A quick reflection on co-operative decision making process as tested on 8 people for the course. While the setting and the agenda of the meeting would vary, the core mechanics of working co-operatively shall remain the same. The co-operative decision making process takes some time to familiarise with. Once acquainted, it can lead to surprising results and collaborations. Game for this instance. Hover over each card to see what's essential..
How do you sit? Do you see everyone? Does everyone see you?
Seating arrangements allow everyone to see and be seen. It is one of the most important aspects that suggest the nature of the meet.
Who takes the note? Is the note visible to everyone? Can everyone see real-time updates?
Decide on who will take notes. The notes when visible to everyone can lead members to be on the same page- quite effectively.
Who has the power to facilitate? Can everyone be the facilitator? Does the facilitator dictate or moderate?
Determine the facilitator’s role and whether they dictate or moderate. Everyone should once have the opportunity to facilitate.
Does the room allow you to express your thoughts freely? How does that happen?
The space shall make everyone at ease to encourage free expression of thoughts, leading to open communication and collaboration.
How to make everyone be present in the moment? Ask question? What question?
Asking simple question like "what's the last distinct smell you remember" as a conversation starter reaps long term participation and provokes one to be in the present.
What makes one think? Like abstract questions to get and be present in the meeting?
Ask abstract or open-ended questions to stimulate thinking and ensure everyone remains engaged in the discussion.
How do you talk? Does it let people give enough space to share things?
It's essential to be mindful of how we learn to share our ideas..it is crucial for everyone to have ample opportunity to speak and share their thoughts without interruptions.
Decide on the day’s agenda – What do we have to do? How do we decide?
Set the agenda for the day by determining what needs to be done and how to decide on the priorities and tasks.
Learn to make a proposal – “I propose… - sharing to discuss and not imposing…
Make proposals in a way that encourages discussion and allows for modifications, rather than imposing decisions.
How do people agree/disagree? Raise of hands? Umm, no? Too distracting!
Find a less distracting method for agreement or disagreement, such as subtle gestures or other non-disruptive methods. How about a knock on the table?
Learn to make modifications… Raise, suggest, I modify…
Encourage modifications to proposals by raising suggestions and making necessary adjustments based on feedback.
Loop till it reaches majority…
Continue iterating on proposals and modifications until a majority consensus is reached.
Decide on Agenda…
Finalize the agenda based on the agreed-upon proposals and modifications.
Time… how much time do we allocate?
Allocate appropriate time for each agenda item to check that the meeting runs smoothly and stays on track.
Does everyone want to do everything? Maybe no?
Devising ways to categorise tasks/agenda according to each member’s interest and willingness to participate can go a long way.
Let’s vote… point voting – max. Of 3 votes?
Use a voting method that suits the group, such as point voting, to make collective decisions.
Vote, count, reorder – set priority
Count votes, reorder priorities based on the results, and set the agenda accordingly.
Well, let’s modify – allocate and distribute time according to the votes – FAIR!!
Adjust the time allocation and distribution of tasks based on the votes to ensure fairness.
Let’s begin the meeting…
Start the meeting based on the finalized agenda and allocated time. Get set and improvise..the execution of the meeting plan.
The past 8 weeks of designing a game have been both enjoyable and stimulating. This has not only made us open up to the process of game design but also highlighted important conversations about current issues. Game-design and co-operative design making as a tool for advocacy and awareness in urban design realm can have positive ripple effect on understanding city agencies, roles and how things work in the city.
Our game, initially designed for a house party setting, evolved into a tool for raising awareness about climate change. This preliminary stage is crucial in educating players about environmental challenges and the most pressing issue of our times- Sea Level Rise.
Throughout the process, we engaged in various decision-making mechanisms and processes. We had our own set of agreements and disagreements, collaborated on proposals, and devised mechanisms for consensus. Our approach included voting, addressing conflicts, and building on ideas, all of which contributed to refining our game.
This is indeed a successful example of trusting the process and seeing what can be achieved when teams are not merely following predefined paths but are instead exploring and learning collaboratively. It’s been a valuable exercise in creativity, flexibility, and collective problem-solving.
A quick run-down on the process it took for us to design a game... design.. prototype..play-test..re-iterate...
To design one or multiple games by the end of 8 weeks.
Shared experiences of playing different games and their versions.
Got invested in various games, especially Co-opoly and Pandemic.
Discussed what worked, what didn’t work, and what kept us hooked.
Discussed what we like about our favorite games, with open questions around the table.
Researched what games people are making around urban design and people participation.
Considered questions on users, overall goals, abstract vs. real-world elements, and game size. Everyone comes up with an idea.
Came up with game ideas that address the key questions.
Put up the ideas, gather around, and discuss.
Addressed all proposals through 3 key questions of users, scale and goal.
Identified similarities and differences between proposals.
Grouped and ungrouped ideas based on their characteristics.
Voted on ideas. If there is no majority, split into two groups based on scale.
Considered merging ideas at city-level and community-level perspectives.
Created prototypes using any materials available. Quick scribbles and pieces.
Played the prototypes to test their mechanics and fun.
Discussed if the games are interconnected and how.
Guest lecture by Max Lerner made us think critically about roles and their abilities.
Explored what gets players invested through creativity, improvisation, and collaboration.
Explored web development mechanisms for game design. Playtest and iterate.
Built connection cards and defined the goal of the game. Work in progress.
Played Pandemic to learn and strategize.
Reviewed overall goals and interim progress.
Narrowed the goal on learning about urban design related to sea-level rise.
Explored power dynamics and connection abilities in the game.
Evaluated what’s working through playtesting and iterate based on feedback.
Defined core mechanics, including connection mechanisms, rules, maps, and code. Divide into groups.
Determined what goes digital and explore hybrid models.
Developed game logic, focusing on scenarios like flood or sea-level rise.
Considered the real-world implications of power and implementation consequences.
Conducted further playtesting to refine the game.
Made improvements based on playtesting feedback.
Introduced elements of fun and managed time pressure.
Combined two games into one cohesive experience.
Playtested with two different sets of rules.
Finalized game mechanics and the hybrid model.
Conducted final playtesting to ensure quality.
Discussed and finalize all game mechanics.
Began the production phase of the final game.
The playable version is ready to play with all web and physical tools.