Designing Design Workshops

PREPAREDBY

DesigningDesignWorkshops

AdamConnor,VPOrganizationalDesign&Training– Mad*Pow Jan.25,2016

OVERVIEW

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DesigningDesignWorkshopsWorkshopsandcollaborativeactivitiesprovideteamswiththepotentialtogeneratemoreandbetterideasforasolution,allowindividualteammemberstosharetheirpoints-of-view,andbuildconsensusarounddesignsolutions.However,effectiveworkshopstakemorethoughtthanjustputtingpeopletogetherinaroom.Inthisworkshopparticipantswill:

• Exploreandpracticeavarietyofworkshopactivities• Learnwhentousewhichtypesofactivities• Reviewbestpracticesforplanningworkshops• Andlearnhowtofacilitateactivitiesanddiscussionsincludingadvicefordealingwithdifficultparticipants.

OVERVIEW

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OVERVIEW

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WhoWeAre

Mad*Powisadesignagencythatimprovestheexperiencespeoplehavewithtechnology,organizationsandeachother.

ExperienceDesign|DesignStrategy|MotivationalDesign|OrganizationalDesign

AdamConnorVPOrganizationalDesign&Training,ExperienceDesigner

THEWHYS&WHENSOFWORKSHOPS

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Studios,Sprints,Workshops,Whatever…Workshopsaremeetingscomprisedof1ormoreactivitiesinwhichALL*participants:

• Arepresentedwith1ormorequestionsorchallenges

• Exploreandprovidetheiranswersorideasforsolutionstothegivenchallengethroughhands-onactivities

• Worktogetherto(beginto)understandandorganizetheirperspectives/answers/ideas.

*Withtheexceptionofthemasterfacilitator


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Workshopscanbeusedto…• Generateandcollectavarietyofideas

• Allowallteammemberstosharetheirperspectives.

• Buildawarenessacrossteammembersofchallenges,perspectivesfromeachotherandthedesiredsolution

• Buildasharedvocabulary

• Findconsensusaroundelementsofthefinalsolution

• Buildasenseofcollaborationandofownershipinthesolution

• And…


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Avoidingthealltofamiliar,andhorriblypainful…

Swoop-n-poop!


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Reconsiderworkshopswhen…• Keymembersofthe“team”aren’twillingtoparticipate

• Theteam(orleadership)isunwillingtomoveawayfromanexistingsolution.

• Therearen’tclearobjectivesoroutputsfortheworkshop


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Thecontents(activitiesandtopics)ofaworkshoparealwaysdeterminedbytheobjectivesoroutputthattheworkshopneedstoachieve.

Understandingwhereyouareintheoverallprocessofyourprojectcanhelpclarifywhatyourobjectivesoroutputshouldfocuson.


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TheDesignThinkingProcess


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DISCOVER SYNTHESIZE GENERATE REFINE

Initial Insight Plan Release

EVALUATE

DiscoverExploretheinfluences,actors,contexts,triggers,constraints,etc.ofaproblemoropportunityset.



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DISCOVER SYNTHESIZE

Initial Insight Plan

SynthesizeOrganizefindingsintoinsights:whatthegroupbelievesandunderstandsabouttheproblemspaceandarticulatingtheobjectivesforthefuturestatethattheprojectwillworktocreate.



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DISCOVER SYNTHESIZE GENERATE

Initial Insight Plan

GenerateGeneratealargenumberofideasfor“solutions”(products,services,etc.)forachievingthedesiredobjectives.



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RefineIterate,combine,andeliminatesolutionsbasedonanalysisandappropriatevariableswhileincreasingfidelityuntilone(orasmallnumber)ofsolutionsaredetermined.



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EVALUATE

EvaluateDeploythesolution(s)insomeformandmonitorit’seffectontheproblemspace.



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EVALUATE


MAKINGITWORK

STRUCTURE&PLANNING

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Bringingpeopletogethertoworkcollaborativelycanbesochallengingsometimes?

TheDiamondModelSTRUCTURE&PLANNING

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DivergentWorkingtocollectasmanyanswers,ideas,etc.aspossiblefromthegroup.


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ConvergentMakingdecisionstofocusattentiononasubsetofwhathasbeencollected.


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EmergentAnalyzingandorganizingideas/answers/etc.inordertomakesenseofthem.Duringthistime,somenewideasmightarise,orbeconsolidatedtogether.

Youkeepusingthatword…

Idonotthinkitmeanswhatyouthinkitmeans.

Gettingwhereyouneedtogo.

PlanningBackwards• Identifytheimmediatenextactionyouneedtobeabletotakeoncetheworkshop

iscomplete.

• Askyourselfwhatinformation,decisions,artifacts,oranswersyouneedinordertobeabletotakethataction.

• Askyourselfthesamequestionagainandrepeatuntilyoureachwhateverinformationyoucurrentlyhave.

• Younowhaveaninformationtrailfromyourcurrentstatetoyourdesiredfuturestate.Selectthebestactivitiestoacquirethisinformationanddecidewhatcanbeaccomplishedinyourworkshoporaspreorpostwork.

STRUCTURE&PLANNING

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Timeisaresource.Planaccordingly.

AllAboutAgendas• You’llneedone.Ithelpsyoufigureoutwhatyoucangetdoneinthetimeyouhave.

• Don’tsaveitforlast.(It’susuallythesecond…andfourth...andsixththingIdo)

• Giveeverythingspecifictimings,notgeneralblockslike“earlymorning”.

• Ifthingsfeeltightwhenputtingtogetheranagenda,they’llprobablyseemworseintheactualworkshop.

• Padeverything.Thingsalmostalwaystakelongerthanyouthinktheywill.Plusyou’llneedtimefortransitions,instructions,clarifications,etc.

• Rememberthatthetimeneededformanyactivitieswillbedependedonthenumberofparticipants.

• HaveotherslookitoverandgiveyoutheirOK,especiallyifleadershipisinvolved.

STRUCTURE&PLANNING

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DISCOVER

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DISCOVER

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EVALUATE

DiscoverExploretheinfluences,actors,contexts,triggers,constraints,etc.ofaproblemoropportunityset.


Formanyprojects,muchofthegatheringofinformationwillbedoneviaresearch.However,gatheringperspectivesfromparticipants(suchasstakeholders)willstillbeimportant.Forexample:

• Understandingvariousperspectivesofthechallengestobesolved.

• Understandingtherolesassociatedwithaproject’sexecution.

• Understandinginitialobjectives(i.e.goalsandprinciples).

DISCOVER

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ChallengeMapDISCOVER

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USETO

Reframeaproblemspacebyexploringperspectiveson

whyitshouldbedoneandchallengestoit’ssuccess.

PARTICIPANTS

Workinpairsortriplets.

TIME

Minimumof25minutes.Moredependingonthescope

&numberofparticipants.

HOWTODOIT

1. Divideintosmallgroups(2-3peoplepergroup).Eachteamwillthen:

2. Writethecurrentproblemstatementintheformof“Howmightwe…”onapost-itandplaceitinthecenterwhiteboard (orbutcherpaper)

3. Usingadifferentcolorpostit,askthequestion,“Whyshouldwedothis?”Capturingeachansweronanindividualpostitandplacingtheminarowabovetheoriginalstatement.Prefaceeachansweragainwith“Howmightwe…”or(HMW…)forshort.

4. Foreachanswer,repeatstep3,continuingtoexpandoutwardandupwarduntiltheteamfeelstheanswersit’suncoveringarenolongeruseful.

5. Selectathirdcolorpostitandbeginworkingbelowtheoriginalproblemstatement.Hereyouwillchallengetheproblemstatementwith“Whatispreventingusfromdoingthis?”or“Whatispreventingthisfromhappeningtoday?”Again,includetheHWM...preface.

6. Continue,movingdownwardinthesamefasionasyoudidforthequestionof“Why”insteps3&4.

7. Examinealloftheanswersanddetermineifoneormorewouldmightmakemoreapporpriateproblemstatements.

8. Haveeachgroupsharetheirresultslookingforpatternsandoverlap.

ChallengeMapDISCOVER

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TIPS&CONSIDERATIONS

1. Leftunchecked,thisactivitycangoonforever.Masterandgroupfacilitatorsshouldlookfordiminishingreturnstodeterminewhenbesttoend.

MATERIALS

Whiteboard(orbutcher/flipchartpaper)

PostIts(3colors)

Markers

PAIRSWELLWITH

Followupwithactivitiestoevaluatethepotentialnew

problemstatements.ActivitieslikeSWOTAnalysis,

20/20Vision,andvoting-basedexercisescanworkwell.

FreeListingDISCOVER

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USETO

Gatherdataaboutagroup’sunderstandingofthe

“contents”ofaspecifictopic.

PARTICIPANTS

2ormorepeopleworkingindividually

TIME

5-10minutesforinitialcollection.Timeneededfor

presentingandorganizingitemswillbevariable.

HOWTODOIT

1. Provideparticipantswithatopicrelatedtothepurposeoftheprojectorworkshop.Forexample,“autoinsurance”

2. Askparticipantstoindividuallywritedownasmanythingsastheycanrelatedtoautoinsurance.

3. Dependingonhowyouplantoanalyzeandorganizeparticipantsanswersyoumaywantthemtowriteeachitemonaseparatenotecardorpostit,orwriteallanswersonasheetofpaper.

FreeListingDISCOVER

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MATERIALS

PostIts,notecards,orpaper

Markers

Tape

PAIRSWELLWITH

Oftenfollowedupwithaffinitymappingactivities.

TIPS&CONSIDERATIONS

1. Dependingonhowyouplantoanalyzeandorganizeparticipantsanswersyoumaywantthemtowriteeachitemonaseparatenotecardorpostit(forusewhenaffinitymapping),orwriteallanswersonasheetofpaper.

2. Whenfollowingwithaffinitymapping,haveparticipantspresenttheirresponsestoeachother.Postingeachitemonthewallastheypresent.

WHYWEUSEIT

Bygatheringtheitemsthatpeoplecomeupwithwecanthencomparesimilaritiesandfrequenciesoftopicstounderstandmoreabouttheperspectiveofthegroupasawhole.

4CsDISCOVER

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USETO

Buildanunderstandingofagroup’sperspectivesona

specifictopic.

PARTICIPANTS

4- 24people

TIME

25– 30minutes

HOWTODOIT

1. Drawalarge2x2gridonaneaselpadorwhiteboard.Labelthe4spaces:Components,Characteristics,Challenges,Characters

2. Provideparticipantswithatopicrelatedtothepurposeoftheprojectorworkshop.Forexample,“autoinsurance”

3. Explaintoparticipantsthattheactivity’spurposeistohelpthemexplorewhattheyknowabouttheselectedtopicbyhavingthemgatherinformationwithrespecttoeachofthe4spaces:

• Components:partsofthetopic.

• Characteristics,attributesofthetopic

• Challenges:obstaclesassociatedwiththetopic

• Characters:peopleorrolesassociatedwiththetopic.

4. Breakparticipantsintofourequallysizedteams.Assigneachteamoneofthe“C”sandprovidethemwithpostitnotesandmarkers.

5. Instructtheteamsthattheirjobistocollectasmuchinformationabouttheirassigned“C”fromothersintheroom.Givetheteams5minutestodiscusstheirassigned“C”andhowtheywillgatherinformation.

4CsDISCOVER

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USETO

Buildanunderstandingofagroup’sperspectivesona

specifictopic.

PARTICIPANTS

4- 24people

TIME

25– 30minutes

HOWTODOIT

6. Oncethe5minuteplanningperiodhaselapsed,givetheteams10minutestogatherinformationfromasmanyoftheotherparticipantsaspossible.

7. Attheendofthe10minutegatheringperiod,giveeachteam5minutestoorganizewhatthey’vecapturedinwhateverwaytheydeemappropriateandthenaddtheirorganizedfindingstotheirspaceontheoriginal2x2grid.

8. Haveeachteampresenttheirfindingstotheothersandfacilitatediscussiontoaskclarifyingquestionsandhaveotherparticipantsaddinformationiftheysensesomethingmissing.

4CsDISCOVER

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MATERIALS

PostIts

Markers

EaselPadorWhiteboard

PAIRSWELLWITH

Oftenfollowedbyfurtherexplorationsintoproblem

framing(challengemaps),principlesorgoals(free

listing),personas(proto-personas)etc.

TIPS&CONSIDERATIONS

1. Youdon’tneedtousethe4Csaslaidouthere.Ifthereareotherelementsofthetopicmoreappropriateforyoursituation,usethoseinstead.

WHYWEUSEIT

Teammemberscometoprojectswiththeirownperspectiveswhichisimportant,butoneaspectofgoodcollaborationisseeingtheperspectivesofothers.Thisactivityforcesparticipantstogatherinformationfromothermembersoftheteam.Italsoactsasastrongintroductiontothegroup’sperspectivessettingthestagefordiscussionsonpersonas,principles,scenarios,etc.

SYNTHESIZE

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SYNTHESIZE

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EVALUATE

SynthesizeOrganizefindingsintoinsights:whatthegroupbelievesandunderstandsabouttheproblemspaceandarticulatingtheobjectivesforthefuturestatethattheprojectwillworktocreate.


During“Synthesize”theteambuildsasharedunderstandingofboththecurrentstatesurroundingtheproblemspaceaswellastheirobjectivesandvisionforit’sfuture.Workdoneduringthisphaseoftenfocusesontheseaspects:

• Theframingofthe“problem”or“opportunity”

• EstablishingPersonas

• IdentifyingGoals(OKRs)

• ArticulatingPrinciples

• ConstructingScenarios

SYNTHESIZE

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Proto-PersonasSYNTHESIZE

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USETO

Developanunderstandingoftheteam’sperspectives

ontheneeds,constraints,andcontextsoftheir

audience/users.

PARTICIPANTS

Upto10people

TIME

3-5hours,typicallydividedover2sessions.Additional

timeinbetweensessionsneededforconsolidation.

HOWTODOIT

1. Introducetheconceptofpersonasandproto-personas(asnecessary).

2. Provideparticipantswithproto-personatemplates,orhavethemconstructtheirown(paperdividedintoquadrantslabeled:Name&Sketch,Demographics,Behaviors,Needs&Goals.

3. Workingindividually,giveparticipants15minutestocomeupwithasmanypersonasastheycanthinkoffortheproject.

4. Oncetimeisup,haveeachparticipantpresenttheirpersonastothegroup,postingthemtothewallastheydo.

5. Workwiththeteamtoselect4-5characteristicsthatcanbeconveyedasaspectrum(ex:riskaversion)basedonthepoolofpersonas.Thesecharacteristicswillbeusedtohelporganizethepersonasandidentifyopportunitiestoconsolidate.Trytoselectcharacteristicsrelatedtobehaviors/needs/goalsratherthandemographics.

6. Drawthespectrumsonawhiteboard.Havethegroupdecidewheretheeachpersonafallsoneachspectrum,placingapostitwiththatpersona’snameatthatpoint.Votingcardscanbeusefulhere.

7. Makesurethatconversationsfocusontheusersthemselves.Participantsshouldbedebatingeachother,nottryingtoconvinceyou(thefacilitator).


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USETO

Developanunderstandingoftheteam’sperspectives

ontheneeds,constraints,andcontextsoftheir

audience/users.

PARTICIPANTS

Upto10people

TIME

3-5hours,typicallydividedover2sessions.Additional

timeinbetweensessionsneededforconsolidation.

HOWTODOIT

8. Onceallpersonashavebeenplaced,endthefirstday/sessionwithaquickdescriptionofthenextsession’swork.

9. Beforethenextsession,examinethepersonasthathavebeengeneratedandworktorefine/consolidatethemintoasmallerset(3-5ish)asnecessary.Keeptrackofyourworkasinsomecasesyou’llneedtoexplainyourrationaletothegroup.

• Forthisstep,combinethedemographicsandname/sketchquadrantsfromthefirstroundandusethelowerleftquadrantforthepersonaspositioningonthecharacteristicspectrums.

10.Whenthegroupgathersagain,presentthemwiththenewsetofpersonasandhowyouarrivedatthem.

11.Allowthegrouptoadjustthenewpersonasasnecessarytoreachagreement.


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TIPS&CONSIDERATIONS

1. Largegroupscanmakethisactivitysomewhatdifficult.Whendealingwithsignificantlylargegroupsitcanbeusefultobreakoutintomultiplesessionsandrunthejustthefirstsessionwitheachsubgroup,thenthesecondsessionwithacore,decisionmakinggroup.

2. Iftheentiregroupissufficientlysmallenough,youmaybeabletodothepersonaconsolidationtogether.

3. Whendividingover2sessions,donotallowtoomuchtimetoelapsebetweensessions.Toomuchtimeinbetweenkillsmomentum.

WHYWEUSEIT

Personasareausefultoolforunderstandinguser/customerarchetypes.Butprojectsdon’talwaysallowforthemorsometimesweneedtotalkaboutusersbeforethey’vebeencreated.Thisapproachallowsorganizationstobuilduponandlatervalidateorinvalidatetheirunderstandingoftheiraudienceearlierintheprocess.

MATERIALS


PostIts(3colors)

Markers

PAIRSWELLWITH

Followupwithadditionalexplorationlikeempathy

mappingand/orjourneymapping.Orpossiblywith

brainstormingactivitieslikeDesignStudioor6-8-5.

EmpathyMappingSYNTHESIZE

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USETO

Helpparticipantsempathizewithspecificaudiencesin

agivensituation.

PARTICIPANTS

Teamsofupto6people.

TIME

20-25minutes

HOWTODOIT

1. Priortothisactivity,makesurethattheteamhasdevelopedproto-personasorisfamiliarwithanypersonasdevelopedfortheprojectkeyusecaseshavebeenidentified.

2. Assignapersonaandusecasetoeachgroup.Youcanselectthesameordifferentcombinationsforeachgroupdependingonyourneeds.

3. Provideeachteamwithanempathymaptemplateorhavethemconstructoneaselpadpaper(seeimage).

4. Giveeachteam20-25minutestocapturewhattheirpersonaissensing(seeing/hearing/etc.),thinking,feeling,anddoingwhentheyencountertheassignedusecase.Eachitemcapturedshouldbewrittenonapostitandplacedintheappropriatesectionofthetemplate.

EmpathyMappingSYNTHESIZE

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MATERIALS


PostIts(3colors)

Markers

PAIRSWELLWITH

Followupwithcurrentstate-journeymapping.

TIPS&CONSIDERATIONS

1. Dependingonthenumberofpersonasandusecases/scenariosthatyouneedtocover,distributingdifferentcombinationsacrosstheteamsinyourworkshopcanbeagoodwaytocovermoreground.

WHYWEUSEITDesigningforexperiencesrequiresteamstothinkabouthowpeoplethink,feelandperceivespecificsituations.Bythinkingthroughhowasituationaffectsanindividual,teamscanbetterunderstandtheirbehaviorastheyworkthroughittowardstheirgoal.

DesigntheMagazineCoverSYNTHESIZE

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USETO

Envisionkeycharacteristics,features,andoutcomesof

thefutureproductorservicetheprojectwillcreate.

PARTICIPANTS

Teamsofupto6people.

TIME

30-40minutes

HOWTODOIT

1. Provideeachteamwithoneormoresheetsofeaselpadpaper.

2. Instructeachteamtoimaginethatamagazineisrunningaspecialissueallabouttheirfutureproduct/service/organization.Thesheetofpaperrepresentsthecoveroftheissue.Theirjobistodeterminethecontentsofthatcoverin20minutes.Theircontentsshouldincludethefollowing:

• FeatureStory:Thebigthingpeoplewillbetalkingaboutrelatedtotheproduct/service/organization

• KeyHeadlines:Otherstoriesthatreinforceorexploreotheranglestothefeaturestory.

• Quotes:thingspeople,oftencustomers,butcanbeanyone,willsayaboutthefuturecreation.

• Ideasforimages:imagesreflectiveonthenewfuturestatethecreationwillbringabout.

• Sidebars:Smallerstoriesthatrevealinterestingfacetsofthefeaturestory.(oftenpersonalexperiences)

3. Asthefacilitator,remindteamsastheyworkthatthisisamagazinecover.Imagineitsittingontherack,tryingtograbpeople’sattention.


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USETO

Envisionkeycharacteristics,features,andoutcomesof

thefutureproductorservicetheprojectwillcreate.

PARTICIPANTS

Teamsofupto6people.

TIME

30-40minutes

HOWTODOIT

4. Haveeachteampresenttheirmagazinecoversanddescribewhytheymadetheselectionstheydid.

5. Asagroupidentifyandcaptureanysignificantsimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenthedifferentteam’smagazinecovers.Anddiscusswhetherthesesimilaritiesordifferencesareindicativeofcharacteristics(principles)ofthefuturecreation,usecases/features,personas,orotherelements.


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MATERIALS

EaselPads

Markers(variouscolors)

PAIRSWELLWITH

Future-statejourneyorscenariomappingaswellas

activitiestoexplore/refineprinciples.

TIPS&CONSIDERATIONS

1. Ablankpagecanbeintimidating.Itcanbeusefultopreparetemplatesaheadoftimefortheteams.

2. Givetheteamsadditionalpapertobrainstormandcaptureideasbeforeputtingtogethertheirfinalcover.

WHYWEUSEIT

Thisactivitypushesteamstothinkfromanoutside-inperspectiveabouthowtheworldwillperceivewhattheycreate,whatwillbethemostvaluableaspectsoftheircreationandhowmightthatvaluebeseen/experienced.Thisactivitycanbeusedtobegintosurfacekeyprinciplesorfeatures/usecasesorfurtherexploreprinciplesandusecasesthathavealreadybeennotedbythegroup.

OtherCommonActivitiesforSynthesisJourneyMapping(Current&FutureState)Mappingtheflowofanendtoenduserjourneyacrosschannelsandtouchpointstoidentifyopportunitiesandchallenges(currentstate)orobjectives(futurestate)

ScenarioMappingMappingtheideal(future)sequenceofthoughts,emotions,andinteractionsauserwillhavewithaproductorserviceforaspecificusecase.

Goal&PrincipleSettingIdentifyinggoalsandprinciplesfortheproduct/service/organization.Oftenthroughacombinationofresearch,free-listing,affinitymappingandprioritization/voting.

AffinityMapping(KJTechnique)Identifyingcommonperspectiveswithinagroupforagiventopicbyarranginganswersinproximitytooneanotherbasedonhowsimilartheyare.

SYNTHESIZE

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MAKINGITWORK

TEAMS,ROLES,&FACILITATION

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Workshopsaremadeof

PEOPLE!

Don’tjustthrowpeopletogether.• Workshopscanbedonewithanygroup.Thinkaboutyourobjectivesforthe

workshopandtheirimplicationsforwhoyoushouldinvite.Inmanycasesyou’llwanttogoforcross-functionalrepresentation.

• Don’tforgettoincludestakeholders.

• Understandtheroles,needs,andinfluenceofparticipants(i.e.whoneedstosignoffandwhoistheremoreforawareness).

• Thoughinaworkshop,youshouldtreateveryoneasequals,it’susefultoknowwhoyourgatekeepersare.

• Tothedegreeyoucan,getasenseforindividuals’personalitiespriortotheworkshop.


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TheMakingsofGreatTeams

Howyouputpeopletogethermakesallthedifference.• Teamsareaneffectivewayofmakingworkshopswithlargenumbersofpeople

work.

• Theycanalsobeusefultoolsforexploringvariousperspectives.

• Trytokeepthemtonomorethan6peopleperteam.

• Mostofthetime,teamsshouldbecross-functional.

• Thinkaboutthepersonalitiesofpeopleineachteamandtrytoavoidbadcombinations.

• Eachteamwillneedafacilitator.


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RolesOwnerResponsibleforplanningtheworkshopanddefiningit’ssuccesscriteria.DuringtheworkshopLeadersoftentaketheparticipantrole.

MasterFacilitatorResponsibleforhelpingtoplantheworkshop,guidingallparticipantsthroughtheworkshopagenda,providingactivityinstructions,andfacilitatingdiscussions.

TeamFacilitatorsResponsibleformakingsuretheirgroupcarriesoutactivitiesasdirected.Also,toobservediscussionsandtakenotesasapplicable.Mayparticipateinactivitiesdependingonsetup.

RecorderResponsiblefortakingpublicnotesofimportantpoints,questions,to-dos,parkinglotitems,etc.

ParticipantResponsibleforcontributingandparticipatinginallactivitiesanddiscussions.


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Herdingcats…

Facilitationisaboutestablishingboundariesandkeepingtheworkshopwithinthemsothatitreachesit’sobjective.


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START FINISH

Without(enough)bindingandguidance,thingscangoanywhereandpossiblyneverreachtheobjectivesneeded.


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START FINISH

Toomuchbindingandguidancecancausetheworkshoptofeelconstrictingandforced.


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START FINISH

Goodfacilitation(andplanning)directstheworkshoptowardsit’sobjectiveswhilekeepingitfeelingopen.

Remember:Facilitationisaskill.Ittakespractice.


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START FINISH

FacilitatingActivities&Discussions• Silencecanbebothgoodandbad.Beonthelookoutforit.

• Beatimecop,butalsogivepeopletimetofinishtheirthoughtsorreachagreement.Don’tbeafraidtoletthemgoonlongorcutthemoffifnecessary.Knowwhentoholdboundariesandwhentoletthemslide.

• Bepreparedtoadjustyouragendaonthefly.Alwaysknowwhereyouare.Makecalculateddecisionsonhowtoproceed.

• Watchoutforgroupthinkanddesign-by-committee.Useframingtools,outputfromprioractivates,research,etc.tosteerbacktowhatmatters.

• Facilitatorsshouldbeunbiased


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FacilitatingActivities&Discussions• Summarizearguments,conclusions,etc.

• Lookforunderstanding.Checktomakesureeveryoneunderstandswhatisbeingtalkedabout.

• Lookforemotionsinparticipants.

• Asklotsofquestions.Playdumb.“Why?”isyourweaponofchoice.

• Betransparent.Letpeopleknowwhyyou’redoingthings.

• Useaparkinglot.Itsoundslame,butitworkssolongasyoufollowthroughwithit.

• Asyoumovethroughactivitiesrecapandreferbacktoobservationsandconclusionsfrompreviousones.


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Yes.Youwillhavetodealwithdifficultpeople.

Recognizing“Difficult”People• Sometimeit’sprettyobvious.

• Signalscaninclude:

• Dominatingconversations.Talkingoverpeople.Ignoringwhatothersaresaying.

• NotParticipating.Beingclosedofbothverballyandphysically.

• Notstayinginscope.Introducingtopicsandquestionsoutsidetheboundsoftheworkshop.


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Handling“Difficult”People• Rememberthatsomeone’sdifficultnatureisn’talwaysareflectionoftheirevilplans

forworlddomination.

• Useopenendedquestionstoworkatfindingtherootoftheirconcerns,misunderstandings,etc.

• Likemostthingsinfacilitation,formsofthequestion,“why?”areyourbestfriendshere.

• Workwiththemtorelatepointsbacktoanypreviousactivityoutput,objectives,problemframing,etc.

• Useyourparkinglot.

• Calltime-out,regroup,andadjustifnecessary.


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GENERATE

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GENERATE

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EVALUATE

GenerateGeneratealargenumberofideasfor“solutions”(products,services,etc.)forachievingthedesiredobjectives.


BadIdeasGENERATE

90

USETO

Explorewhat“shouldn’t”bedoneinordertobetter

understandthecontextsofatopicandpotentialreal

solutions.

PARTICIPANTS

2ormorepeople.

TIME

30– 40minutes

HOWTODOIT

1. Priortotheworkshoporactivity,selectachallenge/topicyou’dlikeparticipantstogeneratesolutionsfor.

2. Assembleparticipantsintoteams,provideeachteamwithmarkersandaneaselpad/paper.

3. Presentthechallengetotheteam,andaskeachteamtoworkatcreating(sketching)theworstsolutionpossibleoverthecourseofthenext10minutes.

4. Setyourtimerfor10minutesandhavetheteamsbegin.

5. When10minutesareup,haveeachteamswaptheirsolutionwithanother.

6. Eachteamthenhas10minutestoimagineandwrite/sketchthecircumstancesinwhichthe“bad”solutionwouldbeagoodone.

7. Whentimeelapses,haveeachteampresentthebadideatheyweregivenandthereframedcircumstancestheycameupwiththatwouldmakeitagoodidea.Allowfor3-5minutesforeachteam.

Let’s Have lunch at McDonalds!

BadIdeasGENERATE

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MATERIALS

Paper

Markers

Tape

PAIRSWELLWITH

Followupwithadditionalbrainstormingsuchas6-8-5,

DesignStudio,orLensBrainstorming.

TIPS&CONSIDERATIONS

1. Thisactivityworksbestforbroaderconceptualchallenges(ex:Howmightwemaketheexperienceofforeclosurelessstressful)than“detaildesign”questions(ex:howshouldourapplicationformwork).

WHYWEUSEIT

Weoftenmisunderstand“bad”asbeingtheoppositeforgood,andinoursearchforgoodideasweunconsciouslycutourselvesofffromawholesetofsolutions.

Byexaminingwhatbadideasmightlooklike,andsubsequentlylookingatsituationinwhichtheybecomegood,webothexpandourcreativitybybreakingdownouraversionto“bad”aswellaspotentiallysurfaceideaswewouldn’totherwiseconsider.

Let’s Have lunch at McDonalds!

LensBrainstormGENERATE

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How might we…

make saving for college

more rewarding?

USETO

Generateideasforsolutionstoaproblemspacethat

satisfyaspecificsetofcharacteristics.

PARTICIPANTS

3 ormorepeople.

TIME

10minutesforinitialcollection.

3-5minutesperpersonforpresentation.

HOWTODOIT

1. Selectachallenge/problemspaceandsetof3-5adjectivesthatdescribetheexperiencethegroupwouldliketheirfuturecreationtoelicit.

2. Instructparticipantsthattheywillbebrainstormingsolutionsforthechallengeinaccordancewiththeselectedadjectives.

3. Youwillprovidethepromptintheformof“Howmightwe[challenge]more[adjective]?Example:Howmightwemakesavingforcollegemorerewarding?

4. Letparticipantsknowthattheywillhave90secondsperadjectiveandwillwritedownoneideaperpostit.

5. Beginthebrainstormwiththepromptforthefirstadjective.After90seconds,repeatthepromptusingthenextadjective.Repeatuntilyouhavegonethroughalloftheselectedadjectives.

6. Haveeachparticipantsharetheirideaswiththerestofthegroup,postingthemtothewallastheygo.

LensBrainstormGENERATE

94

MATERIALS

PostIts

Markers

PAIRSWELLWITH

Oftenfollowedbyaffinitymappingtoidentifycommon

ideasandoutliers(whicharen’tnecessarilybadideas)

TIPS&CONSIDERATIONS

1. Theadjectivesyouusecanbeanything(thereisanoriginalsetbasedontheactivitiesoriginsingamedesign).Onegoodsourceofadjectivesaretheeffortsdesignprinciplesifanyhavebeenestablished.

WHYWEUSEIT

Alensbrainstorm(oftenpairedwithaffinitymapping)canactasagoodcatalystforamoredetaileddesignbrainstormsuchasaDesignStudio.

How might we…

make saving for college

more rewarding?

6-8-5GENERATE

95

USETO

Generatealargenumberofideasoranswerstoagiven

challengeorquestions.

PARTICIPANTS

2ormorepeople.

TIME

25– 35minutesperround

HOWTODOIT

1. Priortotheworkshoporactivity,selectachallenge/topicyou’dlikeparticipantstogeneratesolutionsfor.

2. Provideparticipantswithpaperfolded(ordivided)into2x2or2x3grids.

3. Instructparticipantsthattheirtaskwillbeto–workingindividually– sketchtheirideasfortheproposedtopicusingtheprovidedpaperwithoneidea/division.Theywillhave5minutestosketchasmanyideasastheycanwiththegoalofcomingupto6-8.

4. Setyourtimerfor5minutesandhavetheparticipantsbeginsketching.

5. When5minuteshaveelapsed,provideeachparticipantwith3-5minutestopresentanddiscusstheirideaswiththewholegroup(orteamifyourworkshopisbrokenintomultipleteams)

6. Repeattheprocessasyouseefittocollectmoreideas,coachingparticipantstotrytogeneratenewideasbasedonwhatthey’veseeninthepreviousrounds.

6-8-5GENERATE

96

MATERIALS

Paper

Markers

Tape

PAIRSWELLWITH

Critique(seeDesignStudio)andvotingbasedactivities

TIPS&CONSIDERATIONS

1. Inordertomaintaindivergence,focusquestionsanddiscussiononclarificationandexplanationratherthananalysis.

WHYWEUSEIT

Usefulforgivingparticipantsanopportunitytoexpresshowtheythinkaproductorservicemightlook/work.Likeotherdivergentthinkingactivities,thisactivityalsopushesparticipantsbeyondtheirinitialidea,whichtypicallyarenotthe“best”ideastoemerge.

Alsousefulasanalternativewhenthetimeavailabledoesn’tworkforalargerDesignStudioactivity.

OtherCommonActivitiesforGenerationBrainWriting“Silent”brainstorming,inwhichparticipantsaddtheirideastolistsofideasgeneratedbyotherparticipantsusingthoselistsasinspiration.

Whatif?Avariationforusewithotherbrainstormingactivitieswherethefacilitatorselectivelyaddsorremovesaconstrainttotheproblemspace.

SYNTHESIZE

97

REFINE

108

REFINE

109



EVALUATE

RefineIterate,combine,andeliminatesolutionsbasedonanalysisandappropriatevariableswhileincreasingfidelityuntilone(orasmallnumber)ofsolutionsaredetermined.


AffinityMappingREFINE

110

USETO

Allowteamstofindsharedideasaswellasoutliers.

PARTICIPANTS

2ormorepeople.

TIME

1-3hoursdependingonthenumberofparticipants

HOWTODOIT

1. Beginwithalargepoolofrelateditemspostedtoawall.Forexample,theoutputofaLensBrainstormorFreeListingexercise.

2. Instructthegrouptomoveitemstoanotherwall(oraspacefarenoughonthecurrentwall)arrangingthemingroupsaccordingtohowsimilartheyaretoform“clusters”ofsimilaritems.

• Participantsworkindividually,simultaneously,andshouldn’tdiscussastheywork.

• Theycanmoveitemsintogroupscreatedbyothersorrearrangegroupsthatdon’tmakesensetothem.

3. Onceallitemshavebeenmovedtothenewwallorspaceandanyrearrangementseemstohavediminished,endthisphaseoftheactivity.

4. Next,workwiththegrouptoassignanametoeachcluster.Reviewthecontentsoftheclusterwiththegroupandallowthemtosuggestnames.Ifthegroupagreesthataclusterrepresentsmorethanonetheme,breakitapart.


111

USETO

Allowteamstofindsharedideasaswellasoutliers.

PARTICIPANTS

2ormorepeople.

TIME


HOWTODOIT

5. Reviewthegroupsandthepotentialgroupnameswiththeparticipants.Haveparticipantsselectapreferredgrouplabel(Youmayuseasimpleshow-of-handsvoteifnecessary).


112

MATERIALS

Postits

Markers

PAIRSWELLWITH

PrecededbyFreeListingorotherbrainstorming

activities.Followedbyvotingactivities.

WHYWEUSEIT

Understandingsimilaritiesandoutlierscanbehelpfulfordiscussionsofpriority,aswellastoidentifyoutlierideasthatcan,attimes,holdinterestingsolutionsthatareotherwiseoverlooked.

DotVotingREFINE

114

USETO

Determinerelativepriorityorinterestinconcepts

basedonparticipantselection

PARTICIPANTS

3ormorepeople.

TIME

10– 15minutes

HOWTODOIT

1. Determineatotalnumberofvoteseachparticipantwillbegiven.3and5arecommonchoices.

2. Beginwithapoolofoptionsfortheteamtoselectfrom.Reviewthemwiththeparticipantsandallowparticipantstoaskclarifyingquestionsasneeded.relateditemspostedtoawall.Forexample,theoutputofaLensBrainstormorFreeListingexercise.

3. Instructparticipantstoselecttheideastheybelievearemostimportant(ormostworthpursuing,etc.)andnoteplacedotsnexttothem.Iftheythinkanideaisparticularlyimportant,theymayvotemorethanonce.

4. Participantswillplacetheirvotessimultaneously.

5. Tallythevotesandarrangetheitemsaccordingtomosttoleastvotes.Discusstheresultingarrangementwiththegroup.Arethereanysurprises?

DotVotingREFINE

115

MATERIALS

DotStickers

PAIRSWELLWITH

Precedewithcritiqueinordertohelpmakesurevoting

considersrelativevalueofideas..

TIPS&CONSIDERATIONS

1. Therearemanyvariationsonthisactivity,includingblindvotingantthe$100test.

2. Sometimes,participantswillchangetheirvotesduringvotingbasedonwheretheyseeothersplacingtheirvotes.Ifconcernedaboutthis,analternativeistohaveallparticipantswritetheirvotesdownonapieceofpaperandthengivethatpapertoanotherparticipantwhowillcasttheirvotes.

WHYWEUSEIT

Whileitmightseemoverlysimple,thisactivityisaquickandsimplewaytoseewhereagroup’srelativeinterestslieandcanbeusefulinselectingprioritiesanddirectingfutureconversations.

DesignStudioREFINE

119

USETO

Generatealargenumberofideasandthenbuild

consensusaroundthemostvaluablethroughiteration

andconsolidation.

PARTICIPANTS

2ormorepeople.

TIME


HOWTODOIT

1. Priortotheworkshoporactivity,selectachallenge/topicyou’dlikeparticipantstogeneratesolutionsfor,typicallyascenarioforuseofyourproductorservice.

2. Ifneeded,arrangeparticipantsinteamsofupto6people.

3. Provideparticipantswithpaperfolded(ordivided)into2x2or2x3grids.

4. Instructparticipantsthattheirtaskwillbeto–workingindividually– sketchasmanyideasaspossiblefortheirsolutionin8minutes.

5. Attheendof8minutes,giveeachparticipant3-5minutestohaveeachteammemberpresentandcritiquetheirideaswiththeirteammates.

6. Onceallparticipantshavepresentedandreceivedcritique,haveeachparticipantsketchoneideaforasolutionbasednowontheirpreviousideas,theideasoftheirteammates,thecritiquestheyheard,andanynewideasthatmayhavepoppedintotheirhead.Again,participantswillusethedividedpaperandhave8minutestosketch.

7. Again,oncetimeisup,giveeachparticipant3-5minutestohaveeachteammemberpresentandcritiquetheirideaswiththeirteammates.

8. Thistime,participantswilltheirsolutionstotheirteammatesquicklyandthencritiquethemwiththeParticipantsmayusethedividedpaperastheywish.

9. theirideasfortheproposedtopicusingtheprovidedpaperwithone

DesignStudioREFINE

120

USETO

Generatealargenumberofideasandthenbuild

consensusaroundthemostvaluablethroughiteration

andconsolidation.

PARTICIPANTS

2ormorepeople.

TIME


HOWTODOIT

9. Onceeachteammemberhaspresentedandreceivedcritique,instructeachteamthattheywillnowbegiven20minutestoworktogethertosketchasinglesolutionbasedonalloftheideasandcritiquesthey’vehearupuntilnow,usingwhole(undivided)sheetsofpaper.

10.Attheendof20minutes,giveeachteam5-8minutestopresenttheirsolutiontotheothersandreceivecritique.

11.Closewithadiscussionofthesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweentheconceptstheteamscameupwith.

DesignStudioREFINE

121

MATERIALS

Paper

Markers

Tape

PAIRSWELLWITH

Followupwithprototyping.

TIPS&CONSIDERATIONS

1. Dependingonthescopeoftheproject/workshop,youmayfinditusefultoassigndifferentteamsdifferentpersona/scenariocombinations.Howeverthiseliminatesyourabilitytocomparehowdifferentteamsevolvesolutionsforthesamecontexts.

WHYWEUSEIT

DesignStudioworkswelltoprovideteamswithanoutlettosharetheirideasfordetaileddesignsandinteractionsaswellasfindandbuildconsensusinafinaldirectionbasedonvalueratherthanpersonalpreference.

OtherCommonActivitiesforRefinementCritiqueCriticalThinkingbaseddiscussionofanideatoanalyzeitagainstitsobjectivesanddeterminewhichaspectdoordonotworktowardsthemandwhy.

PrototypingCreatingarepresentationofthecreationthatcanbeinteractedwithbyusersinordertounderstanditseffectontheirexperience.

REFINE

122

3KindsofFeedbackREFINE

Reaction

Direction

Critique

Goodlord!That’sawful!Aninebriatedcockerspanielcouldhavedonebetter!

Youshouldhavemadeallofthoseradiobuttonsadropdown[,because…]

Iftheobjectiveisforuserstoconsidertheimpacttotheirbankbalancebeforemakingapurchase,placingthebalanceatthebottomofthescreenatthesamesizeasalltheothernumbersisn’teffectivebecauseitgetslostinalloftheotherinformation.

123

TheCritiqueFrameworkREFINE

Whatisanobjectiveofthedesign?

Whichelementsoraspectsofthedesignarerelevanttotheobjective?

Arethoseelementseffectiveinachievingtheobjective?

Whyorwhynot?

124


Whatisanobjectiveofthedesign?Iftheobjectiveisforuserstoconsidertheimpacttotheirbankbalancebeforemakingapurchase…

Whichelementsoraspectsofthedesignarerelevanttotheobjective?


Whyorwhynot?

125



Whichelementsoraspectsofthedesignarerelevanttotheobjective?…placingthebalanceatthebottomofthescreenat

thesamesizeasalltheothernumbers…


Whyorwhynot?

126





Arethoseelementseffectiveinachievingtheobjective?…isn’teffective…

Whyorwhynot?

127





Arethoseelementseffectiveinachievingtheobjective?…isn’teffective…

Whyorwhynot?…becauseitgetslostinalloftheotherinformation.

128

MAKINGITWORK

LOGISTICS&LITTLETHINGS

129

Materials• Gathertheappropriatematerialsbasedonyourselectedactivities.Alwaysbring

extra.

CommonMaterials• PostIts(VariousColors&Sizes)• Markers(VariousColors)• BlankPaper• EaselPads• Tape(weusepainterstape)• IndexCards• DotStickers• ATimer

• Printoutscanbeuseful.Thinkaboutanythingthatparticipantsmightneedforreference.

LOGISTICS

130

SometimesUseful• PipeCleaners• Block/Bricks• Foam• Scissors• VideoCamera

Space• Makesurethespaceislargeenough.Itcangetloudwhengroupsareworkingand

discussing.Youneedenoughspaceforeachteamtonotfeelcrowdedandforpeopletobeabletomovearoundfreely.

• Sometimesbreakoutroomscanbeuseful,buttheycanalsocomplicateoverallfacilitationandtransportingofthingsbackandforth.

• Plentyofwallspaceforpostingideasandnotes(andtheblessingoffacilitiestodoso)

• Goodlighting,includingdaylight

• Whiteboard

LOGISTICS

131

SetupLOGISTICS

132

This! NotThis. OrThis.

BackToAgendas• Makesureyouincorporatebreaks.Tryfor15-20minutebreaksevery90-120

minutes.

• Lunchshouldbenolessthan45minutes.Trytoavoid“workinglunches.”

• Providesnacks(andlunchifpossible).Notjustcaffeineandsugarthough.

• Don’tstartbefore9anddon’tendafter5.9:30-4:30isgood.

• Neverplantostartontime.

LOGISTICS

133

WRAPPINGUP

140

Herelieourbestintentions….

Weoftenlookbackwardsandwishwe’ddonethingsdifferently.

Whatifwelookedaheadandtriedtopredictwhatmightgowrongsowecanbeprepared.

WRAPPINGUP

142

PremortemWRAPPINGUP

143

USETO

Helpteamsprepareforpredictableobstaclestotheir

success.

TIME

20– 25minutes

HOWTODOIT

1. Askthegrouptosharetheirconcernsandideasaboutthethingsthatwillpreventtheprojectandtheireffortsfromsucceeding.Capturetheseitemsonawhiteboardasyougo.

2. Afterabout10minutes,switchtodiscussingwhatwillbeneededtopreventtheobstaclesfromoccurringortoavoidtheirderailmentoftheproject.

3. Capturethesecommentsalongsidetheirproblemstheyaddress.surprises?

How WILL OUR EFFORTS FAIL?

ClosingOutTheWorkshop• Reviewtheinsightsthatemergedoverthecourseoftheworkshop:patterns,

outliers,assumptions,agreements,etc.

• Don’texpectworkshopstoproduceTHEanswer.Insteadtheyaremorelikeresearch,theypointyouinthedirectionoftheanswer(s).

• Sharenextstepsandassignresponsibilityifnecessary(thereareactivitiesthatcanhelpwiththisaswell).ThekeytoasuccessfulworkshopisMOMENTUM.

• And…THANKEVERYONE!

LOGISTICS

145

THANKYOU!

146

AdamConnorVPOrganizationalDesign&Training,[email protected]:@adamconnor