Mission Impossible
In this exercise, participants take an existing design, process, or idea and change one foundational aspect that makes it “impossible” in function or feasibility. For example: “How do we build a house…in a day?”
Goal
To generate new ideas by challenging fundamental aspects
Materials
Instructions
Preparation
To set up the exercise, develop a question in advance that engages both the emotional and the rational parts of the brain.
Flow
1. Write this question for the group and explain the challenge.
2. For the next 30 minutes, working in pairs or small teams, the groups develop approaches to accomplishing the “impossible.” They may consider these broad questions or develop a set that is more specific to the challenge:
- What new benefits or features might emerge from this constraint?
- Why is this a typical constraint or requirement? Is it just a customary assumption?
- What are the core elements in conflict?
- Can the conflicting elements be eliminated, replaced, or altered in some way?
- Is there anything that can happen before or after to change the parts in conflict?
- Can time, space, materials, motion, or the environment have an effect?
3. At the end of the 30 minutes, groups present their concepts to each other. Following this, a reflective discussion about both common and uncommon approaches should yield a list of possible solutions to be explored further. Closing and next steps should include this follow-up work.
Background
The Mission Impossible game is credited to James Macanufo.
Source: Gamestorming
Author
Gamestorming is a set of co-creation tools used by innovators around the world. Think back to the last time you played a game. What was the game? Why did you choose to play? Was it a simple game like tic-tac-toe, or something more complex, like Monopoly, Scrabble or Chess? Or maybe it was a game of basketball? Did you play with friends? With family? Try to recapture the feeling you had as you played the game. How did it feel? Would you like to have more of that feeling at work? Games come naturally to human beings. Playing a game is a way of exploring the world, a form of structured play, a natural learning activity that’s deeply tied to growth. Games can be fun and entertaining, but games can have practical benefits too. These games are designed to help you get more innovative, creative results in your work. We’ll show you not only how to play them but how to design them so they fit your own specific work goals.
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