Recipes for Systemic Change - Helsinki Design Lab

Subsection127Soft InfrastructureIf the physical space, equipment and supplies form the hardwareof the Studio, there are also bits of software necessaryto make it run. This involves a number of support roles thatshould be coordinated ahead of time.Studio AssistantsThe role of 1-3 Studio assistants is primarily to field questionsthat come up during the course of the Studio’s conversationso that the Studio itself does not lose momentum. As theStudio is shaping their strategic framework, the assistantsare able to track down details to answer questions, arrangeappointments with people that the Studio are interested inmeeting, or to more carefully document ideas that the Studiohas sketched out. This allows the assistants to work in parallelwith the Studio itself without introducing serious interruptions.If possible the assistants should be available before theStudio week actually begins to field questions and do preparatoryresearch. Mailing the Challenge Briefing to the Studioparticipants in advance is a good way to get thoughts flowingbefore the team convenes for the actual week. As questionscome up in response to the Challenge Briefing the Studioassistants can collect and respond to them in advance viaemail so that the team is able to hit the ground running.During the week it is important for the Studio assistantsto be as available as possible. This means arriving at the Studiobefore the team and staying until after they leave. In ourexperience it worked well to have the assistants working in asemi-private corner of the same space where they were withinearshot of the Studio team but could converse quietly andmake phone calls when needed without disturbing anyone.The best Studio assistants are able to judge the tone of theroom and are careful not to interrupt at a point when it couldbreak the flow of conversation.Creating an input/output system to keep track of whichquestions have been asked, which are being worked on, andwhich have already been answered will help ease the chaosof the week. Whether it is web-based or an old-fashionedlist on the whiteboard does not matter so long as the systemis dead simple to use, posted in a highly visible place withinthe Studio, and kept up to date. Immediately adjacent to theStudio assistant’s desk we set up the ‘report table’ where thePeopleProcessProblemPlace