
4. Configure the form to collect submissions anonymously without requiring email login.
5. Test screen sharing to confirm both images and incoming responses display clearly.

Say this to open

Welcome. We are running a quick caption exercise. I will share a form link containing two images. Take four minutes to write a brief caption for each picture. Writing is optional, and submissions are anonymous. If you prefer not to write, you can vote and observe. Then we will review the entries together and vote on favorites.

How to run it

1. Introduce prompts 2 minutes

   Share the form link in chat and display it on screen. Screen share both images and read aloud their concise visual descriptions. Remind participants that captions can be literal or humorous, but must remain workplace appropriate. Neutral example: for a picture of a cat sleeping on a keyboard, a caption could be 'Hard at work on the quarterly report.' Participants who prefer not to write may observe.

2. Write captions 4 minutes

   Start a 4-minute quiet timer. Participants open the form link on their devices and submit up to one caption per image. Facilitator monitors incoming responses. Announce a 30-second warning before closing submissions.

3. Read and vote image one 5 minutes

   Screen share the responses for image one. If there are more than ten entries, select eight to ten distinct captions to read aloud in a neutral voice. Display the numbered choices on screen. Ask participants to vote for their single favorite caption in chat or using meeting reaction numbers. Announce the top-voted caption.

4. Read and vote image two 5 minutes

   Repeat the process for image two. Screen share the responses and read up to ten selected entries aloud neutrally. Present the numbered options on screen. Have everyone cast one vote in chat or via meeting reactions. Announce the winner.

5. Debrief 4 minutes

   Ask one or two debrief questions to the full group. Invite two or three voluntary spoken or written responses in chat before closing the exercise.

Debrief questions

• Which caption shifted your interpretation of the picture the most?
• What made a caption work well in just a few words?

Finished output: A reviewed collection of participant-authored captions for two images, with group-selected favorite captions.

Remote

Run over video conference. Share the form link in meeting chat. Screen share the images during the writing time, then screen share the compiled text responses while reading them aloud. Collect votes via chat numbers or emoji reactions.

Hybrid

Post the form link via chat and display a QR code on the room display. Show images on the room monitor and video feed simultaneously. In-person and remote participants submit via their phones or laptops. Collect votes in the shared chat so all votes tally together.

Access and participation choices

• Provide brief written alt-text descriptions on screen and read them aloud for visually impaired participants.
• Submission is entirely optional; participants may skip submitting and participate only as voters.
• Submissions remain anonymous to reduce social evaluation pressure.

If the session gets stuck

A participant cannot open the form link due to firewall or permission issues.

Allow them to direct message their captions to the facilitator in chat to paste into the list.

An inappropriate or offensive caption appears in the form responses.

Quietly skip reading that item aloud and omit it from the voting list without calling out the submitter.

Terms used here

• Alt-text: A short written description that conveys the essential visual content of an image.