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Hosting digital workshops

While whiteboards, post-its and sharpies gathered dust in our offices, we were still hosting workshops. We've gathered a few tips on facilitating digital workshops in our favourite digital whiteboard and collaboration tool, Miro.

Screen size

Every home office is different, and some of us might be working from a quite small laptop screen. For instance, designers typically have quite large screens, so some elements might disappear from view on another participant's smaller screen.

Therefore, you should always check that your Miro board, frames and templates look good and work well while you set them up ahead of the workshop.

Make sure to check how your Miro board looks and works on a smaller screen than yours

Be a great host, even digitally

Communicate the tasks clearly, so that it is easy to follow the workshop and know what to do next. Keep a friendly and helpful tone to best introduce the participants to the possibly new and unfamiliar tool.

Try these tips to help the participants navigate and interact with the board on their own:

  • Move objects to the back and to the front
  • Sort all content into frames with clear titles, much like you make slides in PowerPoint so you can use Miro's presenting mode
  • Use arrows, placement and colours to communicate the hierarchy and direction of the various frames and objects in the board
  • Make sure the participants have all the information they need for a task, provide examples and use a template that is easy and intuitive to use

Lock and hide elements

Locking and hiding

To lock frames or elements, click the padlock icon that comes up when selecting them.

Board owners can hide frames by clicking the eye icon that comes up when selecting them.

Some elements should remain static throughout the workshop, such as backgrounds, titles and instructions. In order to avoid participants moving these by accident, you should use Miro's lock function to make them static.

Help attendees keep focus on the current task by hiding frames that have not yet been introduced. You could either cover them with a coloured shape, or you could use Miro's hide function if you are the board owner.

Save time

  1. Leave some Miro tips and tricks for new users to help them get started quickly.
     
  2. Use Miro's timer function (in the horizontal bottom bar) to help all users keep track of time during tasks - it's always good to know how much time is left, and you won't spend unnecessary time finishing those final notes.
     
  3. Add some extra time to your schedule for that unforeseen (yet predictable) technical lag, so that you don't get short on time.

Get warmed up

Warm-up inspiration

Check out these links for inspiration for icebreakers and warm-up exercises:

Start off your workshop with a fun and creative warm-up exercise that's similar to the way the participants will be solving the upcoming tasks.

Use your imagination to come up with a suitable subject, and use this opportunity to introduce valuable shortcuts and tips for Miro.

A short warm-up helps your participants become comfortable with the tool, and readies the mind for some thorough brainstorming.

Remember the breaks

Remember to add some breaks to your workshop schedule, like you would in "the good old days" when we could all be together in the same room. Place them in time slots between tasks, so that they don't interrupt any trains of thought.

A bathroom visit, a top-up on the coffee and some stretches later, your attendees have had time to reflect and clear their mind for a new task.

Get to know Miro

Are you still fairly new to Miro? Or do you wish to become an expert in its use? We'll offer some advice:

  • Use Miro as often as you can, even when working by yourself - it is great for brainstorming and sketching
  • Don't hesitate to ask your colleagues about their best tips and tricks
  • Check out all the ready-made templates, features, wireframe tools and icons - there's lots of useful stuff there
  • Browse Miro's own blog for helpful tips and articles
  • Join the Miro conversation on the #tool-miro Slack channel

Good luck on your workshop!

Want to know more?

Miro Help Center

Our favourite whiteboard tool Miro has gathered all their best tips, tricks and feature guides to help you explore all the possibilities and discover new features.