Joey Boonstra Creative director November 2016 Storytelling for a renewed connection

Challenge I live in a small town of a regional area in the Netherlands. Population in this area is aging and shrinking,  so social services and activities are diminishing as well. But there's a public swimming pool and  playground that has been around for more than 50 years and that still has a role as of one of the living  center points of the village. In a fast changing environment it is meeting threats from competing  recreational facilities. The organization, run by young and old volunteers, has to be able to regain focus  and fulﬁll its role as an important center point of social engagement in the village and surrounding area.  As a professional in marketing and communications, I took it upon me to help the management and its  volunteers to what the positioning of the swimming pool/playground could be and how they would be  able to (re-)connect with their audience.

Selection For this challenge, a few years back, I used two techniques: visualization and storytelling. And the latter  was -in retrospect- the most important one to use in this case. Because volunteers do the things they  do out of their hearts, it is difﬁcult to challenge their methods and ways that they are used to doing for  years. In order to achieve support and create change towards a common goal, it is not sufﬁcient to only  to listen to them and involve them. There has to be a common ground, a deﬁning essence, that they can  relate to and act upon. Storytelling is a powerful tool because it has the ability to envision basic human  emotion in a simple and effective way. It can touch them in the heart.

Application In the visualization of the old situation, one could clearly see that not only the swimming pool/ playground itself lacked proﬁle and focus in communications, the organization itself lacked focus as  well. There was more a sort of competition between several groups within the organization, than that  they had a clear understanding of for who they are doing what they do. And even more important, why  they are running the swimming pool/playground. So in order to get the same question in their mind, I  decided to work out the story of a family that I would present to the organization. It was about a couple  with two girls, age 5 and 9, like my own children. In the summer they would come and visit the  swimming pool and enjoy themselves a whole day. From hanging around in the sun, swimming and  playing, to having a coffee on the terrace and the kids buying candy in the shop. Each family member  got the chance to tell something about their visits and what they enjoyed the most. The parents  reminisced about their own childhood, swimming and playing carefree. The girls always just had a great  time, being able to play and swim among other kids. The common factor in what was being told was that their carefree day, their enjoyment of lazy time was  made possible by the swimming pool/playground. And more important, made possible by the  volunteers who are always ready to help or greet them with a smile. To show and tell the organization a  story, made as small as possible, was a great way to get them re-acquainted with their target group.  And that in a way that everyone could understand and relate to because it was a recognition of their  every day volunteers work and what they enjoyed about that.

Insight and approach In this case I didn't have the chance to talk to a large group of volunteers. Normally our agency would  organize a few workshops to get in depth. Now, the ﬁeldwork was limited to a few interviews with some   volunteers. Some of them I'm acquainted with on a private level. Therefore the organizational problem  was layed out pretty good. The facility itself I knew very well, as my family and myself are regular  visitors. To give the story more depth though, I'd like to have done some interviews with visitors as well.  On the other hand, it was somehow told from ﬁrst hand experience.

In my daily line of work as a creative director at an agency I am already using design tools. But more in  the creative ﬁeld, in the creative parts of projects. On incidental levels we use them in organizational  fashion: in workshops or change management projects. This course gave me more insight in how to  improve complete projects as I have now a more holistic view on the matter. Design thinking is not  strictly reserved for the creative ﬁeld. It broadened my view on how the design management tools can  be deployed within the same project to get a coherent result. A great improvement is the strengthened  link with my co-workers from the marketing department. As I form a link between marketing and  creative, I think I have a better understanding of the cross teamwork in eachothers ﬁelds.

And last but not least: I became a volunteer at the swimming pool/playground!


Joey Boonstra Creative director November 2016 Storytelling for a renewed connection Challenge I live in a small town of a regional area in the Netherlands . Population in this area is aging and shrinking , so social services and activities are diminishing as well . But there 's a public swimming pool and playground that has been around for more than 50 years and that still has a role as of one of the living center points of the village . In a fast changing environment it is meeting threats from competing recreational facilities . The organization , run by young and old volunteers , has to be able to regain focus and fulﬁll its role as an important center point of social engagement in the village and surrounding area . As a professional in marketing and communications , I took it upon me to help the management and its volunteers to what the positioning of the swimming pool / playground could be and how they would be able to ( re-)connect with their audience . Selection For this challenge , a few years back , I used two techniques : visualization and storytelling . And the latter was -in retrospect- the most important one to use in this case . Because volunteers do the things they do out of their hearts , it is difﬁcult to challenge their methods and ways that they are used to doing for years . In order to achieve support and create change towards a common goal , it is not sufﬁcient to only to listen to them and involve them . There has to be a common ground , a deﬁning essence , that they can relate to and act upon . Storytelling is a powerful tool because it has the ability to envision basic human emotion in a simple and effective way . It can touch them in the heart . Application In the visualization of the old situation , one could clearly see that not only the swimming pool/ playground itself lacked proﬁle and focus in communications , the organization itself lacked focus as well . There was more a sort of competition between several groups within the organization , than that they had a clear understanding of for who they are doing what they do . And even more important , why they are running the swimming pool / playground . So in order to get the same question in their mind , I decided to work out the story of a family that I would present to the organization . It was about a couple with two girls , age 5 and 9 , like my own children . In the summer they would come and visit the swimming pool and enjoy themselves a whole day . From hanging around in the sun , swimming and playing , to having a coffee on the terrace and the kids buying candy in the shop . Each family member got the chance to tell something about their visits and what they enjoyed the most . The parents reminisced about their own childhood , swimming and playing carefree . The girls always just had a great time , being able to play and swim among other kids . The common factor in what was being told was that their carefree day , their enjoyment of lazy time was made possible by the swimming pool / playground . And more important , made possible by the volunteers who are always ready to help or greet them with a smile . To show and tell the organization a story , made as small as possible , was a great way to get them re - acquainted with their target group . And that in a way that everyone could understand and relate to because it was a recognition of their every day volunteers work and what they enjoyed about that . Insight and approach In this case I did n't have the chance to talk to a large group of volunteers . Normally our agency would organize a few workshops to get in depth . Now , the ﬁeldwork was limited to a few interviews with some volunteers . Some of them I 'm acquainted with on a private level . Therefore the organizational problem was layed out pretty good . The facility itself I knew very well , as my family and myself are regular visitors . To give the story more depth though , I 'd like to have done some interviews with visitors as well . On the other hand , it was somehow told from ﬁrst hand experience . In my daily line of work as a creative director at an agency I am already using design tools . But more in the creative ﬁeld , in the creative parts of projects . On incidental levels we use them in organizational fashion : in workshops or change management projects . This course gave me more insight in how to improve complete projects as I have now a more holistic view on the matter . Design thinking is not strictly reserved for the creative ﬁeld . It broadened my view on how the design management tools can be deployed within the same project to get a coherent result . A great improvement is the strengthened link with my co - workers from the marketing department . As I form a link between marketing and creative , I think I have a better understanding of the cross teamwork in eachothers ﬁelds . And last but not least : I became a volunteer at the swimming pool / playground !