16/24 BITES
This module is a part of a larger collection of bite-sized learning on facilitating social learning spaces.
This collection of learning bites was created by Danida Fellowship Centre together with Beverly and Etienne Wenger-Trayner and produced by Grape and Brand By Hand. Photos used in the collection were taken by @Crawfurd Media, @E Pictures Media Ltd, @Daniel Samwel and Danida Fellowship Centre, supplemented with Stock Photos.
Here’s how you can run a gallery walk in your own setting:
You might start with a discussion beforehand: “What would you like to know about each other?”
That helps participants make their booths more relevant – but remind them, this is not a questionnaire to respond to point by point. It gives people a sense of what to include in their visual display.
Ask participants to prepare a small “booth” – either on a wall, table, flipchart, or digitally. It should show who they are, what they do, what they need, or what they can offer.
You might want to make things like colouring pens, sticky tape, scissors and coloured card or paper available to encourage participants to get creative and make their booth visually enticing.
Give people time to walk around and explore each other’s booths. Encourage them to ask questions and discuss what they see. If there is only one person per booth, people take turns walking around so that there is always someone to talk with at the booths.
To encourage people to pay attention and explore the booths in depth, you might want to suggest some things for participants to listen and look out for, such as emerging trends or promising innovations.
Write down your thoughts in your work document – sketch your ideas! Then share your idea with a colleague – or test it with your group.
Work document
You can use the work document to note down your thoughts or just pause and reflect.
See how it feels – and adapt it to your context. Download a guide to the gallery walk below.
Inspired by “Communities of practice within and across organisations, a guidebook”, Etienne Wenger-Trayner, Beverly Wenger-Trayner, Phil Reid and Claude Bruderlein (Social Learning Lab, 2023).
Gallery walk – step-by-step guide
A practical guide to running a gallery walk with your own group.
