Facilitating Design Days was an absolute blast! We connected with some amazing participants who truly wanted to learn new ways to engage with vulnerable older adults and caregivers. I could feel their passion for the work they do and the people they support.
The Transformation
One of the things I love most about facilitating this type of workshop is getting to watch participants transform as the day goes on. At first, most participants are skeptical and not convinced the process is going to work. Then they start trying a few activities and that’s when the transformation begins.
Prototyping & Testing
Once we hit the prototype building work (where play doh and pipecleaners come out) people started to really get into making their ideas come to life. I also love all the laughter that comes with building ideas. It’s contagious!
By the end of the day we had some fantastic ideas of how we might improve an experience. Seeing what people were able to make never gets old for me. There is always a solution that I’ve never seen before, which I find inspiring. A gentle reminder that there are many ways to solve a problem.
Trust the Process
I know design thinking isn’t everyone’s thing, and that’s OK. What I truly appreciated from the participants was their willingness to try something new, even when the path forward wasn’t as neat and clear as they are used to. That’s courage in action, and that’s how better becomes possible.
