Creating the Perfect Carry- All
Kate
MikeGoal
The Carry-All Activity offers participants a fully immersive experience that takes them through the design thinking process within a condensed time frame. This activity provides instructors with the chance to highlight the core principles of human-centered design, a proactive approach, and a culture of continuous improvement and rapid prototyping. Instead of attempting to cover the complete range of methods and activities associated with the term "design thinking," this activity focuses on an introductory experiential approach that includes all 5 phases of design thinking.
For this activity, carry-all is defined as anything a participant uses to carry their most important items. It can be a wallet, purse, medicine bag, fanny pack, backpack, lanyard, bead bag, etc…
The facilitator’s guide and the participant worksheet both call this the wallet exercise, but you do not need to be bound by wallets or even by carry-alls. It’s important that the prototype participants work on resonates with them and their needs - it can be anything that is common and familiar to all of the learners (i.e. gloves and mittens, a bag or purse, shoes, a hoodie or parka, etc…)
Adapt the materials and language as needed based on the object that you choose for this activity.
It is important to note that this activity works really well for illustrating design thinking of products. It is a less relevant activity for demonstrating design thinking of services.
Attachments
Materials
Instructions
Opening Activity (Optional)
This is an activity that can be added onto the Carry-All activity, as an opener to set the stage for what is to come.
Show & Tell: Carry-All Edition
Start by showing your own carry-all
What is the purpose of your carry-all?
What is in it?
How do you decide what stays and what goes?
What is it made of?
Where did you get it?
Invite participants to show their carry-Alls. Use the above questions to encourage a show and tell collaborative atmosphere.
Highlight the different types of carry-alls, broad spectrum of options out there that exist, and individual preferences that drive what people use, how and why. Comment on:
The variety of textiles used
The array of objects found within the carry-all
The various purposes people have to use one
The different functions of each carry-all as a whole, and/or individual functions within the carry-all itself (i.e. a type of pocket or attachment that serves a specific purpose)
Conclusion to share with the group:
All carry-alls are intended to serve the same function, but they all vary a bit, and have different features/uses that are unique to each.
Carry- All Activity
See the Facilitators Guide and Participant Worksheet for instructions on leading this activity.
Closing Activities (Optional)
These activities are recommended once you have completed the entire Carry All activity.
Pitch Your Carry-All
Give an example of a pitch, using your carry-all. Some questions you can use include:
Questions to Guide the Pitch
What did you learn about your partner?
What problem were you trying to solve?
What did you come up with as a design and why?
What are the specific features of your carry-All that address this problem?
Why is your carry-all great?
Give participants a few minutes to think about how they would answer the following questions about their carry-all.
Invite participants to take 1 minute to pitch their carry-all to the rest of the group
This is their chance to share what they learned about their partner, what they made, why, what problem it was trying to solve and how they incorporated that into their design.
Group Voting
Have the group vote on the best pitch, and also the best design (they may not necessarily be one and the same).
Virtual Ways to Vote: Can use dot voting on Miro, raised hand feature, slido poll, poll everywhere
In Person Ways to Vote: Raised hands, anonymous voting by paper ballot for in person cohorts, dot voting on prototypes (have group walk around and place their ballot on the prototype they choose)
Prizes can be awarded for each if planned in advance.
Background
Preparation
Read through this entire activity document
Read through the entire Carry-All Activity Facilitator’s Guide (also known as the Wallet Exercise)
Compile materials required for the activity
For both in person and virtual cohorts, participants need access to a diversity of materials but not all the materials that are on the list.
For virtual groups, determining how you’ll ensure participants have access to materials for this activity is an important part of the advanced planning. This can involve asking participants to come to the activity with materials they already have on hand at home, mailing materials to them in advance, or providing them with a small amount of funds to purchase materials in their own communities.
Make any adaptations to the activity as needed.
Adaptation 1: Have learners generate their own list of products and services that they would want to focus the design activity around. Then they can group/partner based on similar interests so the interview/feedback steps would be more useful/relevant.
Adaptation 2: Have learners design a logo for their partner's business. Note: This adaptation requires that ALL learners have a far enough along business idea to have a vision for a logo.
Learners could use Canva or drawing/painting/using art materials to create the logo by hand.
Technology Considerations
For virtual cohorts, a virtual meeting space tool (like Zoom, Google meet) is required.
Use a virtual collaboration tool like Miro or Google Jamboard (If using Meet) to create carry-all activity worksheets for participants, as well as the ability to group vote.
A template can be found in the SEW team miro account.
The template can also be accessed by this link.
If using the link, ensure you make a copy for your own group.
Provide clear instructions on how to use the virtual tools and engage in the activity effectively.
Ensure a stable internet connection and familiarize yourself with the chosen virtual platform before the session.
Additional Context
Accessibility: Consider any accessibility requirements of the participants, to ensure everyone can fully engage in the activity, such as:
physical disabilities
language barriers
materials in accessible formats
Ethical Considerations: Discuss the importance of ethical considerations during the activity. Remind participants:
to respect intellectual property rights
avoid appropriating cultural symbols or designs.
to focus on positive solutions that align with ethical guidelines and cultural sensitivity.
Safety and Privacy: Emphasize the importance of maintaining a safe and inclusive space during the activity. Encourage participants to share only what they feel comfortable sharing and respect the privacy of others. Establish guidelines for respectful communication and active listening throughout the activity.
Emotional Well-being: Acknowledge that the activity may evoke personal stories or experiences related to wallets, money, or personal belongings. Create a supportive and non-judgmental environment, and be prepared to provide resources or support if participants express emotional distress during the activity.
Iteration and Failure: Emphasize the iterative nature of the design thinking process and the value of learning from mistakes and failures. Encourage participants to embrace experimentation and not be discouraged by setbacks. Foster a growth mindset and remind participants that the goal is learning and improvement rather than perfection.
Tips for Localization
This activity was formerly called the “Wallet Activity” but it was noted that a wallet isn’t necessarily a personal item that everyone resonates withs.
The language has now changed to carry-all, allowing participants to design some kind of carrying device for their partner that is more reflective of their partner’s needs and wants. This can be any personal item that is used to carry anything at all. If the participant is an aspiring chef, it could be a device for carrying knives. If they’re a beader, it could be for carrying beading supplies. If they’re a student, a backpack. The options are endless. This is one of the primary ways this activity can be customized and localized to the learners in your session.
In reality, this activity can be modified to any number of items that would resonate with all learners. One cohort piloted using mittens and gloves as their design thinking item. The most important piece is to choose something that will resonate with the learners that you know best.
Incorporating Local Examples: Modify the activity by including examples of common local carry-alls that participants can draw inspiration from. Encourage participants to consider local materials (in their ideal, rather than their prototype), craftsmanship, or cultural symbols when brainstorming ideas for their design.
Reflect Local Cultural Values: Incorporate cultural values and traditions into the discussion. Encourage participants to consider how their carry-alls reflect their cultural identity or the values they hold dear. Prompt discussions on how their design can align with cultural aesthetics, symbolism, or sustainable practices.
Showcase Local Craftspeople or Artisans: Show examples of carry-alls from the geographical region, made by local craftspeople, artisans, or designers who specialize in carry-all type related crafts. Consider inviting a local artisan as a guest speaker to share their expertise, provide insights into local crafting techniques, or even conduct a hands-on workshop for participants to create prototype carry-alls using traditional methods.
Remember, the goal of localizing the activity is to make it more meaningful, relatable, and culturally sensitive to the participants' context. By incorporating local elements, values, and perspectives, you can create a more engaging and relevant experience that resonates with the participants' cultural identities.
Adaptation Idea: Where time permits, consider having learners design something specifically for the community. This would involve more prep work, and would require spreading this activity over a few days.
Learners could do interviews to see what the community needs, then do a group design project, and then bring it back to their community to get feedback.
Reflection & Discussion Questions
The key to leading this conversation is to relate the activity to the big takeaways you want to illustrate, which is that it showcases design thinking and elements specific to design thinking.
If you’re spreading the Carry-All activity across multiple sessions, you can utilize the first 6 questions listed below to close out the first session, assuming you’ve completed both the empathize and define stages of the activity.
What part of the carry-all exercise did you like the most so far?
What was the hardest part?
How did it feel to have someone empathize and listen to you as you shared your needs, goals and wishes?
How did you narrow down your observations and insights to create a problem statement?
What assumptions did you have to challenge during this phase?
What were some of the initial ideas that came to mind when you started brainstorming solutions?
Ask participants:
“Who had a partner who created something that you really like?”
“Who sees something they are curious to learn more about?”
When a student is curious about a prototype, ask for the person who created the prototype and engage them in the conversation:
“How did talking to your partner inform your design?”
“How did testing and getting feedback impact your final design?”
“What was the most challenging part of the process for you?”
What challenges did you face when creating a prototype?
How did you decide what features to include or exclude from your prototype?
How did the carry-all exercise help you to think differently about the design process?
What skills did you develop during this exercise that could be applied to other design challenges?
Comments (0)