Today I broke my own rules from The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint… then remembered why they exist. I tried to type a workshop outline straight into a doc at the café (hello, friction and tab-opening). So I shut the laptop, ordered a long black, and went old-school: one idea per index card. Suddenly the ideas poured out, the structure revealed itself, and now the only problem is what to cut.

What I cover

• Why linear tools (docs/slides) can choke early-stage ideas
• My café routine: long black, closed laptop, stack of coloured index cards
• “One idea per card”: how that unlocks subtopics, sequences, and linkages
• Using symbols, tiny sketches, and 2x2s on cards to spark connections
• Sorting → building → writing transitions (in that order)
• How to avoid research rabbit holes while ideating
• When I still use Post-its vs when index cards win

Try this (mini playbook)

1. Leave the laptop shut.
2. Set a 45–60 min timer.
3. One idea/story/data point per card (no full sentences).
4. Mark research items with a “?” and keep moving.
5. Cluster cards into themes; promote/demote subtopics.
6. Lay your “through-line”: intro → 3–5 beats → close.
7. Draft only transitions next. Slides come last.

Little cheats I use

• Symbols: ➡️ transition, ★ key line, Ⓠ audience question, ☁️ story, ? research later
• Colour code: e.g., blue = data, yellow = stories, pink = exercises
• Quick visuals: Venns, simple graphs, 2x2s sketched right on the card
• “Stuck?” rule: swap the card, don’t open a tab

Resources I mentioned

• Index cards (I grab mine from Officeworks / discount art & craft stores)
• The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint (my method for fast, engaging design)

Your turn

Take a photo of your card spread and tag me—I love seeing how your talks and workshops take shape.

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com

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