🖼 Photolanguage | Toolbox #14

2 min readMar 21, 2023

A picture is worth a thousand words

A photolanguage workshop is, as its name suggests, an activity that combines photography and language.

It is a visual method that facilitates speaking on a given subject. Participants select images that represent their ideas, feelings, experiences or needs, in connection with a given theme.

By using images as a starting point, it allows for exploring new horizons and stimulating the participants’ imagination.

🧠 Who: 5–10 people
⏰ Duration: 1h max
🎯 Objective: to encourage individual and collective expression, reflection, and engagement of the participants.

Agenda of the session

1️⃣ Prepare the material

For a digital workshop, preparing the material involves selecting the images to share with the participants and sending them ahead of the workshop (participants may also be able to bring their own images).

2️⃣ Begin the workshop (5–10min)

Start by explaining the rules of photolanguage and how to use images to express ideas. Upload the images onto a page and invite participants to study them carefully.

3️⃣ Discuss (25–35min)

Next, ask participants to choose the image that best relates to the topic and invite them to express their thoughts, feelings, or ideas. Encourage discussion and debate, and note ideas on the board.

4️⃣ Conclusion (10–15min)

End the workshop by summarizing the main ideas, highlighting the strengths of the session, and encouraging participants to continue their reflection.

Some examples

🧊 Icebreaker: to initiate a training, experience sharing meeting, or workshop, thereby allowing participants to get to know each other better and create bonds within a group.

🧠 Creativity: pour relancer l’idéation lors de brainstormings ou de moments de co-création.

🔙 Retrospective / experience sharing: to bring out points for improvement, discuss difficult moments, and facilitate speaking and mutual listening.