Back-to-Back Drawing
Partners sit back-to-back: one describes a picture while the other draws it blind. Classic communication exercise revealing the gap between what we say and what others hear.
15-25 min
4-40 people
low
basic
About This Game
Back-to-Back Drawing is a deceptively simple but profoundly revealing communication exercise used by trainers worldwide to teach active listening, clear instruction-giving, and the challenges of one-way vs. two-way communication. Partners sit back-to-back so they cannot see each other. One person (the Describer) receives a simple image - geometric shapes, a house with a tree, abstract design. The other person (the Drawer) has blank paper and pen. The Describer must explain the image verbally so the Drawer can recreate it, but they cannot see what the Drawer is producing. The catch: in Round 1, the Drawer cannot ask questions or speak at all - pure one-way communication. In Round 2, partners switch roles with a new image, but now the Drawer can ask clarifying questions - two-way communication. When pairs compare final drawings to original images, the results are typically hilarious (wildly inaccurate in Round 1, better but still imperfect in Round 2) and spark immediate insights about communication challenges. What makes this powerful: it viscerally demonstrates how hard it is to communicate spatial/visual concepts verbally, reveals how much we assume shared understanding without checking, shows dramatic improvement when questions/feedback are allowed, and creates empathy for both roles - the frustration of explaining vs. the confusion of interpreting. The exercise surfaces real workplace dynamics: one-way communications (emails, announcements) often fail because receivers can't clarify; jargon and assumptions create gaps; silence doesn't mean understanding; and checking for understanding (asking questions) dramatically improves outcomes. Best of all, it's accessible (no special skills needed), quick (15-25 minutes total), scalable (works for any group size), and generates laughter while teaching serious lessons about collaboration, clarity, and the communication loop.
Objectives
- Experience the difference between one-way and two-way communication effectiveness
- Practice giving clear, specific, jargon-free verbal instructions
- Develop active listening skills and asking clarifying questions
- Recognize assumptions we make about shared understanding without verification
- Build empathy for both communicator and receiver roles in interactions
- Connect exercise to workplace communication challenges and improvements
How to Run This Game
Facilitator Script:
"Partner up - ideally with someone you don't usually work with. Decide who will be Person A and who will be Person B. Sit back-to-back so you cannot see each other or each other's paper. Person A, you're the Describer - I'll give you a picture. Person B, you're the Drawer - you have blank paper and a pen. Person A will describe the picture, and Person B will draw what they hear. Rules for Round 1: Describers, you can talk as much as you want. Drawers, you cannot speak or ask questions at all - just listen and draw. Ready?"
Actions:
- Have participants pair up (consider assigning pairs to mix people who don't usually collaborate)
- Assign roles: Person A = Describer (receives image), Person B = Drawer (blank paper + pen)
- Position pairs back-to-back (chairs, floor, whatever works - just ensure they can't see each other)
- Distribute materials: give each Drawer blank paper and pen; give each Describer the same simple image (face-down)
- Emphasize rules: Round 1 is one-way only - Drawers stay silent, no questions allowed
- Set time limit: 3-5 minutes (announce when to start)
Tips:
- • Choose images that are simple but require description: house with tree and sun, arrangement of shapes (circle, triangle, square), simple abstract design, stick figure scene
- • All Describers should get the same image in Round 1 for fair comparison later
- • Ensure Drawers really can't see the image or the Describer's gestures (back-to-back is crucial)
- • Remind Describers: "Only words! No looking at your partner's paper!"
- • Have extra copies of images and blank paper ready for mistakes
- • For virtual: use breakout rooms, Describer shares screen with image, Drawer uses digital/physical paper
Facilitator Script:
"[After distributing images] Describers, flip over your image - don't show your partner! You have 4 minutes. Drawers, listen carefully and draw what you hear. Describers, begin describing... now! [Circulate and observe. Call time at 1 minute remaining] One minute left! [After 4 minutes] Time! Pencils down. Don't look at each other's work yet!"
Actions:
- Signal start - Describers begin describing their image
- Walk around observing (but don't intervene or give hints)
- Note interesting dynamics: frustrated Describers, confused Drawers, creative descriptions
- Listen for communication patterns: use of reference points, clarity, assumptions
- Call out time remaining: "2 minutes left... 1 minute left..."
- Stop activity at time limit
- Keep pairs from looking at each other's work yet (build suspense)
Tips:
- • Describers often struggle with where to start, reference points ("top left" means nothing without shared frame)
- • Common failures: using gestures (partner can't see!), saying "like this" or "you know", assuming sizes without units
- • Drawers will look frustrated/confused - this is the learning point!
- • Some Describers talk nonstop, others give minimal info - both approaches fail differently
- • Watch for Describers who try to peek at partner's drawing (gently redirect)
- • Mental notes for debrief: Which pairs seem in sync? Which are totally lost?
- • Typical time: 3-5 minutes is enough - longer leads to frustration without additional learning
Facilitator Script:
"Okay, the moment of truth! Pairs, show each other your original image and your drawing. Compare them! [Pause for laughter and reactions]. Let's hear it: Describers, what was hard about explaining? Drawers, what was frustrating about just listening? Let's look at a few examples. [Pick 2-3 pairs to show their image vs. drawing on document camera or hold up]. Pretty different, right? This is one-way communication - no questions, no feedback loop."
Actions:
- Have pairs turn around and compare original image to Drawer's rendition
- Allow reactions - there will be laughter, surprise, sometimes frustration
- Facilitate quick reflection: "Describers, what was challenging?" / "Drawers, what did you wish you could ask?"
- Select 2-3 volunteer pairs to share their image vs. drawing with whole group (document camera, hold up, or pass around)
- Point out common gaps: missing elements, wrong sizes, different spatial relationships
- Frame positively: "This isn't about art skill - it's about communication gaps!"
- Transition: "Now let's try Round 2 with a game-changing difference..."
Tips:
- • Drawings are almost always hilariously different from originals - celebrate this!
- • Drawers often drew completely different arrangements or missed elements entirely
- • Describers typically say "I thought I was clear!" - great teaching moment
- • Key insight: one-way communication is hard! What seemed obvious to speaker wasn't clear to listener
- • Don't spend too long here (3-4 min) - Round 2 will drive learning home even more
- • Frame failures compassionately: "This is why emails and announcements often fail - no feedback loop!"
Facilitator Script:
"Round 2! Switch roles: Person B, you're now the Describer. Person A, you're the Drawer. Here's the game-changer: this time, Drawers CAN ask questions! Describers can answer. You can have a conversation. New image coming to new Describers. [Distribute different image]. Same time limit: 4 minutes. Describers, flip your image... begin!"
Actions:
- Partners switch roles: Drawer becomes Describer, Describer becomes Drawer
- Ensure pairs are still back-to-back (no peeking!)
- Distribute new, different image to new Describers (different from Round 1, but similar complexity)
- Emphasize the change: "Drawers, you can ask questions now! Use that!"
- Start timer: 4 minutes
- Observe: listen for questions being asked, clarifications, back-and-forth dialogue
- Call time, then have pairs compare original to drawing again
Tips:
- • Round 2 drawings are typically much more accurate - visual proof of two-way communication value!
- • Listen for quality of questions: "Is the circle bigger than the square?" (good - specific) vs. "What do you mean?" (vague)
- • Some Drawers still don't ask many questions - old habits die hard, worth noting in debrief
- • Describers often improve too (learned from Round 1) - both sides get better
- • Choose Round 2 image with similar complexity but different content (e.g., if Round 1 was geometric shapes, Round 2 could be simple house scene)
- • Watch for pairs where Drawer asks clarifying questions early and often - they usually succeed
- • Even with questions, perfection is rare - communication is hard! But improvement is dramatic and obvious
Facilitator Script:
"Compare your Round 2 drawings to the originals. Better, right? Why? [Gather responses]. Exactly - you could ask questions, clarify, close the loop. Let's reflect: Where at work do we do 'one-way communication' like Round 1? Emails? Presentations? Announcements? And where do we allow questions and dialogue? What can we do better? The difference between these rounds is the difference between sending an email and having a conversation. When do we need each?"
Actions:
- Have pairs compare Round 2 results to originals - typically much better than Round 1
- Gather group together for full debrief
- Ask comparative question: "How did Round 2 differ from Round 1? Why better?"
- Draw out key insights: two-way communication allows clarification, questions reveal misunderstandings, assumptions kill clarity
- Connect to work: "Where do we do one-way communication at work?" (emails, memos, presentations without Q&A)
- Discuss improvements: "How can we build in feedback loops?" (ask for questions, request confirmation, check understanding)
- Close with commitment: "What's one communication habit you'll change this week?"
Tips:
- • This debrief is the payoff - don't skip it!
- • Key themes: one-way communication is faster but error-prone; two-way is slower but accurate; silence doesn't mean understanding; asking questions isn't weakness, it's wisdom; assumptions create gaps
- • Workplace parallels: emails (one-way - can't see confusion), meetings with Q&A (two-way), documentation (one-way), pair programming (two-way)
- • Best practices to surface: repeat back understanding ("So you're saying..."), invite questions explicitly, check for confusion, use diagrams/visuals when possible
- • Role empathy: Describers learn how hard it is to be clear; Drawers learn importance of asking vs. assuming
- • End positively: "You all just experienced what most people never consciously realize - communication needs a loop!"
Facilitator Tips
- Choose simple images: geometric shapes, basic house with tree, simple abstract patterns work best
- All Describers in Round 1 should have same image; all Describers in Round 2 should have same (different) image - allows comparison
- Back-to-back positioning is crucial - no peeking or body language allowed
- Time limits create healthy pressure - 3-5 minutes per round is enough
- The debrief is where learning happens - allocate real time, don't rush it
- This works beautifully virtually: breakout rooms, screen share image to Describer only
- Perfect for intact teams - immediately applicable to their daily communication
- Draw connection to workplace examples: unclear emails, missed requirements, assumption-based errors
- Celebrate hilariously wrong drawings - laughter enhances learning and reduces defensiveness
Common Challenges & Solutions
Variations & Adaptations
Add a third person as "Translator" who sits between Describer and Drawer, relaying instructions. Tests information loss through intermediaries. Perfect metaphor for organizational communication chains.
Describer must use industry-specific jargon or technical terms only. Highlights how jargon creates barriers when not everyone shares vocabulary. Eye-opening for technical teams.
Describer cannot use shape names (circle, square, triangle). Must describe using only size, position, lines. Forces creative, detailed description. Much harder!
Do multiple quick 90-second rounds with progressively simpler images. Race to see which pair gets closest. Adds competitive energy and shows learning curve.
teams have used this game