A show case of community problem solving and a platform for community networking to the community partners

from An Evaluation of JC MaD Social Lab - Report of Findings and Recommendations

by Make A Difference Institute 創不同協作

Interplay between logical induction and intuition in community problem solving

economy, or employment of grassroots. Pop-up is only an extension of this. ” (Lab organizer C, individual interview)

In another example, prototype ideas to enhance the social function of the market emerged from frustrating moments when the lab fellows noticed that their original prototypes were not well received. “As on that day (in second action week) very few people were coming, we (lab team) were just sitting there. Very few people coming, but we had prepared much. We were thinking, ‘what are we doing?’. Sometimes there was some confusion.” (Lab organizer D, individual interview)

Whilst highly structured process could provide a sense of certainty and manageable progress, frustrating moments have stimulated reflexive discussion in which yearnings and meanings were explored. Although the organisers regarded this experience as representing failurein prototypetesting,theevaluation team sawit as an opportunebreakfrom the structural framework to enable a creative-reflexive process that allows logic to interact with intuition.

Some lab fellows called for a greater role for intuition in the ideation process to encourage innovations. Naming it as a “cyclical process”, the alternative pathway they proposed for the ideation process would accommodate intuitive ideas that did not emerge from conscious reasoning from the collected stories. Prototypes developed from the intuitive idea would be tested quickly and reiteratively on a small scale, so that repeated modifications could be made to improve the prototype. “I know there are different ways of working in IT industry…One is called waterfall (model)… Actually we were using waterfall (in Market Lab). Beginning with research…linearly, step-by-step…then we designed prototypes, and then did the first prototype (testing). But there is another way, which likes cyclical…Google uses this method a lot. It starts with a little bit research…followed quickly by a prototype, then get the feedback, and then research, prototype, feedback. There can be many cycles. The initial prototype could be very crude and useless…but by keeping on getting feedback, research, and improving, continuously tuning the direction…continuous trial and error…if the so-called creativity or originality was really wanted, maybe that kind of cyclical method is needed.” (Lab fellow B, focus group)

We may call this a kind of “forward legitimation”, whereby an idea is examined, rigorously analyzed and connected to the data in the course of repeated experimentation. In fact, this reiterative experimentation approach is part and parcel of the design-thinking methodology that the Social Lab project adopted. The interplay between logical induction and intuition in the “design-led approach” of Social Lab is an area for further interrogation.