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15+ years of training

Well before I completed my PhD research on a practice-driven approach to Visual Storytelling, I had been training the widest array of clients across Europe and the Middle East, ranging from UN agencies to the Diplomatic Institute of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

With the 2014 completion of the thesis on The Meta-Image for Interactive Visual Storytelling, my training activities boomed within and beyond the University, to tailor dedicated modules and professional training centred on developing visual literacy competencies and enhancing visual storytelling skillsets.

Among many, I created the ground-breaking module on Visual Storytelling of the Middle East for SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies – University of London) at the time ISIS was most successully visually communicating its establishing Caliphate across Syria and Iraq. My module helped Master students to devise an approach to making sense of visual communication techniques and tailoring these specifically for the Arab / Muslim socio-cultural context (2014-2016).

In 2016 I was hired by the Polytechnic of London (University of Westminster) to set up a comprehensive Master course in Digital and Interactive Storytelling, and with my colleagues we set it up like a LAB, hence the acronym disLAB. The course aimed to form students to the complexities and subtleties of storytelling with a specific focus on the interactive component of digital communication.

I was in charge of teaching and running the practical elements of storytelling and visual storytelling specifically. Soon after my role expanded to include audio storytelling and multimedia platforms (see my groundbreaking platform on the Cairo Tentmakers). While at Westminster, I was privileged with the honour of re-booting David Gauntlett’s most successful module on Everyday Creativity. What an amazing and professionally fulfilling experience!

While at Westminster, I shared my training and consulting activities in visual storytelling by applying my TIAS framework across multiple contexts, including the field of Islamic Studies (2018 – 300 – a case in visual semiotics at the L’Orientale – University of Naples, Naples, Italy), the journalistic one (2018 – The future of digital journalism at the BBC, London, UK), the arts (2018-Strategies and tactics for multimedia storytelling at the Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China), and the diplomatic one (2019 – How to do visual diplomacy? at the School of Oriental and African Studies – SOAS, University of London, London, UK),

Outside my work as a lecturer, I expanded my professional consulting to include my latest academic deliveries for various business enterprises, public Institutes and international NGOs. These mostly included, training on using storytelling devises in the field of social justice (2018 – ILO HQ workshop; 2018 – BBC Arabic; 2018 onward – T.wai Institute), and my heart-felt commitment to mainstreaming gender equality policies, as per my teaching at the ILO (2017 – Gender Academy; 2018 – Media Strategies for Gender Equality) as well as for the Government of Kosovo (June 2019 to January 2020).

Before being interrupted by Covid, I managed to disseminate my TIAS framework at international conferences, such as 2019 The Council of Europe’s Youth Associations in Budapest (Hungary) and the shared below 2019 Keynote A Photograph is worth a thousand… LIES! at The Commonwealth of Connected Learning in Malta.

I interrupted my public speaking commitment during Covid, and in 2021 I settled down in Italy to start-up the H-Farm College, a business-driven private university. Here I expanded the marketing research I developed at Westminster, and consolidated my delivery on SIS for private enterprises at the Business School.

today's offer

I combine dedicated training with highly-tailored consulting, to support team development and enhance innovation projects, with an established focus on storytelling, creativity, and strategy. I work with all kinds of clients, from business professionals to NGOs, from companies to governments, and international institutions.

All activities presented below are 100% problem-driven and outcome-focused: training and consulting are both delivered as customised and/or 100% tailored, upon a client’s requests and priorities, for SMEs and Corporates. Activities begin with a diagnostic toolkit to assess the Company’s set of objectives, and the short to long-term priorities towards the development of the training and consulting.

The recommended approach is hence to empower the Client with training activities prior to developing any consulting. While this is the recommended framework, training and consulting can be independently delivered as well as further integrated into larger programmes with colleagues. For instance, a training and/or consulting delivery in project management might be complemented and enhanced with a 100% tailored Lego Serious Play activity, to make participants thoroughly experience issues and dedicated solutions.

This is a brief introduction to my custom training programmes:

SIS

SIS stands for Storytelling Image & Strategy, and it is my most successful course that I deliver over 4 full weekends at the campus outside Venice as well as in shorter tailored formats in Business Storytelling for clients like Jakala.

The 4 weekends course crafts a strategic approach to storytelling competencies and dedicated visual storytelling ones. This course is arranged around a main theme each weekend to build up a participants-driven storytelling project.

From the foundations of storytelling (W01), we move to the foundations of visual storytelling (W02), to dedicate the third weekend entirely to hands-on practically implementing a comprehensive and innovative visual toolkit to deal with today’s communication challenges (W03). The last weekend (W04) is fully dedicated to finalise strategically how to implement the previous activities. For instance, we test and review whether to favour a verbal or visual approach for a specific client or context, and the toolkits that best serve our goal.

By the end of the course, participants know and have experienced the ideas and frameworks that will allow them to consciously choose one approach over the other.

Other short customised courses include: storytelling for the third sector; diplomatic storytelling; storytelling for gender mainstreaming. In addition, on a more hands-on technical context, training and consulting activities might develop, for instance, a Company’s templates for presentation design, among many R&D projects, to strategically enhance the Client’s visual communication capabilities.

The App MIA is available as a self-managed further development toolkit.

why me?

I had the pleasure of attending the “Storytelling, Image and Strategy” course. His practical and engaging approach brought real value to my work. I improved my skills in digital storytelling and communication, learned how to better organize visual content using mind maps and storyboards, and developed stronger narrative and pitching techniques

A due anni di distanza, constato con soddisfazione i risultati ottenuti grazie al percorso intrapreso con il professor Fusari nel corso di 4 weekend in Storytelling Immagine Strategia. Oggi riesco a decodificare con chiarezza e precisione la struttura comunicativa di un messaggio, intervenendo in maniera mirata sia sulla forma che sul contenuto, con l’obiettivo di massimizzare l’efficacia della comunicazione

Il percorso formativo con il professor Fusari durante il corso di Visual Storytelling si è rivelato fondamentale con alcuni vertici PwC. Un progetto durato 3 giorni tra interviste a stakeholders e analisi, mi sono personalmente occupato della costruzione della narrativa e di come far passare al meglio il messaggio. Risultato ottenuto: presentazione di sole tre slides con meno di 70 parole di testo riassumendo tre giorni di lavoro, ricevendo il premio al miglior storytelling

Le ore trascorse in formazione con Massimiliano sono state non solo piacevoli e coinvolgenti, ma anche sfidanti e dense di contenuti. Tanto che ho deciso di proseguire questo percorso con una formazione più strutturata e approfondita, sempre con lui, per consolidare ulteriormente pratiche e prospettive del “ben pensare” e del “ben comunicare”

When I took a course on storytelling, I was struck by the depth and unusualness of Massimiliano's approach. He teaches not only storytelling strategy, but also the meanings that we want to convey, how to hook an interlocutor, investor, client. I would like to recommend it to everyone because this course really gives you the opportunity to look at communication from a new perspective which could really improve your business and personal life

Lavorerai con un professore universitario con 20 anni di esperienza in consulenza professionale che ti trasmetterà la passione e la dedizione per lo storytelling dal primo minuto in aula e che userà tutte le sue energie per tenere l’attenzione e stimolare la partecipazione di tutti.. Come è successo a me, dimenticherai tutto quello che credevi di sapere sullo storytelling, per un approccio creativo e di ragionamento che non usiamo nel lavoro come nella vita quotidiana

Between June 2012 and June 2015 Massimiliano Fusari collaborated several times with me as a trainer, when I was Director of the Diplomatic Institute of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome (Italy). During his consultancy, Massimiliano critically assessed the visual medium in today’s global cultures, and convincingly established the centrality of storytelling as a strategic format of communication for the International Relations field, and specifically so, for diplomats. He successfully argued to prospective diplomats the relevance of the visual medium in today’s forms of political communication

Grazie all'acquisizione di nozioni teoriche e, soprattutto, alla pratica con casi reali durante le lezioni, ho potuto costruire passo dopo passo una mentalità solida per strutturare uno storytelling efficace, dalla precisa individuazione della target audience alla pianificazione di una strategia verbale e visiva per ottimizzare la comunicazione. Le conoscenze apprese durante il corso sono incredibilmente versatili, sia nel contesto lavorativo che personale

I would like to enthusiastically recommend Professor Max Fusari for his teaching in the Global Executive MBA module on Marketing Strategy. I experienced firsthand the depth of his expertise, the effectiveness of his instruction, and the lasting impact of the skills and tools he imparts. Professor Fusari's unique emphasis on visual storytelling and digital marketing concepts has impacted my professional activities. His comprehensive coverage of digital marketing concepts provided practical insights that are directly applicable to contemporary business challenges. I wholeheartedly endorse Professor Fusari as an exceptional educator in the field of marketing strategy and visual storytelling

DISRUPTIVE - Divertente, coinvolgente, porta con sé un metodo, l’individuazione di un focus e pochi semplici steps di immediata applicazione nel proprio ambito professionale. Si sperimenta personalmente ed in team quanto sia complesso e stimolante il lavoro che la comunicazione visiva comporta e dopo se ne verificano i risultati, portando a casa uno schema di lavoro semplice da memorizzare e veloce da recuperare per l’applicazione in ogni ambito lavorativo e personale

Dr. Fusari researched and produced a comprehensive series of bespoke workshops to develop participants’ theoretical competencies and their practical skillsets in digital media, visual storytelling and strategic communication. The consulting combined articulated theoretical research with sensible hands-on sessions to make participants practice real-life examples and case studies through simulation and role playing. All activities aimed at advancing participants’ gender awareness and promoting gender mainstreaming for State institutions, social stakeholders and private partners of the Government of Kosovo

Ho partecipato con piacere e onore ad una giornata di formazione con il Prof. Fusari con alcuni colleghi Wealth Manager vincitori di un Contest Azimut. Il tema trattato in aula è stato lo “Storytelling visivo” e devo dire che è stata una sorpresa e una conferma su un tema fondamentale e sostanziale per la professione del consulente finanziario attuale e futuro

Devo dire che le mie aspettative erano alte, ma il corso è riuscito a superarle in modo sorprendente. Ho già iniziato a utilizzare alcune delle tecniche che ho imparato nel mio marketing e ho notato un miglioramento significativo nell'interesse e nell'engagement del mio pubblico

Sono state 3 giornate per me molto faticose, dove ho dovuto destrutturare tutte le mie convinzioni e ricominciare a reimpostare dalla basi, dove l’interpretazione lascia lo spazio all’ #IOVEDO. Ne esco rafforzato con dei Pitch già pronti all’uso e con una cassetta degli attrezzi più completa (abbiamo lavorato su ritmo e storyboard) ed organizzata

Throughout the duration of this Digital Catapult acceleration programme he not only advised startups around their product and business development via 1-on-1 sessions, but also ran general hands-on workshops for the cohort. I was impressed by Massimiliano's constant proactivity - he would always seek to improve and tailor his innovation support so it would really contribute towards startups journey to growth

He proved to me the power that strategic communication has in transforming not only lives, but entire communities from Morocco to Afghanistan (he speaks both Arabic and Persian). Massimiliano has been a mentor, a couch and a brilliant strategist. I gained a deeper understanding of how storytelling might be impactful in shaping cultural and political change. This helped me in refining my consultancy in alignment with my own personal story and what I want to say about me

Dr. Fusari spares no effort when it comes to engaging his students. He spreads the love of creativity and imagination coupled with realistic strategy and the knowledge to build a successful product, venture, idea. It was a great experience to be taught and mentored by him during my studies

Professor Massimiliano is one of the BEST professors I have ever met. I took the Creativity for digital media and communication major. When we learned to be creative in the media area, he gave us step by step suggestions. From the basic mind map to combining different visions of thoughts. He provided various examples and personal advice to students

I worked closely with Massimiliano in 2021 and 2022 as part of DiploFoundation’s online courses and the Master in Contemporary Diplomacy. He conceptualised and delivered the training on visual storytelling and visual communication, as specifically tailored to institutional and diplomatic activities. He excelled in bringing current and highly relevant examples to the discussion, making complex topics easy to understand, and successfully engaging participants in a number of exercises

Massimiliano joined DiploFoundation faculty in 2021, bringing his unique skills, knowledge, experience, and teaching style to communications training, focusing on the role of the visual in today's politics. He helped students improve their communication and presentation skills in an online environment. The practice-led workshop addressed the political and diplomatic forms of communication and asked the students to apply theory to practice

Massimiliano brought creativity, commitment and a playful spirit to his teaching and research at the University of Westminster. He was always willing to take on challenges and teach new things and played a key role in establishing our MA in Digital and Interactive Storytelling. He also took on a popular Year 2 module on creativity and made it even more popular with students from across the university

Massimiliano played an important role, contributing to both our Digital Media: Development and Production and Digital Media: Marketing and Distribution courses. He is an excellent teacher and highly popular with postgraduate students. He approached the task of managing and teaching our modules with huge enthusiasm and creativity and motivated our students to produce some excellent work

I was initially introduced to Massimiliano by Digital Catapult, as I was looking for a mentor for an innovative AR/VR client. From the very first introductory call, I found Massimilano to be a very capable, thorough, experienced and passionate mentor, with a real flair for storytelling. He took time to prepare the session, and was also easily able to "change tack" and be flexible, picking up on what was being said and giving some great guidance and examples of how to present in a more engaging way

My team connected with Massimiliano when we were selected for the UK's leading immersive accelerator programme with Digital Catapult. Our startup Overview Ark leverages multiple visual mediums, and Massimiliano a mentor and teacher on the program, helped us to concisely develop our brand aesthetics and techniques. Thank you!

Massimiliano was invited by the Council of Europe’s European Youth Centre Budapest to run a workshop for the participants of the study session “Fighting for a Greener Digital Future." Massimiliano is an engaging and enthusiastic speaker and pays attention to using interactive methods. His input combined theoretical and practical information in a well-balanced manner. The team of organisers and participants were highly satisfied with his contribution

If you are looking for an extremely professional trainer, able to energize the most inactive crowd, with little interest on the training agenda, distrustful of the benefit of the training purpose and outcomes, well, look no further, Dr. Fusari, is your trainer. As the Project Team Leader, I am asked by my project beneficiaries, time and again: "Is he coming back?" In the field of the consultancy service and working on gender equality issues, regrettably, we do not witness such accolade very often

Dr Massimiliano Fusari is an expert digital visual storyteller who opens up new ways of seeing and revealing the world around us through the image. He is professional, creative and engaging, with the ability to inspire through his work. He was invited to give a presentation on digital visual storytelling at the headquarters of the International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. This followed a successful mission teaching at the ILO's 'Gender Academy' attended by gender experts, NGOs and civil society organizations from around the world. The Geneva presentation proved to be extremely popular!

Massimiliano taught me the incredibly fascinating creativity module at Westminster University - throughout this time, Mass was able to captivate the entire room in his lectures with his eloquence, energy and humour! He inspired the students and enlightened them with the fascinating debates around creativity, and was brilliant at stimulating debate and enthusing the audience. I highly recommend Massimiliano for any role as he is hugely dedicated and contagiously enthusiastic!

Over the last decade or so, I have been crossing Massimiliano’s photographic paths both in their theoretical and practical dimensions. I feel absolutely confident in assessing his qualities as a persistent, curious and always pro-active photojournalist who is perfectly at ease in almost any corner of the Middle-East. I also appreciate the rather heterodox perspective of his theoretical research and the way he dissects the photograph to explore the trans-media component of today’s visual cultures

Massimiliano was contracted as a Voter Education Officer because of his in depth knowledge of the regional culture, behaviour and understanding. Due to international personnel's shortage at the time, he was assigned to deal with completely different scope of works - procurement and logistics. His understanding, fast adjustment and strong dedication to effectively complete assigned task proved him as skilled professional able to manage procurement and logistics for the whole Iranian mission

A single storytelling session in Professor Fusari’s class at H-FARM College transformed my perspective towards everything. Professor Fusari's class is more than an educational encounter; it's a journey into the heart of what it means to truly understand and connect with the world around us. As I continue my academic journey, I carry with me the invaluable lesson that stories are everywhere, in every data point, every historical event, every scientific discovery

I contracted Massimiliano for a commissioned work for the Italian National Broadcast Service, RAI. We used his photographic reportage on China for the opening theme of a TV show. He submitted to us a splendid selection of beautifully shot and carefully edited photographs we then mounted with no problem at all. He proved to be extremely professional and always receptive to our requirements, thus making the collaboration a very positive and smooth experience

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Alongside SIS (Storytelling Image Strategy), I continue to deliver custom and tailored training, within the terms of a fully integrated modalirity that first builds the team’s competencies and then intervene in support to the specific problems of the Company I train and consult for. In such a manner, I am able to maximise the terms of a lasting impact in terms of the best possible ROI by developing crucial soft skills for junior, middle management and executive personnel.

I tailored from training to consulting on the following issue:

Company’s identity, mission and vision creative research, attentive formulation, and strategic dissemination, both internally and externally;

Research and delivery on the strategic integration of creativity with strategy for omnichannel and multimedia storytelling campaigns;

Implementation of gamification and serious play scenario exercises to engage specific Company’s issues in change management and business problem-solving;

Future thinking with dedicated simulation activities on issues agreed upon the client’s priorities.

Team development activities on agreed issues upon client’s priorities;

Sensible theory and hands-on practice of multimedia storytelling, for internal and external communications, from creative thinking to strategic implementation;

Creative thinking facilitation and dedicated soft & hard skillsets development;

Strategic thinking training and support with dedicated skillsets development;

In short, my training and consulting commitment is to integrate soft skills development from pitching to brainstorming, from problem-solving to team dynamics’ improvement, for multicultural and truly global teams.

TIAS

I have been defining this approach in my PhD research to establish a solid foundations for the practical role of research as a key impact factor. I called my framework TIAS, which stands for The Image as Storytelling. TIAS recognises the centrality of media, and visual media specifically, in today’s world, and finds ways and opportunities to critically and consciously use images as strategic vectors for impactful communication.

Images define our cultures and societies, anywhere and everywhere across the world. According to multiple estimates, images now make more than 90% of all digital data. Images serve aims as diverse as to entertain, influence or manipulate us. At times, images merely fill up unused spaces. In other occasions, they define our personal feelings and social activities. We tend to look at images without thinking, particularly so today because of their abundance, and, often, we take them for granted at a face value. I see therefore I believe. Current developments in the form of Deepfakes and AI-produced visuals challenge what images are, and what images want, to thoroughly question our idea of the real. As the visual form is immediate and omni pervasive, visual literacy is now more important than ever.

Combining form with content, strategically, is what I call 1+1=3. The 1+1=3 approach acknowledges that combining form with content with a purpose delivers more than the sum of the two. This approach is the foundations of my consulting activities in the field of

As a creative practitioner, I have been disseminating my photography across a wide range of channels, including art galleries, private collections and magazines. In 2017 I presented a personal retrospective of 20 years as a photojournalist in the Muslim world for the UN in New York.

Make itShow itMaster 1+1=3

massimedia is

15+ years of training

today's offer

SIS

why me?

Make it Show itMaster 1+1=3!

Training

TIAS

Make it Show itMaster 1+1=3!

Make it
Show it
Master
1+1=3

Make it
Show it
Master 1+1=3!

Make it
Show it
Master 1+1=3!