Method Tag: speed

  • Idea Speed Dating

    Idea Speed Dating

    Purpose

    This is a great way for a group to quickly come up with many ideas and to have people build on other’s ideas. The end result is a beautiful mural of thoughts that can be used as inspiration throughout events now and in the future.

    Instructions

    • Find a table (or series of tables) that is big enough for everyone in the group to sit around. People should fit tightly, and be shoulder to shoulder along all sides.
    • Place a large roll of paper that covers the entire table.
    • Make sure that everyone has something to draw with. Try having lots of colours.
    • Have the facilitator start playing music. Each person must start writing down an idea about the topic at hand.
    • After about 2 minutes, the music should stop. Everyone should take a step to their left so they are in the position that their neighbour was previously in.
    • The music starts again, and people must now build off of their neighbour’s idea.
    • Repeat steps 5 & 6 until the whole roll of paper is covered in ideas!

    Do

    • Stay open and positive during idea generation sessions.
    • Be creative with how you represent your ideas. Drawings & prototypes are encouraged. The bigger the better.

    Don’t

    • Judge ideas during idea generation sessions.
    • Write negative comments, or cross things out.

    Facilitator role:

    The facilitator’s role is in starting & stopping the music, and making sure that people are properly moving in the right direction. The facilitator also decides when the session is over.

  • Image brainstorming

    Image brainstorming

    Purpose

    This method encourages your imagination to create different perspectives and new angles on your idea or the problem you’re facing.

    Instructions

    Prepare with a lot of different random images. Sit together around a table and show one image for 1 minute. During that one minute, each member in the group writes whatever he or she associates with these images on post-its. The outcome should be as many crazy associations as possible. If the team gets stuck, change image. Continue this process until you feel that you have enough associations. This method could be followed up by trying to combine your associations with your already existing idea or trying to come up with new ones. Read about how to do that here.

    Do

    • Think big
    • Write the first things that come to your mind
    • Think the opposite
    • Use a lot of different random images, preferably that have nothing to do with your idea, problem or focus questions.

    Don’t

    • Stay too long at one image. If you get stuck, just change.

    Example

    A group is tasked with finding solutions to the question ‘How could citizens be encouraged to use bikes more?’ Random pictures are used to associate to the question. How could a Blueberry be related to that?

    These are examples of outcomes

    • Giving away blueberry hats together with information on health benefits from biking
    • Making blueberry lamps for bikes
    • Building a giant Blueberry-like biking dome.

    The new ideas can be related in many ways. Around shapes, memories, smells, thinking big or small, quantity. Relate both close and distant ideas.

    Facilitator role

    The facilitator is there to give the group instructions for the task. The facilitator is responsible for changing images and inspire the group members to think big and wild.

    Reflection questions

    • How was it?
    • Did you feel that this was valuable for our project?
  • Random words!

    Random words!

    Purpose

    This method encourages your imagination to create different perspectives and new angles on your idea or the problem you are facing.

    Instructions

    Prepare with a lot of different random words, short stories or tweets. Sit together around a table and show one word, tweet or story for 1 minute. During that one minute, each member in the group writes whatever he or she associates with the word, tweet or story on post-its. The outcome should be as many crazy associations as possible. If the team gets stuck – change word, tweet or story. Continue this process until you feel that you have enough associations. This method could be followed up by trying to combine your associations with your already existing idea or trying to come up with new ones.

    Do:

    • Think big
    • Write the first things that come to your mind
    • Think the opposite
    • Use a lot of different random words, tweets or stories, preferably that have nothing to do with you idea, problem or focus questions.

    Don’t:

    • Stay to long at one word. If you get stuck, just change.

    Example

    A group is tasked with finding solutions to the question “How could kids be encouraged to play more outside?” Random words are used to associate to the question. How could the word “pillow” be related to that?

    These are examples of outcomes:

    • You produce a giant pillow that the kids can play on outside. When they get tired they can take a nap.
    • You give kids pillows so that they can have pillow fights.
    • You put the kids indoor toys in a pillow so the have to build a “koja”.

    The new ideas can be related in many ways. Around meenings, memories, smells, think big, small, quantity. Relate both close and distant.

    Facilitator role:

    The facilitator is there to give the group instructions for the task. The facilitator is responsible to change word, tweet or story when the group needs it to be changed. The facilitator’s role is to inspire the group members to think big and wild and to present/follow the do’s and dont’s.

    Reflection questions

    • How was it?
    • Did you feel that this was valuable for our project?