Recipes for Systemic Change - Helsinki Design Lab

Writing the Challenge Briefing99Consider delivering an electronic copy of the briefing a month before the Studioand a printed copy about a week before. We prefer to design the challenge briefing as asmall booklet that could easily be slipped into any bag and read in an hour or less. Aswe hoped, most of our Studio teams read it on their respective journeys to Helsinki.The Briefest BriefAny briefing document delivered in advance of the Studio week is useful, even if itis not as complete as what is described here. The briefest of briefings would include aone-page opportunity space, a couple of pages on background, and a bullet point list ofkey dimensions for the Studio to investigate on their own.Let the Studio Tear Down and RebuildWhile it’s worth the time and anguish to make sure you select a viable topic andcompile a thorough challenge briefing, do not be surprised when the Studio rejects oralters your framing of the challenge. This happens in all of our studios and the discussionsis richer because of it. Even though it can be difficult to watch months of hardfoughteffort be re-arranged or downplayed in the span of a week, this is after all thepurpose of inviting a group of experts to give their unvarnished advice. The Studio’srevision to your statement of the challenge is testament to the seriousness with whichthe Studio has taken on the work, the importance of the chosen Studio topic and thesuccess of the Challenge Briefing in enabling them to have a single discussion.Section Aim Tone PagesOpportunitySpaceMacroSituate the challenge withinits macro contextProvocative > Objective 1LocalCreate urgency within thelocal contextProvocative > Objective 1-2BackgroundState of theStateRaise questions about thestatus quoProvocative = Objective 1-4DimensionsDimensions ofthe problemBriefly describe key aspectsof the challenge in facts andfiguresProvocative < Objective 5-50Future Scenarios(optional)Provide loose estimates ofbasic facts about the localcontext / Index macro trendsthat may impact the challengeProvocative > Objective 2-4BibliographyPoint to further sources ofinformationAs neededEnd notesIncludes information aboutthe host organization and therole of the Studio and whathappens next1-2