Our tools

In all our co-creation labs and efforts we work to create tight systems, parameters to help our co-creators unlock innovation. We think of these as the pool walls. Want to see why systems are so important to innovation, this is a great read. It also underpins one of my upcoming article.

Kotter. Mic drop – always – when thinking about designing for transformative change read it. I promise it will give you new ways to think about how to lead and design for transformation. 

Order your own hard-copy of The Indigideck. 

Prompts to deepen connection and strengthen relationships with your co-designers.

We never leave home for a design lab without these. Their large size provides space for ideation and solution finding and best of all, you can move them around and re-stick them anywhere.

We also never leave home for a design lab without these. Perfect for independent ideation prior to collective idea refinement.

What is co-creation? A little academic, very Finnish, and filled with empathetic design, this is a great book to ignite you. 

Man. Life is a whitewater world. How do we design in emergent? Design for ecosystem change? Get unbound when making collective change? This one is wonky as hell. But has gotten some serious use in our work. Totally recommend it if you want to get really designing for change geeky. 

Dig even deeper with Volume 2.

Looking for design prompts? Sparks. Pool walls. The Method Deck is a great spark maker. The version that I use was created for educators by a favorite collaborator who used to be at IDEO. We have used it with co-creators in design sprints to text a trusted friend, neighbor, or colleague for an insight to help shape their design – from tapping into their greatest hope to their community to what cultural story is allowed to be shared. Listening and design – on text at a time. LOVE THIS. 

This studio is an OG of social impact co-creation. Well worth a look. I keep an eye on their projects and continually bring sparks from them into our work.