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Facilitator Guide ​

This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know to effectively run a TermStorm workshop as a facilitator.

Before the Workshop ​

Planning Your Workshop ​

  1. Define the objective: What concepts are you trying to discover or validate?
  2. Prepare a description: Write a clear description that participants will see when joining
  3. Invite participants: Prepare to share the workshop link or QR code
  4. Set time expectations: Plan how long each stage should take
StageRecommended DurationNotes
Collect5-10 minutesMore time for complex topics
Discuss10-20 minutesDepends on number of concepts
Vote3-5 minutesUsually quick once concepts are clear

Creating a Workshop ​

  1. Go to termstorm.com
  2. Click Create Workshop
  3. Enter:
    • Workshop Name: A clear, descriptive name
    • Description: Explain the purpose and any instructions
  4. Click Create

You'll be taken to the Overview page where you can manage the workshop.

Sharing with Participants ​

Click the copy link button to copy the workshop URL. Share it via:

  • Chat or messaging apps
  • Email
  • Screen sharing in video calls

Generate QR Code ​

Click Generate QR Code to create a scannable code. This is ideal for:

  • In-person workshops
  • Large screens/projectors
  • Quick mobile access

TIP

For in-person workshops, display the QR code on a large screen. Participants can scan and join instantly.

Managing the Collect Stage ​

Starting the Stage ​

When you create the workshop, it starts in the Collect stage. The timer begins counting down.

Monitoring Participation ​

Watch for:

  • Participant count: How many have joined
  • Concept submissions: New concepts appearing in real-time
  • Readiness progress: The "X of Y ready" indicator

Timer Controls ​

ButtonEffect
+60sAdd one minute
-60sRemove one minute

When to Advance ​

Consider advancing when:

  • The timer expires
  • All participants are ready
  • Submission rate has slowed significantly

Click the next stage in the stage indicator to advance.

Managing the Discuss Stage ​

This is the most facilitator-intensive stage. Here you organize and refine concepts.

Reviewing Concepts ​

  1. Click on a concept to open the details dialog
  2. Review:
    • Who submitted it
    • Any notes from participants
  3. Use arrow keys or navigation buttons to move between concepts

Editing Concepts ​

In the concept detail dialog:

  1. Click the concept name to edit
  2. Make your changes
  3. Save

Use editing to:

  • Fix typos or capitalization
  • Clarify ambiguous wording
  • Standardize terminology

Deleting Concepts ​

Remove irrelevant or duplicate concepts:

  1. Open the concept detail dialog
  2. Click Delete
  3. Confirm the deletion

CAUTION

Deleting a concept also removes any votes cast for it. This cannot be undone.

Merging Similar Concepts ​

When participants submitted similar concepts (e.g., "Customer" and "Client"):

  1. Enable Merge Mode (toggle in the concept list header)
  2. Click to select the concepts to merge
  3. Enter the merged concept name
  4. Click Merge

The merge will:

  • Combine all submitters
  • Keep the highest vote from each user (if votes exist)
  • Create a single unified concept

Managing Notes ​

Viewing Notes ​

  • Concepts with notes show a note icon in the list
  • Click a concept to view all notes

Active Concept Sync ​

When you have a concept detail open:

  • Participants see which concept you're discussing
  • They can add their own notes to that concept

Adding Facilitator Notes ​

As facilitator, add notes to:

  • Record discussion outcomes
  • Document decisions
  • Provide official definitions

Managing the Vote Stage ​

Starting Voting ​

Advance to the Vote stage using the stage indicator. The vote timer will start.

Monitoring Voting Progress ​

Watch for:

  • Vote count: How many participants have voted
  • Readiness: "X of Y ready" progress bar
  • Timer: Remaining time

Adjusting Time ​

Use +60s / -60s to adjust voting time if needed.

When to Advance ​

Advance when:

  • All participants have voted
  • Timer expires
  • Sufficient participation for meaningful results

Managing the Copy Stage ​

Reviewing Results ​

Concepts are now sorted by vote total (highest first). Visual indicators show:

  • 🟢 Green dots = positive votes
  • 🔵 Blue dots = neutral votes
  • 🔴 Red dots = negative votes

Selecting for Export ​

Guide your selection strategy:

  • Green (N) for agreed-upon concepts only
  • Select All for a complete export
  • Manual selection for nuanced choices

Exporting to Termboard ​

  1. Complete your selection
  2. Click Copy Selected (N)
  3. Choose export options
  4. Click Copy
  5. Paste into Termboard

See Export to Termboard for detailed instructions.

Saving the Workshop ​

Click Export Workshop to download a complete backup of the workshop state.

Coach Marks and Hints ​

TermStorm includes built-in hints to guide you through the workshop:

Enabling/Disabling Hints ​

Toggle Show Hints on the overview page to control hint visibility.

Hint Topics ​

Hints appear at relevant moments covering:

  • Sharing the workshop link/QR code
  • Timer controls and readiness tracking
  • Viewing concept details
  • Merging concepts
  • Exporting results

Click Got it to dismiss a hint and see the next one.

Best Practices ​

Before the Workshop ​

  • ✅ Test the link yourself before sharing
  • ✅ Prepare a clear workshop description
  • ✅ Decide on timer settings in advance
  • ✅ Brief participants on the process

During Collect ​

  • ✅ Encourage quantity over quality initially
  • ✅ Remind participants about notes feature
  • ✅ Add time if submissions are still active

During Discuss ​

  • ✅ Go through concepts systematically
  • ✅ Merge aggressively to reduce vote clutter
  • ✅ Add facilitator notes for important decisions
  • ✅ Use search to find specific concepts

During Vote ​

  • ✅ Ensure everyone understands the voting scale
  • ✅ Give adequate time for thoughtful voting

During Copy ​

  • ✅ Review results with the group
  • ✅ Export to Termboard promptly
  • ✅ Save a backup of the workshop state

Troubleshooting ​

Participants Can't Join ​

  • Verify the link is complete (no truncation)
  • Check that the workshop is still active
  • Try generating a new QR code

Concepts Not Appearing ​

  • Refresh the page
  • Check network connectivity
  • Ask participant to resubmit

Timer Issues ​

  • Timer is synchronized across all clients
  • Use +/- buttons to adjust
  • Can manually advance stages if needed

Lost Workshop ​

  • Check Recent Workshops in the workshop manager
  • Workshops are stored locally in your browser
  • If browser data cleared, workshop is lost (export regularly!)

After the Workshop ​

  1. Export to Termboard: Complete your semantic model
  2. Save the backup: Export workshop state for records
  3. Share results: Results can be shared via the Termboard export
  4. Clean up: Old workshops are automatically deleted after 2 weeks