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Reframing
complexity

We often hear: “We have to reduce complexity.”
 
We believe, however, you need complexity to face complexity. In order to beat a soccer team, you need a team that's equal in number and diversity. If you want your company to succeed, your strategy must match the dynamics of the outside world. And a scientific model needs to do justice to its subject. Because variety absorbs variety.

Yet, when not handled with care, complexity can be overwhelming and costly. Which is why we suggest carefully reframing rather than reducing it. Using logic, storytelling, visualisation and a deep understanding of the human mind, we give wings to whatever piece of complex information you're dealing with. And we make sure it arrives safely at its destination.

“I didn’t have time to write a short letter. So I wrote a long one instead” 

Mark Twain

Some of our books and publications

Reframe it!
Ideas

Change it!

Office Monsters
Ideas

Harvard Business Review:
Your Strategy Needs a Visual Metaphor
Strategy & Change Communication

Our Playground

Whether it‘s corporate strategies, research studies, or policies: refining and conveying complex content is a key skill for any manager, academic, or politician. 

Yet, when it comes to communicating said contents we often succumb to two temptations:
- Either simplifying carelessly, forgetting that we need complexity to face complexity,
- Or falling short on structure and formats, turning the content into something overwhelming.

Reframing is how we break that stalemate. It’s a holistic framework that builds on the notion that humans see, process, and navigate the world through a multitude of frames and lenses. The trick is to do so consciously and playfully, to master all the framing techniques human beings have at their disposal – storytelling, metaphorical thinking, visualization, etc., and to be aware of biases in human perception and behaviour.

Then, complexity can be used to one’s advantage - and that’s exactly where we play.

“Those who do not have power over the story that dominates their lives, power to retell it, to rethink it, deconstruct it, joke about it, and change it as times change, truly are powerless.”

Salman Rushdie

We reframe in four steps

1
During Facilitation we create clarity: We make sure everyone involved understands both the materials and potential audiences. We structure the materials, using logic, abstraction, and managerial thinking. And we devise a plan.

  • Understanding

  • Structuring

  • Planning

2
During Sensualization we find meaning: We transform complexity into something you can see see, hear, feel, and even touch and remember. For this we use storytelling, metaphors, visual thinking and a plethora of other reframing techniques.  The goal is for everyone to see the big picture and to be on the same page.

  • Storytelling

  • Visualization 

  • Metaphors

3
During Mobilization we create impact. With the use of a wide range of media and personal interactions, we help you engage and interact with your audiences – making sure they are on your side and act accordingly.

  • Orchestration

  • Media

  • Interaction 

4
During Sustention we create longevity. We help you keep the energy high,  measure success and adapt your maps to the ever changing territory. 

  • Cultivation

  • Measurement

  • Adaptation

And to spice things up, we add plenty of our secret sauce:

A mix of analytical thinking and creative wit, full of sense and sensibility, and a bit of nonsense.