Unusual Partnerships for Visitor Engagement
Adjunct Professor Brad MacDonald from Parsons School of Design discusses the power of unconventional collaborations for engaging visitors. With a background in diverse fields like music, animation, and design, MacDonald emphasizes the importance of connections across domains to foster innovation. He showcases unique partnerships with brands like LEGO, National Geographic, and MTV, highlighting the value of working with the right people and following a structured development process.
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Presentation Transcript
Unusual partnerships for extraordinary visitor engagement Brad MacDonald Adjunct Professor Parsons School of Design, NYC MFA Design and Technology www.bradmack.com www.tools-not-rules.com
My background Adjunct Professor at Parsons School of Design Art directed 130+ video games Gig regularly as a musician Wrote the story for an internationally touring dance show Designed cars for NASCAR Animated on Beavis and Butthead Illustrated comic books Toured with the metal band Disturbed Wrote and illustrated political cartoons
Some partnerships... LEGO National Geographic MTV Lonely Planet Mattel Cornell U.S. Department of Defense
I look for connections (procedural and conceptual) across domains
Because you can build (almost) anything if you... Partner with the right people
Because you can build (almost) anything if you... Partner with the right people Have an agreed-upon development process
Because you can build (almost) anything if you... Partner with the right people Have an agreed-upon development process Ask effective questions
Because you can build (almost) anything if you... Partner with the right people Have an agreed-upon development process Ask effective questions Share design values
Because you can build (almost) anything if you... Partner with the right people Have an agreed-upon development process Ask effective questions Share design values Know how to resolve conflict
Because you can build (almost) anything if you... Partner with the right people Have an agreed-upon development process Ask effective questions Share design values Know how to resolve conflict Focus on real needs
Because you can build (almost) anything if you... Partner with the right people Have an agreed-upon development process Ask effective questions Share design values Know how to resolve conflict Focus on real needs Appeal to user/visitor emotions
Different kinds of partnerships Institutional Design Content Media Etc.
Advantages of partnership Creativity is fueled by information and connecting ideas. The deeper your pool of ideas, the more connections you can make.
Advantages of partnership Creativity is fueled by information and connecting ideas. The deeper your pool of ideas, the more connections you can make. Similarly, creativity thrives on unexpected connections.
Advantages of partnership Creativity is fueled by information and connecting ideas. The deeper your pool of ideas, the more connections you can make. Similarly, creativity thrives on unexpected connections. Partners have skills we don t possess.
Advantages of partnership Creativity is fueled by information and connecting ideas. The deeper your pool of ideas, the more connections you can make. Similarly, creativity thrives on unexpected connections. Partners have skills we don t possess. We are limited. We can't help but carry our biases with us and the only way to move beyond our personal views is to accept outside perspective.
Advantages of partnership Creativity is fueled by information and connecting ideas. The deeper your pool of ideas, the more connections you can make. Similarly, creativity thrives on unexpected connections. Partners have skills we don t possess. We are limited. We can't help but carry our biases with us and the only way to move beyond our personal views is to accept outside perspective. Partners have the money/tools/teams/etc.
Pitfalls of partnership Ambiguity of roles Softly defined goals No measure for success Unclear approval process Creative differences Ill-defined development process You can t always choose your partners You can t always walk away
Strategies for managing partnerships Choose the right partners
Strategies for managing partnerships Choose the right partners Develop a set of shared design values
Strategies for managing partnerships Choose the right partners Develop a set of shared design values Defining a process/language that facilitates iteration (AGILE, Minimum Viable product, etc)
Strategies for managing partnerships Choose the right partners Develop a set of shared design values Defining a process/language that facilitates iteration (AGILE, Minimum Viable product, etc) Clear process for prioritization
Strategies for managing partnerships Choose the right partners Develop a set of shared design values Defining a process/language that facilitates iteration (AGILE, Minimum Viable product, etc) Clear process for prioritization Keep the conversation about value
Strategies for managing partnerships Choose the right partners Develop a set of shared design values Defining a process/language that facilitates iteration (AGILE, Minimum Viable product, etc) Clear process for prioritization Keep the conversation about value Tools for resolving creative differences
Strategies for managing partnerships Choose the right partners Develop a set of shared design values Defining a process/language that facilitates iteration (AGILE, Minimum Viable product, etc) Clear process for prioritization Keep the conversation about value Tools for resolving creative differences Tools for removing the ego and evaluating success
Strategies for managing partnerships Choose the right partners Develop a set of shared design values Defining a process/language that facilitates iteration (AGILE, Minimum Viable product, etc) Clear process for prioritization Keep the conversation about value Tools for resolving creative differences Tools for removing the ego and evaluating success
Agile Methodology 1. Active user involvement is imperative 2. The team must be empowered to make decisions 3. Requirements evolve but the timescale is fixed 4. Capture requirements at a high level; lightweight & visual 5. Develop small, incremental releases and iterate 6. Focus on frequent delivery of products 7. Complete each feature before moving on to the next 8. Apply the 80/20 rule 9. Testing is integrated throughout the project lifecycle test early and often 10.A collaborative & cooperative approach between all stakeholders is essential
