Today's Class
Meaning Analysis
💩 Meaningless Time (one that felt empty, pointless, shitty):
🌳 Personal Value that was suppressed (way you couldn't be/approach things/treat people):
💍🛃 Expectations that suppressed the value (following social norms / promoting ideologies):
📈 Goals/Fears that suppressed the value (strategies to get certain outcomes):
Drag Structural Features here:
Salvage:
How many people are present?
Are people going to stick around?
Examples: Loyal — dinner with close friends. Trapped — WhatsApp group, open mic Fickle — people passing on the street Unclear — you can’t tell
What kinds of responses are possible?
Examples: like | friend | follow | thank | review | comment | join | commit | request | buy | eye contact | body language | hand signals
How long are we present?
Examples: None — twitter, news feed Brief — speed dating Some — weekend workshop Enduring — workmates, old friends, family
What clues connect people?
Examples: Deep Context — education, talents, skill sets, interests, values Shallow Markings — age, class, gender, race, beauty None/Random — chat roulette
Do we need each other to proceed?
Examples: Dependent — parents/children, gatekeepers Interdependent— congress, social club Independent — news feed
How well are people acquainted?
Examples: close friends | acquaintances | strangers | anonymous | mixed |
How do we interact?
Examples: In pairs — news feed Teams — sports league Whole Group — sharing circle Disjointed — high school dance (in-groups/out-groups)
Why are we communicating?
Examples: Shared Goal — team meeting Shared Value — close friends Shared Topic — comment thread Interlocking Goals — marketplace Unclear — strangers at a party
How quickly are we communicating?
Examples: Off the cuff — improv, chat rooms Asynchronous — texting Thoughtful — journal and share Contemplative — blog posts
Why is this or that person talking?
Examples: Invited — dinner/camping trip Uninvited — question time at a public event / comment in a public forum Selective — standard barrier (e.g., university)
Is there a social hierarchy?
Examples: Flat — no, we focus on equality Ranked — scores or skill levels Celebrity — huge differences
How much will outcomes affect me?
Examples: High — THIS MATTERS!!! Medium — I'll live either way, but... Low — who cares?
Will what I say stick around?
Examples: Ephemeral — Talking at a bar Temporary — Snapchat Searchable (w/effort) — Microfiche Permanent Record — Twitter
What else is relevant to the situation?
Where is your value harder or easier?
🌳 Personal Value:
- Big family dinner w. fiance vs. Quiet dinner with best friend
- Academic conference vs Camping trip
- Alchoholics Anonymous Meeting vs Facebook News Feed
- Gallery art opening vs. Project Meeting
- Masquerade ball vs Waiting in line at grocery story
- Job Interview vs Rock band jam session
- Rock concert with fans vs. Subway station
- YouTube vs Neighborhood Bar
How many people are present?
Are people going to stick around?
Examples: Loyal — dinner with close friends. Trapped — WhatsApp group, open mic Fickle — people passing on the street Unclear — you can’t tell
What kinds of responses are possible?
Examples: like | friend | follow | thank | review | comment | join | commit | request | buy | eye contact | body language | hand signals
How long are we present?
Examples: None — twitter, news feed Brief — speed dating Some — weekend workshop Enduring — workmates, old friends, family
What clues connect people?
Examples: Deep Context — education, talents, skill sets, interests, values Shallow Markings — age, class, gender, race, beauty None/Random — chat roulette
Do we need each other to proceed?
Examples: Dependent — parents/children, gatekeepers Interdependent— congress, social club Independent — news feed
How well are people acquainted?
Examples: close friends | acquaintances | strangers | anonymous | mixed |
How do we interact?
Examples: In pairs — news feed Teams — sports league Whole Group — sharing circle Disjointed — high school dance (in-groups/out-groups)
Why are we communicating?
Examples: Shared Goal — team meeting Shared Value — close friends Shared Topic — comment thread Interlocking Goals — marketplace Unclear — strangers at a party
How quickly are we communicating?
Examples: Off the cuff — improv, chat rooms Asynchronous — texting Thoughtful — journal and share Contemplative — blog posts
Why is this or that person talking?
Examples: Invited — dinner/camping trip Uninvited — question time at a public event / comment in a public forum Selective — standard barrier (e.g., university)
Is there a social hierarchy?
Examples: Flat — no, we focus on equality Ranked — scores or skill levels Celebrity — huge differences
How much will outcomes affect me?
Examples: High — THIS MATTERS!!! Medium — I'll live either way, but... Low — who cares?
Will what I say stick around?
Examples: Ephemeral — Talking at a bar Temporary — Snapchat Searchable (w/effort) — Microfiche Permanent Record — Twitter
What else is relevant to the situation?
Where Would You Send a Friend?
Your friend discovered new values they want to practice more in their life. You have a cab ready to take them to one of the four situations described in the walkthrough.
For each of these values, where do you send them, and why?
- Show up with vulnerable honesty
- Attend to our connection more than to the outcome
- Appreciate the people around me as mammals, not just as Homo Sapiens.
- Treat every sentence I craft as an art project.
- Speak to what I notice
Learning to Use Them
What do you want to redesign?
- The coffee shop by my house.
- A course I am leading next week.
What are the structural features of that environment?
Structural Features — Salvage
Overview. One person in the group shares a story about an event, workplace, relationship, or other social system in which a value is being blocked. The rest of the group tries to salvage the situation by changing it's structural features to support the value.
How to play: Start by listening to the story. Write the personal value into the box in the "Redesign Area", and fill out the Structural Features boxes below. Then drag ones you think are relevant up into the redesign area. Come up with one or more salvages for each Structural Feature that is suppressing the value.
🌳 Personal Value:
Example (filled out and dragged up)
Audience — Size: Large
Drag Structural Features here:
Example (salvaged)
Make it an intimate group setting
Salvage (Better Structural Feature):
How many people are present?
Are people going to stick around?
Examples: Loyal — dinner with close friends. Trapped — WhatsApp group, open mic Fickle — people passing on the street Unclear — you can’t tell
What kinds of responses are possible?
Examples: like | friend | follow | thank | review | comment | join | commit | request | buy | eye contact | body language | hand signals
How long are we present?
Examples: None — twitter, news feed Brief — speed dating Some — weekend workshop Enduring — workmates, old friends, family
What clues connect people?
Examples: Deep Context — education, talents, skill sets, interests, values Shallow Markings — age, class, gender, race, beauty None/Random — chat roulette
Do we need each other to proceed?
Examples: Dependent — parents/children, gatekeepers Interdependent— congress, social club Independent — news feed
How well are people acquainted?
Examples: close friends | acquaintances | strangers | anonymous | mixed |
How do we interact?
Examples: In pairs — news feed Teams — sports league Whole Group — sharing circle Disjointed — high school dance (in-groups/out-groups)
Why are we communicating?
Examples: Shared Goal — team meeting Shared Value — close friends Shared Topic — comment thread Interlocking Goals — marketplace Unclear — strangers at a party
How quickly are we communicating?
Examples: Off the cuff — improv, chat rooms Asynchronous — texting Thoughtful — journal and share Contemplative — blog posts
Why is this or that person talking?
Examples: Invited — dinner/camping trip Uninvited — question time at a public event / comment in a public forum Selective — standard barrier (e.g., university)
Is there a social hierarchy?
Examples: Flat — no, we focus on equality Ranked — scores or skill levels Celebrity — huge differences
How much will outcomes affect me?
Examples: High — THIS MATTERS!!! Medium — I'll live either way, but... Low — who cares?
Will what I say stick around?
Examples: Ephemeral — Talking at a bar Temporary — Snapchat Searchable (w/effort) — Microfiche Permanent Record — Twitter
What else is relevant to the situation?
What else is relevant to the situation?
What else is relevant to the situation?
Reverse Engineering Non-Values
Beneath you'll find five goals and expectations that can crowd out values. With the structural features in mind, make a masterplan. How would you design a social space that fosters these goals or expectations?
- What matters most is that they see me as professional.
- To be accepted here I have to seem caring, warm and sweet.
- I should be polite.
- When we are together, we have a good time.
- To be attractive I have to look good and seem rich.
Homework
- Structural Feature Field Tripping
- Find three times when a value is suppressed in a situation and a structural feature that could be changed to make it better
More things to add
MEMETIC STRUCTURAL FEATURES (easier in)
SALVAGE W/TRAINING WHEELS (multiple choice)
NORM GENERATION GAME