Complete firstProblem contextnot in catalog
A problem context perceived as complex and ambiguous (multiple stakeholders, tensions, unclear causes) is present.
Without: Without this complexity, a Rich Picture adds no value over a classic diagram.
RunsheetSystems Thinking
Rich Picture
ComplexityLow
Time30-90 min
Participants2-10
FormatWorkshop
MaturityEstablished
01
Prerequisite
What needs to be finished first
Complete firstStakeholder Mapping
Key stakeholders and their interests are roughly known so they can be integrated into the drawing.
Without: Without stakeholder understanding, the drawing remains a factual image without actors and loses its main value.
02
Preparation
What needs to be ready before start
Materials
Large paper (flipchart or A1) or digital whiteboard; colored pens; simple symbols (stick figures, clouds for topics, lightning bolts for conflicts, arrows for relationships); images or stickers for actors if useful.
People / roles
One facilitator who defends the norm that non-technical drawing is fine; 3-7 participants from affected stakeholder groups; one scribe who writes explanations.
Pre-read
Description of the problem context in the participants' own words; known conflict lines; current practice and workarounds; relevant actors and systems.
Time needed
60-120 min
Setup
Paper in the center. Distribute pens. State rule: everyone draws, no beauty contest. Classic diagram notation is forbidden, as are bracketed explanations. Pictures allowed, stick figures encouraged.
03
Core question
The one question this method answers
What picture of the situation emerges when actors, topics, tensions, structures and moods become visible at the same time?
04
Flow
Marker: Phase
| Step | Duration | Action | Hint |
|---|---|---|---|
1Phase 1: Warm-up and rules | 10 min | Short sketch warm-up (everyone draws their office in 2 min). Repeat rules: no diagram notation, many actors, make conflicts visible. | If someone says they cannot draw, emphasize that readability without artistic quality is the goal. Stick figures are enough. |
2Phase 2: Draw actors and structures | 20-30 min | Actors and stakeholders as stick figures or symbols. Structures (departments, systems, tools) as boxes or clouds. Relationships as arrows. | If all people look like robots, emotion is missing. Draw facial expressions (laughing, frowning, shouting) to make moods visible. |
3Phase 3: Topics, tensions, symbols | 20-30 min | Current topics as clouds. Tensions or conflicts as lightning bolts. Wishes as thought bubbles. External influences (market, regulation) at the edge. | The best Rich Pictures have controversial elements. If nobody draws anything political, facilitator asks explicitly about conflicts. |
4Phase 4: Reading and discussion | 30 min | Each contributor explains their element. Scribe collects themes. Shared reading as list: what do we see, what is missing, what surprises us. | Discussion is the main value. Anyone who only photographs the picture and skips discussion wastes the method. At least 20 min talk-through. |
5Phase 5: Follow-up questions and next steps | 15 min | List follow-up questions: what must be researched, what clarified, which further method fits (for example Causal Loop Diagram, stakeholder interviews). 2-3 concrete actions with owner. | Rich Picture alone improves nothing. Value arises through the consequences. If no action can be derived, the workshop was diagnostic and that is okay; document it explicitly. |
05
Artifact
What comes out at the end
Form
Photo documentation of the drawing in high resolution; supplementary markdown with actor and topic list, list of tensions, shared reading, follow-up questions and actions.
Versioning / ownership
Separate version per iteration with date. Archive predecessor picture as photo. Document changes between versions in the reading note.
Tool alternatives
- Paper and pens plus photo
- Miro or FigJam with freehand tools
- iPad with Procreate or Concepts
- Whiteboard.fi or Whimsical with sticker library
rich-picture-working-template.md
Compact working template for Rich Picture with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
Rich Picture Working Template
Goal
An informal sketch of a complex situation with people, issues, tensions, and relationships.
Context
When and for what do we use this method?
Input
Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?
Execution
Short notes along the runsheet.
Output artifacts
- Rich Picture:
- Problem Framing Notes:
Assumptions and open questions
- ...
Decision / Next step
Owner, date, and success signal.
06
Example output
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
rich-picture-beispiel.md
Concrete filled scenario, fictional example
Rich Picture - Conflict around new CRM rollout, Bertram Tax Firm, 2026-05-18
Participants: Sabine (owner), Jana (tax clerk), Tom (student IT assistant), Mrs Otto (senior client as representative).
Reading
- Sabine as stick figure in the center, with calendar full of appointments and thought bubble "Should finally be digital".
- Jana at desk with paper stack and cloud "What happens to my routine?". Lightning bolt to CRM cloud.
- Tom as small figure with laptop and arrow to CRM, laughing.
- Clients as figure group on the right with speech bubbles "response time" and "data protection".
- DATEV cloud top left with arrow to CRM (data synchronization unclear).
- External lightning bolt: GDPR audit Q3.
Visible tensions
- Jana feels bypassed, no say in setup.
- Clients do not know the new CRM and have data-protection questions.
- Tom has tool know-how, but not industry context.
Follow-up questions
- How will Jana be included in tool setup?
- Which GDPR requirements does the CRM bring?
- How does the firm communicate the change to clients?
Actions
- RP-01: Workshop with Jana on CRM workflow design on 2026-05-25 (Owner Sabine).
- RP-02: Request GDPR checklist from CRM vendor (Owner Tom, by 2026-05-22).
- RP-03: Draft client information letter (Owner Sabine, by 2026-05-30).
07
Pitfalls
Recognize symptoms and steer against them
Trap
Picture looks like UML
Symptom
Strict boxes, arrows with labels, no stick figure.
What to do
Repeat rules: people, facial expressions, clouds, lightning bolts. Class diagram notation is forbidden. If group slides back into diagrams, facilitator deliberately draws a stick figure with angry face.
Trap
No tensions visible
Symptom
Picture shows harmonious world, everyone smiles.
What to do
Ask specifically: where is conflict, who is dissatisfied, which workarounds exist. Have lightning bolts and frowning faces drawn.
Trap
Discussion skipped
Symptom
Picture is finished, everyone leaves, nobody explains.
What to do
Talk-through is the main value. Plan at least 20 min. Scribe records the reading, otherwise meaning stays only in drawers' heads.
Trap
Photo archived without context
Symptom
Three months later nobody finds or understands the picture without explanation.
What to do
Store photo plus reading markdown. Date, participants, main topics in writing. Otherwise method loses connection to follow-up work.
Trap
Solution discussion too early
Symptom
Before drawing, people already say "we must do X"; drawing becomes illustration of pre-decision.
What to do
Facilitator explicitly parks solutions. Picture first, solutions in Phase 5. Premature solutions weaken diagnosis.
08
Stop criteria
Done signals checkable in under a minute
Situation is clear and well understood, Rich Picture adds no value over a list.
Participants refuse drawing out of fear, method does not get going.
Important stakeholders are missing, picture remains one-sided.
Conflict lines are so acute that psychological safety is at risk.
Method is misused as pure visualization tool for finished solutions.
Time window under 45 min, talk-through necessarily falls away.
Finished the runsheet?
Go to the profile for purpose, similar methods, and sources or continue to the next method in the catalog.