An approach to play.
Create an inviting, captivating, and fully sensorial experience, where participants can take the opportunity to decompress, and explore the power of observation.
Time to play.
Approach
Create an activity & inviting space where I could further develop & practice my facilitation skills, as well as provide cohort members with time to refine their observation skills and take time to decompress.
The space was set up before participants arrived, ensuring a captivating & fully sensorial experience, and that logistically everyone had the needed materials–paint, colored pencils, paper, fruit, plants, water, etc.
Solution
I created a 20 minute experience, in a beautifully laid out space, which provided participants the opportunity to explore & observe what was in front of them (fruits, plants). Each person created an art piece based on their observations and exploration of the provided materials– drawing, stamping, painting. At the end of the twenty minutes, people shared their observations as a larger group, which generated fruitful conversation about the smells, sounds, & physical feelings.
Strengthening my practice
There’s significance in crafting environments where exploration is naturally encouraged, & enables participants to focus on refining their observation & pattern finding skills. The power of observation is crucial to my design practice, so I wanted to provide other fellow social designers and community builders the opportunity to further develop those skills in a highly sensorial environment.
