Canvases are lager surfaces, not “one page”, but a shared room. They help you hold what would otherwise dissolve in conversation: decisions, transitions, tensions, responsibility spaces.
A canvas is not a poster. It’s a working surface. It makes visible what belongs together and what must be separated cleanly.
What canvases are best for
When multiple layers interact
Strategy, structure, process, atmosphere. Canvases make relations visible.
When decisions feel “too big”
Canvases frame decision corridors: what holds, what remains open, what gets reviewed when.
When transitions are where things break
Role changes, handovers, releases – canvases stabilize the passage.
Typical outputs
- a shared picture (instead of parallel realities)
- a framed corridor (instead of endless options)
- clear responsibility spaces (instead of diffusion)
- an explicit review point (instead of “we’ll see”)
- a next step people can carry (instead of performance)
Start here: three canvases that often suffice
- Course & Corridor Canvas (Metis, 30min) → this workshop element is under construction
- Layer Mapping Canvas (Attention, 30-45 min) → this workshop element is under construction
- Transition Canvas (Unfinishedness/Coherence, 30 min) → this workshop element is under construction
Canvases by constellation
→ Constellations: Constellations
What you’ll find on a canvas page
- For what (situated / purpose)
- Time (30-60 minutes)
- Setup (team / workshop / solo)
- Steps (max. 6)
- Output (artifact + next step)
- Links (constellation + paper/blog)
Next
→ Workshop: Workshop
→ Snapshot Review: Snapshot Review: Constellation