Tools for Hackathons:A growing library with the basic building blocks

New ideas are essentially new compositions of already known bits and pieces

By Ola Möller at MethodKit

MethodKit with […]

Decks of cards with basic building blocks

Reoccurring bits and pieces for epic idea development sessions

By Ola Möller

After seeing loads of workshops on idea development and idea mashups we have summarized the most commonly reoccurring bits and pieces that ideas and concepts normally consist of. These decks got a different mechanics than MethodKit for […].

The idea was simple, to create a library of cards with different part that becomes ideas, allows play and make it possible to reshape ideas. The digital world have loads of advantages, but we might have forgotten the benefits of analogue space. Physical workspace have rarely developed. The blank canvas is the rule (post-its, whiteboards, flipcharts, chalkboards, notebooks). That means that workshops and meetings start from zero, every time.

In this recent post about Mashup Innovation (Hyper Island Toolbox) the process is described. The post describes how many people conduct these workshops, something I’ve seen for many years. When I worked with Project of How 2011–12 we touched on the topic writing about idea development and Combining Ideas.

Thomas Reibke, Henrik at Fantastic Studios & Ellen Sundh at Coda Collective have been great sources of inspiration in how workshops could be conducted in interesting ways.

The Libraries

Essential fragments for idea development

1. Tech components & services

A product that uses [component/sensor/api/services].

The things could be:

• Components (NFC, Bluetooth)
• Products (Apple Watch, iPhone, Speakers, Microphone)
• Sensors (Light, motion, pressure)
• Services (Facebook, Twitter)
• APIs (Facebook friends, Maps geodata, Statistics)

MethodKit with Tech Building Blocks (120 cards) released November 2014.

2. Trends

A product that docks into / uses [trend].

Trends could be:

• Micro trends, Something becoming hip that was unknown or wasn’t cool before. (Eg. Christmas present of the year). Can be seen as a temporary tendency. (Eg. Memes: Ice Bucket Challenge)
• Mega trends, Longer ongoing tendencies. (Eg. Globalisation, Religiously motivated wars, aging, urbanisation)
• Process that changes the situation for good. (Eg. Exhaustion of world’s resources)

MethodKit with Trends (100 cards) released November 2014.

3. Human needs

A product that docks into [human need].

Human needs creates discussions on what people need but foremost do you product/idea really fill a purpose in the world.

Example of Human needs:

• Primary needs (Love, belonging, food, shelter, health, water)
• Secondary needs (WiFi, pranks)

MethodKit with Human Needs (60 cards) released November 2014.

4. Locations

1. A product that would be used in/at/on [location].
2. A product that would solve common problems in [location].

Locations could be:

• Parts of the world (South-east Asia, Latin America, Rural Africa, Scandinavia)
• Countries (Brazil, China, India)
• Cities (London, Mumbai, NYC, São Paulo)
• Venues (restaurants, clubs, cafés)
• Public spaces (Parks, squares, buses, subway)
• Workplaces (Factories, offices)
• Type of location (city centre, suburb, projects, small town, countryside)

Will be released late summer 2015.

5. Future Scenarios

1. A product that would make it easy to cope with [future scenario].
2. A product making [future scenario] a reality.
3. A product existing in the world where [future scenario] is the reality.

Product ideas and concepts are not old built on what’s relevant today. Hopefully they grow into being more relevant tomorrow.

Example of Future Scenarios:

• Possible scenarios (Economic breakdown, immortal humans)
• Expected scenarios (Sea level rise, Global Pandemic)
• Doomsday scenarios (World War III, Astroid impact)
• Far fetched scenarios (Space colonies, interstellar travels)
• Desired scenarios (4 hour work week)?

Will be released later half of 2015.

6. Persons/People

1. A product for [person].
2. A product having [person] as target group.
3. A product solving [person’s] problem.

People from different places, classes, generations and life situations that makes you reconsider what’s needed in the world. These type of different personalities/people is often called Personas.

Will be released later half of 2015.

7. Materials

1. A product made of [material]

We might do one of these in the future. Meanwhile, check out Energy Trumps.

Energy Trumps by The Agency of Design (UK)

Mashup Workshop, How?

Example of pieces and fragments to be combined in an idea mashup workshop made with the cards. Red: Tech Building Blocks. Yellow: Trends. Green: Locations. Blue: Human Needs

Work in small groups (3–7 people). If you a larger group make sure to split into smaller groups. Decide which type of solution that you would like to develop. For example: An app that… or A product that…

(uses [technology] with [trend] on [location] fulfilling [human need] made of [material] made with [person] in mind.)

You could also use ending sentences like an [idea] …that solves the housing crisis or a [solution] …that makes people more healthy.

Instructions for mashup workshops

1. Put out the cards on the table (If you didn’t prepare cards/notes with building blocks already, conduct a small brainstorm around the different topics (tech/trend/human needs/personas/locations). A good idea is to use different post-it colors for the different categories).
2. Talk and discuss around the different building blocks.
3. Combine 2, 3, 4 or 5 cards. For example Technology+Trend+Location but it could also be Technology+Technology+Technology.
   Write down the idea on a postit. Do this Individual or in group.
4. Combine again (until good result is achieved or time is up).
5. Refine and enhance the ideas you already got
6. Present the best solutions from each group to the larger group.

One optional thing is to conduct parts of the workshop in silence where everyone are working by themselves mixed with doing work in the smaller groups. That allows for parallel tracks to go on at the same time.

Resources & links

- Washington Post: When Silence is Golden
- Fast Company: Brainstorming doesn’t work: try this technique instead.
- The Hyper Island Toolbox describes how a Mashup Innovation workshop could be made.
- Other decks: 60 Creativity Card Decks.

More about the kits in the bundle at methodkit.com.
Other posts from MethodKit on Medium.