1.
METASTRATEGY
John V Willshire, Smithery, London
Webdagene, Oslo
21st October 2016
@willsh
Movement, Layers and Loops
STRATEGY IS DEAD, LONG LIVE

2.
Who
is this
for?

3.
Who
is this
for?
Gustavo Frazao/Shutterstock

4.
@willsh
Buildings don’t pivot.
Or do they…?

5.
@willsh

6.
@willsh

7.
METASTRATEGY
a strategy
of strategies

8.
@willsh
“the philosopher’s
favourite tactic…”
DANIEL DENNETT
‘Going Meta’

9.
@willsh
Daniel Dennett
“Anything you can do,
I can do meta”

10.
@willsh
metaThe monkey wrench
of abstract thinking

11.
@willsh
INPUTS
1) Think of a
word, put ‘meta’
in front of it
2) Google it
OUTPUTS

12.
@willsh
Metadesign?

13.
Who’s doing
the designing?
Whose future
is it anyway?

14.
@willsh
Metamechanics?

15.
@willsh
THE MECHANICS
OF MECHANICS
http://jaysimons.deviantart.com/

16.
@willsh
INPUTS
1) Think of a
word, put ‘meta’
in front of it
2) Google it
OUTPUTS
1) You think
differently
2) You find who’s
been here before

17.
@willsh
Metadesign
Metamechanics
Metastrategy?

18.
@willsh
movement…
loops…
layers…

19.
@willsh
ADVARSEL
Denne presentasjonen inneholder
(litt) publikumsdeltakelse.

20.
@willsh

21.
@willsh
Jean Tinguely
1925-1991

22.
@willsh
http://www.vernissage.tv
If you stare long enough,
you see how it works

23.
@willsh
If you stare long enough,
you see how it works

24.
@willsh
We love repeating patterns

25.
@willsh
What are the internet’s
repeating patterns?

26.
@willsh
Mechanics
“the behavior of physical bodies when
subjected to forces or displacements, and
the subsequent effects of the bodies on
their environment”
Wikipedia

27.
@willsh
Mechanics:
What happens to things
when things happen to them?

28.
@willsh
A unified theory of the web,
David Weinberger,
2002
“Small pieces,
loosely joined”

29.
@willsh
“Once it’s published,
no one can change it
except the original
publisher”
DAVID WEINBERGER
The Document

30.
@willsh
The Web

31.
@willsh
Order is temporary…

32.
@willsh
Work in forms where
order is temporary…

33.
@willsh
Cards are a long, deep
cultural language
Jon Seidman - https://flic.kr/p/b6NEqB

34.
@willsh
Content: what’s on the cards
Design Fiction Kit: Near Future Laboratory

35.
@willsh
Mechanics: that they are cards
Design Fiction Kit: Near Future Laboratory

36.
@willsh
Card Mechanics

37.
@willsh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9dIQOrVhM5E - Prof. John Wood, TED, on Synergies
“The Creative Quartet” - Prof. John Wood
1
2
3 45 6

38.
@willsh
Order is
temporary…

39.
@willsh
“[cards are] an aggregation of many
individual pieces of content”
@padday

40.
@willsh
“an aggregation of many individual pieces of content”“[cards are] an aggregation of many
individual pieces of content”
@padday

41.
@willsh
Making the
metaphor
physical…
artefactshop.com

42.
@willsh
Seymour Papert
1928-2016

43.
@willsh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOf4EMN6-XA

44.
@willsh
“The turtle is a
transitional object,
between the body,
the self, and an
abstract concept”
Seymour Papert

45.
@willsh
Body, self, abstract

46.
@willsh
Work in
materials
where
MOVEMENT
is part of their
makeup
Deal
Shuffle
Order
Stack
Turn
Spread
Rearrange

47.
@willsh

48.
@willsh
movement…
loops…
layers…

49.
@willsh

50.
@willsh

51.
@willsh
MANOEUVRABILITY > SPEED

52.
@willsh
MANOEUVRABILITY > SPEED

53.
@willsh
OODA Loops
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act

54.
@willsh
OBSERVE DECIDE ACTORIENT
outside world
implicit guidance & control
REPEAT

55.
@willsh
OBSERVE DECIDE ACTORIENT
outside world
implicit guidance & control
New information
about changing
environment
Form a
hypothesis
Test it…
REPEAT

56.
@willsh
OBSERVE DECIDE ACTORIENT
outside world
implicit guidance & control
Create
perspectives
that match
your new
reality

57.
@willsh
Create New Perspectives
New information
Analysis & synthesis
Previous experience
Cultural traditions
SOURCE: JOHN BOYD

58.
@willsh
How do we orient?
New information
Analysis & synthesis
Previous experience
Cultural traditions
SOURCE: JOHN BOYD
PRESENT}
PATTERNS}

59.
@willsh
The pattern problem
An example becomes a lesson
A lesson becomes a method
A method becomes a practice
A practice becomes a doctrine
A doctrine becomes death

60.
@willsh
Break your patterns…

61.
@willsh
…by giving yourself lots
of alternatives

62.
@willsh
“Anything is easy if
you can assimilate
it to your collection
of models”
Seymour Papert

63.
@willsh
“80 or 90 important models
will carry about 90% of the
freight in making you a
worldly‑wise person.”
Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway

64.
@willsh

65.
@willsh
BRUCE LEE
“it is just a name used,
a boat to get one across,
and once across it is to be discarded
and not to be carried on one's back”

66.
@willsh
Good LOOPS allow you to
learn without becoming
trapped in the pattern

67.
@willsh
movement…
loops…
layers…

68.
@willsh
“Buildings don’t pivot.”

69.
@willsh
but this year…

70.
@willsh

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@willsh

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@willsh
Stewart Brand
“The quick processes provide
originality and challenge, while the
slow provide continuity and restraint”

73.
@willsh

74.
@willsh
SLOW
FAST
FAST
SLOW

75.
@willsh

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@willsh
FAST
FAST
originality
and
challenge

77.
@willsh
continuity
and
restraint
SLOW
SLOW

78.
@willsh

79.
@willsh
THE
GEARBOX

80.
@willsh
THE
GEARBOX

81.
@willsh
SLOWFAST
PEOPLE

82.
@willsh
SLOWFAST PEOPLE
FRIENDS
FAMILY
KIDS TEAM
FUNDRAISERS
PARTIES
PARENT HELPERS
COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES
LOCAL TEAMS
HERITAGE
OFFICIAL LEAGUES
GRASSROOTS
MATCH OFFICIALS
GOVERNING BODIES
TOURNAMENT
INTERNATIONAL TEAMS
EUROPEAN COMPETITION
SUPPORTERS CLUBS
TELEVISION COVERAGE

83.
@willsh
SLOWFAST
SPACE

84.
@willsh
SLOWFAST SPACE
GRAFFITI
CHALKING
FLYPOSTING
STREET ART
PARTIES
ADVERTISING
PUBLIC NOTICE BOARDS
SHOP SIGNS
STREET SIGNS
COUNCIL NOTICES
TRAFFIC DIVERSIONS
FOUNTAINS
MOSAICS
PUBLIC AMENITIES
MURALS
SCULPTURES
SUPPLY CHAINS
CLEANING

85.
@willsh
SLOWFAST
PEOPLE
SLOWFAST
SPACE

86.
@willsh
Stewart Brand
“All durable, dynamic systems have
this sort of structure; it’s what
makes them dynamic and robust”

87.
@willsh
Continuity and
Restraint
Originality and
Challenge
dynam
ic
and
robust

88.
@willsh
Continuity and
Restraint
Originality and
Challenge
?

89.
@willsh
What
happens
when the
gears slip
or jump?

90.
@willsh
originality and
challenge of people
vs.
continuity and
restraint of space

91.
@willsh

92.
Photograph by Brett Gundlock, Boreal Collective

93.
@willsh
originality and
challenge of space
vs.
continuity and
restraint of people

94.
@willsh
What happens when
a $49 billion, 21 year-
old franchise invades
your local bar?

95.
@willsh

96.
@willsh
I PROMISE YOU,
THIS IS RESEARCH

97.
@willsh
Visualising
cultural
deserts

98.
@willsh
Physically
agnostic

99.
Temporally
agnostic

100.
@willsh
What is
“here”?
pic: Aiko Graywolfe

101.
@willsh
ADVARSEL
Publikumsteltakelsen skjer nå.

102.
@willsh

103.
@willsh
IS IT REALLY ‘HERE’?

104.
@willsh
IF IT ISN’T OVER HERE…

105.
@willsh
AND ISN’T OVER HERE…

106.
@willsh
IT MUST
BE HERE.

107.
@willsh
SLAPP AV
Publikumsteltakelsen er nå over.

108.
@willsh
HERE IS
WHERE THE
PROBLEMS
START…

109.
POKEMON GO ‘MOB’, JULY 20TH, SAN FRANCISCO
PHOTO: NYT
TEMPORARY SPATIAL SHOCKS

110.
@willsh

111.
@willsh
Pic: Jean-Louis Zimmermann

112.
“It makes
it harder to
live here”

113.
@willsh
Overnight,
Pokémon Go
started wearing
your city like an ill-
fitting
human suit

114.
@willsh
SLOWFAST
PEOPLE
SLOWFAST
SPACE
We have to
learn to move
differently in
the volatile
quadrants

115.
@willsh
movement…
loops…
layers…

116.
@willsh
How do we
navigate
this world?

117.
@willsh
A UNIVERSAL AGILITY MAP

118.
@willsh
TEAM QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE0
PEOPLE
SPACE

119.
@willsh
Quantitative: new ways to find/make

120.
@willsh
Picture of Erika saying
something brilliant and
profound about Qualitative

121.
@willsh
TEAM QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
SKETCHSCAFFOLDSTRUCTURE
0
PEOPLE
SPACE

122.
@willsh
Sketch: what tools do you use?

123.
@willsh
Structure: where does it sit?

124.
@willsh
TEAM QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
SKETCHSCAFFOLDSTRUCTURE
0
PEOPLE
SPACE

125.
@willsh
Each space is self-
contained
0 TEAM QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
SKETCHSCAFFOLDSTRUCTURE

126.
@willsh
0
SHARE?
OR
IMPROVE
TEAM QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
SKETCHSCAFFOLDSTRUCTURE

127.
@willsh
0
Different
projects,
different
journeys
TEAM QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
SKETCHSCAFFOLDSTRUCTURE

128.
@willsh
0
Time is
an output,
not an
input
TEAM QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
SKETCHSCAFFOLDSTRUCTURE

129.
@willsh
TEAM QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
SKETCHSCAFFOLDSTRUCTURE
0
How is it
useful?
PEOPLE
SPACE

130.
@willsh
Project mapping

131.
@willsh

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@willsh

133.
@willsh

134.
@willsh

135.
@willsh
R&D
INNOVATION
MANUFACTURING MARKETING
SALES
CUSTOMER

136.
@willsh

137.
@willsh
Information - what’s important to you?

138.
@willsh
User stories:
where does it matter?

139.
@willsh
Assembly: What might fix it?

140.
@willsh

141.
@willsh
For one client, qualitative exploration

142.
@willsh
Across many, quantitative steering

143.
@willsh
R&D
INNOVATION
MANUFACTURING MARKETING
SALES
CUSTOMER

144.
@willsh
TEAM QUALITATIVE QUANTITATIVE
SKETCHSCAFFOLDSTRUCTURE
0
Generate
systems with
movement,
loops and layers
PEOPLE
SPACE

145.
@willsh
movement…
loops…
layers…

146.
@willsh
All systems pivot,
if you build in the flexibility.

147.
@willsh
Stare at it,
see how it
works?

148.
@willsh
“We wanna see the patterns…”

149.
@willsh
WELCOME TO THE
NEW NORMAL

150.
METASTRATEGY?

151.
@willsh
Strategy is dead.
Design appropriately.

152.
THANK YOU
JOHN@SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ARTEFACTSHOP.COM
(IS IT BEER TIME NOW?)