The Exercise of What’s on Your Desk
What’s on Your Desk promotes creativity and problem solving and presents the challenge of seeing old things in a new light. When combined with groups working together to sell a common object, you introduce teamwork and crunch-time brainstorming
While this team building activity can be applied to all groups, it is ideal for marketing and product design teams.
Have each team member bring one item from their desk to the exercise. Then, tell them that this item is going to be their new product, and that they must come up with a name, logo, slogan, and marketing plan for that object.
Divide the large group into teams of approximately three members. They will have the task of choosing one of the 3 objects to carry out the challenge.
Allow enough time for each team to work on developing their item. Once the time is up, allow each person to present the item and give a two minute presentation on their “product” as if they were selling it.
Finally, discuss as a group which products sold successfully and why.
Moment of Reflection
- What was the most difficult part of this exercise? Why?
- Is it difficult to change the way you see and think about a product that already has a design and regular use?
- Why do you think it is interesting to rethink the sale of a common, everyday item?
- How did you choose the name, logo and slogan? Did several ideas arise in the teams? Were the ideas fed back?
- Can the way you worked in each team be applied to any product you want to sell or even problems you want to solve?
The topics of this publication: interactions, teamwork, collaboration, creativity, imagination, brainstorming, cooperation
