UX Camp Winter 2023
Make Believe: Using Fantasy to Change How We Think, Work, and Connect with Others.
“Just imagine…” ”What if…” “How might we…”
Working through difficult situations often involves some element of fantasy. It’s through make believe activities that we become free to play and explore the boundaries of a situation. Pretending to be someone other than our self (or stepping into an imagined situation) creates more space to say and explore things that might otherwise go untouched. And—as ironic as it may seem—it’s through make believe that we can be more honest with ourselves and others. These elements of fantasy are implicit in much of our work (think ‘pre-mortem’ activities or ‘role-playing’ exercises), but use of fantasy as a facilitation technique has not been addressed directly, until now. Stephen will share what he’s observed, as well as a number of facilitation and coaching activities—all based in fantasy—that anyone can use to quickly establish a psychologically safe space to share and exchange ideas.
