BANNED
Sometimes turning your thinking on its head can be the best thing to do when trying to generate new ideas and solutions to old problems. The Banned exercise gets you to create future scenarios based on imagining a world in which a product, service, or experience no longer exists. It explores how people might adapt in this situation to generate new ideas and creative solutions.
Source: Adapted from Media Lab Amsterdam; IDEO Method Cards
What to do
- Decide on a scenario to investigate. For example, a world in which there is no treatment for pressure ulcers.
- Determine time and scope for the scenario. For example, we begin when the patient enters the hospital pressure ulcer-free.
- Identify involved parties. For example, patients, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, care aides, physicians, etc.
- Create a storyboard by drawing your scenario. How would you adapt in your new world in which there were no treatment options for pressure ulcers? Try to generate as many adaptations as possible.
- Analyze the scenario through discussion. Explore your adaptations and how they might be put into practice.
- Summarize insights. Discuss your adaptations and people’s reactions to them. Are any possible to test or implement?
Debrief
(following the activity)
- What did it feel like to imagine a world where a product, service, or experience no longer existed?
- Were you surprised by the ideas that you were able to generate?
- How could you apply this learning/experience in your work?