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Creative work demands multiple perspectives. Nothing else I’ve learned about the creative process looms as large in my mind. When I ask about drawing others into the process, I’m asking how we can involve more perspectives in the work. I’m asking to prompt for techniques and methods that encourage other people to participate. I raise this question because many activities in design are historically or temptingly solitary, but they don’t have to be.
The people who need to hear this question are people in power – folks who are used to making decisions unilaterally, or with nothing more than a consult. Design is different because it thrives on a chorus of voices. Those in power aren’t decision-makers: they’re conductors. Asking them this question helps them
But the people who offer the most value for this question are those folks on the ground, the people doing the work. They cultivate networks – formal and informal – that help them access the breadth of knowledge in their domain’s landscape. They know not just whom to ask, but how to ask them.
Finally, ask yourself this question every day during the course of a project. Sure, you’ll establish the collaborative activities at the outset. But day-to-day, check in with yourself to make sure you’re doing all you can to bring others into the process.
On the surface, I’m looking for ideas on collaborative activities. In the best case, the person can suggest workshop activities or conversations that can engage many voices.
What I’m really interested in is the general attitude to bringing more people to the table. I’m listening for a desire and interest to be as inclusive as possible in the design process. I’m listening for an understanding that while making something more collaborative has a cost, that cost is worth it to the end product.
For me, this question comes up most frequently during planning sessions and status meetings. Generally, I’m laying the groundwork for upcoming activities and determining the level of effort for planning them.
If you’re sensing reluctance or unease at bringing others into the design process, consider asking about the source of the discomfort. One way to pinpoint or ease discomfort is to get concrete: asking about specific activities and specific people. If folks are ready to move on, you can focus on the practicalities of getting folks involved, especially what it will take to help them participate fully in the process.
How do you engage others in this process?
You can ask stakeholders or domain experts how they make a process or activity collaborative. This line of questioning explores how experts engage multiple diverse perspectives or share ideas across a range of people.
How do we draw domain experts into this process? How do we draw marginalized users into this process?
You can be specific about the kinds of people to engage. Perhaps a voice has been long absent. Perhaps you need new perspectives to shake things up. Perhaps leadership historically keeps things close to the chest.