How to create and run a design workshop

The Little Design Corner

As a designer you have a wealth of knowledge and skills to share with your clients and what better way to do that than by hosting a workshop.

Workshops are a great way to connect with your clients in person, build trust and offer valuable insights and advice on design trends and techniques.

It’s also a great way to offer your services in a more scalable way (rather than just via 1:1 client work).

But where do you start?

And how do you create a workshop that will engage your community and help them make progress?

In this post I’ll take you through a complete step by step process for designing, planning and facilitating a successful workshop.

Let’s get stuck into the guide…

1: Define the workshop's objectives and target audience

First you need to identify what skills and techniques the workshop will cover and who the target audience is (e.g. homeowners, aspiring designers, etc.).

Here are a few things to consider:

  1. Objectives: Identify what specific skills and techniques you want to teach during the workshop. For example, you may want to teach participants how to create a mood board, select colours for a room or how to use specific design software. Be specific and clear about what participants will learn and don’t be too ambitious with your objectives - i.e. helping them get a small transformation within the workshop is how they will leave feeling like it was a success.
  2. Target audience: Determine who the workshop is intended for. For example is it for homeowners wanting to learn more about the renovation/remodel process or aspiring interior designers looking to expand their business knowledge?
  3. Demographics: Consider the demographics of your target audience including their age, gender, income, education level etc. This will help you to create a workshop that is pitched at the right level and be something they are excited to attend.
  4. Needs and Interests: Research the needs and interests of your ideal workshop participants if you don’t already know them well. Here are a few ways to do this:

2: Plan the workshop content

Once you know who the workshop is for and what they need it’s time to create a detailed outline of the workshop content including the topics that will be covered, guest speakers, any materials or supplies that will be needed and the schedule of events.

Here are a few things to consider when planning the content for a great event:

  1. Interactive activities: For example, if your workshop is on home design or improvement you could ask participants to bring plans of their own renovation projects and share what you would do with each project in individual ‘hot seats’. This activity would provide participants with some real world examples of design challenges and how you would overcome them.
  2. Hands on demonstrations: For example, if you are teaching a workshop on how to create a moodboard you could have participants experiment with their own moodboard while you demonstrate how you create your own.
  3. Guest speakers: Invite guest speakers to provide additional expertise and perspectives on the topics being covered. This can provide a new and different insight for the participants and also gives you a chance to promote your event to the community of the guest speaker as well.
  4. Resources and materials: Provide participants with handouts, project samples or other materials that they can take home with them.
  5. Flexibility: Keep in mind that people have different learning styles and levels so try to include a variety of activities and materials to accommodate different learning styles.

3: Find a venue

Here are a few things to consider when finding and securing a venue:

  1. Location: Look for a location that is easily accessible - e.g. is it close to public transport, easy to park and accessible for anyone with mobility needs? If people are coming from out of town will it be easy to get to?
  2. Size: Consider the size of the venue in relation to the number of participants you expect to attend the workshop. Make sure the venue can comfortably accommodate the number of participants but also make sure it won’t be too big if you're only expecting a small group. Ideally you want to sell your workshop out as this will create FOMO for people who don’t secure a ticket in time. So I suggest you start small for your first workshop!
  3. Amenities: Look for a venue that has the necessary amenities such as Wi-Fi, tables and chairs, access to bathrooms and food (if you need it).
  4. Aesthetics: If you are a designer running a workshop around design then consider the look and feel of the space you’re thinking about hosting your workshop in. Does it feel aspirational for your attendees? Will they be excited to visit the venue? An ugly meeting room is probably not the space for your design workshop!
  5. Cost: Consider the cost of the venue and make sure it fits within your budget.

Here are a few examples of where to go to find a venue:

  1. Suppliers: Sometimes your local suppliers (e.g. tile or furniture store) will be happy to host your event for you. In return you can offer them a session within the workshop timetable to promote their store and products.
  2. Community Centre: Local community centres often have rooms that can be rented out for events. These venues can be a cost effective option and may already have the necessary amenities you need, but they can also be quite ugly - so may not be suitable for your design event :)
  3. Hotels: Hotels can be a great option if you need to accommodate a large number of participants or if you want to provide overnight accommodation. But they are also hugely expensive, so this is potentially not the right option for those just getting started with hosting events.
  4. Restaurants and cafes: Restaurants and cafes often have private rooms that can be rented out. This can be a good option if you want to provide food and drink for your participants or host more of a working lunch or dinner type event.
  5. Art galleries and museums: Some art galleries and museums have event spaces that can be rented out. This can be a unique and interesting setting for your workshop.
  6. Co-working spaces: Some co-working spaces also provide event hosting as part of their services. This can be a good option if you’re looking for a more modern and professional setting.

4: Price the workshop

When it comes to pricing your workshop there are a few key factors to consider:

  1. Your expenses: Consider the costs associated with hosting the workshop such as venue hire, printing materials or marketing expenses. Make sure you add up all your expenses to determine your minimum price point.
  2. Your target audience: Think about your target audience and what they are willing to pay. Are they professionals looking for advanced training or are they hobbyists looking to learn a new skill? Generally you can charge a little higher for workshops that can be classified as a business expense for your attendees or for workshops that will help your attendees obtain a skill that can help them make money.
  3. Your competition: Research your competition and see what they are charging for similar workshops. This will give you an idea of what the market will accept in terms of pricing.
  4. Your value: Think about the value you are providing to your attendees. Are you offering unique insights and expertise? Are you providing materials and supplies? Will your workshop help them make (or save) money? Are you including refreshments or other perks? The more perks and value you provide to attendees the higher the price you can charge.
  5. Bundle it with other services: Consider offering the workshop as a package deal with other services you offer such as a design consultation.

Here are some pricing strategies you may like to consider:

Overall pricing is an art not a science.

You’ll likely need to play around with pricing before you get it right. I recommend you always start at a lower price than you intend for it to be finally offered as this will encourage people to join the first time you run it.

Remember - you are aiming to sell out your first event to show others that it’s really popular and something they are missing out on!

5: Promote the workshop

If you don’t tell anyone about your workshop or event then they won’t know about it! So here are a few ideas for how to promote your workshop:

  1. Create a website: Create a website or landing page that includes information about the workshop, the schedule, the speaker(s), the location and how to register. This doesn’t need to be complicated, just one page is fine.
  2. Use social media: Use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn to promote your workshop event.
  3. Send out an email newsletter: Create an email newsletter that includes information about the workshop event and send it out to your mailing list.
  4. Network with local businesses: Reach out to local businesses and ask them to help promote your workshop. For example you could ask a local homewares store to have some flyers in their store or promote it on their social media (if the event aligns with their business or would be of value to their customers).
  5. Offer an early bird or referral discounts: Offer discounts for early registration or for participants who refer their friends or family to the workshop. This can help to create a sense of urgency and encourage people to register early.
  6. Host a pre event or online preview: This will give people a sneak peek of what they will learn and also create some buzz around the event.
  7. Run some paid advertising: If you have budget for it then run some paid advertising on Facebook or Instagram to your target ideal workshop attendee to allow more people to learn about it.

6: Prepare materials and supplies

Here are a few things to consider as you prepare your materials and get organised before your workshop:

  1. Determine the quantity of materials needed: Estimate the number of attendees and prepare enough materials for each participant. The best way to do this is to book a venue that has a certain capacity limit - e.g. 50 - and then print that many.
  2. Organise materials and supplies: This can often be really time consuming so allow enough time in the lead up to the event to get all your materials collated and organised and any ‘goody bags’ packed up.
  3. Test equipment and demonstrations: Check all equipment and presentations in advance and make sure you’ve got a back up plan if anything goes wrong - e.g. make sure you’ve printed off your presentation so you can read from it if any equipment fails you.
  4. Pack materials and supplies: Pack all materials and supplies in advance and make sure you have everything you need . Consider using a checklist to ensure that nothing is forgotten. Here are some of the things you may take:

7: Facilitate the workshop

Here are a few tips for how to facilitate a workshop effectively:

  1. Prepare a detailed agenda: Prepare a detailed agenda for the workshop that includes the topics to be covered, the schedule, and the speaker. Share the agenda with the participants in advance so they know what to expect. Have printed off copies for them on the day.
  2. Set Ground Rules: At the beginning of the workshop establish some ground rules to create a positive and safe environment. This could include guidelines around confidentiality and respect.
  3. Be Energetic and Engaging: As the facilitator it’s important to maintain a high level of energy and enthusiasm throughout the workshop. Use humour, storytelling and engaging activities to keep participants interested and involved. Don’t just lecture at them!
  4. Vary your delivery: Use different formats throughout your workshop - e.g. delivering a presentation, small group work, interactive sessions, networking breaks. This will keep the energy high in the room and cater to different styles of learning.
  5. Manage time effectively: Manage time effectively by keeping an eye on the clock and making sure that the workshop starts on time and stays on schedule. Respect the time of your participants.
  6. Encourage participation: Encourage participation from all attendees. This can be done through group discussions, hands on activities or Q&A sessions.
  7. Manage Group Dynamics: Manage group dynamics by monitoring the interactions and participation of all attendees. Encourage quieter participants to speak up and manage any dominant personalities to ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute.
  8. Be flexible: Be flexible and willing to adapt the workshop to the needs of the participants. If you sense that the group is not fully engaged try to change the pace or format as you go.
  9. Use visual aids: Use visual aids such as slides, diagrams or images to illustrate the topics you are covering
  10. Encourage networking: Encourage networking among the participants by providing breaks and opportunities for them to connect with each other.

8: Follow up with participants

Here are some tips for following up with your participants after a workshop:

  1. Send a thank you note: Send a thank you note or email to each participant after the workshop.
  2. Gather feedback: Gather feedback from participants via a survey or questionnaire at the completion of the workshop. Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement and to plan future workshops.
  3. Follow up on any questions: Follow up on any questions or concerns that participants had during the workshop. This can be done via email or by scheduling a phone call. Participants will feel appreciated if they know their feedback is being acted on.
  4. Share any additional resources: Share any additional resources discussed during the workshop such as articles, books, websites or other resources.
  5. Keep in touch: Keep in touch with participants by sending them a regular, valuable newsletter.

Keeping in touch with the attendees will help you to build a community of followers that will be interested in attending your next events or perhaps purchasing other products or services from you.

9: Do it all again :)

Now you’ve created your workshop and know how to run it - it will be much easier to run it again!

Review the feedback you received from participants after the previous workshop and use this to identify areas for improvement and to make changes to the format, content or delivery of future workshops.

Also try not to take bad feedback personally - use it as motivation to improve your workshop next time!

Make sure to also think about how to make your workshop more scalable in the future as this will save you time and money as you continue to run it.

Here’s some ideas:

  1. Create a standardised format: This might include developing a detailed outline of the topics that will be covered, the activities that will be conducted or the materials that will be used. This can help to ensure that each workshop is consistent in terms of content and delivery.
  2. Develop a curriculum: Develop a curriculum for your workshop that can be repeated over time. This will help you to build a library of workshop materials and activities that can be easily reused.
  3. Use technology: Use technology to make the workshop more scalable and repeatable. For example, turn your in person event into a virtual event or online course that participants can take at their own pace.
  4. Create a network of facilitators: Create a network of facilitators who can lead your workshops in different locations. This can help you to expand your reach and offer workshops in multiple cities or even countries.
  5. Create a workshop kit: Create a workshop kit that includes all the materials and supplies needed to facilitate the workshop. This can make it easier to run the workshop in multiple locations (or by other people) with minimal preparation time.
  6. Look for partnerships: Look for partnerships with other businesses such as local suppliers or design businesses that can help you find more attendees for future workshops.

I hope this has been helpful - good luck with your workshop or event! :)

Dr Clare Le Roy