PROJECT CO+DESIGN: Summary

by john colรณn

final project process book scad dmgt 748: winter 2019

b.s. interior design & m.a. design management hackensack, nj

opportunity statement There is an opportunity for co-opetition between non-profit Historic Preservation organizations through integrating design thinking for external sustainable advantage.

if historic preservation leaders adopt innovation frameworks

then a collaborative, innovative, and developmental community is generated

Scholars and consultants, Adam M. Brandenburger and Barry J. Nalebuff define Co-opetition as “the act of cooperation between competing organizations” and “a type of strategic alliance.” Their literature states, “In business, your success doesn’t require others to fail – there can be multiple winners” (1996).

Project Positioning: Page 01

cultural climate

SCAD DMGT Faculty and Students (2019)

Note: Emphasized primary sources were part of target audience. Not all subjects were able to participate.

map of research space

primary sources

BCCE: Bard Center for Civic Engagement CUP: The Center of Urban Pedagogy HACC: Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce

secondary sources

design thinking

GHHN: Greater Hudson Heritage Network NYHSA: New York Historic Sites Alliance, Inc. RRCA: Rombout Rural Cemetery Association WHS: Wappingers Historical Society

Stone (2010) Neumeier (2006) Lockwood (2009) Muratovski (2016) Martin (2009)

secondary

primary

secondary

primary

Kreps (2003) Lutz, Smith, & Da Silva (2013) Rogers (2003)

CUP (2019) HACC (2019) GHHN (2019)

Kreps (2003) Bandarin & van (2012)

SCAD PRES Faculty and Students (2019) GHHN (2019)

BCCE (2019)

Georgetown Law (2018)

primary sources

local non-profits

historic preservation community

secondary sources

primary sources

secondary sources

Research Activities and Synthesis: Page 02

Dutchess Tourism (2019) HACC (2019) GHHN (2019) NYHSA (2019) RRCA (2019) WHS (2019)

Stipe (2003)

Resources: activity board, ball, large paper, markers/pens, paper, post-its, take-home kit

co-creative facilitation: schedule

stage

time

description

Welcome

As participants arrive

• Snacks, drinks, conversation, and getting reacquainted. Clay was supplied.

Warm-Up

20 mins.

• Participants reviewed and discussed previous creative-thinking workshop in October 2018 • They were taught the definitions of ‘design thinking,’ ‘co-opetiton,’ and ‘tangible artifact.’

• Reviewed the purpose of other, local not-for-profits (NFP) and the mission of the New York Historic Sites Alliance, Inc. (NYHSA)

Main Activity

40 mins.

• Instructions were reviewed and teams were assigned. Participants wrote down questions, thoughts and ideas throughout as well as created small sketches. All of these were done both individually, in teams, and all together.

• They designed an object that solved their problem. Process can be repeated for furthur exploration.

Cool-Down

10 mins.

• Participants reflected on the purpose of the activity and completed an Idea Capture Grid exercise.

Debriefing

05 mins.

• A ball was passed around so that each person had an opportunity to discuss his/her reactions and answered questions about the activity and the topic at hand.

• Participant feedback was collected through recorded interviews.

Closure

05 mins.

• Participants assembled a take-home kit with reference and reminder materials.

Total: 90 mins.

Research Activities and Synthesis: Page 03

main activity: insights & observations Journey Map & Cultural Characteristics

Feeling

Elliana R., Ethan D., Cheyenne C., & Richard R. New York Historic Sites Alliance, Inc. (NYHSA)

• Finding values in the other team and designing a solution together based off these values • Completing a process board of divergence and convergence and a framework that allows for cooperation and communication

• Writing down unique driving question • Molding unique imaginary object that will increase funding or talent • Writing down object’s unique function

• Merging unique objects and their functions into two different team-objects and writing down their strengths • Molding new objects individually that achieve the functions of both previous objects, titling them, and writing them down

• Switching to other team and writing down values in the other team, returning to original teams, & sketching refined object that achieves needs using strongest values • Writing down different values of final object in other NFP’s and a final title of the object

“Talent & intellect for financial self-sufficiency”

“Train our volunteer base” “Years of research and experience”

Working Individually

Working in Teams

Collaborating Between Teams Note: Only color and height of circles determine prominence of cultural characteristics which are based off Positioning: Values & Cultural Climate.

Research Activities and Synthesis: Page 04

Hierarchal Culture

• Strengthening ideas and competitive edge of teams • Converging ideas between teams for preliminary prototyping of solutions to funding and talent

Organizational Structure

• Finding passionate volunteers whose talents and intellect can be combined for achieving the goal of financial selfsufficiency • Simplifying what both teams really need, other than funding or talent

Developmental Culture

Cooperative

Thinking

Co-opetitive

Doing

Competitive

research findings at-a-glance: the takeaways

Note: Includes primary and secondary research and results most related to my Research Questions and Target Audience

Umbrella Question: How might we use design thinking to transpire collaboration between competing non-profits in historic preservation?

Sub-Research Question 1: How might we describe design thinking methods and apply them towards promoting developmental cultures and innovative communications?

Sub-Research Question 2: How might we describe non-profit organizational systems and position them as a guiding framework for collaboration between competitors?

Sub-Research Question 3: How might we describe historic preservation communities and their cultural climates as they relate to design thinking and collaboration?

For Funders & Talent from Funders & Talent

For Funders & Talent from Funders & Talent

For Funders & Talent from Funders & Talent

• Find activities that require more people to come to

• ‘Walk the talk:’ model partnership and collaboration

• Be willing to provide unrestricted funds

• Help grantees find additional funders

• Be more intentional about sharing resources

For Funders & Talent from Non-profits

For Funders & Talent from Non-profits

For Funders & Talent from Non-profits

• Recognize that developing strategies, plans,

• Let the collaborating partners guide the work

• Recognize that building trust is part of the process

• Open up funder networks and serve as connections

• Provide ongoing support, not just startup funds

For Non-profits from Non-profits

For Non-profits from Non-profits

For Non-profits from Non-profits

• Establish a clear purpose with desired outcomes

• Be transparent about challenges, costs involved, and

• Explore all support funders can offer, not just grants

the table

structures, and relationships takes time

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help

expertise required

• Translate goals into language all partners can use

For Non-profits from Funders & Talent

For Non-profits from Funders & Talent

For Non-profits from Funders & Talent

• Develop a communications plan

• If you’ve gone through strategic restructuring, share

• Understand that it’s impossible to get everyone’s

• Establish an end goal with clear expectations

your experiences with other non-profits

Research Activities and Synthesis: Page 05

buy-in; at some point, you’ve got to move forward

Secondary Source: Kirchner T.A., Ford J.B. (2018) Coopetition Among Nonprofit Organizations: Strategic and Synergistic Implications of Competition and Cooperation: An Abstract.

In: Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science. Springer, Cham

design criteria for prototype: activities

Designing

Eric D. - He thinks that most formal cooperation in his organization involves artistic projects yet feels that cooperation in his community most likely involves operational activities like sharing of venues, production, and resources.

Roger R. - He thinks building collaborative relationships means communication, artistic excellence, and compatibility of missions but feels his competitors have low availability of new resources and creativity.

Marketing

Elise R. - She says that the Hudson Valley has a small market for the large number of historic preservation organizations that emerged to compete for resources but she does recognize that some contributors donate to multiple non-profits and her audiences tend to include a large proportion of ‘crossover’ attendees who attend a variety of arts events.

Eric D. - He hears innovative organizations like collaborating through special promotions related to crosspromotion, joint projects, shared ads, and inclusion in each other’s process and program books.

Operating

Funding

Roger R. - He says barriers to cooperation between organizations other than funding and talent include issues related to logistics, scheduling, and resource scarcity but he does want to emphasize the issue of trust based on prior bad experiences.

Eric D. - He says developing funds by sharing resources such as donor/ subscriber mailing lists and contact information with other organizations is rare since he does recognize that they are competing for very little donor funding.

Claire C. - She thinks cooperation that might be considered informal includes interactive sharing of talent between organizations and feels that building collaborative relationships is important.

He sees funders increasingly favoring non-profits which cooperate with each other and as a result, collaboration emerging as a trend.

Design Opportunities and Criteria, Reframing: Page 06

Elise R. - She hears her competitors expressing discomfort with the concept of competing and agreeing that competition for available money from a small pool of funders, donors, and ticket buyers is challenging.

Secondary Source: IDEO Design Thinking. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://designthinking. ideo.com/ Co-opetition

further exploration of diverse concepts

Prototype A: Adaptive Reuses

Prototype B: Educational Partnerships

viability

feasibility

functional innovation

viability

museum exhibits/ tours, service learning, internships

process innovation

desirability

co-working space, organizational collaboration system

Prototype C: Co-creative Workshops

viability

real estate development, historic preservation, interior design projects

cultural innovation

Note: Three prototypes were chosen based on top scores in Concept Development Process: PMI Analyses

technology, project and design management, community engagement

co-opetition = experience innovation through a social enterprise in adaptive reuses of historic sites into co-working spaces for local non-profits.

process innovation

cultural innovation

desirability

tour guides, interns/volunteers, contextual research, human resources

training, creative problem-solving, lateral thinking, brainstorming

feasibility

functional innovation

technology, project and design management, community engagement

co-opetition = experience innovation through a social enterprise in educational partnerships with local schools and museums.

Prototype Development and Testing: Page 07

process innovation

cultural innovation

desirability

tangible artifact, participation/ experience, facilitator/ moderator

feasibility

functional innovation

technology, project and design management, community engagement

co-opetition = experience innovation through a social enterprise in co-creative workshops for problem-solving between similar non-profits.

concept testing findings: highlights Elliana R. Adaptive Reuses: “Is there still a chance to preserve the original uses of certain sites?”

Educational Partnerships: “Education is key in encouraging innovation adoption.”

Co-creative Workshops: “Facilitate a workshop on facilitating workshops.”

Ethan D. Adaptive Reuses: “Contact Founders/Designers of CO. in Rhinebeck, NY.” Educational Partnerships: “Improve tourism aspect of combining education w/ museums.”

Co-creative Workshops: “Its great that we already have previous experience with this.”

Cheyenne C. Adaptive Reuses: ”Its exactly what this community wants and needs.”

Educational Partnerships: ”How can you partner with design or preservation programs?”

Co-creative Workshops: “Increase viability of real problems to solve.”

Richard R. Adaptive Reuses: “Improve clarity on sustainability and increase green aspect.”

Educational Partnerships: “Create virtual and interactive exhibits.”

Co-creative Workshops: “A system of the same workshops or different kinds?”

Prototype Development and Testing: Page 08

what if all three concepts were combined ‘under one roof’?

- Ethan D.

project co+design: final plan

1 2 3 4 5 6 one organization needs talent and one needs funding; both are within the historic preservation community and have similar missions.

design manager provides creative, facility, change, and project mgmt through designing, marketing, operating, and funding activities.

design manager is consulted to find a site in need of revival; organizations acquire site as an asset through crowd-funding strategies.

partnered local schools provide talent for sustainable advantage in exchange for cooperative education for their students

Final Design to Market: Page 09

organizations are guided through a co-design process using theories of co-opetition to reuse the space for co-working together.

the community facilitates and participates in co-creative workshops on crowdfunding more real estate for other local organizations.

project co+design: final prototype

Note: Visit http://colonjohn20. wixsite.com/codesign for our homepage/entry-point.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)[1]

Using Wix.com for my MVP meant creating a website for free to further test with my target audience. My website gives users the opportunity to buy a membership, rent a space, subscribe to our newsletter, interact with our blog, and create an account to connect with other members. A “talent database” for members would be a near-future addition. More importantly, it is a virtual platform for “customers” to collaborate and learn from each other. On top of every page is a fixed header which includes our tag-line, menu, social buttons, member login, and store cart. The homepage greets users with a gallery of alternating photos displaying co-creative workshops and renderings of potential spaces. While the rest of the homepage might focus on using the Frances Reese Cultural Center as the test-site for my prototypes, there is still some introduction to the process behind my conceptual development.

The “about” page focuses on the processes, including the slides used to create this book. Even though a Wix site might be a pared down version of my big idea, I hope it displays sufficient features that satisfy early adopters. Moreover, I hope to give enough value that people are willing to donate and/or use it initially; it demonstrates enough future benefit to retain early adopters; and it provides a feedback loop to guide future development. Using my MVP as a development technique might involve assumption that early adopters can see the vision or promise of the final product and provide the valuable feedback needed to guide the project forward. To avoid being wasteful, I need the right expertise to think beyond the “product” to the full offering and business model, and act on what I’ve learned. Therefore, to reach my goals, it will be important to perform further analysis on the functionality, reliability, usability, and overall design of “colonjohn20.wixsite.com/codesign” [1]: Ries, E. (2017). The lean startup: How today’s entrepreneurs use continuous innovation to create radically successful businesses. New York: Currency.

Final Design to Market: Page 10

project co+design: implementation plan Primary Stakeholders The NYHSA’s staff must come together to manage these four Key Activities that implement PROJECT CO+DESIGN’s collaborative model with its Key Partners. While role assignments are subject to change, it is important that the team is on board with the Roadmap to our initiative’s adoption which focuses on the cooperation between similar, local organizations within our community seeking funding and talent.

As Design Manager, I must oversee the creative and transformational processes, the physical spaces of our facilities, and overall execution of our projects.

Designing

Operating

Marketing

Funding

Final Design to Market: Page 11

Co-opetition Activities Once roles are understood, implementing our strategy, structure, processes, rewards, and people may begin.

The NYHSA will follow the same six-step designthinking process practiced during my Co-creative Facilitation, except from a new perspective. Each step of the Roadmap not only involves communication between Primary Stakeholders and Key Partners, but the implementation of our Co-opetition Activities between the NYHSA and it’s potential Co-workers and Co-creators of a new, developmental/entrepreneurial culture in the Hudson Valley’s Historic Preservation community.

acknowledgement A deep and heartfelt thanks to my family and friends, my professor, Bruce Claxton, my classmates and teachers at SCAD, WIT, HHS, and FLHS, and those helping shape the NYHSA as an innovative community for the Hudson Valley’s past, present, and future people. Thank you for being a source of inspiration and positive contributor to my development as a student, professional, and individual. You’ve all encouraged me to complete my degree with pride and I am motivated to repurpose what has been built and what has been learned to continuously find a more positive direction.