A strong session is not about using as many formats as possible, but about creating a logical flow that guides your group through a conversation.

Most sessions follow a natural progression: you start by engaging the group, then explore perspectives, and finally move towards deeper discussion or decision-making.

You can think of your session in three phases:

• Start and activate – Get everyone involved and create energy in the group
• Explore and understand – Make different perspectives visible and build shared understanding
• Deepen and decide – Discuss differences, evaluate options and move towards conclusions

Not every session needs all phases, but thinking in terms of flow helps you create a session that feels natural, structured and engaging.

A good session is not about using one format, but about using the right format at the right moment. With QandR, you can choose from different interactive formats, each with its own role in the group process — from starting and exploring to deepening and deciding.

Choosing the right format depends on what you want to achieve at that moment in your session:

• To start and activate the group: use formats like Poll or Wordcloud
• To explore perspectives: use Pointer or Moodboard
• To deepen the conversation: use Dilemma, Quadrant or Grading
• To collect and structure ideas: use Sticky Notes

By combining formats, you can guide a group step by step towards a meaningful conversation and a supported outcome.

QandR was originally designed for smaller group settings, such as workshops and focus groups, where there is room for interaction, nuance, and conversation.

While it is also used in larger sessions, not all formats are equally suited for large groups. The effectiveness depends on both group size and the type of interaction you want to create.

In larger groups, formats like Poll, WordcloudP and Grading work well because they structure input and provide clear, aggregated results.

More visual or open formats such as Pointer, Dilemma, Quadrant, and Sticky Notes are often more effective in smaller to medium-sized groups. In larger settings, these formats can become harder to interpret or discuss, as the screen may become crowded or individual input is less visible.

In smaller groups, you generally have more flexibility and can use all formats, especially those that invite discussion and nuance.

Choosing the right format is therefore not only about group size, but also about how much interaction and depth you want to create.

If you want to add interaction without interrupting the flow of your presentation, Qboard allows participants to submit questions and comments while you continue presenting. Upload your Slides, collect audience reactions, and add interactive moments whenever you want.

This way, you stay in control while actively engaging your audience.

If you want to quickly energize the group and get everyone involved, choose a low-threshold format. For example, use a Poll to gauge opinions, a Wordcloud to collect spontaneous input, or a Video as a starting point for discussion.

These formats make it easy to participate and immediately increase engagement.

If you want to explore and discuss differences within the group, use formats such as Dilemma or Quadrant can also help to explore feelings and associations.

These formats make differences visible and provide a strong starting point for discussion.

If you want to move towards an evaluation or decision, use formats such as Grading or Rating. Participants give a score, making it immediately clear how the group values something.

Differences in scores provide a natural starting point for discussion and help the group reach a well-considered decision.

When working with input from the group, it’s important to create structure and overview. With Sticky Notes, participants can submit ideas that you can organize together on a shared canvas. With Pointer, you can let participants indicate what matters most to them.

This helps turn input into structure and shared understanding.