Storytelling
“The word storytelling immediately evokes the past: ‘Once upon a time’ is after all how traditional childhood stories (used to) begin. But for a story to become inspirational it’s got not only to be deeply rooted but also to connect with what we can do now to reach a better future.”
Whether it be related to portraying our target market, promoting myself to classmates in speed-dating, or attempting to sell my shoes to the class, the theme of storytelling has reoccurred throughout the programme.
“My shoe had one thing that my classmates didn’t, a bit of a story behind it. It turned out that out of about 10 shoes, mine was the one which the class remembered the easiest, purely because it had stood out. I suppose this just goes to show that as an organisation, or a designer, you could be trying to sell the most incredible product in the world, but if it doesn’t stand out from the crowd in any way which the audience will actually identify or sympathise with, and remember, you won’t get too far. Horray for the crappy pump!”
‘Horray for the Crappy Pump’ – 19th September 2009.
Stories spark our imagination and connect with us on an emotional level, which is what make them so powerful, and essential for a business. Emotion can often override reason, and people are attracted to brands that appeal to their attitudes and make them feel good about having a relationship with them – feelings that can be aroused by telling a great story.
In relation to Temptation, it was exactly this which helped our business to grow – by sympathising with our target audience, and through the creation of our three personas, we were able to form a deeper connection with our users.
“It was nice playing around with Megs, Jonny and Bing again, and I’m really pleased that we developed such strong personas early in the business which are still interesting and relevant now.”
‘Back to My (Grass) Roots’ – 4th March 2010
“Inspiration starts with Empathy (as the last few weeks have shown!) – cognitive/emotional/physical – it’s really about understanding the audience’s needs on ALL levels.”
‘Once Upon a Time…’ – October 26th 2009.
This really is a theme which can be applied to almost anything – designing a website, writing an essay or answering questions in a job interview. Acknowledging the attributes which are required in a certain situation, and being able to tailor them in a memorable way which will stand out from the crowd is surely a skill which can benefit any situation.
Uniqueness, and Pre-Conceived Ideas
“We were asked to decide whether the skills we could bring to a business group were mainly Design, Technology, or Business based. Being a former Fine Art student, and having always thought of myself as an artist, I immediately went for the pink post it note, which symbolised a designer. However, when writing down my list of skills and experience, I quickly realised that I actually had more skills and traits associated with the technology side of things. It may sound obvious, but ‘branding’ myself in this way, actually made it easier in my head to focus on my strong points, and to realise where my weaknesses or lack of experience may lie.”
‘Circles+ Post-Its + Random Facts = Differentiation’ - 27th September 2009.
Having rebranded myself as the ‘techie’ of our business team, I found it easier to focus upon the areas of the business which were in most need of my input.
In a similar way, the development of Temptation became easier as soon as we had defined ourselves as ‘Kingston’s ONLY Student Food Magazine’. Our business developed drastically from the idea of a printed magazine to a free online magazine, and then to an events service only once we had discarded our pre-conceived ideas for the business.
“When it comes to design, and ideas, it is evident than we will have to learn to sever our thoughts from the obvious, or the easy, and from any pre-conceived ideas we may have, in order to produce a truly individual result. To be unique, alot of the time you also have to be very specific. It is not just enough to say “I have a goldfish”, you have to go into more detail: “I have a goldfish, called Nemo, who is 7 years old.” In a way, what we learned this week is similar to the shoe experiments of last week, where the stories with the most detail, or which create the most empathy are those which are the most successful.”
‘Circles+ Post-Its + Random Facts = Differentiation’ - 27th September 2009.
“As normal limits are removed, and pre-conceived ideas of a successful (or familiar) solution are abandoned, innovation can truly take place.”
‘Minty-Fresh Innovation’ - 5th October 2009.
Prototyping
“The importance of prototyping – it doesn’t have to be physical, but it must be tangible (i.e. if you’re generating a prototype for a service rather than a product). ‘Dirty’ prototyping – using whichever materials/resources/objects are to hand in order to experiment and develop the product.”
‘Once Upon a Time…’ – 6th October 2009.
An increased awareness of the importance of prototyping has definitely allowed me to expand my creative process. The shift from quality to quantity in terms of idea generation was initially hard for me to understand – partially due to my nature as an individual with very specific ideas and standards for my work. During the initial start-up of the business, I spent alot of time working on the design of the magazine in terms of layout and branding, and soon discovered that methods of prototyping which resulted in a large amount of rough, or unfinished ideas was of greater use that a smaller number of almost-perfect designs. It was easier to get feedback, manage time in a more efficient way, and portray my ideas to the rest of the group.
“Go for volume. Getting to 100 ideas is better than 10, no matter what you initially think about the “quality”. Try setting a goal for the number of ideas you’ll get to in a certain amount of time to provide some stoke.”
Outside of Temptation, this method of ‘dirty’ prototyping has already begun to assist my design process. When designing my personal website – an online curriculum vitae, I was able to put these methods into practice – spending my time effectively, generating a high volume of ideas which I could then hone to something more tangible.
“The concept of ‘New vs Right’ – how the idea of innovation affects the development of a design as time passes, the number of prototypes/products which are generated against the project time.”
‘Once Upon a Time…’ – 6th October 2009
Teamwork
One aspect of the experience of running Temptation which I know will be of future use, is learning how to function well within an interdisciplinary team.
“I think it is this combination of disciplines, characters and experiences which are so far helping to keep our business on track, and I think that further down the line, our differences will only bring more diversity to the way in which we solve problems and innovate through our business.”
‘There’s No ‘I’ in Team (But There is in ‘Silly’)’ - 22nd October 2009
In teams such as our business, a creative synergy is produced, resulting in the generation of ideas that members could not have bring about individually. Working within interdisciplinary groups make us more likely to utilise the ideas presented by others, which, in turn, may stimulate individuals to generate new associations in areas they did not previously consider. This allows us to build on others’ contributions, or to combine others’ ideas with ideas of our own, for the benefit of the business.
Working within a team which provides experience and enthusiasm within different areas the running of a business is not only valuable in terms of applying previous knowledge. It also allows for cross-pollination of ideas, values and expectations which have the potential to lead to an entirely new idea. Through being a part of Temptation, I have gained experience of working within these situations, encouraging me to be flexible, and to not only explore new ideas, but the manner in which they are discovered.
Failing Early, Failing Often, Then Transforming our ‘Failures’
Innovation requires the de-stigmatisation of ‘mistakes’ and ‘failures’, celebrating them as steps towards innovation. Failing early, and failing often seems a good approach in order to achieve success sooner.
In a similar way to the success of our mass-prototyping sessions, by recognising flaws in our plans at an early stage, we were able to refine, and transform our business through a series of outputs – eventually reaching the point where we were able to convert Temptation into a service and commodity as opposed to a product.
A New Perspective
“This week, we focused on creativity – how to optimise our creativity as an individual and within a team situation, how to think about design problems/possibilities in new ways, and how to encourage creativity within others. By re-thinking the attributes an object possesses, it becomes easier to re-think its design. By evaluating which characteristics are essential for the object to function, it becomes easier to see which characteristics can be re-designed, where there is space for originality and new design thinking.”
‘Bellybuttons, Spectacles, Cherries and a Leopard-Print Piercing Gun… Welcome to MACE 2010’ – 21st January 2010.
I have also learnt that generating a successful idea can sometimes be as easy as dismissing what you think you know. More simply put – experiments rarely tell us what we think they’re going to tell us.
“I think it has become clear that in order to improve my own, and our teams creative potential, we must open up our minds to the potential of the unknown or unexpected, start thinking about things in different ways (often in reverse) and to analyse the basics of a product, service or situation, so that we can see the areas which can be changed.”
‘Bellybuttons, Spectacles, Cherries and a Leopard-Print Piercing Gun… Welcome to MACE 2010’ – 21st January 2010.
Feeling Safe
In ‘The Illusion of Leadership – Directing Creativity in Business and the Arts’, Piers Ibbotson explores the idea of ‘The Three Fears’ – being wrong, being rude, and seeming mad, and how these fears must be overcome in order for innovation to take place within an organisation such as our business team. The psychologist Amy Edmondson expands upon this theory:
“In psychologically safe environments, people believe that if they made a mistake others will not penalise of think less of them for it. They also believe that others will not resent or penalise them for asking for help, information or feedback. This belief also fosters the confidence to take risks and thereby to gain from the associated benefits of learning.”
When working within a team environment, particularly with people who you may initially have difficulties identifying with, can initially be an intimidating environment – particularly when the nature of the project involves a large amount of very personal, and subjective input from very different individuals. Generating an environment within a team which fosters inhibition in terms of idea generation and expression allowed our team to build on each others ideas in a practical and innovative way, and at the same time allowed us to reject the less popular ideas without fear of offending or upsetting our fellow team members.
“In a class so full of knowledgeable and experienced people, I sometimes do have the fears of being wrong, and seeming mad! It was great to go through all the things which have been ticking over in my mind for the past few months, and it was especially useful since my main project within the team recently has been to get our website up and running”.
‘The King and I’ – 11th February 2010.
Details, Details
Due in part to my previous studies, I consider myself to be very detail oriented, which was a characteristic I feel benefitted our team, and business as a whole. However, working within the boundaries set out by a group of people, as opposed to my personal specifications was something I had never really experienced before.
“We all dressed the same, simply, in black trousers/skirt and a white shirt (plus apron to match our food-y theme), and it created a professional, yet approachable and neat appearance to our stall and our team as a whole. DO try hard. Some people may have thought the trade fair was lame, and some people didn’t show up at all, but that extra bit of effort bagged our team a snazzy certificate and £50 prize money, as well as about £20 profit through the sale of goodie bags – a definite bonus!”
‘Dear MACErs of the Future…’ – 3rd February 2010.
I had to learn very quickly that, due to the visual nature of my responsibilities, the work which I was producing represented the group as a whole, not only myself. On several occasions I was solely responsible for a particular area of the project, something which I initially found very intimidating, but grew used to due to the supporting nature, and mutual trust and respect between all of the members of our team.
“We know that we have a dedicated time each week in which to focus purely on the business, while heaving each other at hand to ask for opinions and help.”
‘The King and I’ – 11th February 2010.
Losing Motivation
There were definitely periods throughout the programme – most noticeably in the weeks after the Christmas vacation, that our team seemed to lose motivation and focus.
“Having felt that out team had somewhat lost it’s ‘Mojo’, I had been feeling frustrated that we were not using our team meetings effectively, that we were focusing too much of our attentions on other modules within our specialisms, and that we did to much talking not enough do-ing! After a good team chat and meeting, we went our separate ways and decided to spend our time getting things done rather than just discussing them!”
‘The King and I’ – 11th February 2010
On several occasions, we had to be fairly honest with each other, and ourselves, in order to recognise the areas of our business which needed more input at certain times throughout the business.
“This week, we are meeting as a team, having prepared a list of issues with the business which we may want to address, things we want to achieve, and how we are going to do this. I think this will be a great way to continue our newly-found momentum, so that we can continue to get the results, and the satisfaction which we deserve.”
‘Living the LUSH Life’ – 19th February 2010.
Working within a team which did not have a hierarchy was also something I did not have much experience of before beginning the programme – in many ways it is nice to have an individual to ask questions of, to seek assurance and praise from, who can set you back on the right track if you wander far from it.
“In the past few weeks we have a had a few problems with morale and motivation, I think due to the fact that we haven’t had a singular leader within the group to keep us going, someone to be encouraging and tough in equal measures. However, we have had a couple of great team meetings now, complete with a bit of banter, a bit of tension, but more importantly, honesty. It’s hard having those kind of meetings, especially when the people you’re addressing are 3 of your best friends. I think we have all realised how little time we have left before we have to close our business, and how much we still want to achieve before the end of April.”
‘My 3 Best Friends – Bing, Jonny and Megs’ – 25th February 2010.
The Fun Theory
“My favourite parts of the course so far have been when we all just let go of our sensible sides, bounced creative ideas between us, and allowed the fun of our business and team ethos to shine through. So watch this space!”
‘My 3 Best Friends – Bing, Jonny and Megs’ – 25th February 2010.
“Since Neil emphasised how much fun he wanted us to have with the brief, we did what we do best – we went a bit mental. However, the Dragons seemed to like our craziness as we won the prize for best presentation of an idea for the second week running! I’m really enjoying these apprentice challenges – I think it’s a great way for us to actually practice the skills which we are no doubt going to have to use in the future, and I feel that my confidence at presenting my ideas is growing weekly.”
‘The MACErs Apprentice’ – 11th March 2010
The idea of the ‘fun theory’ – an initiative of Volkswagen – is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better.
This has been very true in terms of our business team, but also with reference to our relationship with our target market and consumers.
“While discussing branding, brand image, our favourite brands etc, I thought back to the time I worked at LUSH (natural cosmetics company). I LOVED working there, and people often said that my enthusiasm for the products and the brand ethics were infectious. You can tell which brands and businesses treat their staff well… my three favourite brands… like LUSH, Apple or Benefit: everyone is always smiling, in a genuine, friendly, rather than an ‘I’m going to stab you if you don’t buy this bath bomb’ way. People who love their job make it easier to sell their product, their service, the lifestyle on offer, to anyone.”
‘Living the LUSH Life’ – 19th February 2010.
In the article Fun Gets The Team Working Smarter, Peter Bartram explores the fun theory with reference to business teams:
‘Two plus two can equal five and not four when you discover how to fuse the intellectual and emotional qualities of the people in your team. Many people take their brains into the office but leave their feelings in the carpark. If you can get your team members to combine their intellect with their passions, they will deliver much more. And the secret? Make work fun.’
The feedback we have received from tutors, ‘dragons’, peers and customers is that as a team, we look like we love what we do – which was definitely the case. We were lucky in many ways, we formed a strong bond as business partners, and friends very early on in the programme, and were able to continue this throughout the running of the business.
As explored previously in this assignment, there were points during the year when we were presented with difficulties, but I feel that we were able to work through these as a team, applying our individual skills and behaviours to the business to generate a new way to solve the problems which arose.
The Future
Currently, I am unsure of what exactly the future holds for me. Career paths which I had dismissed in the past as being ‘too business-y’ now seem more tangible. Although I may considerer setting up my own business venture at some point, I know now that I work well within a small team environment, and that I don’t have to hide behind other team members when I am unsure of myself.
Having experienced a team environment where my ideas are always at least considered, no matter how unfeasible or ridiculous they may seem initially, has taught me how important it is to have confidence in my thoughts, and how beneficial it is be to work in an environment where team members do not fear the possibility of having their ideas immediately rejected or ridiculed.
Through gaining practical experience in giving presentations, pitching business ideas to peers, dragons and industry professionals, I have realised that I am capable of portraying my thoughts in a comprehensive and reasoned manner, especially when the topic is something which I am truly passionate about.
I have also learnt alot about myself, from the perspective of others who I work with. Sometimes it’s easy to blame others, especially when there is an equal hierarchy within the group, and through the running of the business I have learnt that sometimes it is helpful to remove myself from the situation, take a new perspective, and continue on a new path, even if it is not the route I had initially imagined. I have also discovered the importance of risk-taking, removing myself from my pre-conceived ideas in order to transform the eventual outcome.
As my MA draws to a close, and I am beginning to apply for jobs and attend interviews, I feel that it is not necessarily that case that I have learnt an entirely new set of skills. I think it is more accurate to say that the attributes and behaviours which I now feel able to offer a potential investor or employer have been nurtured and developed by the process of running Temptation.
In a similar way to the manner in which I initially classed myself as a designer, then discovered I was more of a ‘techie’, I feel that through the experience of setting up, running, and closing down of our business, I have now re-branded myself as a creative entrepreneur.
Bibliography
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11 Bartram, P., 2008. Fun Gets the Team Working Smarter, Computer Weekly, 02/05/2008, p.22.
