What role can designers play in reducing anxiety associated with joining groups and collaboration?

In order to form an effective collaborative group, individuals must feel like their goals and needs can be satisfied by group membership. However, it is often difficult to express individuals concerns before group members without anxiety and conflict.

This situation was similar to one I observed while facilitating collaboration between a school CFO and faculty. Their purpose was to form a group to talk about important financial matters. However, no one really knew what the other’s main goals and objectives of forming this collaboration should be. Therefore, I created a tool that addressed the anxiety associated with communicating one’s needs and joining groups.

Following interviewing, each individual member’s concerns and needs regarding financial information were added to colored cards. Everyone was then brought together and asked to sort their needs in order of interest. Members were then encouraged to show each other their strong interests and find common themes. From these common themes a collective goal for the collaborative group was decided. Now the group could work together on a purpose they shared, thus reducing their anxiety over achieving their individual goals.

“This is not what I expected, I thought I was going to have to battle it out with Jack. This really helped” quote from CFO after using the tool.

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