Learning to collaborate with different perspectives

Collaboration is rarely a seamless and effortless process; rather, it requires negotiation and a willingness to learn and work together. Establishing a productive group dynamic and finding common ground that extends beyond mere consensus often demands patience, empathy, effective communication, and open-mindedness. Indeed, collaborating with individuals who hold diverse perspectives can present significant challenges. People from different disciplines, cultures, or backgrounds often bring contrasting approaches, values, and ways of thinking and working to the table. While these differences are valuable for generating new ideas and undertaking ambitious projects, they can also give rise to misunderstandings, conflicts, and communication barriers within a team.

During the first workshop in EKA, our collaboration was definitely not easy since we had very different working methods and expectations. As Ludwig Kannicht aptly remarked after this workshop:

"The first workshop was an incredibly valuable experience, despite the challenges we faced. It was a learning journey, even if we had to overcome some difficulties along the way. Looking back, I realize that we had diverse cultures and understandings of design. If given the opportunity to repeat the workshop, I would prioritize addressing these differences from the start. Allocating dedicated time for open discussions and understanding each other's perspectives would be crucial. It takes time to bridge the gap when collaborating with individuals from different contexts. Expecting seamless collaboration from day one is unrealistic."

After the initial workshop, we proceeded to the second one held in Esadse, Saint-Étienne in April 2021. For this workshop, we opted for a more flexible approach, where no specific methods or tools were imposed or even suggested. The aim was to provide students with the freedom to experiment and discover their own ways of collaborating, culminating in the creation of a playable game by the end of the week. The students were tasked with familiarizing themselves with one another and leveraging their individual perspectives and skills within small group settings. Additionally, this week-long workshop provided an excellent opportunity to explore the nuances between collaboration, cooperation, contribution, and participation within diverse group dynamics.

During the final DTCC workshop week at HfG, Ludwig led a workshop titled Radical Collaboration, which specifically focused on collaboration dynamics from a psychological perspective. In this workshop, he encouraged the students examine and analyze some collaborative moments where they encountered obstacles that led to tensions, in order to better understand what happened and learn how to effectively respond and navigate similar challenges in the future.

In this chapter, we will revisit these two workshops, recognizing them as key moments in our collective journey of learning how to collaborate effectively.

We will then feature interviews with students who participated in these workshops, offering valuable insights into their experiences and the lessons they learned within the collaborative context of three European schools. These workshops not only exposed them to alternative approaches to design but also introduced them to different school cultures, methods, and tools that diverged from their usual practices. Furthermore, the workshops prompted a profound self-reflection, encouraging students to question their own practices and attitudes in relation to those of their peers.