4 - Framing and reframing with metaphors | DesignLab

Framing and reframing with metaphors

What: An Understand and Frame exercise, to reframe the challenge
Goal: Exploring connections and interdependencies among actors and their values
Duration: 30-40 mins

Introduction

Using metaphors to articulate the societal challenge, see it under a different light, and find a common ground.

How it works

Look at your initial societal challenge and connect a metaphor to it. What would be a good and suitable metaphor to illustrate what the challenge is about? (i.e. the challenge could be seen as… a farm). Describe what that metaphor means to you and why you selected it. Why did you pick that metaphor? What are the characteristics that metaphor has?
As a group, now pick another metaphor and describe your challenge based on it (i.e. the challenge could be seen as... a spaceship). Elaborate on how the meaning of the challenge changes, and why. What can you learn from seeing the challenge from this new perspective?
Reframe: how would you reframe the challenge based on the insights that this new metaphor provides?

Tip(s) for moderator

Provide some predetermined metaphors or pictures for participants to use. Leaving it too open might lead the participants to feel stuck since it might be hard to identify a meaningful metaphor.

Output

Upgraded and more nuanced framed based on the insights the metaphors provide.

Reference(s)

Overview

Other methods and tools to 'Understand and Frame':

1 - What brought us here?

2 - Exploring alternative rationales

3 - Value mapping

Back to start page

Questions for Julieta

To be filled: When, people, Next step(s)
To be checked: Download
+ where to find the reframe template? In Maartje's .ai file it is part of the perspective taking template (I think).