Divide the group into three small groups:
- Drawers. The drawers attempt to recreate one of the pre-drawn designs which they cannot see. They can only draw and listen. They may not talk and should stand with their backs to the group so they cannot receive nonverbal messages.
- Talkers. The talkers attempt to describe the design to the drawers. The talkers also do not see the design.
- Viewers. The viewers are the only ones to see the design. They may not talk and must communicate nonverbally. The talkers may question the viewers who must respond nonverbally. The viewers may not draw the design in the air or use any other nonverbal communication that actually shows the design.
Make teams with at least one drawer, one talker and one viewer in. Show a design to the viewers. Stick to combinations of simple geometric shapes to start with – you can make the designs more complex in further rounds of the game. Each team must then attempt to reproduce the design. The task is complete when the viewers are satisfied with what the drawers have created.
Tip for Facilitators
This activity can be challenging. You could simplify it for your group by dividing them into pairs, in which one is the viewer and talker, and one is the drawer.Try a further round or two if time allows.
Discussion Questions
As a whole group talk about:
- How successful were you working as a group?
- What helped or hindered finishing the tasks?
- What compromises had to be made, if any?
- What would have happened if someone didn’t co-operate?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a group?