Ever spend an hour in a meeting that gave you absolutely no value? Well, when we work together you can expect the opposite. We ‘ve spent years fine-tuning our process so it’s not only deeply engaging but 100% valuable to your organization's goals.
You can be sure that our approach will be customized to your project, but here’s a taste of what you can expect when working with us:
EVERY PARTNERSHIP BEGINS WITH TRUST
We start with an informal chat so you can learn about us while we learn about you. If you are in Washington, DC you are welcome to visit our studio. Coffee included.
HOW THIS LOOKS IN ACTION
During this time, we’ll determine if our team is a good fit for your needs and work to get you the perfect proposal within your scope and budget. We will also assemble a uniquely qualified project team from our network of 20+ consultants across 5 continents.
WE START BY LISTENING
One of our first steps is to talk to the project's stakeholders. We work hand in hand with you to understand your needs and to ensure what we will create will be valuable to you.
HOW THIS LOOKS IN ACTION
For example, we might run a workshop with your team to align on project goals, we might playfully collaborate on a theory of change exercise, we might invent a board game to ensure your team shares their hopes and fears about the project.
WE LOOK FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY OPPORTUNITIES
We use a variety of methods to learn, analyze and synthesize information. Although we follow a familiar human-centered design approach, we customize the journey for each client and use tools from various disciplines.
HOW THIS LOOKS IN ACTION
For example, we might conduct a behavioral mapping in addition to interviews and observations for a discovery phase, or we might conduct a strategic forecast, an estimated cost analysis to see if the product would scale, or we might go straight to prototype and use embedded assessments to gather qualitative data.
IDEATION IS DYNAMIC
When we play a game our world is in flux; the experience is defined by elements such as the space we are in, the other players who are there, how we interpret the rules to form a strategy as to what to do next. As a result every round has a different outcome based on how these elements co-exist. This notion of play as a dynamic, iterative experience is what makes games so engaging and unique.
HOW THIS LOOKS IN ACTION
Just like play we consider the process of coming up with ideas a dynamic one. We prototype early and often, iterate as we go and constantly play test solutions with the humans who will use them. We find this approach especially helpful when designing for impact and creating interactions people want to use again and again.