The Digital Fresco

The Digital Fresco is a collaborative workshop lasting approximately 3 hours, inspired by the Climate Fresco. Created by Aurélien Déragne and Yvain Mouneu, it explores the environmental impacts of digital technology through an official card game facilitated by a trained facilitator. Participants reconstruct the links between usage, equipment, resources, energy, end-of-life, and environmental consequences. The workshop particularly highlights the significant weight of equipment manufacturing in the digital footprint, then opens up pathways for more sustainable digital practices.

Walkthrough

1. 1

   Welcome, framework, and workshop intention

   15 min

   The facilitator welcomes the participants and establishes a cooperative atmosphere: "We will collectively build a representation of the environmental impacts of digital technology, without seeking to be right alone." They clarify that the workshop lasts about 3 hours, is ideally experienced in teams of 4 to 8 people, and relies on the official cards of The Digital Fresco. Participants briefly introduce themselves and their relationship with digital technology. The goal is to understand the mechanisms before discussing solutions, in order to avoid preconceived ideas or isolated actions.

   Tip — Ask participants from the start to suspend the 'solution' reflex: note action ideas on a corner of the table or a board, then say they will be revisited at the end of the workshop.

2. 2

   Presentation of collaboration rules

   10 min

   The facilitator explains the principle without revealing the content of the cards: "Your mission is to connect the cards to reconstruct the chain of impacts of digital technology. You will discuss, argue, and move the cards until you achieve a coherent fresco." They remind participants of the main themes to connect: digital usage, equipment, manufacturing, resource extraction, energy consumption, end-of-life, and environmental consequences. Participants agree to listen to hypotheses, justify connections, and allow everyone to handle the cards. The framework protects collective learning.

   Tip — Assign roles lightly: one person reads, another places, another questions the links, then rotate these roles to prevent one expert from monopolising.

3. 3

   Progressive construction of the fresco

   55 min

   The facilitator distributes the card sets to participants according to the guidelines provided by the official kit of the association, without copying the content into their materials. For each new series, they invite: "Read the cards, look for what causes what, then place them while explaining your links." Participants gradually connect digital usage to equipment, then to infrastructures like networks and data centres. The facilitator questions more than corrects: "What makes you say that this card comes before this one?"

   Tip — Resist the urge to give the answer too quickly: let two or three hypotheses emerge, then use a factual question to move the group forward.

4. 4

   Highlighting key mechanisms

   30 min

   When the structure becomes readable, the facilitator helps the group take a step back: "Now let's look at the major chains you have built." They encourage verbalising the links between equipment manufacturing, resource extraction, energy consumption, end-of-life, and environmental consequences. They highlight a central lesson of the workshop: the manufacturing of equipment weighs heavily in the digital footprint. Participants complete, adjust, and consolidate their shared understanding.

   Tip — To anchor the message on manufacturing, ask: "If we wanted to reduce the impact without changing online usage, where would we act on this fresco?"

5. 5

   Visual appropriation and collective narrative

   25 min

   The facilitator invites the group to make the fresco readable through arrows, groupings, and a title, respecting the official material. They ask: "Prepare to tell your fresco to someone who did not participate. What is the logical thread?" Participants organise the narrative: from usage to equipment, from equipment to their manufacturing, then to the impacts related to resources, energy, and end-of-life. This step transforms a collection of cards into shareable understanding.

   Tip — Have the fresco narrated by several voices: one person starts, another continues, another concludes. This immediately reveals any still unclear areas.

6. 6

   Reflection on possible actions

   30 min

   The facilitator opens the action phase: "Based on what we have just understood, what actions can make our digital usage and equipment more sustainable?" Participants propose ideas, distinguishing between individual behaviours, collective practices, and organisational choices. The facilitator regularly relates ideas back to the fresco: extending the lifespan of equipment, questioning needs, reducing impacts related to manufacturing and end-of-life. The goal is not to solve everything but to prioritise credible levers.

   Tip — Ask for each action: "Which link in the fresco does this action seek to modify?" This avoids good intentions disconnected from causes.

7. 7

   Final debrief and commitments

   15 min

   The facilitator concludes with a structured round of sharing: "One discovery, one surprise, one action you want to explore further." Each participant expresses what they take away from the chain of impacts and how their perception of digital technology has changed. The facilitator reformulates the major learnings, particularly the role of equipment, its manufacturing, and its end-of-life. They indicate where to find The Digital Fresco association, the official materials, and how to go further or train in facilitation.

   Tip — End with an action to take within 7 days rather than a vague commitment: it should be observable, realistic, and linked to a specific lesson from the fresco.

Variants

• Discovery format: maintain the 3-hour structure but reduce the time for visual storytelling to dedicate more time to understanding questions, useful with an audience unfamiliar with environmental issues.
• Professional team format: during the action phase, ask participants to relate each idea to their concrete professional context, then select one collective action to experiment.
• Remote variant: use the remote format provided by the association, with a collaborative board and adapted official materials. Plan for stricter speaking guidelines and rotating roles to maintain engagement.
• Multi-team variant: have several groups work in parallel, each with a trained facilitator or a clear facilitation framework, then organise a cross-presentation focused on common learnings and differences in interpretation.