PICTURES. STORIES. PLAY.
Bite-sized packages that take the work seriously and the learning playfully.
OUR APPROACH
Pictures. Stories. Play
The tools are playful. The expertise behind them is serious.
Visual Insights packages are grounded in rigorous research and evaluation practice, and informed by a rich body of theory about how people, teams and organisations learn, change and improve.
We've ditched the jargon and the dry slidedecks. Instead, every package uses pictures, stories and play to make complex ideas stick — and to make the learning something your team actually wants to show up for.
Pictures
Visual tools that cut through complexity. Whether it's a framework, a process or a concept, we make it something your team can see, point to and take away.
Stories
Narrative techniques that connect ideas to real practice. Stories make the learning memorable long after the session ends.
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Play
Games and hands-on activities that engage even the most reluctant learners — and build a team culture where curiosity and reflection become the norm.
OUR FRAMEWORK
Seven ways to strengthen your team and organisation
Pick any area that fits your team's needs right now — then go deeper when you're ready.
Areas 1–6 are all great starting points.
Area 7 builds on the skills you've already developed.
The Visual Insights Capacity Building Disc
START HERE - CHOOSE ANY AREA
Change management and leadership
Clear and critical thinking
Good communication and impactful reporting
Readiness for evaluation
Program and project modelling
Project and evaluation foundations
WHEN YOU ARE READY TO GO DEEPER
Build on your foundation
Evaluation and research methods and approaches
The most technical area - best approached after completing several of the areas above.
Who we work with
Build evaluation capacity using proven, engaging tools grounded in rigorous research and real-world practice.
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Evaluators
Ready-to-run packages with games, tools and linked online courses — across all seven areas. Everything you need to run engaging, impactful sessions.
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Facilitators
Embed clear and critical thinking, program modelling and evaluation into curricula and student programs in a way that is engaging and immediately applicable.
Educational institutions
Strengthen teams, programs and service delivery — no evaluation background required. Prepare for managing change. Pick the areas that matter most to your team right now.
Organisations
Clear and critical thinking
Thinking Bee Odyssey
An engaging team game that introduces and practises nine essential thinking skills — from evidence-based and contextual thinking to creative thinking and beyond. A memorable way to build a shared thinking language across your team.
Clear and critical thinking
The Change Train Game
A hands-on game that brings change management theory to life. Teams explore the drivers and barriers of change through a collaborative and energising experience. Play that is based on theories behavioural science, leadership and change management theory.
Clear and critical thinking
Thinking Bee Obstacles
A companion game that helps teams identify and manage the hidden challenges to good thinking — including bias, noise and emotion. Ideal to run alongside or after Odyssey.
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Clear and critical thinking
Ready, Set, Evaluate
A practical workshop experience that helps teams understand where they are in their evaluation journey and what they need to move forward with confidence. Teams get to choose to focus on program, people or data/infrastructure readiness.
HOW WE WORK WITH YOU
Find the right level of support
From self-directed packages to fully tailored organisational programs -
There is an option for every team and every budget.
WHAT OTHERS SAY
Hear from those we've worked with
With resources and training perfectly tailored to meet our agency’s changing needs and differing levels of experience, Visual Insights played a pivotal role in helping us build our in-house evaluation capacity. Dr Samantha Abbato is an amazing trainer who has effectively used storytelling, cartoons, checklists, and a range of other great digital and hard copy resources to clearly explain key evaluation concepts. We have come away with a comprehensive set of training resources, checklists, evaluation planning and reporting tools and templates that are ready to go. Being able to work on real evaluation projects as part of the training has meant that we were able to get critical evaluation work done whilst building our knowledge, skills, and confidence. Ongoing evaluation mentoring has enabled us to confidently continue with this work long after the training sessions finished. Our staff remained highly engaged throughout the entire process.
Jane Stewart
Legal Aid, Western Australia
I’ve participated in several iterations of Sam's evaluation capacity building workshops, and they consistently strike the perfect balance between being deeply educative and genuinely engaging. Sam’s strong theoretical foundations are presented in clear, accessible ways, and she masterfully brings these concepts to life through playful and engaging activities. I’ve both enjoyed and learned a great deal each time I’ve had the chance to experience Sam’s games, and I’ve seen others in these groups benefit just as much. As the Australian Evaluation Society Queensland Regional Committee Co‑convenor, I can also attest that Sam’s sessions are always popular, well attended, and receive very positive feedback. She is always generous in sharing her time, expertise and creativity with the evaluation community.
Robert Grimshaw
Queensland Convener, Australian Evaluation Society
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Dr. Samantha Abbato