David Wilcox and Drew Mackie June 2019
The aim of the Commons games is to enable the design and development of environments for conversation and collaboration, through the use of maps, apps, stories and self-organising.
This note outlines how we are developing online and face-to-face games based on our work over the past 20 years, and our recent exploration into making London a more Networked City. We have, under development, prototypes of the games and an online app, and demonstrations of local and collaboration mapping.
We are seeking partners to test and invest time, expertise or funds in the games and learning spaces to support their use.
The idea of the Commons is an environment within which connections and collaborations can take place. Practically it is a set of connected online and on-the-ground spaces and activities where people can use a range of methods for conversation and collaboration, often supported by community connectors or network weavers.
See end note on terms used.
Participants on our game to design London civil society support system
We are developing three games that have elements in common. These cover:
Each game will have
We are drawing on 20 years experience in developing a wide range of Living Lab games and our recent Networked City exploration into connecting Londoners. We have the prototype of a Commons app. We are starting work with a group of networks on shared communications and a learning space.
Poster summarising Connecting Londoners
More below on Networked City and our development approach.
Each game will be based on a methodology developed through our Living Lab workshops:
Examples of personas
Overall the game design, support materials and learning opportunities will be based on these principles:
Assets
We have a lot of game materials, experience and resources developed over the past 20 years, detailed on these Living Lab wiki pages. These include:
Over the past two years we have led an exploration into how to make London a more Networked City, which has led to a set of resources and online tools:
As part of the exploration we:
Network map of people interested in mapping
Through work with local development organisations in Clerkenwell and Barking we have evolved:
Our latest development, in association with Founders and Coders and technology coop Outlandish, is the prototype of a Commons game app for designing a hub and platform, and support for connectors.
Further development
Our aim is to develop the games, apps and support systems within an open framework that enables people to contribute and build on our work, using Creative Commons or similar licenses.
At the same time, as freelances, we need to cover our costs and those of people working on the maps, apps and other elements. Current plans are:
Terms used
We are using the term Commons to describe the collaborative community or network environment - but the game and app can be rebranded as appropriate for different client groups.
The hub and platform model is a way to describe how an existing organisation, or new team, will need some core organising resources for mapping and comms, and support systems for people on the Commons.
Community connectors and network weavers may be newly-paid roles like community organisers, or people already acting in professional or voluntary capacity to build connections and collaborations.