Design Lessons: Mission Improv-able
The 2016 CallisonRTKL Design Conference took place September 19-22 in New York City. “Excelsior”—New York’s state motto, which means “ever upwards”—was the theme of this year’s event, which brought together 18 up-and-coming designers from each of the firm’s global offices for two days of professional development, team-building and design inspiration. This post is the last installment in a series of reflections from some of this year’s attendees on their experiences.
Kenneth Victor Campbell was an English writer, actor, director and comedian known for his work in experimental theatre. He once said, “People don’t say the first thing that comes into their heads—they say the second thing. We’re all barmier”—Brit speak for “crazier”—“than we let it be known. Once your insanity starts to leak, that’s when they put you away.”
I have to say, I often surprise myself with the things that pop into my head, as I’m sure we all do…right? So when I found myself on the rooftop of The William Vale Hotel for CallisonRTKL’s Design Conference surrounded by fellow attendees and the very talented Grace Rao for an improvisational comedy class, mine wasn’t the only anxious face in the crowd.
If we weren’t completely comfortable and relaxed around each other at this point, we were about to be forced into that space by way of rigorous warm-up exercises. How do you “warm up” for improv comedy, you may ask? Start by sharing a random noise and movement with the person next to you in the circle. As the noise-making movement progressed, each attendee was forced to come up with something completely original, avoiding repetition. We all heard and saw things we never thought possible from humans—personally, I managed to hit a note five octaves higher than I ever thought I could.
And that was just the precursor to the day’s events. Grace asked for two volunteers, and slowly but surely, two hands emerged from the crowd—one of them, my own. Next, Grace asked our fellow attendees to come up with the characters we were to play and the location.
“A first date!” yelled someone in the audience.
“On a submarine!” someone helpfully offered.
Next, the real challenge: Grace turned to my fellow amateur improv comedian, Katlyn, and whispered a secret into her ear that she was charged with somehow conveying without telling me directly. Unbeknownst to me, Grace whispered: “You’ve just discovered that you’re related to him, and only you know.”
It was amazing to experience how the straightforward directive to engage in free, open dialogue in front of a group of people nearly eliminated our ability to think and speak clearly. The uncertainty and risk of social humiliation began to overwhelm us as we struggled to find words. With brains ramped up to 100% processing power, finally, we felt we’d made enough connections to form the start of a conversation.
“Hi.”
[Long pause]
“Hi.”
[Minor cardiac arrest]
“…Welcome to my submarine?”
Bear in mind that we’d all demonstrated ourselves to be confident speakers upon making introductions in the comfort of a conference room earlier. We’d all led design charrettes, made client presentations and openly shared ideas across the table in our respective offices around the globe. Yet the pressure had us drawing a blank.
What is it that causes us to mess up and freeze on the spot? Social pressure? Embarrassment? As Kenneth Campbell explained, perhaps it’s the second guessing—that second thought—that trips us up and keeps us from showing our true colours or living up to our potential.
As designers, architects and engineers, we often find ourselves in similar scenarios where we actively repress and censor the first thoughts that come into our heads. The end result is almost never what you initially intended. Sometimes this editing process can be helpful, but when it reaches the point of overthinking and delaying a reaction, it can be most effective—albeit immensely challenging—to let go. Once we did, the quality of the dialogue and the level of creativity we employed in our mission to unearth the big secret was noticeably heightened. And finally, the revelation came:
“What is your uncle’s last name?” “My uncle? Are you not more impressed with my private one-man submarine tour?”
“Do you not find it odd that our uncles share the same last name?”
“…Oh.”
Awkward stare. End scene.
After our improv session was complete, we all felt like we had taken a step forward together. We shared more than we thought we would, and our experience illustrates how improvisation can be a powerful development tool in any company. Trying to push against the mental barriers that hinder our designs and creativity was very rewarding.
As the Cheshire cat tells Alice in the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, “We’re all mad here.” And how brilliant it was to have the opportunity to open up in this way and to return to my office in Dubai with a new perspective on interpersonal communication and design.
Since I’m sure inquiring minds want to know, as with all great love stories, there is a happy ending to ours: Cousin Katlyn and Cousin David’s submarine ride remained totally platonic in nature. They never spoke of it and lived happily ever after.
CallisonRTKL
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