Seminars and collective intelligence
Collective intelligence and collaborative innovation with large groups
Collective intelligence means getting a group to produce what none of its members would find alone: an idea, a model, a shared decision. With a large group, that takes a precise set-up, clear roles and outputs captured as you go.
When to call us
- You want to co-create a leadership model, values or a manifesto with the people who will have to live by them.
- A community of a hundred or several hundred people is meeting and has to produce something together.
- Teams that rarely talk to each other need to rewrite a shared process.
- A topic has been stuck for months and you need fresh ideas.
- A transformation has been decided at the top and the teams now have to make it their own.
What does collective intelligence mean in a company?
It is a way of working where the group produces the answer itself. People move between thinking alone, working in small groups and sharing back, with precise instructions and an output at every step. The facilitation team holds that frame. The content belongs to the participants.
How do you get 200 people working on the same topic?
We break the topic into questions that teams of six to eight can handle, then organise how ideas travel between teams. Team composition matters: flowAI builds groups from diversity rules such as role, site or seniority. Every output is photographed and set alongside the others for the synthesis.
- Teams built from the diversity rules you choose
- Written instructions, posted in the room and sent to participants’ phones
- Sharing moments where each team sees what the others produced
- A synthesis that links every idea back to the team that came up with it
How is collective intelligence different from team building?
Team building works on relationships. Collective intelligence works towards a result: a decision, a model, a plan. The two combine well, because a group that trusts itself produces better work. At Flow Design we look for that balance between objectives and actions on one side, relationships and bonds on the other.
How do you keep a large group energised over one or two days?
Through pace and detail. We alternate plenary and breakouts, sitting and standing, reflection and reporting back. Set design, music, breaks and meals are part of the design. This is what we call flow: a state of immersion where everyone is engaged in the shared objective, not just present in the room.
What is left after a collective intelligence seminar?
An output the participants recognise as their own: a manifesto, a model, a roadmap. flowAI gathers the outputs, photos and transcripts, then drafts a report that we review and shape. It can be shown to the room before closing, then sent as a web page and a PDF.
Frequently asked questions
At what size does a group count as large?
Above roughly fifty people, the way of working changes: you need several facilitators, team logistics and organised capture. We work with groups from 20 to more than 3,000 participants.
How many facilitators do we need?
It depends on the number of teams and on the sessions. A lead facilitator holds the plenary; other team members look after the breakouts, the production and the pace. We size the team in the quote.
How much does a collective intelligence seminar cost?
It depends on group size, length and scope: design, facilitation, logistics, reporting. We send a quote after a scoping conversation. We do not publish prices.
Can it be done remotely?
We mostly work in person, because a large group builds its energy in the room. Preparation and follow-up happen remotely. A fully remote format has to be designed differently, so let us talk it through before you decide.
Do participants see the result of their work?
Yes, and we treat it as a requirement. We plan a moment where the group sees what it produced, and the report is sent to them when you decide. A group that never sees what happened to its work is harder to mobilise next time.
How do you protect what is said in workshops?
We agree with you on what is captured: photos of outputs, recordings, or nothing recorded at all. Participants are told at the opening. The stories we publish are anonymised.