Procedure

This task consists of four parts.

In the first part, participants gather in a plenary session to collect needs, activities, or tasks that they encounter in their personal everyday lives. These are written on white moderation cards and pinned to a display board or wall.

In the second part, participants should think about what a digital tool for each of these points might look like. Participants are given red, yellow, and green moderation cards and, without thinking about specific solutions, should write down what such a digital tool should be able to do. The following should be written on the colored moderation cards and pinned to the respective need:

• Red: What problem would you like to solve with a digital tool?
• Yellow: What form should this digital tool take (e.g., app, website, gadget, etc.)?
• Green: What compromises would you be willing to make (e.g., costs, carrying around an additional device, increased power consumption, etc.)?

The interim results are briefly discussed in a plenary session.

In the third part, the participants form small groups of 2–3 people and select a need that they want to research. They look for platforms, tools, gadgets, etc. that represent a good digital solution for the respective need, taking into account the criteria previously collected on the colored moderation cards.

In the fourth part, the results are presented to the whole group. Finally, the following questions can be put up for discussion:

• To what extent can digital tools meet analog needs?
• What is the difference between analog and digital needs?
• Which analog needs cannot be digitized?

Preparation

• Depending on the group’s prior knowledge and the time available, it may be useful to think of some additional examples yourself and visualize one of them.
• If desired, prepare methods for dividing the group into small groups.

Notes on moderation

The aim of the task is not to find a digital tool that meets all criteria, but to make a targeted and conscious choice.

• If the participants cannot find a digital tool that really fits, they can also come up with one and design it.
• If a group quickly finds a suitable tool, they can move on to the next need and research it.
• Here is a possible example of how the task could be carried out: In the first part, the need “collecting sports data (specifically: jogging)” was identified. In the second part, the participants wrote the following information on the moderation cards: The red cards contain, for example, “missing data for progress,” “difficult to count,” or “desire for accuracy.” The yellow cards contain, for example, “wristband,” “chip in the arm,” or “app for smartphone.”The green cards ultimately included “disclosure of personal data,” “additional precious metals for new device,” and “costs for app/new device.” One group researched this need and found an app that allows users to collect the requested data via their smartphones. Although the app is free, it passes on the collected data to the manufacturer. The group is therefore looking for a fitness wristband that measures your speed independently of your smartphone. However, producing another battery is bad for the environment. Finally, the group realizes that you can easily calculate your average jogging speed using a stopwatch at home and the distance you have run. The groups then present these three tools to the others.