Viking culture heavily depended on mutual honour and respect, and the values of bravery, integrity, loyalty, generosity, protecting one’s reputation, self-discipline, and justice were codified in the Drengr Code. This code was considered fundamental in Viking culture; it was simply understood, abided by, and considered the basis of a civilized society.

In similar fashion, effective and valuable conversation design relies on its own latter-day version of the Drengr Code, a conversation design protocol proven to be effective and worthwhile.

Vikings and Celts conceived of time as cyclical, and which cycle was not as important as where you were within the cycle. Project Managers tend to take different view, however, and focus on deadlines and budgets. Here’s a tool to help estimate your Conversation Design schedule and budget, and have your Project Manager toasting you with their best mead!

The Viking runes (and the Celts had their own versions, too) were far more than a simple alphabet or means of writing. They served as “guides” or cosmic “advice” — not so much fortune-telling as revelations of the runecaster’s needs, goals, and mood the time, and the best course of action take, accordingly. Let these “runes” help provoke some thoughts and provide some guidance for your own Conversation Design needs…

The Valknut is Oðinn’s emblem, a reminder of the 3 worlds he rules: Asgard (home of the gods), Midgard (home of humans) and Helheim (the afterlife). The strands of the knot are interwoven, signifying that the 3 worlds are intimately connected and interdependent; each depends on the the others.

In similar fashion, Conversation Design contains 3 overarching phases or “worlds”: Conceiving, Creating, and Delivering. These are likewise interdependent, and The Valknut (an overview of the beginning-to-end CD process) can show you exactly how each strand works and connects to the others….

Vegvisir is Icelandic for “way seer”, or he who shows the way. And, the Conversation Guidebook linked here does much the same thing. While it can’t solve every design problem you might encounter, it can provide a framework, a strategy, a “way home” to help you achieve Best Results from Best Practices.

NOTE: The Conversation Design Guidebook is a downloadable file. Clicking the link will download the guidebook, as a Microsoft Word document.