COMMON LAB MANUAL: CASE STUDY
MODEL FOR A PROJECT FLOW

​Text: Max Spielmann

I Induction Phase – Capacity Building
The start-up phase is used for training with digital workshops and seminars. Special workshops are offered for groups such as senior participants (responsible for support/tutoring and evaluation), specific participant groups, and institutions. 

Transition 1 –  Issue market
In local future workshops, people from the subregions (cities) get to know each other, define their topics, and develop goals and solutions. A digital event enables the exchange of local results among each other. For the evaluation, Transistion 1 serves to develop the ToC model and to analyze the initial situation.

II Inspiration Phase – Build local groups 
Subsequently, the topics are taken up in local groups, fleshed out and exchanged digitally. Invited experts provide additional insights into specific topics. Senior participants support and mediate between the project actors.

Transition 2  –  Project Café
In the context of hybrid Project Café, the local groups exchange ideas with each other about approaches to content, media and methodology. Transversal thematic working groups can be formed (for III Ideation Phase).
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III Ideation Phase – Start of round tables 
The ideation phase serves to develop the concrete projects. The actors are supported by senior participants and "project ambassadors" from the institutions. Digital seminars are held for the formulation of the pitches.

Transition 3  –  Pitching
The pitching - short presentations of the project ideas form the conclusion of the ideation phase.

IV Implementation Phase – Produce and Invent
Implementation includes the realization of the projects. In this phase, support activities take place in the form of tutorials of learning on the job.

Transition 4 – Celebration
The hybrid festival is the conclusion and climax of the project. The festival is at the same time a transition into the reflection phase (evaluation) and the institutional use of the results.

V P/reflection Phase
P/reflection includes evaluation of the project with all stakeholders, implementation of the findings for a next project cycle, and publication of practical lessons (good practices).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
About Common Lab
​Background
Timeline

ACTIVITIES RATIONALE 
​Tale of X Cities & media competences for community building
State of the Arts & the digital public spheres

KEY THEORETICAL CONCEPTS
​Social innovation through art
​Art for social change
​Post-industrial design
Cultural and creative industries
Bibliography

CASE STUDY: TALE OF X CITIES
​About the case study
​Tale of X Cities key results & findings
​Lessons learned & recommendations 
Model project flow
​Media productions as evaluation tool
​Digital events and communication formats

DESIGN THINKING VS ARTISTIC THINKING 

How could such a process be structured? In the suggested process model, terms of Human Centered Design are used and partially extended. The methodology developed in the environment of the IDEO agency focuses on the future users of design services as participants. The work process is strongly iterative and cyclical. It is characterized by the regular exchange between the specialists and the users, who are themselves involved in the work process. In a radicalized form, this separation between consumers and producers is once again massively reduced; the users become co-creators.

Human Centered Design emerged from "Design Thinking", a reflection on the specific strengths of the procedures of professional, creative action. The goal of design is and remains a functioning product or service. This is made possible by the design-specific iterative design behavior, design thinking. The working process interacts with all actors involved in social and economic innovations. In radicalization, all actors are also perceived as agents. This becomes the rule in design actions for and in public space or in civil society tasks. The citizens are and must also be understood as the actors of the public and civil society space. Otherwise, we find ourselves in a confusion; in an understanding of civic action as an economization and a consumption of the public sphere. Unfortunately, this is too often the reality of cultural and civic activities.
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In contrast to Design Thinking, the term Artistic Thinking refers to specific approaches to artistic activities. Here, the focus of concrete action is targeted towards working on perception and abstraction, which is reflected in works, artefacts or performative activities. These can be understood as a change of approach to and reflection on the concrete life-world. In our context, we understand them as actions in public and civic space. In reality, “Design thinking" and "Art thinking" overlap in a mutual reinforcement, originated by the complementary features.  ​