Stakeholder workshop
I designed and supported a workshop with representatives from two large electrical/trade organisations. This helped to define the opportunities within the sector and the expectations that would become design principles.
Synthesis
During the workshop, I had to adapt the workshop materials to help focus the session. A vision statement template helped get everyone on the same page and thinking about the target user of a future Meister qualification.
Concept generation
The vision statement and design principles that followed allowed me to create a range of qualification structures. These will be used as discussion tools during user engagement, to gather feedback and challenging our insights so far.
Successes
I was able to practice flexible facilitation, adapting the planned materials during the workshop to suit the attendees and attitudes in the session.
Jumping ahead to agree on a vision statement created a shared understanding that was missing at the start. There was a tangible difference in the quality of conversation and focus of the group.
I now look at the service design "toolbox" differently, aware that activities traditionally used later in the design process may help during early conversations.
Lessons learnt
This project was my first experience with external stakeholder co-design. I assumed the neutral role my service design team played in the project would allow for easier and more open discussion about opportunities in the electrical industry, but there were guarded reactions to some of the workshop activities.
Initial engagement would have been more productive if I had considered the possibility of defensive behaviour, but further stakeholder engagement was designed with this in mind.