Worksketches

Worksketches are lightweight visual notes used to capture and communicate how work is meant to be performed. They emphasize flow, roles, and interactions rather than detailed specifications, and are commonly used in early design and planning stages.

Format and style: they are informal sketches drawn quickly by hand or with simple digital tools. They map activities, decision points, inputs and outputs, and who acts at each step. They can include annotations but avoid heavy detail.

Applications: in product design, software development, operations planning, and process improvement, to explore alternatives, align stakeholders, and test assumptions. They are often used to accompany user stories or requirements and to illustrate end-to-end workflows.

Creation process: define the scope and goals, identify the actors and tasks, sketch the sequence of steps, mark handoffs and decision points, add notes on constraints or data required, and review with team, then iterate.

Advantages: quick to produce, inexpensive, fosters shared understanding, supports rapid iteration and cross-functional discussion.

Limitations: not a substitute for formal process maps or specifications; risk of misinterpretation if not standardized; should be followed by more detailed documentation if precision is required.

Related concepts: flowcharts, wireframes, storyboards, process maps, and task analyses.