01 See Gray, D., Brown, S., & Macanufo, J. (2010). Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers. O’Reilly.
02 See #TiSDD 7.2, Prototyping methods.
03 See #TiSDD 10.3.4, Creating a safe space.
Bodystorming is a physical exploration and discovery method which will generate ideas and understanding as well as quickly revealing assumptions and problems. It is very useful when the ideation challenge has physical or interpersonal aspects; when the group are tired of talking; or when a session needs empathy, energy, or a memorable highlight.
After a short immersion phase in the context of the challenge, the participants play through some ideas, taking on the roles of various stakeholders, groups, or platforms. For example, they might act out some variations of a sales pitch or advisory session, try different ways to serve a cup of coffee to someone with lot of luggage, or take the part of a “landing page” interacting with customers and directing them to the right part of the website. As they go, they pause to record and reflect on their discoveries. Bodystorming is less structured and much faster than investigative rehearsal,02 but has less depth of discovery and insight.