Preparation

• Preparation process:

  • Conference call assessment:

  • Blueprint: https://goo.gl/3KpGof

  • Welcome Kit: https://goo.gl/FrkWM7

  • Drive Folder

  • Contact list

  • Asana

While contacting participants, it is fundamental to start planning and structuring the acceleration process, considering multiple elements related to design, logistics, timings, etc.

There are multiple ways to do so, and some specific tools can assist this process.

First of all, it is ideal to start defining an acceleration plan. This plan, whose activities will be explained in detail in the following chapter "Acceleration process", can take different shapes: service blueprint, executive planning, project management on Asana.

A service blueprint is a complex operational tool that provides a complete and detailed step by step description of a service, considering the customer journey, front stage touchpoints and backstage processes, and untangles the interaction among all the elements.

The service can be designed for the teams to accomplish the following tasks and actions (preferably communicated in advance with all the participants, digitally shared prior to their arrival and/or physically handed over together with an optional welcome kit):

• co-creating a cutting-edge project plan (through agile methodology, goals definition and strategy definition);

• being introduced to the use of digital fabrication machines;

• being guided to use the right set of tools (for prototyping, concept creation, co-designing, exc.);

• getting feedback and testing the project (by fellow makers, designers and target audience);

• creating product documentation (with pictures, blogpost, hardware or software details, exc);

• keeping a project diary online (with a description of the main activities carried out - including project kickstart, agile planning, prototype development, testing, exc.);

• meeting and interacting with local community.

The executive planning, on the other hand, is a detailed list of actions, tasks and activities, with descriptions, deadlines, assignee, location and task status (if completed or not).

It can be divided in sections, to help prepare and plan the acceleration process (like general planning, project preparation, acceleration activities, exc.), and it can be based on the service blueprint, exploding every single activity and creating an executive version of it.

In addition, Asana is a very useful management tool that helps keeping track of the tasks and operational activities, while at the same time creating a calendar with complete and incomplete ones. Asana projects can be shared with team members too.

In order to define actions and tasks, however, it is necessary to refer to single projects and teams, and to their own needs / characteristics / peculiarities. Scheduling a conference call before their arrival can help confirming details or redefining new ones, such as possible changes in the existing project since the application, use of budget, fast prototyping machines training, specific expertise needs, exc.

A good way to keep track of participants and have an overview about their participation and details is to create a file that can list all the useful information, that are usually needed before, during and after the acceleration process. These information generally are: project name, team members + email, tutors + email, project email (this mailing list can be created before the residency and include all the people involved in the process of each single team/acceleration), phone number, skype name, link to application, project folder and shared folder, residency period, exc.