“It is the loss of our capacity to dream and engineer futures which keeps up locked in by legacy interests - keeps us stuck in a perpetual, seemingly futile tinkering of the defined ‘market’”.
Indy Johar, Dark Matter Labs
We recently completed the discovery sessions we designed and facilitated to support our work around the ‘how might we’ questions that make up our current exploration pipeline. During the sessions we tested out a range of new tools including using design fiction as a tool for visualising possible futures.
Over the course of the sessions, we welcomed over 45 colleagues from across the organisation into the lab to discuss 10 questions connected to the programmeOne projects; Project 3 - Asset Management (Land Services, Housing Planning and Construction) and Project 4 - Customer Management.
Halfway through our workshop schedule, we thought it might be useful to have a look at the sessions from a facilitator's perspective, reflecting back on the format, looking at what worked well and what might have worked better: Discovery Sessions: A Reflection
Now all of the sessions are complete, the next steps will be for us to work up some solid test plans based on what we learned and we will, of course, be sharing more about those in due course: Discovery Sessions: The Next Steps
Helping colleagues to visualise possible futures: Bromford Lab Design Fiction Posters
Workshop Summaries
In the spirit of working out loud, after each workshop, we published a summary outlining the main themes that emerged from the session. If you missed them you can catch up on the output from all of our discovery sessions by following these links:
How might we ensure that we offer customers the right housing option for them?
In our first exploration pipeline discovery session we discussed making it easier for people to move, coaching non-customers, trusting customers and letting customers let their own home.
How might we prepare customers for cashless transactions and encourage a healthy financial life?
In our second exploration pipeline discovery session we discussed reciprocity and payment in kind, taking payments via Blockchain, setting up a Bromford Bank called 'Bronzo' and whether a holographic David Beckham could be our cashier.
How might we support customers to play their part in looking after their home?
In our third exploration pipeline discovery session we discussed tool libraries, trade schools, sharing community knowledge and Del Boy dressed as Batman.
How might we support customers to self-serve using digital touchpoints?
In our fourth exploration pipeline discovery session we discussed handing out internet-enabled devices to customers, setting up free wifi in our neighbourhoods, digital skills coaches, band-aids and a Bromford chatbot named ‘Evelyn’.
How might we ensure that items get to customers in the most efficient way?
In our fifth exploration pipeline discovery session we discussed delivering items directly to vans, delivering items directly to customers, giving each locality its own 3D printer and how cool it would be to land a drone on a van.
How might we ensure that our housing offer meets the demands of our customers?
In our sixth exploration pipeline discovery session we discussed flexible homes, taking more risk, picking up signals from our communities and life after the humble house brick.
How might we make repairs efficient whilst also providing a positive experience for customers?
In our seventh exploration pipeline discovery session we discussed what being efficient really means, how to deliver a positive customer experience, supermarket self-service checkouts that make you want to scream and defrosting frozen pipes.
In our eighth exploration pipeline discovery session we discussed Victorian housing as homes of the future, designing without ego and what coaching actually means. No one mentioned Walt Disney’s frozen head though!
How might we ensure that the services we provide are both useful and desirable to our customers?
In our ninth exploration pipeline discovery session we discussed community champions, social prescribing and coaching colleagues.
How might we find a better balance between planned and unplanned repairs?
In our tenth exploration pipeline discovery session we discussed what being proactive really means, how smart homes could help, being less reliant on superheroes and Trigger’s broom.
Bromford Lab Visualisation Tools
You can follow progress against all of this work by checking out our exploration pipeline on Trello.
---