Gamestorming: A playbook for innovators, rulebreakers, and changemakers

by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, James Macanufo

Presented by Bethany Huseman

About the Authors

Dave Gray: founder of XPLANE, a consulting and design firm that focuses on information-driven communications

Sunni Brown: owns BrightSpot I.D. “We work with clients using visuals that go straight to the brain”1

James Macanufo: a consultant at XPLANE

21. http://sunnibrown.com/about/

Why Gamestorming matters

Generate creativity

Solve problems through play

Increase the productivity of groups

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Main goals of the games

Introduce people to each otherBrainstorm ideasExplore ideasPick solutions

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What I plan to cover

What is a game?

Details about artifacts and goals

Four main steps of gamestorming

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What is a Game?

Gamespace: Alternate worldBoundaries: A beginning and an endRules for interactionArtifacts: Items to hold ideas and

track progressGoal: How to know the game is over

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Ways to Organize Artifacts

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And Yet Another Way

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Fuzzy Goals

In information work, goals should be fuzzy

Give a sense of direction and purpose

Three characteristics of a good fuzzy goal◦Something players are passionate

about◦More tangible◦Progressive

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Four Stages for Gamestorming

PrepareOpen the gameExploreClose the game

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Prepare: the 7 P’s

Purpose: Why do this?Product: What task or result will be

achieved?People: Who needs to be there?Process: What is the agenda?Pitfalls: What could go wrong?Prep: Things that need to be done

in advancePractical concerns: Where, when

and food? 11

Open the GameExplain rulesIntroduce players to each otherGenerate and develop themes,

ideas and details

Do not criticize or be skeptical in this stage

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Exploring

Create conditions that will allow new things to emerge

Look for patternsTry to see things in new waysBuild and test

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Closing

Critique and selectWhat is important?What can be done?What is the priority?Close everything that you opened

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Now What?

Do gamestorming oftenBecome familiar with the gamesTry new things regularly

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Questions?

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Credits All content and ideas came from Gray, D., Brown, S., &

Mancanufo, J. (2010) Gamestorming : a playbook for innovators, rulebreakers, and changemakers. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly.

Fuzzy goal, opening, exploring, and closing illustrations are copied from those done by the authors.

Illustrations for ways to arrange the information came from p. 33-39 of Gray, D., Brown, S., & Mancanufo, J. (2010) Gamestorming : a playbook for innovators, rulebreakers, and changemakers. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly.

Company blurbs of the author’s businesses came from the book, and from S. Brown’s website http://sunnibrown.com/about/ viewed April. 6, 2011.

Many of the questions were verbatim from the book. Questions image from ClipArt

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