We Need to Talk: It's Not You, It's Us.

We need to talk.??

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These four words are usually a sign of bad news to come. But looked at another way, it’s a fact of life: we, as homo sapiens, *literally* need to talk. However, whether it’s family, strangers, coworkers, or friends, we’re struggling to communicate right now. It’s time to change that.???

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Humans are innately social creatures. Our ability to communicate forms the bedrock for advancing civilization. It’s the glue that keeps societies functioning. Communication is a superpower. But in the Age of Information -- where we are equipped with the most powerful communication tools on the planet – conversations are failing us.??

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The Age of Information has exposed existential threats, inequality across the world, and provided transparency in both government and private sectors. But when it comes to forming solutions to these issues, we are bogged down by filter bubbles and catapulted carelessly into self-affirming echo chambers that embed strong opinions, loosely held. It is destroying our ability to learn from, seek out, or entertain any opposing point of view. So, we set out to fix that.??

Technology is advancing exponentially. And while the platforms for discussion may have evolved, our approach to communication hasn’t evolved with it. We haven’t lost the ability to communicate, but we are lacking the right tools to do it effectively. This insight led us to design a prototype, one that initiates, facilitates, and creates more productive and enlightening conversations. Introducing Go On: Cards for Civil Enlightenment.?

The concept of the game was forged in the crucible of street epistemology, deep canvassing, and design fiction. Its mechanics are simple: Each player has 5 cards, one prompts a question, and the other four are designed to build on other players’ ideas. Players can add to the thought (Plus), respectfully challenge it (Push), view it from another angle (Pivot), or focus on the big picture (Ponder). Go On is designed to connect people, construct ideas, break silos, bridge knowledge gaps, and explore complex, purposeful, and polarizing topics to better understand one another. We believe the intentional use of game mechanics in social interactions will create a setting that encourages the act of building up ideas and belief structures, not tearing them down.?

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We think Go On will improve many types of conversations. Not only will it help people find common ground, but it will also make conversations more interesting. (No more: “Wow. So much weather we’re having this week!”) In order to test this, we thought deeply about the formats where conversations take place and looked for ways to shake them up. We didn’t have to look far: happy hours, family brunches, Jeffersonian dinners, focus groups, stakeholder interviews, chat rooms, Twitter threads, and client meetings. The more we looked into it, the more we realized Go On could enhance countless conversations. But one stood out above the rest: conference panels. ???

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TL;DR: panels usually suck. It’s either buzzword bingo, over-rehearsed talking points, cringe pop culture references, or shameless self-promotion. Sometimes all of the above. There’s barely oxygen left in the room once it’s over. It needs fixing. So, we punched our tickets to SXSW to do just that. After all, what better way to prove Go On can build better conversation than by doing it on a stage with brilliant panelists? Go On will guide our conversation, injecting fun, humor, spontaneity, and an insightful outcome. It’s an effort to get unfiltered thoughts flowing.??

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SXSW will be our prototype playground. We’re going to bars, hotel lobbies, Jeffersonian dinners, and of course, the panel itself, to play Go On. The goal: Test our theory from the living room to the boardroom, from the kitchen table to the Business Roundtable, and from social media to mainstream media. Civil discourse and more enlightening conversations are not only possible, but they’re in our nature. Let’s make human...kind again.???

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If you’re coming to Austin, Texas for SXSW, we would love to see you there. But if not, you can read more about the panel and see how we’re bringing purpose-driven innovation to life at innovationonpurpose.co.??