Making toast doesn’t sound very complicated -- until someone asks you to draw the process, step by step. Tom Wujec loves asking people and teams to draw how they make toast, because the process reveals unexpected truths about how we can solve our biggest, most complicated problems at work. Learn how to run this exercise yourself, and hear Wujec’s surprising insights from watching thousands of people draw toast.

Got a wicked problem? First, tell me how you make toast

Solving big problems can start with a deceptively simple exercise: drawing how to make toast. Participants show their unique perspectives as they break the process into nodes and links, whether focusing on toasters, people, or even the supply chain back to the wheat field. Sticky notes and group work make systems visible and spark richer ideas, with teams mapping out as many as twenty or more steps. When one company visualized its practices for three days, it uncovered $50 million in lost revenue.

Drawing Toast Reveals the Hidden Power of Visual Thinking

We ask 5 people creating the future: so, what will it be like?

business

collaboration

creativity

design

leadership

TED Stage Talk

Tom Wujec: Got a wicked problem? First, tell me how you make toast