The Challenge
Based on some of the debates and discussion covered so far, outline a series of ideas that could help you to work in new and more exciting collaborative ways.
- What media and communication platforms could help support this? (This might be to help you collaborate with new design partners, introduce yourself to a new network or culture or area of investigation.)
- Present your ideas as a one minute elevator pitch video (with the aim that you will develop one of those ideas further next week).
media and communication platforms
Looking at the different platforms (to come)
- Sticky notes
- Craig Oldham’s online portfolio for students
- https://www.trytriggers.com/approach
Ideas for Collaborative Tools
Filo-type
Rather than typing it all out again, please go to this post, where I explain the idea for a typographic sharing system.
Virtual Workshop
Zoom is magnificent! It has transformed the way we communicate in this tough time of Covid-19 lockdowns and can be used across software platforms. We’ve made it work how we can for we need it do to, and I think it can be levelled up. Say you’re in a workshop or meeting, and you want to divide into groups. With this programme you can do this. Here’s a metaphysical representation of what it would look like:
- Meeting mode: your standard online session where everyone gathers in one room for a big chat with a meeting host. This can form the start or end of the meeting or workshop.
- Group conversation mode: the group is split into smaller groups, either by predetermined lists or by the host clicking and dragging attendees together. There is a group leader who can steer the conversation, remaining in that smaller group, whilst the meeting host can tour around the groups as they please.
- Workshop mode: Set-up beforehand, the meeting host can introduce tasks that can be rotated between the groups after a set period of time. The groups can write their thoughts on a virtual board for each task as a recording of the task.
- At the end of the workshop or meeting, each group leader can present a brief overview of the tasks to the all attendees.
The session can be predetermined by the host and can move between any of these modes at the time or after a set period of time. A host can build the session exactly how they want before, adjust it throughout, or let it flow freely.
The session can be recorded and marked under each task/group for people to have a record of the work they have done.
Pass-a-line
This is nothing more than a diversion tool for teams! With friends, when we’re talking about hard subjects, sometimes we use a technique of additive drawing. We start with a blank sheet of paper, and as we talk, we take turns to add to the existing drawing in whatever way we like; the theory being that a shared activity can bring us together and provide a distraction when talking about really tough shit. To put a virtual and positive spin on this, it could form a creative way for people to come together to create something virtually – as long as it has nothing to do with the meeting – the more abstract the better! There would be some restrictions; it would be a line drawing app, no import of images or text.
Mode one: everyone gets a blank square on the website to doodle whatever they like on for the duration of the virtual meeting. At the end, a checkerboard would form to show all the squares, anonymously, of the meeting.
Mode two: everyone takes a turn for a certain amount of time and has to draw a line that starts where the last person finished at the edge of the page, and at the end of their turn, return the line to a different edge. The result would be continuous line through the meeting and challenge people to use one line only. At the end a wandering path would be displayed, and again it would be anon.
Networking Safari Supper
Getting to know people in the industry can feel like an expedition in the jungle. Will that frightening company head be a secret softie, and will that other newbie be a poisonous *****? At a traditional networking event, it can be anyone’s guess. Introducing the Networking Safari Supper, where if you’re involved you gotta be at least a bit friendly. Like its predecessor, the Safari Supper, the NSS groups people together for each course of the meal, splitting and growing for each course until they converge at the same venue for drinks. Smaller studios in Shoreditch would host sets of participants in their space, starting with nibbles, dividing the group and joining at bigger studios for some lush nosh, then at the megaliths to indulge those with sweet tooth and finally heading to a local bar for an almighty industry piss-up. No, sorry, a final debrief.
People starting out in the industry will have the chance to meet people like themselves and see a range of different studios where they can meet the people who work there. Ticket prices would have to be looked at to ensure a price that is accessible for everyone, but with the talent potential for the studios, it would be an opportunity for an industry-wide collaboration.
The safaris would be limited to an area of a city, for example, Shoreditch, and they would take place in studios rather than homes for safeguarding. It might take some walking or tubing to get between studios, but you would always be with someone from your previous course, plus a member of the previous studio to guide you on your way and show you the local area.
Elevator Pitch
Filo-type
I am going to take this idea forward, and present it as an elevator pitch. It was really fun to play around with AfterEffects to make this, and I learnt a lot. I did want to make it even more jazzy, but I decided to keep the animations simple so that I can reveal a UI later.
Go to this post to see the elevator pitch.
Anna Robinette 