The Hidden Sides of Innovation Workshops: Online vs. Offline

Virtual vs physical innovation workshop.

Innovation workshops drive organisational creativity and problem-solving, but choosing between virtual and in-person formats involves nuanced tradeoffs that aren't immediately obvious. Based on recent research and practitioner insights, here are ten non-obvious pros and cons of each approach.

Online Innovation Workshops: Hidden Benefits

1. Cognitive Diversity Without Social Friction

Online workshops can reduce power dynamics and status barriers that inhibit contribution. Without physical presence, junior team members often contribute more boldly alongside executives. The relative anonymity of digital tools like collaborative boards allows ideas to be evaluated on merit rather than source.

2. Asynchronous Incubation Periods

Virtual workshops enable deliberate incubation phases between synchronous sessions. Research shows that creative problem-solving benefits from alternating between focused work and mental breaks. Online formats naturally accommodate this rhythm by allowing participants to disconnect and process information between collaborative bursts.

3. Digital Permanence and Evolving Artifacts

Online workshops create persistent digital artifacts that continue evolving after formal sessions end. Unlike physical workshops where whiteboards get erased and sticky notes discarded, digital workspaces remain accessible indefinitely, allowing ideas to mature gradually and accommodate contributions from people who couldn't attend the original session.

4. Reduced Performance Anxiety

The physical distance in virtual settings reduces social evaluation anxiety for many participants. Without feeling physically observed, people with social anxiety often contribute more substantively, especially in ideation phases that benefit from uninhibited thinking.

5. Equalised Environmental Factors

Online workshops reduce the impact of environmental variables on performance. In physical settings, factors like room temperature, lighting, and proximity to breaks can significantly impact individual participation. Virtual environments equalise these conditions, allowing focus on content rather than comfort.

Online Innovation Workshops: Hidden Challenges

1. Barriers to Tacit Knowledge Transfer

Innovation often relies on tacit knowledge—expertise that's difficult to articulate explicitly. The reduced sensory bandwidth of online environments makes transferring this knowledge more difficult. Physical co-location allows participants to observe subtle techniques, approaches, and thinking processes that don't translate well digitally.

2. Dampened Creative Accidents

Physical workshops create natural "collision spaces" for unexpected interactions. Many breakthrough innovations emerge from serendipitous conversations during coffee breaks or unplanned discussions. Online environments struggle to replicate this productive randomness, making breakthroughs more deliberate but potentially less revolutionary.

3. Digital Interface Homogenisation

Online collaborative tools impose their structure on creative processes. While physical workshops can be endlessly customised with materials and spaces, digital platforms constrain innovation within their design paradigms. This can subtly channel thinking along predefined paths, potentially limiting truly novel approaches.

4. Loss of attention

The home or office environment where participants join virtual workshops contains countless distractions and competing priorities. Despite best intentions, participants frequently process emails, check messages, or handle minor tasks during sessions. This divided attention reduces cognitive processing depth compared to dedicated physical spaces.

5. Loss of Momentum

Physical workshops generate momentum through shared energy and commitment. When participants physically travel to a dedicated space, they psychologically commit to the process. Virtual innovation efforts can lose momentum more easily as participants mentally transition between the workshop and regular work without clear boundaries.

The most effective approach often combines elements of both formats, leveraging online tools for certain phases while preserving in-person interaction for moments where physical presence adds decisive value. The key is matching the format to specific innovation objectives rather than defaulting to either approach.

Ultimately, there are pros and cons and each circumstance will prioritise certain of those considerations to help decide which route to go.