Ideation
Following lunch and visit and talk with Wynton Marsalis, the teams reconvened, reviewed what had been accomplished during the morning, and moved on to ideating. This phase of the day was focused on generating ideas for answering each team’s central question.
Brainwriting
During this phase, each team member was given a sheet of 3 post-its across the top, where they were asked to think up 3 ideas for answering the table’s central question. Then the sheet was passed two times, and each successive team member added 3 more ideas. This led to 9 ideas per sheet, ideally 54 ideas per table. The post-its were added to a blank board in “idea clusters” by the facilitator.
Sensemaking
Clustering helps us see key emergent themes of value. Colliding ideas gets to the heart of collaboration: together we can create concepts that none of us could conceive alone. Go team!
Ideas at table 1 circulated around tech, accessibility, schools, space, and funding. One idea under tech was about “Netflix for the arts”, while the accessibility heading considered traveling shows, arts collaborations, and satellite locales in underserved areas. The schools heading had ideas around virtual programs and clubs, field trips, and incentivized arts teachers. While the funding section considered microgrants and grant funding for salaries, the database section looked at coworking arts spaces and a database of space availability.
Affinity Mapping
In Affinity Mapping, teams have the opportunity to cluster and name clusters, or collide and combine ideas. The goal of Clsuters is to recognize emergent themes, and the goal of these colliding ideas is the heart of collaboration: realizing that together we can create concepts that none of us alone could conceive. Team! Table 1 did not have any merged ideas.
Dot Voting
This sharing was then Dot Voted by all table participants (each participant was given 3 dots to use to vote wherever they favored an idea), resulting in the following focus statements to take forward:
- “Build technology that connect audiences to each other and the type of arts they want to see”
- “UMS-sponsored musical ‘working space’ for artists and educational programs”
- “Coworking space within office buildings – can also benefit from the support of corporations?”
Below is Table 1’s Cluster with Dot Voting (click to enlarge):
