Project Mapping Framework (Free)

From uncertainty to a clear next step in 20 minutes or less.

You don’t need a perfect plan.
You don’t need to know the whole path.
You only need enough structure to begin.

This free framework offers a gentle, practical way to bring clarity to any project, academic, creative, personal, or professional.

[ Get the free framework ]

Created by Professor Chris Gwenin, a researcher, mentor, and designer of clarity-driven frameworks.

When a Project Feels Heavy, Vague, or Stuck

Many meaningful projects begin in the same place:

Clear in the mind, but hard to express
Important, but overwhelming
Full of ideas, yet difficult to shape

The Project Mapping Framework helps you move from internal complexity to grounded action without rushing, oversimplifying, or forcing premature decisions.

This is not a productivity hack.
It’s a thinking surface, a place where your project can stand, visibly and gently.

What This Page Helps You Do

In one focused sitting, this framework will help you:

Clarify what you are really working on
Name why the project matters
Define what “done” will look like
Identify your next three concrete actions
Acknowledge constraints with honesty
Surface the uncertainty that needs care
Recognise the support you may need

No overwhelm. No rigid system.
Just enough structure to move forward with confidence.

What You’ll Receive

A 20-page printable PDF
A fillable digital version
A guided framework

You can use it:

For new projects
When you feel stuck mid-way
When a project has grown too complex
When you need to explain your work to someone else

Who This Is For

This framework is designed to be used by anyone working with complexity, including:

Students and researchers
Creatives and writers
Designers and makers
Community organisers
Practitioners in slow, reflective, or care-centred fields
People navigating personal or life-change projects

You do not need a particular background, discipline, or methodology to use it.

A Note on How This Framework Was Born

Over many years of mentoring postgraduate students, researchers, and practitioners, I saw the same pattern repeat:

Brilliant, careful thinkers were rarely blocked by ideas.
They were blocked by structure due to the absence of a simple, humane way to begin.

This framework is distilled from the quiet scaffolds I built again and again in supervision, teaching, and collaborative work. Gwenin exists to make those supports available to anyone doing thoughtful work in the world.

– Chris
Professor Chris Gwenin

How to Use It

Set aside 15–20 minutes.
Write in pencil, or lightly.
You can leave sections incomplete.
One honest sentence is enough.
You are allowed to change everything later.

This framework is not a contract.
It is a conversation with your project as it is today.

Get the Free Framework

[ Get the free 20-page framework ]

You’ll receive the download immediately, with no obligation and no pressure to buy anything.

What Happens After

Once you’ve used the framework, you may find that:

Your project feels lighter
Decisions feel easier
Next steps feel visible
Your thinking has a place to land

If, later, you need a deeper or more specialised structure, Gwenin offers extended frameworks for research, writing, accessibility work, and slow, complex projects. But this 20-page is always the right place to begin.

Your work does not need to prove its worth before it is allowed to have structure.
It only needs care.

Created by Professor Chris Gwenin
Supervisor of 19 PhD and 12 MSc projects
Author of 40+ peer-reviewed research papers
Designer of clarity-driven frameworks for complex work