Projects Are Always About People
"But I work on optimizing technical processes," you might say. Or, "I produce components for large industrial machines—that has nothing to do with people."
Here is the truth: Everything is about people.
When I say that every project is a "people project," it’s because humans are the heartbeat of every phase. A project doesn't exist in a vacuum; it exists because:
A person has a desire: Someone wants something new, better, or faster.
A person has an idea: Innovation starts with a single human thought.
People need change: An IT system update is only successful if the people using it actually change their habits.
Whether you are conducting a stakeholder analysis or a risk assessment, you are essentially analyzing human behavior, human impact, and human error.
Why You Must Draw People
In Visual Project Management, our goal is to create Ownership. When a stakeholder or a team member sees a figure representing them on a project board, they stop being a "resource" and start being a participant.
By visualizing the "Who," you create an immediate Overview of the human landscape of your project, making it easier to maintain Momentum because everyone knows exactly who needs to be involved in the next step.
The Good News: Anyone Can Draw a Person
You don't need to be an artist to bring the human element into your Project Management. In fact, all you need is a circle and an upside-down 'U'.
That’s it! Nothing more is required.
You can define who is who by adding a label or using color-coding to differentiate roles at a glance:
Blue for Management: The steering committee and decision-makers.
Green for the Project Team: The "engine room" doing the work.
Orange for External Stakeholders: Customers, users, or suppliers.
Red for Impacted Groups: People who might be resistant to the change and need extra attention.
If you want to show diversity or specific roles, a few extra strokes are all it takes to add hair, glasses, or a simple tool.
Ready to Build Your Visual Vocabulary?
Drawing people is the first step, but a project consists of many other elements: deadlines, risks, goals, and deliveries. Having a set of "go-to" icons makes your Visual Project Management much faster and more professional.
I have created a free resource to help you get started.
Free Download: 20 Essential Icons for Project Managers
This guide gives you 20 simple, hand-drawn icons that you can start using on your whiteboards and templates today to create more clarity and engagement.
