Plott — A workshop exercise to open minds and shift perspectives
Product Design
The Challenge
The strategic communications firm KJA wanted to explore the potential for innovations to help empower communities to better govern themselves and act on issues they care about.
I worked with a transdisciplinary team and KJA's innovation lead to develop Plott as part of a capstone subject during my studies at UTS.
Research
KJA needed to quickly understand the challenge space and expand their thinking beyond subject-matter expertise.
Over several weeks, we interviewed political decision-makers and engagement practitioners, spoke to people in communities across the country, and analysed case studies from KJA's previous engagements.
Findings
Insight 1
While time can be a barrier to individuals' engagement, we also found decision-makers are more receptive to input from stakeholders who have evaluated multiple perspectives on an issue.
Insight 2
We found there was untapped potential in the deliberative process – a method currently at the forefront of stakehoder engagement practice, as it aims to create informed consensus. Intervening in this existing method would maximise the impact of our solution.
The Solution
With the above in mind, we decided to leverage the deliberative process to create a more constructive and productive relationship between communities and decision-makers.
We delivered a final, validated prototype to KJA for use on future stakeholder and community engagements. Enter Plott, a workshop exercise to encourage a flexible mindset before deliberative engagements.
Visit plott.cards to learn more.
Impact
The resulting prototype was trialled in community engagements for Sydney Airport, and presented at the Spark Festival '2050 Emergent' event in 2019.
"It was a playful, fun and fast paced activity that had us all come to appreciate that the more open people are to new ideas and perspectives, the more weight their recommendations and decisions carry."
— Carli Leimbach
Attendee, Sydney Facilitators Network
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I acknowledge the Cabrogal people of the Darug Nation, the traditional custodians of the land where I live and work. I pay my respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
© Nusardel Oshana 2023
I acknowledge the Cabrogal people of the Darug Nation, the traditional custodians of the land where I live and work. I pay my respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
© Nusardel Oshana 2023