Feels Like the First Time

I've had a number of interactions with people this semester, from conversations and observations to ideations and cultural probes. (is it wrong that I giggle to myself every time I say cultural probes? *snortle*)

Anyway, despite that I've been engaging people on an insane basis this semester, it still feels like my session with the juniors tomorrow is the first real time. Maybe it's because it's the first time I've planned out an actual activity and everything else has been informal and unstructured? Maybe it's because this is the first time I've actually scheduled the session? Maybe it's just because Adrienne calls her interactions "sessions" and this is the first time I'm calling mine that?

Dunno.

Whichever way you cut it, though, I have a meeting tomorrow with the juniors (omg I hope more than just one or two come) in which I have a structured activity for me to lead them through. In it, I am facilitating the generation of a design-based role-play conflict scenario. The details are as follows (sorry, it's formatted in InDesign & I don't have the energy right now to make it pretty for the blog):

Generative Design Research: Creating a Role-Play Scenario

Overt Aim:

To have participants design a scenario for negotiation role-play

Covert Aim:

• To explore the nature and structure of design problems

• To explore the depth of understanding of my research audience

• To use activity as a safe space for generative design research

• To observe from a design researcher perspective for the sake of ideation of tool

Time:

Approximately 60-90 minutes

Participants:

At least three participants from sample group

Materials:

• Markers

• A flip chart prepared in advance by the facilitator with the essential characteristics of a role-play scenario

Process:

1. Introduce the activity by asking participants to help design scenarios for negotiation role-play. Note: Make sure everybody knows what a scenario for role-playing is.

2. Facilitate a brainstorming session by asking participants for situations/examples of design conflicts from their own lives – or the lives of someone they know. Ask contributors to briefly describe them and note down each situation on the flip chart.

3. Facilitate selection of the most relevant situations/examples.

4. Put the essential characteristics of a role-play scenario on flip chart and briefly introduce them.

5. Facilitate ideation of essential characteristics in role-play scenario.

6. Facilitate selection of details for essential characteristics.

7. Reflect on generated scenario and how/if it relates to their experiences.

8. Discuss potential role of TKI in negotiation.

Essential characteristics of a role-play scenario:

• Description of the roles/parties: Who are they? What do they want? (the object of negotiation); Why do they want it? (their interests); What alternatives do they have for obtaining it?; What power do they have in this negotiation? (What is their bottom line, or BATNA [Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement]?).

• What is each party’s relationship with the other party/parties? (What importance do they give it? To what extent do they want to preserve or improve it? Are they bothered if it deteriorates?).

• What influence does each party have over the other/s?

• What external pressures are there – if any – on the parties?

The session is scheduled for tomorrow right before the MFA1 class that I facilitate in the afternoon. My thesis committee meets Thursday, so I have one night to try to synthesize the results of the session as much as possible in order to present findings to them.

Thank god for having enough foresight to have been preparing the materials for them since shortly after the last meeting and just adding in material as it's been created. I don't think I would have had the time or energy to do it all in one night and would have had another missed opportunity to get them really engaged in my material like I did last time.

After this session and the thesis committee meeting, I'm hoping that it will be time to move into early iterations of prototyping the form. That is scary and exciting at the same time because I haven't let myself get married to any particular idea, so whatever it ends up being should be really true to the research.

I'm rambling.

I'm tired.

Good night.