Why is there so little music in the world of design?
Design
Thinking methods often use drawing and theater, but it seems we have barely
scratched the surface when it comes to music. Our toolbox is filled arts-based
methods:
- we draw pictures of emotions to help us empathize with users
- we sketch storyboards to prototype new experiences
- we act out the current experience to identify new opportunities
- we create skits to rapidly prototype the future.
But too often our design sessions are devoid of one the
most powerful forms of creative expression.
In this essay, I'm asking the question, "How might we
use music to support design thinking?"
I'll lay out 10 possibilities, some
of which I've tried and some that are just rough ideas. I would love it if you
would comment on any of these you've used yourself, how it's going, and any
advice you have for other practitioners. Even better, share new methods not on
my short list here. In future blogs, I'll try spelling out each method in a
little more detail.
Some of these methods require some musical skills, but most
don't. We are constantly telling people they don't need to know how to draw in
order to create a concept poster or storyboard or prototype. The same is true
with music.
So here goes, in no particular order:
Musical Provocations
Play different musical provocations, and for each one,
participants design a different experience. This is similar to the exercise,
"if we were Nike, Apple, Ford, what would we do?" Imagine a group
trying to design a new in-store retail experience. First play, the
"Rocky" theme and ask participants to describe the in-store
experience that matches the music. Then play, "Hello, Dolly" and have
them describe an in-store experience that matches this. Now play the Beatles'
"Michelle" and have them describe a third in-store experience.
The Sound of Our Strategy
"What does our strategy (or future product or experience)
sound like?" Have participants design concept posters to show the
strategy, and include on the poster the title of the theme song that conveys
the spirit of the strategy. Then, when each poster is introduced, play the
theme song.
Drum Circle
Everyone gets something to hit (or use clapping, snapping
fingers, etc.). Divide them into parts. Then, one part at a time, build a
complex group sound. You can create a pattern like a drum circle, or you can
create more of a sound painting, e.g., creating the sound of a thunder storm.
Use this to ease tension, help the group coalesce, and/or to explore what it
means to work together as a group.
Centering Rhythm
Have everyone in the group find an object they can use as a
drum--could be an actual drum, a chair, their chest, a coffee mug--anything
they can hit to make a sound. When each individual has a "drum," tell
the group to start hitting their drums with each person choosing their own
steady beat of any tempo. This should result in a cacophony. Now tell them to
listen to each other and adjust until the whole group is beating the same
steady beat. Do this once, and discuss what it felt like and if there are any
lessons about working as individuals in a group. Try doing the exercise 3-4
times over the course of a day-long session, and see if the group's collective
beat is the same each time, or if it feels faster, slower, louder, softer. Are
we learning anything about how we're working together? Try it with your eyes
closed--do you coalesce more quickly? Why? Listen to see how many other
"drums" you can identify. How does this change your participation?
Banjo Timer
As facilitators, we frequently have to get people to stop
talking. But nobody likes to be cut off, either by the facilitator interrupting
them saying, "time's up!" or with a timer buzzing at them. So simply
tell them, you have 2 minutes. When your time is up, I'm going to start playing
the banjo, and once I start playing, you'll have to stop, because no one will
be able to hear you anymore." Do it in a light, fun way. As the speaker
gets close to their time limit, slowly pick up the banjo and strap it on--by
the time you have it on and ready to play, the speaker will usually have
stopped. (This is a variation on the "hug" timer.)
Jingle
Write a "jingle" that pitches your idea. Pick a
jingle from any commercial, and re-write the words to create a jingle that
synthesizes the essence of your idea into a compact pitch. Then each group
sings their jingle. Use this to help the group identify the essential core of their idea.
Synthesis Composition
Think of this as the musical equivalent of graphic
recording. This method does require some actual musical talent, either on the
part of the facilitator or someone the facilitator has recruited or hired. Over
the course of an all-day or multi-day session, take notes about key themes,
"aha's," struggles, and interactions. Build all of these into an
original composition. It's easiest to do this by putting new lyrics to an
existing song. If you use a melody people already know and distribute the
lyrics, you can have the whole group sing along. With enough lead time, you can
even put together an ensemble. I once presented an enterprise web strategy,
complete with guiding principles, with a barbershop quartet singing "Coney
Island Baby."
Pattern Interrupt
Sometimes we need to jolt people out of their typical work
patterns to get them thinking and interacting differently. One of the fastest
ways to do this is to sing a song. I once started a meeting with 75 lawyers,
editors, and managers by playing my banjo and singing "Tis a Gift to Be
Simple." I did this before we even did introductions, and when I finished
singing, I said, "This is not going to be a typical meeting." It
shook up the room in a really nice way, and opened them up to try new things.
Set the Mood
I feel like I should include this just for the sake of
completeness (not that this list is in any way complete). When people are
gathering, when they're doing an activity, when they're coming back from an
activity, use music in the background to boost the energy, to sooth, to
inspire. Be thoughtful about how you want to influence the energy in the
room--you don't always want to pump the energy level up. It can be especially
helpful to have something soothing ready to play during a break after a very intense
exercise.
Sing the Current Experience
We often use drawings to describe what the current
experience feels like--people tearing their hair out, or yawning, or getting
hit by a truck. Why not do that with music? When thinking about the current
experience, e.g., after reviewing results of ethnography, or after reading
customer comments, synthesize what you've learned about what customers are
experiencing by picking a song that sums it up, e.g., "Help! I need
somebody!" or "I'm fixing a hole where the rain comes in," or
"The Long and Winding Road."
Each group decides on a song, and then they play the song from their
phone, or sing it, and explain why this reflects the current experience. Follow
this with "The Sound of Our Strategy" above.
There you have it--10 design methods, some I've tried, some
still waiting to be prototyped. What do you think? Which of these have you
used, and how effective are they? What other ideas have you thought of or
tried?
