Embracing Uncertainty: Exploring Improv as a Foresight and Design Thinking tool
Reflections, Notes, and Experiences with Improv and Futures Thinking
What is Improv?
Improvisation, often referred to as “improv,” is a form of performance art characterized by spontaneous creation without prior preparation or scripting. It revolves around principles like active listening, embracing agreement (“Yes, And”), teamwork, avoiding negation, focusing on relationships, initiating scenes clearly, maintaining character, expressing opinions, making decisive statements, and engaging in active participation.
However, improv is not limited to the stage; its principles and techniques have found applications beyond the realm of theater, including in fields such as business, education, and psychology. It fosters skills such as adaptability, active listening, creativity, and teamwork, making it a valuable tool for enhancing communication, problem-solving, and innovation in diverse contexts. At its core, improv is about embracing uncertainty, embracing failure, and trusting in the collective intelligence of the group. By letting go of the need for control and allowing space for spontaneity and exploration, improvisers learn to adapt to unforeseen circumstances, collaborate effectively, and co-create something greater than the sum of its parts.
Intersection of Improv and Design Thinking
It is also something that I have been curious to experiment with for a while. Last month, within my alumni network from OCADU SFI program, we hosted a powerpoint karaoke workshop where we invited 6 people at a time to draw random things on A4 sheets of paper that could appear on a PowerPoint slide as part of a story, and we had a bowl full of hilarious topics such as “Fashion show for Dinosaurs,” from which a 7th person had to pick and give a presentation on the topic, while the other 6 individuals revealed their “slides” one by one. It was hilarious, but fascinating to experience the power of incorporating play into our work and learning experiences.
Here are some examples worth checking out to see how some design practitioners are incorporating improv into their workshops:
- Dana Mitroff Silvers discusses the benefits of using improv games in design sprints, as presented in a workshop at Google SprintCon. She also created a set of printable cards featuring over a dozen improv games that align with design sprint stages.
- A workshop on Improv and Design Thinking, guided by Shay Hall at the IBM Design Studio, was organized according to the stages of the IBM Design Thinking Loop: Observe, Reflect, Make.
Improv and Futures Thinking
Reflecting on My Experience: Next-Gen Futures Workshop hosted by the Journal of Futures Studies Community of Practice
In the context of foresight and futures studies, improv offers a unique approach to navigating uncertainty and complexity, providing participants with the skills and mindset needed to envision and enact alternative futures. It is a playful and energizing way to effectively engage diverse stakeholders and get them invested into the conversations that matter for futures’ generations.
On February 16, 2024, I had the privilege of participating in the “Next-Gen Futures” workshop, hosted by the Journal of Futures Studies Community of Practice after I saw a post about it on my Linkedin feed. The event promised insights into the future of foresight for the upcoming generation and introduced a new tool for futures engagement.
Led by esteemed facilitators and thought leaders in foresight, Peter Bishop, Juli Allen Rush, and Kelly Kornet Weber, the session delved into discussions about the future of foresight and the tools required for navigating it effectively and then we had about half an hour session of exploring improv as a futures tool.
Workshop details and takeaways —
During the workshop, we delved into improv techniques after a brief introduction using examples from the popular comedy show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”
Participants were instructed to work in pairs or trios to respond to scenarios presented on a Miro board. They choose roles, decide the starting order, engage in role-play dialogue, and conclude when an audience member claps, proceeding to the next prompt.
We applied these techniques to various Emergent Practitioner scenarios, curated prompts about future practitioner conversations on foresight, with two participants assuming roles while a third improvised a new one. This dynamic approach enabled us to navigate unexpected scenarios, challenging our biases and broadening our comprehension of complex systems.
During the session, I had the opportunity to improvise roles such as the dolphin curious young practitioner’s mother and their future boss. The emergence of unexpected and occasionally humorous scenarios, including those related to marine biologists, the seafood industry, and even magicians, led to laughter and encouraged us to explore new questions for consideration. Moreover, the workshop cultivated a strong sense of community among participants, fostering meaningful exchanges of ideas and perspectives through interactive engagement.
Overall, the experience left me excited about the possibilities that such tools hold for enhancing future foresight practices, specifically in the phase of scenario planning. By engaging in improv exercises, practitioners can better anticipate and adapt to various future scenarios, fostering a more dynamic and resilient strategic planning process.
