Rosenverse

This video is only accessible to Gold members. Log in or register for a free Gold Trial Account to watch.

Log in Register

Most conference talks are accessible to Gold members, while community videos are generally available to all logged-in members.

Collaborative Creativity through Improv
Gold
Wednesday, November 7, 2018 • DesignOps Summit 2018
Share the love for this talk
Collaborative Creativity through Improv
Speakers: Cheryl Platz
Link:

Summary

Improvisational theater performers create an environment where creativity is maximized within an environment of listening and nonjudgemental collaboration. Take a peek behind the curtain as two professional improvisors (and technologists!) demonstrate some of the key principles they apply not just onstage, but their day jobs at software companies as well. All this while laughing your way through the end of the day!

Key Insights

  • Yes-And is fundamental for active listening and collaborative creativity, replacing blocking or No-And responses.

  • Status in communication involves subtle non-verbal cues like posture, eye contact, and space that signal confidence or insecurity.

  • Justification trains us to treat every idea or problem as valid and solvable, helping embrace chaos and constraints.

  • Blocking ideas or focusing on negatives during collaboration diffuses energy and limits creative outcomes.

  • Rewarding collaboration over idea ownership encourages a more open, Yes-And culture.

  • Recognizing and managing status dynamics in teams can prevent power imbalances from stifling creativity.

  • Applied improv techniques can help struggling team members improve confidence and communication skills.

  • Improv exercises build empathy by developing an understanding of others' perspectives and emotional signals.

  • Using improv games as warm-ups or social activities boosts immediate presence, spontaneity, and team bonding.

  • Embracing chaos and unexpected constraints through improv promotes flexible thinking useful in design and market challenges.

Notable Quotes

"Improv has paid off greatly for us in our professional lives as well."

"Yes-And means your contributions should build upon previous offers, requiring active listening."

"No-And is like no idea sucks and my idea is better. It’s very easy to spot these things."

"If you’re not the solution, you’re the problem."

"People’s brains are hardwired to pick up on status signals, even if there’s no real data."

"High status is taking up more space, holding eye contact, and purposeful gestures."

"Low status looks like slumping, shuffling feet, and avoiding eye contact but seeking approval."

"Every problem can be solved; it’s how you justify the offers the world gives you that counts."

"Instead of rewarding owners of ideas, reward collaboration."

"Embrace chaos as a gift, a constraint that fuels innovation and growth mindset."

Ask the Rosenbot
Steve Portigal
Discussion
2015 • Enterprise UX 2015
Gold
Kate Stern
Scaling Learning for the Future
2022 • DesignOps Summit 2022
Gold
Uday Gajendar
Theme 1: Introduction
2021 • Design at Scale 2021
Gold
Melissa Tsang
From Insights to Action: Driving Business Values through DesignOps
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2020
Gold
Gonzalo Goyanes
Design ROI: Cover a Little, Get a Lot
2022 • DesignOps Summit 2022
Gold
Cara Maritz
The Art of Extrapolation
2023 • Advancing Research 2023
Gold
Erika Flowers
AI-Readiness: Preparing NASA for a Data-Driven, Agile Future
2025 • Designing with AI 2025
Gold
Louis Rosenfeld
Coffee with Lou
2024 • Rosenfeld Community
Sean McKay
Whole Product Thinking: Expanding beyond problem and solution space thinking
2024 • Rosenfeld Community
Samuel Proulx
Invisible barriers: Why accessible service design can’t be an afterthought
2024 • Advancing Service Design 2024
Gold
Robin Beers
Beyond Insights: Researchers as Organizational Change Catalysts
2024 • Advancing Research 2024
Gold
John Maeda
About Design Organizations
2019 • DesignOps Community
Jennifer Fraser
What would Emmy Noether Do? Math, Models and Mulling in UX Research
2023 • Advancing Research 2023
Gold
Nathan Shedroff
Redefining Value: Bridging the Innovation Culture Divide
2015 • Enterprise UX 2015
Gold
Davis Neable
How to Drive a Design Project When you Don’t Have a Design Team
2021 • Design at Scale 2021
Gold
Ovetta Sampson
Turning UX Passion into Real Product Influence
2023 • Enterprise UX 2023
Gold

More Videos

Billy Carlson

"A great design solution for a poorly defined problem is infinitely worse than an average solution applied to a well-defined problem."

Billy Carlson

Ideation tips for Product Managers

December 6, 2022

Sam Proulx

"Apple really premiered mobile accessibility in a very exciting way with the iPhone 3GS and VoiceOver."

Sam Proulx

Mobile Accessibility: Why Moving Accessibility Beyond the Desktop is Critical in a Mobile-first World

November 17, 2022

Dan Willis

"The harder I think, the further I am from the answer."

Dan Willis

Enterprise Storytelling Sessions

May 13, 2015

Michael Polivka

"Mutual benefit and agreement on the definition of success upfront are critical to long-term team effectiveness."

Michael Polivka

Scaling Design through Relationship Maps

November 7, 2017

Karen McGrane

"Running AI categorization on 2000 posts took 38 hours, $19, and as much carbon as driving a 1998 Chevy Malibu from Philly to Brooklyn."

Karen McGrane Jeff Eaton

AI for Information Architects: Are the robots coming for our jobs?

November 21, 2024

Leisa Reichelt

"When negotiating, bring plan A—show what you need and what good looks like—even if it seems outrageous."

Leisa Reichelt

Opening Keynote: Operating in Context

November 7, 2018

Kim Holt

"Trust takes time, hard work, and consistency to build, especially in times of change when time is a luxury we don't have."

Kim Holt Emma Wylds Pearl Koppenhaver Maisee Xiong

A Salesforce Panel Discussion on Values-Driven DesignOps

September 8, 2022

Jacqui Frey

"Don’t be surprised by change. Expect change."

Jacqui Frey Alison Rand

Setting the Table for Dynamic Change

October 24, 2019

"Southwest Airlines focused on quality of experience and recorded 24 straight years of profitability despite never dominating market share."

How to Identify and Increase your "Experience Quotient"

June 15, 2018