Poncho Method

The Poncho! Method TOOLKIT DESIGNED BY Jackson Chu, Franklin Gaw, Kelly Lau-Kee, Critter Taylor

Ever realize why the saying “a couple that sweats together, stays together” is just so dang true? Course you have! That’s because fun and playful activities create powerful bonds among friends and strangers alike. Poncho! uses jovial activities to reveal opportunities. While it may just look like fun and games, facilitators can discover important insights about the specific groups of people that will be utilizing a space, be it in an office, studio, plane or train. Follow me as we take a (possibly) sweat-free journey through a game of fun and play!

Poncho Template (To create numerous ponchos)

GOALS The Poncho Method aims to:

Understand the dynamics among the group of people within a space Instruction Booklet (What you’re reading right now)

Help articulate key qualities that represent the group of people.

Prompts (Candidness is encouraged)

Identify potential design opportunities within the space.

Activity Stickers (Speech Bubbles and Emoticons)

Get jiggy with it.

WHAT’S INCLUDED List of Method Tools Provided

Poncho Method Summary Each participant is given a paper poncho, a set of stickers and prompts.

Participants will respond to the prompt given and attach the prompt to the poncho that they will wear throughout the session. It will make you look fat. Get over it. As participants walk around the space, they can then respond to other people’s responses either in written comment or with emoticon stickers.

SESSION TIME 45+ Minutes Faciltator Prepration 10-15 Minutes Speak Time 5 Minutes Play Time 20-30 Minutes Wonder Time 10-15 Minutes

PARTICIPATION For best results have a minimum of 10 participants.

ENVIRONMENT No one likes a stubbed toe. Consider using an open space that is free of furniture, physical obstructions, or potentially fatal machinery.

FACILITATOR PREPARATION Materials: Poncho Template, Butcher Paper, *Sticker Paper

To make ponchos for each participant, consider getting a large

“Consider using an open space that is free of furniture, physical

roll of butcher paper and a cleaver. Unfold the poncho template

obstructions, or potentially fatal machinery.”

Identify Space

Pick a place to hold your poncho party, cause there ain’t no party like a poncho party. Set up the event ahead of time and finalize the number of participants.

into a large rectangle and trace the large rectangle on the

Make Ponchos

butcher paper.

(Fig. 1) Cut out the rectangle, and fold the rectangle in half.

(Fig. 2) With the folded rectangle, trace a semi-circle on the center of the folded edge. Cut semi-circle to create neck-hole.

Repeat the previous two steps to make enough ponchos for each participant.

(Fig. 1)

(Fig. 2)

FACILITATOR PREPARATION Materials Needed: Poncho Template, Butcher Paper, *Sticker Paper

You can access the digital file of the activity stickers via: www.ponchomethod.cc/stickers.pdf

Print Stickers

Be sure to print out 1 set of activity stickers per participant.

If you don’t have sticker paper, feel free to improvise with tape and normal paper as long as you are able to adhere the sticker content to the ponchos later on.

You access the digital file of the prompts via: www.ponchomethod.cc/prompts.pdf

Print Prompts

Each participant should have 2 copies of the same prompt, with no repeating prompts across participants. If possible, choose an even amount of prompts from each of the categories listed in Appendix A. Print the prompts on sticker paper as well. Again, feel free to improvise with tape and normal paper as long as you are able to adhere the sticker content to the ponchos later on.

NEVER HAVE I EVER Tip: Feel free to create your own prompts as you see fit if

AIN’T NOTHIN WRONG WITH

you have particular questions about the space itself or the people in the space. Ex. I wish this space ________________.

23 IS JUST THE RIGHT # OF

SPEAK TIME 00 Distribute Materials 01 Facilitator Introduction 02 Respond to Prompts

The Poncho! Method

PLAY TIME 03 Group React/Response 04 Flip Poncho and Repeat WONDER TIME

LETS BEGIN THE SESSION!

05 Q/A Session

Materials Needed: Poncho template, butcher paper, sticker

ANALYSIS

paper (optional)

Video Documentation Poncho Analysis

SPEAK TIME Step 00 + 01

Step 0 A facilitator is required to run the session.

That’s probably you. When all participants are present, give 1 poncho, 1 set of stickers, and 2 copies of the same prompt to each participant.

Consider finding an assistant to help video record the session.

Step 1 Begin by introducing the purpose of the activity. The facilitator can say something along the lines of:

The activity we are about do will help us understand more about you & the people that are using this space.

SPEAK TIME Step 02

Step 2 Have the participants look at their prompts. Even though each participant gets two copies of the same prompt, write their responses only on one of the prompt sticker. Once they answer it, have them stick it onto their poncho. Put on their ponchos when they are done. Allow roughly 5 minutes for this segment.

PLAY TIME Step 03

Step 3 When all participants have their ponchos on them, begin the interaction segment by getting them to walk around the space and look at other people’s responses.

With their sticker set, participants can choose to respond to the responses on each other’s ponchos, either with a written comment or simply an emoticon sticker. Restrict the responses to using only the front side of the poncho. Let interactions occur naturally amongst the participants. Minimal interference from the facilitator is recommended. Be sure to avoid telling participants how ridiculous they look in their ponchos.

Allow roughly 10-15 minutes for this segment.

INTERACTION Step 04

PLAY TIME Step 04

Step 4 When interaction begins to dwindle, have the participants pause and gather together. This time, each participant will give the second copy of their prompt to another person of their choice. With the new prompts, repeat Step 2 and Step 3 by flipping over the poncho using the blank back side as the new front.

WONDER TIME Step 05

Step 5 At the end of the session, gather the participants around. Each participant will be given the chance to ask one question to another participant about their response to the prompts. Some possible questions could include:

What do you mean by _______________________ ?

Why did you say ______________________ ?

Can you tell me the story behind ____________ ?

SPEAK TIME 00 Distribute Materials 01 Facilitator Introduction 02 Respond to Prompts

Poncho! Analysis

PLAY TIME 03 Group React/Response 04 Flip Poncho and Repeat

LETS ANALYZE THE FINDINGS!

WONDER TIME

It’s time to take a look at what you’ve learned! The analysis will be divided

05 Q/A Session

into two parts: the video analysis and the artifact (poncho) analysis.

ANALYSIS Video Documentation Poncho Analysis

Video Documentation Filming the session will be helpful for studying the interactions after the event. Keep the following questions in mind as you study the video:

What are some of the unique personalities/qualities within this group?

What are some of the common personalities/qualities of this group?

Are the participants communicative?

Quiet? Loud? Expressive?

Did participants engage in verbal conversations? How much?

How engaged are the participants?

How did participants’ responses reflect on how they acted?

Poncho The poncho is an effective artefact in helping the facilitator learn more about the individual personalities of the group. Keep the following questions in mind as you study the ponchos:

CONTENT: How comfortable were participants with the responses? Were they personal?

Generic? How frequent do participants use emoticons? Comments? (Direct comments is an indication of more intimacy in relationships between participants??)

DICTION: What kinds of words were used? Formal? Informal? Colloquial?

TONE: What kind of tone were the responses and comments in? Were people encouraging? Positive or negative?

By following these guiding questions, you should be able to build a list of vocabulary that will help you define the group of people.

Try to build a list of at least 10 words that describes the group. Using this list of vocabulary, you can then begin to make decisions that best caters to the group of people.

For example, say you had surveyed a group of coworkers in an office space. After conducting the session you discover the session was somewhat impersonal and not as humorous as you would have hoped (bummer). In this case it may be worthwhile to focus on opportunities that will encourage people to get to know one another and interact more on a personal level in the workplace, such as setting up social spaces, or even organizing company outings.

The End!

APPENDIX Prompt Organization

PLAYFUL: Never have I ever _______.

I would never _______ in the _______.

23 is just the right number of _______.

Nothing is more awkward than _______.

Aint nothing wrong being a little _______ because _______.

For a million dollars, I would _______.

I get turned on most by _______.

The craziest secret I’ve heard was _______.

I will never _______ again.

My first crush was _______ and I _______.

REAL TALK: Someday I want to visit _______ because _______.

When I was younger, I use to _______.

I am deathly afraid of _______.

If I could only do one thing for the rest of my life, I would _______.

I know my life changed when _______.

I have a weak spot for _______.

When I retire I will _______.

I’m compelled most by _______.

I enjoy my life because _______.

Poncho Method TOOLKIT DESIGNED BY Jackson Chu, Franklin Gaw, Kelly Lau-Kee, Critter Taylor