TALE: How to Develop a Possible Knowledge Theme? A Simple Answer
The Art of Expansion and Continuous Objectification
This morning I designed the above picture for a possible knowledge theme: Workfield.
I will use it as an example to discuss a simple strategy to develop a new knowledge theme.
The Art of Expansion
The strategy is very simple: Expansion.
It is also measurable.
In the past several years, I always used this strategy for my creative work. I started thinking about a theme, then wrote a short article about the theme, then wrote a possible book.
Eventually, I realized that there are five simple steps to kick-start a thematic journey for knowledge innovation.
- Step 1: Give it a name
- Step 2: Write a short post
- Step 3: Write a long post
- Step 4: Design a fake cover for a possible book
- Step 5: Write a possible book
From 2018 to 2022, I wrote 18 possible books. Each book has its unique themes.
There is a simple strategy behind these steps: Expansion.
Case Study: Workfield
Let’s use the possible theme “Workfield” as an example for the present discussion.
Step 1: Give it a name (Sept 24, 2022)
On Sept 24, 2022, I reshared a post about Design Thinking Workshop on Linkedin.
The post was published by Humantific:
Buying a Design Thinking Workshop?: 10 Questions to Ask:
Today in the marketplace, we see lots of folks expressing interest in building organizational innovation capacity, syncronized with the levels of complexity facing them, ending up in a “Design Thinking Workshop”. Later they recognize several disconnects. With so much hype around the subject of Design Thinking there is lots of confusion out there.
We recently wrote a book on the subject of Design Thinking and in doing so we learned a lot about what is and is not going on around this slippery subject, in the academic community, in the practice communities, in workshops, etc. In doing the book we realized that an insightful criteria framework for considering workshops is often missing so here below we are sharing one for those interested.
It inspired me to write a short note and coined the term “Workfield”.
[Activity Analysis] We Need Design Wisdom, Not Design Thinking Workshop!
Design Wisdom is the real organizational innovation capacity that doing and acting from the perspective of DESIGN mindset.
Your team can’t develop Design Wisdom by buying Design Thinking Workshop! It is a long-term process of transforming mindsets and behaviors.
You need a #Workfield, not a #Workshop!
A Workfield is a long-term creative space where your team members can try, learn, say, talk about real Developmental Projects.
How to build a Workfield?
Please apply the double-container principle!
1. Abstract Container
You need to define a primary theme and develop a set of secondary themes for exploration and collaboration.
2. Concrete Container
You need a digital platform or many tools and use them to host an environment for long-term communication and collaboration.
Don’t buy Design Thinking Workshop, start building your Workfield!
The possible theme “Workfield” is inspired by an established theme “Workshop”.
While “Workshop” refers to a short-term creative space, “Workfield” is defined as a long-term creative space. The difference between them is the temporal boundary.
Step 2: Wrote a short post (Oct 9, 2022)
On Oct 9, 2022, I wrote a short post about my independent research projects and I considered every new research project as a long-term Workfield.
Moreover, I developed a 4A model for understanding my journey of engaging with independent research projects.
- Aspirations
- Aspects
- Approaches
- Achievement
I live within the Workfield and perceive new information in the new environment. Then, I will discover Aspects of the Workfield.
Then, I will apply some related frameworks that match some aspects.
Based on the “Aspects — Approaches” fit, I will discover some Significant Insights which could lead to the “Hypothesis — Data” test.
Moreover, I use the “network of enterprise” method to manage my projects. I don’t work on one project, but a net of projects.
Step 3: Wrote a long post (Oct 12, 2022–18 min read)
On Oct 12, 2022, I wrote a long post titled The “5A” Slow Cognition Model.
I used the following five keywords to summarize my creative pattern behind the journey of Slow Cognition:
- Aspirations
- Aspects
- Approaches
- Attachances
- Achievement
The original “4A” model is expanded into the “5A” model. I also used the “Once Upon A Whiteboard” project as an example.
Step 4: Design a fake cover for a possible book (Jan 14, 2023)
Three days ago, I shared 8 knowledge themes with you.
#001 Horizontal Platform Strategy
#002 Value Circle
#003 Guiding Questions
#004 Mindset, Good and Bad
#005 Collective Mindware
#006 Applied Knowledge Curation
#007 To Learn, or To Buy
#008 Taking Opportunity
You can find more details in the following link:
I designed a picture for each theme.
Why did I do it?
I learned this trick from my journey of writing 18 possible books.
I often designed a picture to close a project or highlight a theme.
On Oct 1, 2022, I designed the picture below to close the Slow Cognition project (Phase II). I also used it for a new possible book too.
I also wrote a plan for the possible book.
Later, I didn’t write the book.
However, I wrote a new one called Creative Life Curation. The content of Creative Journey became a part of Creative Life Curation.
It’s fine to change your original plan.
Making a fake cover for a possible book is a technique of Continuous Objectification.
Objectification means turning abstract ideas into concrete things. A theme is an abstract idea, you have to do any kind of action of Objectification in order to make it real, visible, touchable, grabbable…
The Art of Expansion
The tendency of Continuous Objectification is expansion. With a possible theme, you can curate your ideas around it and turn your ideas into a meaningful whole.
You can try different mediums and different formats to represent your thoughts about the theme.
The theme gives you a focus. The medium gives you a frame. They form double containers for your thoughts.
In this way, your journey of engaging with a theme is a process of Curation. You can turn pieces of ideas into a container around a possible theme.
The above diagram shows the model of General Curation. The process requires selecting, collecting, organizing, presenting, and reflecting.
Start your journey of Knowledge Engagement with a possible theme!
Related Articles
- TALE: A New Knowledge Center
- The Thematic Engagement Toolkit (v1.0)
- Why did I coin the new term “Thematic Engagement”?
- TALE: Find 100 Thematic Curation Projects
- TALE: Find 100 People’s Life Stories and Creative Themes
- TALE: Find 100 Novel Themes and their Communities
- TALE: Start Your Journey of Knowledge Engagement with A Possible Theme
- Themes of Practice (2019–2021)
- Discover Pairs of Opposite Themes of career experience and beyond
- The Career Theme Canvas
- Project Engagement (v2.1) as an Innovation Approach
- CALL: How to Grow A Knowledge Enterprise
- Platform Genidentity: The Movements of Unfolding Uniqueness
