Project Goals
To understand what worked and what didn’t work during a workshop for the New Options Initiative—a co-creation ideation workshop. Out-of-school youth worked in tandem with graduate students to identify key parameters for a disciplined approach to introduce teens to various careers. My goal through analysis of the data collected during the workshop was to identify instances of insight, staff and participant behaviors that helped or hindered the process, and key protocols for future workshops.
Key Observations
1. Follow cultural rituals.
2. Respect your subjects.
3. Focus on the your subjects.
4. Play like a team.
5. Lead softly.
6. One sentence per question.
7. Expect Silence.
8. Make an Opportunity.
Workshop Design
The workshop was designed to answer questions raised during the career exposure visits, as well as get valuable insight into the youths’ personal experiences and to get ideas about what could work or what wouldn’t work from the youths’ perspective.
Research and Analysis
Research
The primary research occurred during the workshop as a participant of the workshop. Secondary research was conducted utilizing documented video, photos and voice recordings made during the workshop.
Analysis
All documentation was analyzed for patterns, latent and stated needs, behavior nuances, and participation. Unique findings included various forms of user torture, and objects used for building materials and for entertainment. See above for the key findings.
Research Tools
Workshop Documentation
To document the workshop, sticky notes were the primary document for youth and NOI team members to document current activities and have an immediacy of time. Each participant of the groups was given permanent markers, sticky notes, and caffeine. They were asked to record their thoughts on the topics.
Voice recorders, handheld video cameras and digital cameras were available and utilized by participants during the workshop to capture important details of a conversation or action. The group tables were documented by one stationary video camera each. Additionally, a roaming NOI team carried a digital camera to document context and any specific situations that merited documentation.
During the workshop groups were given the opportunity and were duly instructed to cluster their sticky notes. Through clustering stickies stories were told and additional sticky notes were added to the boards. Groups, during the mid and post review, explained their stickies through stories and through reading them to the other groups. Further reduction and feedback was given.
