Gamestorming

How Don Draper, Columbus and Clayton Christopher Became Successful*

GAMESTORMINGBy Dave Gray, Sunni Brown & James Macanufo

*This slideshow is not endorsed by any of the

gentlemen above. Draper is particularly

difficult to get ahold of.

1. Understand your audience2. Provide for your audience3. Entertain your audience

I REALLY HATE THAT THIS IS THE EXAMPLE I’M USING BUT GAHD IT’S JUST SO GOOD…

.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnW3xkHxIEQ)

THE KEYS TO AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

TO ENTERTAIN YOU MUST BE CREATIVE

Knowledge workers are OUT

Today’s best and brightest have a foundation of knowledge that is enhanced by creativity

BUT I’M NOT CREATIVE OMG THERE’S NO HOPE

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstance they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.

George Bernard Shaw

And if that doesn’t work out…

BUT I’M NOT CREATIVE

(The answer is whiskey. Always.)

Gamestorming (n): Creating game worlds specifically to explore and examine business challenges, to improve collaboration, and to generate novel insights about the way the world works and what kinds of possibility we might find there.

“BUSINESS, LIKE MANY OTHER HUMAN ACTIVITIES, IS BUILT

AROUND GOALS”TARGET STATE

(GOAL)

CHALLENGE SPACE

INITIAL CONDITIONS

If a team wants to truly create, there is simply no way to precisely define the goal in advance…

…it’s a journey of discovery. You may start out looking for India,

but you end up in THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

…Mistakeshappen whenthere is a lackof clarity and direction.

Russian Nesting Dolls

Onion

FUZZY GOALS ALLOW ROOM FOR DISCOVERY

CHECK OUT THE DUDE ON THE RIGHT

WITH THE CAPTAIN MORGAN STANCE

FUZZY GOALS MOTIVATE THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF WORK

WITHOUT BLINDING THE TEAM TO OPPORTUNITIES

GAME DESIGNRe

sour

ces

TangibleOutcom

e

GAME DESIGN, CONTINUED

Open Explore

Close

Divergent

Emergent

Convergent

SINGLE OR MULTI GAME

Goal: Constrain presenters while keeping it fun.

What section does this fall into?

PECHA KUCHA

PAIN-GAIN MAP

Goal: Summarize and prioritize the top pains and gains

from an exercise.

What section does this fall into?

START, STOP, CONTINUE

SCIENCE Book Club ? ?

Book Reports ? ?

Monthly Science Meetings

? ?

Stop

Start

Continue

What section does this fall into?

Goal: Brainstorm operational steps for moving forward

WHAT JUST HAPPENED? I’LL TELL YA.

Reso

urce

s =

Gam

esto

rmin

g Bo

ok,

SCIE

NCE

Club

Mem

bers Tangible Outcom

e = Next Steps for SCIENCE Club

Open Explore

Close

Divergent

Emergent

Convergent

Pecha Kucha Pain-Gain

MapStart, Stop,

Continue