MESA* Workshops
MESA brings key people to the table to conceive, develop and prototype a solution. After the MESA, the prototype is further crafted and then launched.
* Portuguese for ‘table’
Developed in Brazil by Barbara Soalheiro, MESA brings together clients with external creatives, makers, and experts to solve complex problems, in just five days. We articulate the client problem as a ‘mission’, and then solve the mission together through doing. During the MESA, we develop many concepts, then we select the one concept that will solve the problem and develop a fully prototyped solution.
Each participant at MESA has a specific and crucial role that is required to solve the problem. The participants are briefed beforehand on what is expected from them, so there is an element of accountability – a crucial aspect when prototyping the solution. With a 50/50 mix of people from inside and outside the client’s business, MESA promotes alternative viewpoints as each person is looking at the mission from their own expert perspective.
Why five days?
Whilst five days may seem like a lot, the process is actually designed to cut out the need for a lot of expensive consulting time and unnecessary meetings.
Think of it as one working week of highly focussed productivity, and at the end is a transformative solution that would otherwise take months, sometimes years to achieve.
It is possible, depending on the problem, to create a mini-MESA in less than 5 days. We can design a unique experience to deliver the best outcome, based on restricted time or budgets.
MESA is about solving complex problems. Example prototypes from MESA include new products and pricing, new technology and innovation, fully integrated advertising campaigns, building entirely new businesses, and more.
Why is MESA different?
With a 50/50 internal/external mix, clients are fully involved in problem-solving and prototyping the solution. This fully activates a client’s internal talent and knowledge.
Problem-solving is condensed to five days, rather than a series of sprints that can sometimes last weeks or months.
Participants are carefully selected to join a MESA based on their expertise and area of specialty.
Responsibility has been clearly articulated before the MESA, maximising productivity and managing individual expectations. Everyone plays a role during MESA, there are no passengers.
Key decision-makers are involved in a MESA, so the prototyped solution meets expectations, and therefore launches after the MESA experience.
At the end of the five days, the solution is presented to a team of external guests, bringing a level of accountability and quality.
There is a MESA leader who is committed to the result, not the process.
“The MESA experience not only delivered Yellow a powerful advertising campaign, it helped transform our business. We developed new product solutions, a refreshed website, an optimised customer experience, and the process brought our team closer together. But the best part was that everything we developed at MESA was executed in market."
Darren Linton, Yellow CEO
