We’ve all been in those meetings—the ones that could’ve been an email, the ones that wander aimlessly, and the ones where decisions never seem to stick. The problem? Not every meeting is the same, but we often run them as if they are.
As an expert in the Lucid Suite with nearly 8 years of experience training tens of thousands of users each year I can confidently say that great meetings don’t just happen. They’re designed. They’re intentional. And when you match the structure of your meeting to its purpose, magic happens.
I’d love to share what I’ve learned about the three primary types of meetings you can run in the Lucid Suite—and how to make them more collaborative, visual, and actionable.
1. Linear Meetings: When Order Matters
These meetings follow a clear agenda, progressing step by step toward a goal. Think of them like a roadmap—you start at point A and work toward point B with a structured flow.
Common Linear Meetings:
➡️ Sprint planning
➡️ Training
➡️ Project kickoffs
➡️ Decision-making meetings
Lucid Best Practice: Structure is Everything
For linear meetings, clear structure keeps things on track. In Lucid, use Frames and Paths to guide the conversation visually, ensuring everyone follows along. Create a pre-meeting board with sections for agenda items, discussion points, and action items, so the conversation stays focused and productive.
Pro-tip: Convert your meeting agenda into an easy to follow and navigable format using frames but before you set up your path. Each main topic or section should be structured as a “row” and then each subtopic or bullet should be its own slide. This makes it much easier to read and navigate, as well as making it easier to set-up your path to prepare for presenting.
2. Modular Meetings: When Flexibility is Key
Some meetings aren’t meant to be linear. Instead, they require adaptability—jumping between topics, adjusting priorities on the fly, or following the conversation where it naturally leads.
Common Modular Meetings:
➡️ Daily standups
➡️ Retrospectives
➡️ 1:1s
➡️ Cross-functional working sessions
Lucid Best Practice: Set Roles, Goals, and Norms
Modular meetings thrive on structure without rigidity. Define clear meeting roles (like facilitator, timekeeper, or devil’s advocate), establish norms for participation, and set a shared goal. Use breakout boards to create flexible sections for different discussion topics so your meeting can adapt dynamically while staying productive.
Pro-tip: A good rule of thumb for breeding creativity and fostering meaningful collaboration is the 🍕pizza rule - you don’t want to collaborate with more people than you could share a large pizza with (no more than 6-8 individuals). Beyond that engagement and participation wane and stifle creativity.
3. Artifact-Driven Meetings: When the Work Speaks for Itself
Sometimes, the meeting isn’t about a set agenda or an open discussion—it’s about the artifact. Whether it’s a system diagram, a roadmap, or a workflow, the artifact is the meeting’s structure.
Common Artifact-Driven Meetings:
➡️ Architecture reviews
➡️ Process improvement discussions
➡️ Incident post-mortems
➡️ User journey mapping sessions
Lucid Best Practice: Facilitate Through the Artifact
Instead of talking about a system or process, interact with it. Use Lucidchart’s revision history to visualize changes over time and to compare versions. Additionally use layers to highlight risks or propose alternatives in real-time. Turn passive discussions into collaborative working sessions by having participants comment, suggest updates, or even build out solutions directly within the artifact itself.
Pro-tip: It’s really easy to get lost in side conversations or talk past each other when discussing complex concepts like system design or processes - particularly if there’s a technical or expertise gap between collaborating parties. Use lucidchart.new or lucidspark.new to spin up new boards on the fly when having ad-hoc discussions so you can create simple box and arrow diagrams - and for conversations that have a more formal artifact like ERDs, UML, or architecture diagrams - keep your sticky notes and annotations in the diagram - even if you have to make a copy to do so. This will help you stay on track and enhance alignment.
Bringing It All Together
The best meetings aren’t just about having the right people in the (virtual) room. They’re about using the right format to drive action. Whether you need the structure of a linear meeting, the adaptability of a modular format, or the depth of an artifact-driven discussion, the Lucid Suite gives you the tools to make every meeting more collaborative, visual, and effective.
And to learn more about how to run effective meetings in Lucid - check out Lucidspark Fundamentals if you’re just getting started with Lucid or if you already have a little experience under your belt try earning your badge in Creative Facilitation to truly uplevel your ability to run meetings in Lucid..
What type of meetings do you run most often?
⬇️ Drop a comment below and let’s share best practices!
