The top 10 Social Labs articles so far
There’s been an explosion of writing, books and reports on Social (Innovation) Labs over the last few years. Here’s my holiday reading and watching list for anyone interested in learning more about Labs.
Social Innovation Labs: Designing whole system change
The MaRS team write up on Frances Westley’s talk about the ‘love child of Design Labs and Change Labs’ — Social Innovation Labs. Read it here
Test-tube Government
Drawing together different initiatives and examples of Social Labs and the range of initiatives surrounding public sector innovation, The Economist writes about Lab practice for social progress. Read it here
The Ten Most Common Mistakes In Setting Up A Social Lab
Zaid Hassan writes about the regular mis-steps which people make when wanting to get a Lab off the ground. Read it here
How Social Innovation Labs Contribute To Transformative Change
This run down from Rockefeller Foundation aims to demystify lab practice and share how labs have contributed to transformative social change. Read it here
How We Use Experiments To Drive Insight
This article gives insights about how to practically use experiments in the Labs context — at multiple levels. Read it here
Social Labs Masterclass in Aotearoa New Zealand
This narrative from a Masterclass with Zaid Hassan in Aotearoa New Zealand is an excellent deep dive into how Labs have evolved, and where they’re heading. Read it here
Shifting the Focus from Prototyping Techniques to a Prototyping Mindset
This article explores Labs practice through the concept of prototyping, but as a mindset rather than just a technique. Read it here
Social Labs Fieldbook
The follow up for the popular ‘Social Labs Revolution’ by Zaid Hassan is still in the works, but Chapter 1 is available free. This is set to be a great practice guide to running a social lab. Get it here
Lab Practice: creating spaces for social change
This 2015 publication from Kennisland includes a PDF download of their Lab Pratice guide, which aims to share methodologies and stories from both changemakers and social lab facilitators. Get it here
Prototyping Our Future
“Social Labs for a Sustainable, Regenerative & Thriving Future” — this free book is an excellent starting point for people running labs to bolster their arsenal of tools and approaches. Get it here
Like this Social Labs reading list? We’ve got all these articles and more linked on Social Labs Aotearoa. And why not follow us on twitter?
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