Hands on collaboration has become a dominant approach to designing new solutions whether they be for products, services, environments, etc. But bringing people who have different perspectives of a topic, ways of expressing themselves, and levels of comfort in working together can be tricky. Taking the time to think through why, how, and when to best bring people together and intentionally design your design workshops helps to ensure that at the end of your event you walk away with the information and answers you need.
12. THE WHYS & WHENS OF WORKSHOPS
17
DISCOVER SYNTHESIZE GENERATE REFINE
Initial
Insight Plan Release
EVALUATE
Discover
Explore the influences, actors, contexts, triggers, constraints, etc. of a problem or
opportunity set.
The Design Thinking Process
15. THE WHYS & WHENS OF WORKSHOPS
20
DISCOVER SYNTHESIZE GENERATE REFINE
Initial
Insight Plan Release
Refine
Iterate, combine, and eliminate solutions based on analysis and appropriate variables
while increasing fidelity until one (or a small number) of solutions are determined.
The Design Thinking Process
31. DISCOVER
38
DISCOVER SYNTHESIZE GENERATE REFINE
Initial
Insight Plan Release
EVALUATE
Discover
Explore the influences, actors, contexts, triggers, constraints, etc. of a problem or
opportunity set.
The Design Thinking Process
37. 4Cs
DISCOVER
47
USE TO
Build an understanding of a group’s perspectives on a
specific topic.
PARTICIPANTS
4 - 24 people
TIME
25 – 30 minutes
HOW TO DO IT
1. Draw a large 2x2 grid on an easel pad or whiteboard. Label the 4 spaces:
Components, Characteristics, Challenges, Characters
2. Provide participants with a topic related to the purpose of the project
or workshop. For example, “auto insurance”
3. Explain to participants that the activity’s purpose is to help them
explore what they know about the selected topic by having them
gather information with respect to each of the 4 spaces:
• Components: parts of the topic.
• Characteristics, attributes of the topic
• Challenges: obstacles associated with the topic
• Characters: people or roles associated with the topic.
4. Break participants into four equally sized teams. Assign each team one
of the “C”s and provide them with post it notes and markers.
5. Instruct the teams that their job is to collect as much information
about their assigned “C” from others in the room. Give the teams 5
minutes to discuss their assigned “C” and how they will gather
information.
38. 4Cs
DISCOVER
48
USE TO
Build an understanding of a group’s perspectives on a
specific topic.
PARTICIPANTS
4 - 24 people
TIME
25 – 30 minutes
HOW TO DO IT
6. Once the 5 minute planning period has elapsed, give the teams 10minutes
to gather information from as many of the other participants as possible.
7. At the end of the 10 minute gathering period, give each team 5 minutes to
organize what they’ve captured in whatever way they deem appropriate
and then add their organized findings to their space on the original 2x2
grid.
8. Have each team present their findings to the others and facilitate
discussion to ask clarifying questions and have other participants add
information if they sense something missing.
41. SYNTHESIZE
51
DISCOVER SYNTHESIZE GENERATE REFINE
Initial
Insight Plan Release
EVALUATE
Synthesize
Organize findings into insights: what the group believes and understands
about the problem space and articulating the objectives for the future state
that the project will work to create.
The Design Thinking Process
66. Recognizing “Difficult” People
• Sometime it’s pretty obvious.
• Signals can include:
• Dominating conversations. Talking over people. Ignoring what others are saying.
• Not Participating. Being closed of both verbally and physically.
• Not staying in scope. Introducing topics and questions outside the bounds of the workshop.
TEAMS, ROLES, & FACILITATION
84
69. GENERATE
89
DISCOVER SYNTHESIZE GENERATE REFINE
Initial
Insight Plan Release
EVALUATE
Generate
Generate a large number of ideas for “solutions” (products, services, etc.) for
achieving the desired objectives.
The Design Thinking Process
72. Lens Brainstorm
GENERATE
93
How might we…
make saving for college
more rewarding?
USE TO
Generate ideas for solutions to a problem space that
satisfy a specific set of characteristics.
PARTICIPANTS
3 or more people.
TIME
10 minutes for initial collection.
3-5 minutes per person for presentation.
HOW TO DO IT
1. Select a challenge/problem space and set of 3-5 adjectives that describe the
experience the group would like their future creation to elicit.
2. Instruct participants that they will be brainstorming solutions for the
challenge in accordance with the selected adjectives.
3. You will provide the prompt in the form of “How might we [challenge] more
[adjective]? Example: How might we make saving for college more
rewarding?
4. Let participants know that they will have 90 seconds per adjective and will
write down one idea per post it.
5. Begin the brainstorm with the prompt for the first adjective. After 90
seconds, repeat the prompt using the next adjective. Repeat until you have
gone through all of the selected adjectives.
6. Have each participant share their ideas with the rest of the group, posting
them to the wall as they go.
78. REFINE
109
DISCOVER SYNTHESIZE GENERATE REFINE
Initial
Insight Plan Release
EVALUATE
Refine
Iterate, combine, and eliminate solutions based on analysis and appropriate
variables while increasing fidelity until one (or a small number) of solutions
are determined.
The Design Thinking Process