10 essential gamestorming tools and more...

Gamestormingby Evan Van Lissum

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Part 1 about creativityPart 2 why we gamestormPart 3 about gamesPart 4 the basicsPart 5 some games we play

Content

Gamestorming 2014Gamestorming 2014 | theparkinglot.com

Once a gamer, always a gamer.

Part 1

creativity


What is creativity?

The ability to bring something new

within boundariesthat is useful


What is creativity?


Leftbrain

Rightbrain


Reality check


Industrial economy

• left brain analysis

• manufacturing

• business processes• consistent

• repeatable

• predictable

Knowledge economy

• right brain analysis

• innovating

• design processes• ambiguous

• random

• novel

Source: Sunni Brown

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24462152@N03/5445706001/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24462152@N03/5445706001/in/photostream/


“The whole purpose of education in the

world is to produce university professors.”

(Robinson, 2007)

Watch full TED presentation Ken Robinson

http://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution

http://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution


The human brain is a

powerful pattern maker and a smooth pattern user

but a bad pattern breaker


Challenge

To break through the barriers of your mind


Problems cannot be solved by thinking

within the framework in which the problems were created

(Albert Einstein)


At the age of 5, 90% of what we think is unique.

At 7,

that is 20% As adults, our ability to

come up with an original idea has dropped to

2%


All children are artists.The problem is how to remain an artist

once we grow up.

(Pablo Picasso)

Part 2

Why we gamestorm?


To generate lots of new ideas in only

1 hour


The average meeting

Source: Cartooncrunch

http://www.cartoonchurch.com/content/cc/meeting/

http://www.cartoonchurch.com/content/cc/meeting/


Tip: Pie chart agenda

How the game is played: Pie Chart Agenda

http://www.gogamestorm.com/?p=482



and we realize communication is damn hard

Source: Project cartoon

http://www.projectcartoon.com

http://www.projectcartoon.com

Gamestorming 2014Gamestorming 2014 | theparkinglot.comSource: Dave Gray

http://stg.uie.com/events/virtual_seminars/gamestorm/

http://stg.uie.com/events/virtual_seminars/gamestorm/


Advantages of gamestorming

• Everybody is equal. (CEO vs employee)

• Everybody participates. (introverts vs extraverts)

• The team has a strong feeling of co-creation

I only facilitate. Neutral position.

Part 3

About games


More than 80 games


What defines a game?

GOALS1. Do not get caught by the ghosts

2. Reach the next level

3. Become the king of the highscores


What defines a game?

Source: Go Gamestorm

http://www.gogamestorm.com



fuzzy goalsExploration, experimentation, trial-and-error





Game design





Game design





Game design





Game engineering





essential toolswhen facilitating a gamestorm

10


Opening + closing1

Gamestorming 2014 | theparkinglot.com


Creating fire2

Create a compelling challenge.

Start with a good question.Balance the heat.


Artefacts3

Use whatever you have to make ideas

tangible, portable and sharable.


Artefacts3


Space + time 4

Walls are for working and sharing.

Only use tables when necessary


Space + time 4

Time is your best friend!

We have about 1 thought per second.

In 5 minutes that is about 300 ideas per person.People are more creative in 5 minutes than in 1 hour.


Generation5

When opening,

generate as many ideas as possible.There are no bad ideas.

Yes, but...

5Yes, and...vs


Gamification: Unlock cards5

We use these during our gamestorm sessions.Every player can give achievement cards to other players to award them for their participation.f.e.: I love that last idea, thanks for the good feedback, nice shoes,...


Randomization6

Practice randomization, filling the blank and forced analogies to breakdown the

patterns that we are all stuck in.


Sketching + model making7

Sketch and craft.

If it can’t be drawn, it can’t be done.


Improvisation8

Bodystorming.Roleplaying.

Adapt to the situation.


Selection9

Make choices.Vote, rank, prioritize.

Try something new10

Take risks.Be creative.

Source: Dave Gray

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davegray/5428671649/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davegray/5428671649/

Part 4

The basics


1. Preparation


1. Preparation


1. Preparation

Stick every AHA moment on this wall.


1. Preparation

(Fuzzy) Goal


2. Warm-up

Quick analogy

Shout the first word that pops into your mind.People standing in a circle.


2. Warm-up

Personal shield

Creatie your personal shield in 10 min. Present it to the group in 2 minutes.


2. Warm-up

Create your personal mindmap

We use this in our job interviews. Works better than the standard resume.


3. Ideation

Post upBrainwritingCarroussel


4. Sorting/ranking

Roman votingDot voting

Silent sorting35

MoSCoW


4. Big Ego solutions

Silent hat: one person of the group wears a hat. The person with the hat has to remain silent. The group can always decide to change the hat to another person.

Talking stick: The person with the stick is the only one who is allowed to speak. The other listen and do not interrupt. Pass the stick afterwards to another person.


Important when leading a gamestorm workshop

• Stick to the structures.• Change/improvise if needed. • Do not leave space for discussions.• You are neutral!• Do not influence or help. • If you are unsure, ask the group.• Good to have an observer with you.

Part 5

Some games we play

Choose the parents


Choose the parents

1. Show the group some pictures of famous men and women.

2. Let the group decide who they would choose as parents for their group.

The characteristics of the chosen people will represent the values of the group.


Create the box

How the game is played: Design the box

http://www.gogamestorm.com/?s=create+the+box

http://www.gogamestorm.com/?s=create+the+box


Elevator Pitch

How the game is played: Elevator pitch




The negative gamestorm

Source: Flanders DC

Reverse the question

• How can we get visitor stay longer on our website?• How can we get people click out asap?

solutions: Lots of boring texts, unclear structure, amateuristic pictures...

http://www.flandersdc.be

http://www.flandersdc.be


Harvest the future

How the game is played: Prune the future




Hot or not

We use this to benchmark websites.Show a website for 5 min to a team. The people stick post-its of the things they like about the website in the HOT column. The things they do not like, in the NOT column.The group also score the website on 10 points.Afterwards, we make the hitparade of the websites.Used to analyse the competition, or best practices.


User stories

As a ... (user)I want to... (goal)So that I ... (benefit)

Gamestorming 2014Gamestorming 2014 | theparkinglot.comSource: Peter Saddington

http://www.slideshare.net/petersaddington/agile-and-user-story-workshop-peter-saddington

http://www.slideshare.net/petersaddington/agile-and-user-story-workshop-peter-saddington

Gamestorming

@evanvanlissum

Gamestorming 2014 | theparkinglot.com

I can help you with - facilitating your gamestorming session - giving a workshop/lecture about gamestorming - training your people

https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanvanlissum

[email protected]





Special thanks to Jurgen De Smet and Erik Talboom of Co-learning for teaching me.

www.theparkinglot.com

+32 (0)2 305 49 36 | [email protected] | @the_parking_lot

http://www.co-learning.be

http://www.co-learning.be

http://www.theparkinglot.com

http://www.theparkinglot.com

















https://twitter.com/the_parking_lot

https://twitter.com/the_parking_lot

10 essential gamestorming tools and more...

Business

advantages of gamestorming

brain right brain

human brain

hard source

average meeting source

pie chart agenda

smooth pattern user

powerful pattern maker