Designing
Conversations
How might we design conversations that inspire internal reflection?
AGENCY
Partnership with NYU
ROLE
Facilitator
LOCATION
New York
The Facilitators
In communities ranging from big corporate organizations to small religious groups, people want to make a change, but aren't sure about how to achieve that at a bigger level.
We help catalyze this transformation process.
Elana Wolpert and I, facilitate conversations on diversity and inclusiveness, that give people a space to reflect on their own actions and ideate on actionable steps.
Our Process
Our first step in working with a community is to understand it's needs and current state/culture. We then try to identify a preferred state and the motivations of the community partner to hold a conversation. Each conversation's goal therefore varies with the community's needs.
These conversations are often about uncomfortable or sensitive topics, and hence, need design. Our primary purpose is to make these difficult conversations constructive between people with diverse identities and opinions. Therefore, Elana and I spend a lot of time planning the right flow and minute details for each session.
Facilitators
Community
We brainstorm with our community partners to identify topics most relevant to them
We co-create the flow of the session with the partners by getting their feedback on the facilitation guide
We facilitate the conversation with the community and get extensive feedback to improve our practice.
COMMUNITY
TOPIC
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
DATE
Clay Space
Peoples needs as a creator and as a part of the community
10
November, 2018
Muslim Graduate student group and various interfaith communities
Identity: Who We Are and What We Choose
22
April, 2019
NYU Dental Community
Exploring the Self and Others in Daily Dental Life
8
Oct, 2019
Muslim Graduate student group and various interfaith communities
Otherness
40
Nov, 2019
Our Work
Here is a sample of our work. The facilitation guide is a key for us; we spend a lot of time planning every minute of a conversation with sufficient back-up plans. Given the complex nature of these conversations, we often use storytelling and co-creation tools to get people talking. Email me if you want to hold a conversation in your community, or if you want us to come and facilitate one for you!
