Adaptive Information Design: A Framework for Decision Making in Social Innovation Labs Processes
Steve Williams, President steve@constructive.net @constructive With big thanks to Mark Tovey, University of Waterloo Evaluation, Impact Measurement and Data Visualization Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Design Strategy for Non-profits, Social Enterprises and Social Purpose Businesses
Agenda 1. Social Innovation Labs 2. Adaptive Information Design 3. A Quick Tour of 3 Techniques 4. Areas for Further Research 5. A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 60 Seconds
What are Social Innovation Labs • “Rich conceptual ground for the development of breakthrough solutions to intractable problems arising in the context of complex social and ecological system interactions.” (Westley et al., 2012) • Come out of a tradition and integration of four key areas: • group psychology and group dynamics • complex adaptive systems theory • design thinking • computer modeling and visualization tools • Should include a cross scale focus looking at landscape, regime and innovation niches, provide a whole system focus, make full use of research and integrate the best techniques from change and design labs.
Adaptive information Design Interactive Models
Infographics
System mapping
Shared understanding Value network analysis Stakeholder mapping
Games
Research
Learning Loop
Experimenting with the system
Simulations
Social network mapping
Evaluation Shared measurement Developmental evaluation
Making choices
Cost benefit analysis
Collective Decision Making
Decision Parameters • Decision process stage Robinson, et al. 2011; Knight Foundation 2012; McGonigal 2011; Bendor 2013; Westley et al. 2012
• Stakeholder • Public, policy makers, influencers, community members Innes & Booher 2010
• Engagement scale • In person lab, web application, installation (e.g. Evergreen Brickworks), community forum Dusyck 2013; Howard 2006
A Quick tour • d3.js - Javascript visualization library • Democracy 2 – an interactive policy game • Ethelo – an online public engagement and decision making tool
Something to remember
“All models are wrong but some are useful� -- George E. P. Box
Building a shared understanding
http://remittances.herokuapp.com/?en
Something More to Remember
“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.�
-- Attributed as Chinese proverb, Lakota saying and Benjamin Franklin – take your pick
Experimenting with the system: Avoiding the “failure of imagination�
http://www.positech.co.uk/democracy2/index.html
Making Choices
http://publicforums.com/ethelo
Prioritizing Issues
Choosing Advisors
Comparing Results
Further research • Effectiveness of new tools (my proposed PhD research topic J) • Impact of cultural background on tools • Tool use by audience • Modeling complex systems (non-linearity, emergence, cross-scale interactions)
References Arnstein, S. R. (1969). A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of the American Institute of planners, 35(4), 216-224. Bendor, R. (2013). New Media and the Turn to Experience in Environmental Communication. (Doctoral dissertation) Simon Fraser University. In Press. Cox, R. (2010). Environmental communication and the public sphere (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Dusyck, N. (2013) The transformative potential of participatory politics : energy planning and emergent sustainability in British Columbia, Canada. (Doctoral dissertation) University of British Columbia. Retrieved from http://circle.ubc.ca/handle/2429/44160 Haas Lyons, S. (2012). It’s complicated : exploring Facebook’s potential for deliberative public engagement on sustainability policy. (Master’s thesis) University of British Columbia. Retrieved from http://circle.ubc.ca/handle/2429/41049 Howard, P. N. (2006). New media campaigns and the managed citizen. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press. Innes, J. E., & Booher, D. E. (2010). Planning with complexity: an introduction to collaborative rationality for public policy. London & New York: Routledge Leighninger, M. (2011). Citizenship and governance in a wild, wired world: How should citizens and public managers use online tools to improve democracy? National Civic Review, 100(2), 20-29. McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change The World. Toronto: Penguin Group Canada. Robinson, J., Burch, S., Talwar, S., O'Shea, M., & Walsh, M. (2011) Envisioning sustainability: Recent progress in the use of participatory backcasting approaches for sustainability research; Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 78(5), 756-768 Rowe, G., & Frewer, L. J. (2005). A typology of public engagement mechanisms. Science, technology & human values, 30(2), 251-290. Rowe, G. & L. J. Frewer (2000). Public participation methods: A framework for evaluation. Science, Technology & Human Values 25(1), 3-29. Sheppard, S. (2012). Visualizing Climate Change. New York, NY: Routledge. Westley, F., Goebey, S. & Robinson, K. (2012) Change Lab/Design Lab for Social Innovation; a thought piece on the development of a new approach for building capacity for social innovation in Canada. Retrieved from http://sig.uwaterloo.ca/highlight/what-is-a-change-labdesign-lab
Online References d3.js • Samples • https://github.com/mbostock/d3/wiki/Gallery • Remittances example • http://remittances.herokuapp.com/?en Democracy 2 • http://www.positech.co.uk/democracy2/index.html Ethelo • http://publicforums.com/ethelo/
An Example of Sense Making: A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 60 Seconds
http://bufvc.ac.uk/shakespeare/index.php/title/av66778