Crackerjack Visual Thinking

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Creating a vision rich picture for Project 4 Learning Lab

Crackerjack Visual Thinking recently worked with Project 4 Learning Lab (P4L) to create a rich picture of their vision for the future.

P4L help organisations find their flow; delivering products to market faster, accelerating flow of knowledge work and accelerating flow of product. They work with organisations including Rolls-Royce, Astra Zeneca, Alstom and Infosys.

Crackerjack ran a half-day visioning workshop with the team using the Crackerjack Visioning Process™ and then created the rich picture based on the outputs from the process:

Click on the image to see the full size PDF version of the rich picture.

Click HERE to see the animated build version of the image.

Keith Howells, P4L CEO, shares his experience of the process…

Why did you want to visualise your vision?

We were looking for a way to communicate our vision and the work that our organisation does in a holistic way that was both multi-dimensional and engaging at the same time. We also wanted to ensure that as a team we were absolutely aligned in what we do, how we do it and why that is important to us and our stakeholders.

How did you find the visioning process (both the workshop and the image development process)?

The visioning process was exciting and really easy for us all to engage in. It gave us a structure to have conversations to help us align as a team without it ever feeling constraining. It was really interesting to see how the process engaged everyone involved and allowed them to express their thoughts and opinions in a slightly different way to how we might in a “normal day”.

We found the visioning workshop really energising and by the end we felt good that we were in agreement of around 80 or 90% of the inputs that went into the generation of the final picture.

The image development process was straightforward too because it was staged around the definition of a high level concept and supporting layout before focusing on the details of the imagery and the finer points of the text.

John was very open to change (whilst also guiding us towards something that was coherent) as we asked for one thing and then decided that we needed something different! It was a really good experience.

How do you intend to use the finalised rich picture?

We plan to use it in two main areas…firstly, to explain to potential new clients about the work we do, how we do it and the difference it typically makes to our clients, and secondly, to support the onboarding of new team members by providing a foundation so that they can become really effective really quickly.

Find out more…

Find out more about Project 4 Learning Lab at https://www.p4learninglab.com

To find out more about the Crackerjack Visioning Process™ and our work, visit https://www.crackerjackvisualthinking.com

#project4learninglab #visualthinking #crackerjack #visioning #richpictures #engagement #communication #business #vision #onboarding #alignment #collaboration #storytelling

August 19, 2025
Delighted to welcome our new client Project 4 Learning Lab (P4L)

We’re delighted to welcome our new client Project 4 Learning Lab (P4L).

P4L believe in the untapped potential of humanity. Their vision is to unleash human value and accelerate progress towards a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable world for generations to come. Working with clients including Rolls-Royce, P4L harness the power of collaboration, empower organisations to open the valve, make work flow, and release their potential for positive impact in a fast-changing world. Find out more about their work here: https://www.p4learninglab.com/

Excitingly, as well being a client of Crackerjack, we will also be working together to combine the power of visual thinking with P4L’s ability to help organisations ‘find their flow’. More information on this over the next few weeks!

project4learninglab p4L crackerjack visualthinking simplifycomplexity communication visualthinking agile

June 24, 2025
Visual thinking: Helping simplify complexity in UK power generation

Creating a future-proof power generation system for the UK is a hugely complex and costly task (as todays announcement of the UK Governments £14.2bn investment in Sizewell C shows).

Here at Crackerjack, I’ve been working with a client to help them simplify complexity and visualise how they can help increase the speed and efficiency of three of these major infrastructure construction projects: Sizewell C, Hinkley Point C and the STEP fusion energy project.

In each case, I’ve been able to create visual rich pictures that have facilitated a deeper and clearer understanding of my clients work for the project teams from each of these construction projects. This also works in reverse, with the creation of the rich pictures enhancing my clients understanding of how they can best support these vital construction projects.

In one case, the rich picture I originally produced for my client is now being used by a senior exec member of one of the infrastructure construction project teams as a key element of their keynote presentations to key stakeholders (including to the UK Government).

The more complex a project becomes, the more important it is to simplify complexity in order to engage people with your work and ensure they understand the role you can play in it. Visual thinking and rich pictures can be the bridge between complexity, and simplicity and understanding.

Find out more about my work here on our website or contact me to explore simplifying your complex project.

John

Crackerjack visualthinking communication engagement understanding powergeneration sizewellc hinkleypointC HPC SZC STEP fusionenergy simplifycomplexity

June 10, 2025
Visualising complex product ecosystems
Organisations like SAP, Siemens, and PTC offer comprehensive solution ecosystems that span multiple domains—PLM, simulation, digital twins, IoT, and more. While these solutions are powerful, they are also complex. As a result, many customers struggle to understand how the various tools relate to one another and, more importantly, how they align with their own operational challenges and transformation goals.

The Communication Gap
- Customers often focus on immediate problems and can’t always see how a broader platform approach addresses their needs.
- Sales and product teams may describe capabilities from different angles, leading to inconsistent messaging.
- Internal stakeholders may lack a shared view of how the offer is positioned for different markets or maturity levels.
A Visual Thinking Approach

Using a facilitated visual method—such as the creation of a rich picture—can help bridge the gap between technical solutions and customer understanding. A rich picture is a large, illustrative diagram that captures:
- The customer’s operational environment and key challenges.
- How different products or tools contribute to solving those challenges.
- The broader transformation journey and how solutions align to that trajectory.
- Dependencies, touchpoints, and contextual factors that are difficult to convey in text or slide decks.
Benefits of this Approach
- Customer Understanding: Provides a visual narrative that helps customers see where they fit and how the solution supports their goals.
- Sales and Marketing Alignment: Offers a consistent, reusable asset that can guide strategic conversations and value positioning.
- Internal Clarity: Acts as a reference point across teams—helping product, sales, and delivery functions align on message and intent.
- Adaptability: Can be tailored by sector, persona, or maturity level to suit different engagement scenarios.
Common Use Cases
- Industry-specific product overviews.
- Executive briefings and stakeholder workshops.
- Onboarding tools for new clients or internal teams.
- Strategic planning, partner enablement, or bid development.
If you would like to explore how visual thinking can help you engage clients with your product, please contact us.

#VisualThinking #CustomerEngagement #ComplexitySimplified #SolutionSelling #DigitalTransformation #TechMarketing #EnterpriseSoftware #StrategicAlignment #IndustrialSoftware #SystemsThinking #EngineeringDesign #CustomerSuccess #InnovationConsulting #VisualConsulting
May 13, 2025
Strategy is 3D – So Why Do We Still Treat It Like a Flat Plan?

Strategy isn’t a flat line from A to B. It’s layered, shifting and often messy. It involves people, context, culture, timing—and a fair bit of uncertainty. So why do so many strategic plans still live in long documents, static slides, or linear timelines?

In reality, strategy is 3D.

3D Strategy Cube

It has depth (what’s beneath the surface?), breadth (how do all the moving parts connect?), and height (what’s the big picture?). It changes when you look at it from a different angle. And it only really makes sense when people can see how their part fits into the whole.

That’s where visualisation comes in.

When you visualise strategy, you stop relying solely on words and bullet points. Instead, you map, model and frame ideas—so people can explore and understand them together. It’s not about pretty diagrams. It’s about giving shape to what’s otherwise abstract.

Think about trying to align a senior team. Or communicating a transformation to hundreds of people. Or even just figuring out what kind of change is needed. A well-crafted visual can become a shared thinking space—one that invites questions, highlights tensions, and helps decisions stick.

Strategy needs to flex and breathe. Visualisation helps it do that.
It makes the 3D nature of strategy easier to hold, explore and share.

VisualThinking #StrategyDesign #BusinessStrategy #TransformationLeadership #ChangeManagement #OrganisationalDesign #LeadershipThinking #InnovationStrategy #FutureOfWork

May 8, 2025
What is Visual Strategy Consulting?

You’ve probably heard of strategy consulting. And you may be familiar with visual thinking. But put the two together, and something quite powerful happens.

Visual strategy consulting is about using visuals—not just to present a strategy, but to shape it. It’s about helping teams see the big picture, spot connections, and make decisions faster. When the usual spreadsheets and slide decks start to blur into one, a well-drawn visual can suddenly cut through the noise and make things clear.

As one of my clients recently shared: “This started board-level conversations we didn’t expect!”

Imagine mapping out a complex transformation or trying to align a senior team on a shared vision. Words alone can often fall short. But with a structured, visual process, those fuzzy ambitions start to take shape—literally. Diagrams, models, and story-based visuals can show what’s possible and get everyone pulling in the same direction.

Visual strategy consulting isn’t about making things look pretty. It’s about making thinking visible—so strategy becomes something you can explore, test, and refine together. It creates space for creativity and clarity, which is often what’s needed most in complex change.

If you work in transformation, innovation, or organisational design, it’s worth exploring how visual approaches can support your next big move.

#VisualThinking #StrategyConsulting #BusinessStrategy

#OrganisationalChange #TransformationLeadership

#ChangeManagement #LeadershipDevelopment

#InnovationStrategy #FutureOfWork

May 7, 2025
10% uplift in engagement

“We saw a 10% uplift in engagement from just one rich picture”

Really pleased to share the following testimonial from Ali Phillips, Head of Business Change at Exertis UK (one of the UK&I’s largest and fastest growing technology distribution and specialist service providers):

“How do you get an entire organisation to engage with a complex transformation? That was exactly the challenge I faced in my role as Head of Business Change at Exertis.

We had 7 workstreams, over 50 initiatives, and a wide range of impacts across different functions. I wanted to communicate all of that in a way that felt different—something visual and engaging that would help people understand not just the scope of the change, but what it meant for them.

That’s why I chose to go down the rich picture route with Crackerjack.

The response across the business has been so positive, we’re now on our third picture!

What really stood out for me was how valuable the design process became in its own right. We started with a clear brief and a group of stakeholders, but as the creative conversations unfolded, we uncovered areas of our plan that needed a stronger narrative. That sparked some really productive discussions at board level and helped us get better alignment across the leadership team.

Over the course of developing the three pictures, I felt like John from Crackerjack really got to know us as a business. The creative ideas he brings always blow me away—we honestly don’t know how he does it! The details, the storytelling, the little touches that make it feel personal… they all bring the picture to life. And because he’s so open to feedback, many people feel there’s a little piece of them in the final result.

But the value didn’t stop there.

We’ve used the pictures in so many ways—running engagement sessions across the organisation, supporting senior leadership events, and building them into manager toolkits to help cascade our strategic priorities and the cultural shift we’re working towards.

And the impact?

After we launched our transformation picture, we saw a 10% uplift in engagement scores for ‘connection to our purpose’. It also created a real buzz—visitors still comment on it when they see it on the wall, and we even featured it on our press tour!”

#VisualThinking #ChangeLeadership #BusinessTransformation #EmployeeEngagement #InternalComms #StorytellingForBusiness #RichPicture #OrganisationalChange #LeadershipCommunication #crackerjackvisualthinking

Find out more…

Contact Us

Please use the form below to contact us or call us on +44 (0)115 6483381 for a FREE consultation to discuss how we can help you.

May 1, 2025
When things get messy, vision isn’t just nice to have — it’s essential

When things get messy, vision isn’t just nice to have — it’s essential.

Markets are shaky. Confidence is dipping. The path ahead isn’t clear.

Having a clear vision doesn’t magically predict what’s next. But it does give you something solid to steer by — even when everything else feels uncertain.

It helps leaders focus.

It keeps teams moving in sync.

And being able to communicate your vision clearly gives your customers and partners a reason to stick with you.

In unpredictable times, vision is your compass.

So here’s a question — how are you keeping your vision front and centre during this time of uncertainty?

#Leadership #BusinessStrategy #VisualThinking #Crackerjack #VisionInUncertainty #Communcation #Clarity #Engagement

Find out more…

Contact Us

Please use the form below to contact us or call us on +44 (0)115 6483381 for a FREE consultation to discuss how we can help you.

April 7, 2025
Simplifying complexity for UKIFS

Simplifying complexity visually for UK Industrial Fusion Solutions (UKIFS)

I don’t mean to sound like James Bond (!), but much of my work is under NDA or commercially sensitive, meaning we can’t talk about it. So I’m pleased to be able to share this post from ENOVIA (part of my long-term client Dassault Systèmes), featuring a rich picture I created to help their client UK Industrial Fusion Solutions explain a complex concept relating to the groundbreaking STEP fusion energy reactor programme — clearly, visually, and all on one page.

The image shows the rich picture mid-build, as the layers come together to form the full picture.

Find out more about using the contact form below.

#visualthinking #enagement #communication #visualstorytelling #richpictures #simplifycomplexity #3DXUCEN #ukifs #fusionenergy

Find out more…

Contact Us

Please use the form below to contact us or call us on +44 (0)115 6483381 for a FREE consultation to discuss how we can help you.

March 25, 2025