Community Canvas

Why does the community exist?

• What does the community hope to achieve?
• How will the world be different by having this community?
• How will the world be worse off if this community doesn’t exist/ceases to exist?
• How will it affect the lives of members if they are part of this? 

Who is the community for?

• What are the traits that its members share?
• How does the community describe its members?
• What is the profile of the community’s most active members?
• How does the community take special care of them?
• How is diversity defined and what is its role?
• How is diversity enacted in all parts of the organization?

What is important to us as a community?

• How do we want our members to treat each other?
• How do our values help fulfill the community’s ultimate purpose?
• What is the “vibe” of our community?
• What is the aspirational way of life our community promotes?
• How do we capture and communicate our values, both internally and externally?

How does the community define success?

• What does the ideal community look like?
• What kind of membership in the community is considered a success?
• What kind of value does the community create for its members?
• How does the community measure success?

How does the community express itself?

• How does it use language, visuals and objects to strengthen its identity?
• What is the community’s esthetic?
• How does the community’s brand reflect its values?
• How does the community communicate its identity to the world?

How do people join the community?

• Is this an open or a closed community?
• For open communities: what marks the difference between a member and a non-member?
• What is the onboarding process for new members?
• How are the people identified who should be part of the community?
• How actively does the community want to grow and add people?

How do members leave the community?

• Is there ever an end to the experience or does membership continue on indefinitely?
• Is there a separate structure or experience for people who have left the community (e.g. an alumni community)?
• How does the community handle inactive members?

What experiences do members share?

• How do the individual experiences connect to the community’s overall goals?
• Why are certain experiences more important than others?
• How are shared experiences organized: is everything organized top down for the members? Or do members organize experiences for each other?
• Do the shared experiences speak to a diverse group of members?

What rituals happen regularly?

• Which rituals deepen the bonds among members?
• Which rituals embody the community’s values?
• Which rituals mark specific milestones in the membership experience?
• Which rituals happen online?
• Which rituals happen in person?

What content creates value for members?

• How can the community tell the stories of its members?
• What content will create deeper bonds among members?
• How do members contribute valuable content to the community? 

What are the community’s rules? 

• What does the community expect from each member?
• What can the member expect from the community?
• What is considered “out of bounds” misbehavior?
• What are the rules for online interactions?
• What are the guidelines for in-person gatherings?
• How does the community deal with inactive members?
• What happens if someone doesn’t follow the rules?
• Which entity has the authority to create, change and enforce rules?

What roles can members play?

• Why do the different roles exist?
• What are the expectations for each role?
• What are the rules for how handovers and transfer of responsibilities happen?

Who runs the community?

• How is leadership organized?
• Who does what?
• How is leadership incentivized for their work?
• Who hires and manages staff?
• What functions are considered critical for survival?
• What is the legal entity of the community and what requirements come with it?

How are decisions made in the community?

• What are the community’s decision-making bodies?
• How is decision-making power distributed or concentrated within the community?
• What gives the decision-makers their authority?
• How are conflicts handled within the community?

What is the community’s plan to be financially sustainable?

• How is the community financed?
• How does it generate revenue?
• Non-profit vs. for-profit: Does the community have a profit motive?
• Does the community rely on revenue from its members (internal), or other sources (external)?

What channels does the community use to communicate and gather?

• What are the core digital needs of the members and which platforms can fulfill them?
• What is the existing digital behavior of the members and how can the community integrate into that?
• Where does the community meet regularly - physically or digitally?
• How does the community communicate internally? With the outside world?
• What are the requirements of the community towards their physical spaces?

How does the community manage the data of its members?

• How does the community keep its member contacts up-to-date?
• How can members search for other members within the community?
• What insights are critical for the community to regularly derive from its members?
• How does the community capture insights and knowledge generated in the community?