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Macro-Design

Wardley Mapping

Wardley Mapping is a strategic framework that uses visual, spatial maps to represent the components of a system, their relationships, and their evolution over time. It is designed to provide situational awareness, allowing leaders to move from gut-instinct decision-making to evidence-based strategy.

5 phasesMacro-Design
When to Use This Framework

When you need to design a complete learning experience from scratch

You're planning a workshop, training, or learning session and need a proven structure to organize your content and activities.

This framework is most effective during complex strategic planning sessions, digital transformation projects, or when a team needs to align on a shared understanding of a competitive or organizational landscape.

The 5 Steps
Follow this sequence to apply Wardley Mapping
1

Purpose: Defining the moral imperative or 'game' being played

2

Landscape: Mapping the value chain and components of the environment

3

Climate: Identifying external forces acting upon the landscape

4

Doctrine: Applying universal principles of organization and operation

5

Leadership: Making strategic choices and taking action

What You'll Achieve

Ensures your session has clear goals, logical flow, and measurable outcomes.

Instructional designers can use Wardley Mapping during the needs analysis phase to map the 'learning value chain,' identifying which skills are commodities and which are novel (Genesis). Facilitators can use it as a collaborative tool to help stakeholders visualize dependencies and reach a consensus on project priorities.

Practical Tips
How to get the most out of this framework
  • 1
    Start by defining what success looks like at the end
  • 2
    Work backwards from outcomes to activities
  • 3
    Build in checkpoints to verify learning
  • 4
    Allow time for practice and application
Best For
  • Strategic Alignment
  • Systems Thinking
  • Change Management
Key Principles
  • Visual and Spatial: Maps must show position and movement to be useful
  • Evolution: Everything moves from Genesis to Custom-Built, to Product, to Commodity
  • User-Centricity: All maps must start with a specific user and their needs
  • Situational Awareness: Strategy must be based on the context of the environment
Watch Out For
  • High initial learning curve for participants unfamiliar with spatial mapping
  • Requires a shift from narrative-based storytelling to visual-based mapping
  • The accuracy of the map is dependent on the diversity of perspectives in the room
Related Frameworks
Other Macro-Design frameworks you might find useful
70:20:10 ModelBalance experiential, social, and formal learning
Kepner-Tregoe (KT) Rational ProcessA systematic, data-driven methodology for objective decision-making and root cause analysis. It provides a structured language and set of tools to decouple emotion from complex organizational challenges, ensuring teams reach evidence-based conclusions.
Design ThinkingDesign Thinking is a human-centered, iterative problem-solving methodology. It focuses on understanding user needs, challenging assumptions, and creating innovative solutions through prototyping and testing.