At SALT19 we used a “technology” called the creative board. Of course I use the term technology loosely because there is really nothing “technical” about it. However, we found that having this visual in our production meetings and eventually in our production room at conference was a huge asset.
The premise of a creative board is a visual aid that helps the user organize thoughts and ideas. Each notecard color represents a different element in the planning process and by having different colors to represent different elements you are able to visual see what you are planning. It will help you figure out what needs to be added as well as what needs to be taken away.
At SALT19, each notecard was coordinated with a different element of our main session services. For instance, the orange card was used for any speaker on stage whether it be a keynote or host moment. Green was used for any video that was shown, pink was for sponsor moments etc.
That said, here are a few ways to use creative boards and the colored notecards in the production of an event:
- Speakers – orange
- Corporate worship – blue
- Choir special or solo – yellow
- Videos – green
- Transitions – red
- Announcements – pink
Here is an example of how we used the creative board at SALT.
Additionally, you can use the creative board to lay out a larger series plan by adding the individual weeks and then the focus of each week and elements within those services. For instance, at SALT19 we had 6 sessions. Each session, had very similar order of service but the focus of each session was a little different. By having a full layout of all the sessions on our board we were able to see the service order for each session but we were also able to create a very intentional story and cohesiveness with each session.
Another way to use a creative board is for the speaker or teacher. In this case you may consider using the creative board to layout your talk. Here are some examples of how you can do that:
- Main Point – Blue
- Supporting Points – Green
- Examples – Red
- Application – Pink
- Key or Quotable Phrases – Yellow
- Images – purple
- Videos – Orange
This would help in having a visual picture of your talk and to see where there may be holes and how you can fill them.
Bottom line, 65% of the population are visual learners and this tool is 100% visual. So give it try!
RESOURCES:
Creative Board – by Compression Planning – we use the classic “folding” board. It has a handle and is portable which works best for conference planning.
Push Pins – by Compression Planning – we also use these push pins they are a bit larger than a typical push pin and holds the cards better.
