Defining

The defining process was more structured than I expected. I assumed the defining step would be dominated by individual rumination with as few restraints/instructions as possible. While there were moments for individual thought and creation, the defining process was predicated on communication with group members and building off each others thoughts with our own. This was very informative for me, as I found this approach more effective and productive than what I would have expected. Utilizing a concrete group space for thought (the whiteboard with post-its) allowed for very tangible combination and development of ideas. Without the whiteboard I think our individual ideas may have evolved on their own to the point where combination and collaboration between them may have been difficult. Furthermore I believe the collaboration between HMW proposals ultimately created a stronger final product than if they were attempted individually. Finally the instruction to use HMW statements was a good framework because it provided enough structure to express our ideas coherently without smothering them with restrictions. My takeaway from this process was an appreciation for the careful balance of individual thought with group collaboration and instructions/framework with creative freedom. I plan to use this approach for defining projects in the future.