Earlier this month we made the annual trek to rural Maine for one of our favorite conferences, Poptech, where we heard a bunch of great speakers talk on the topic of Hybridity. One of the talks that caught our attention was from Alexa Clay, author of The Misfit Economy. Alexa does research on subcultures and the innovation created within and through them.

One of the subcultures she highlighted in her talk was that of LARPing. For those not in the know, here’s the scientifically sound Wikipedia definition:

“A live action role-playing game (LARP) is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically act out their characters’ actions. The players pursue goals within a fictional setting represented by the real world while interacting with each other in character. The outcome of player actions may be mediated by game rules or determined by consensus among players. Event arrangers called gamemasters decide the setting and rules to be used and facilitate the play.”

You can do a simple Google Image search to see just how deep these groups of LARPers get in creating a completely different universe to live within. It might seem silly at first glance, but Alexa’s job is to connect dots, and she posed the question “How do we take this nerdy subculture and apply it to allow us to embody and live out realities?”. She explained hypothetical scenarios of financial institutions trying to understand the possible futures of crypto-currencies, or environmental activists creating full scale neighborhoods representative of what a world without climate change might look like. Our wheels were turning.

Prototyping is an essential part of most creative processes, and certainly the one we teach. One major component we focus on is what we call Role Prototypes, or prototypes that explore the human interactions and emotions with a product or service. One of the best ways to go about testing these human assumptions we have is through role playing.

Now we get it, most office environments don’t exactly ‘welcome’ impromptu theatrical performances during work hours. And of course acting can feel pretty awkward, especially with co-workers. But role playing in the prototyping sense isn’t about acting, it’s about tapping into the emotions that are built into our DNA, the human side of things that we’re all born with.

When was the last time you truly put yourself in your user’s shoes…we mean literally in your users shoes? As you’re exploring big ideas or new products, how can you mock-up the actual world that product is supposed to live within, and throw yourself smack dab in the middle of it? Then most importantly, take note of the emotions you’re feeling, because chances are they’re the ones your users will feel to, good and bad.

PS – Check out Alexa Clay’s full Poptech talk here.

PPS – If you’re interested in LARP-ing, VICE recently did a mini documentary on how some folks are using it as a positive social outlet. Check it out here.

PPPS – Tina Turner reference anyone? Anyone?

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