#EventCanvas™ Methodology: How Consciously Designed Events Enable Behavior Change

#EventCanvas™ Methodology (ECM) is a “common visual language for event design” (Event Design Collective, 2023) that enables a design team to stay aligned with an institution’s strategic goals by identifying key stakeholders and empathizing with each of them to align with the event owner’s long-term objectives. In the three-phase process, teams define the desired behavior changes of the most powerful and interested stakeholders, frame the event by describing constraints such as budget and time, and then design a variety of prototypes that provide value for each stakeholder by helping them get their jobs done, resolve their pains, create gains, and ultimately change their behaviors. The ECM allows for conscious design by creating one shared event narrative with a diverse team through collaboration and ensuring that all ideas are considered and all voices are heard. This article describes ways to incorporate the ECM into strategic event management for higher education.