Users Experience Fishbowl
The User Experience Fishbowl facilitates knowledge transfer by creating a structured conversation between a small group with direct experience and a larger group seeking to learn from them. It allows for organic Q&A and shared understanding in a dynamic setting.
Use this method when you need to quickly disseminate practical knowledge, foster understanding of new practices, or address concerns about a new initiative within a larger group.
Solves: Lack of shared understanding between experienced users and those new to a process or technology; difficulty scaling knowledge from a small group to a larger audience.
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Step 1: Explain the fishbowl setup and process to the entire group. 2 min.
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Step 2: The inner circle (3-7 people with experience) engages in a conversation about their experiences, focusing on concrete examples. 10-25 min.
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Step 3: The outer circle (smaller groups of 3-4) observes the conversation and formulates questions. 4 min.
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Step 4: The outer circle submits questions, and the inner circle answers them, fostering a back-and-forth dialogue. 10-25 min.
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Step 5: Debrief using What? So What? Now What? to reflect on the experience and identify next steps. 10-15 min.
- Carefully select inner circle participants with diverse and relevant experiences.
- Encourage concrete storytelling and discourage abstract opinions.
- Enforce the rule that the inner circle should talk to each other, not present to the outer circle.
- Collect all questions from the outer circle before the inner circle begins answering.
- Leave an open chair in the inner circle for spontaneous participation.
- Use the chat function in virtual settings for outer circle questions.
- Combine with other Liberating Structures like Improv Prototyping or 25/10 Crowd Sourcing.