In my previous post about keeping design thinking workshops energized, we discussed how the key to success in design thinking workshops is simplicity. Keeping your activities simple allows your participants to buy in and get engaged early on and provides greater insights in the long run. Workshops are meant to be creative and collaborative experiences, and simplicity is the secret ingredient to a successful outcome. If you’re looking for effective but simple activities to fold into your workshop, stick with us as we’ll dive into some design thinking activities.
Icebreaker Activity: The Maze
Title: The Maze
Total time: 10mins (depending on number of participants)
Desired outcome: Get participants comfortable with thinking in a hypothetical and imaginative space.
TLDR:
- Focus on the image and explain to your participants that they going into the maze and can encounter anything.
- Focus on the items and tell your team they can only bring two into the maze with them.
- Give ~2 minutes for your team to make their selection.
- Go around the room and have each team member discuss what they will bring and why.
The Maze Activity
The Maze is a very straightforward icebreaker activity that quickly gets your participants thinking in a “what if” state of mind. Start by showing a picture of a maze, labyrinth, or even a plain door. Set the scene by telling them that they are about to enter the maze or door and they have no idea what they might discover. They might encounter friendly travelers or dangerous monsters, face trap doors, encounter endless loops or dead ends. This allows your team to use your examples as a jumping-off point within their own imaginations.
Next, show a set of around 12 unique items. These can be as simple as pulling a variety of emojis. These items do not need to be related. Having diversity is a great way to drive curiosity and imagination among your participants.
Tell your team they can only take two items into the maze with them; what items will they choose? Give them about a minute or two to think about their choices.
Finally, go around the room and have each person share with the group their choices. It’s eye-opening to see how your team members talk about what choices they made and why.
The Effectiveness of The Maze
What often happens is your participants start narrating an imaginative story.
I have had participants imagine there were monsters or creepy crawlers hiding around corners. They might also imagine bosses, similar to a video game, at the end of the maze that they need to defeat to escape. I’ve had other participants imagine trap doors and booby traps hiding throughout the maze. Some team members even imagined the maze as a living thing, where one path will disappear and change after you make your way through each passage.
The most insightful part of this activity is when your participants start talking about the items they would take with them into the maze. What makes this part so special is seeing what is most important to each team member and how they interpret each item. I’ve had participants gravitate towards weapons for more offensive and defensive reasons, while others have opted for the items of food for survival.
Apple or pickaxe?
What’s intriguing is how my participants have described the why behind their choices. One participant chose the ladder because it doubled as a way to escape from above or below. It also acts as a bridge across gaps in the floor. I’ve also had participants choose the same item but use it in very different ways.
In a previous session, I had one team member choose a flashlight and a pickaxe, while another chose the flashlight and the apple. The first described using the flashlight solely as a light source and the pickaxe was used to break walls, protect, and defend. The other participant decided to use the flashlight as a bludgeon to defend against the unknown in addition to a light source. The apple was used for health preservation. Discussing their individual choices is a great way to drive further thought, conversation, and imagination.
Adding Depth to a Simple Activity
If you’re looking to add additional depth to this activity. You can create a cast of characters with varying statistics. While this leans more into the gamification imagery, it adds another layer to explore since each participant must select a character. It’s fascinating to hear the thought process behind what they find valuable in their characters and why.
By the end of the icebreaker, your team will feel comfortable thinking hypothetically and leaning into their imagination. This activity is a really effective way to prime your participants for your upcoming design thinking activities. Since your team has already been sitting in this imaginative space collectively, it will make it easier for your team to transition into the minds of their users and think creatively about solutions.
In my experience, icebreakers are an essential activity to prepare your team mentally and set the tone for the day of activities. Icebreakers can be used strategically to ensure a rich and deep output to a workshop.
Stay tuned for my next post where we will explore a simple and effective activity to define user groups for your team.