f2f – Deliberation Tools
This paper version of ushin shapes adds a format for understanding to sincere, natural conversation.
This card game mock-up shows a few of the USHIN capabilities and suggests the potential for rapid, meaningful communication around points and queries, and is not an accurate replication of the application’s graphical symbology. Card shape, order, color, number and design refer to categories of meaning, importance, authorship, and desire for response or completed communication. U4U will show unique visuals including a semantic screen, filtering, comparing, cross referencing, nodal connections, marking, and other USHIN functionalities that this mock-up lacks.
Organizing One’s MindThere are a number of ways people remember the eight meaning shapes. Cards, charms, coaster sets, and articles of clothing printed with the meaning shapes, are some of the prompts that people have used to express themselves with ushin. Once we are accustomed to using these items, especially when we use them in the same pattern every time, it’s easier to remember them than a telephone number.
Outside the shared online USHIN network protocols, ushin has few mutual understandings, and no set rules.
Inspired by color card group self-assessment methods, shapes convey meanings quickly, as when people hold up cards, or place stickies on a table layout of big cards – as their own group decides to play.
One method for ushin discussions is inspired by first nation traditions, as in a council meeting, or taking turns with talking sticks: people take turns, and listen with full attention. It’s simplest for each person to make one point, or pose one question, at a time. First we express a main point, and then any related supporting points or queries. Side topics may be identified and postponed. Others respond by holding up relevant cards to signify reactions.
Depending on how the group plays, cards that represent needs, or both merits & needs, go first. People with needs alone are displayed to elicit potential solutions of merit. People with merits as a main point include other shapes to explain how their contribution meets the specific needs by the actions suggested.
A card game for comprehensive efficient understanding
Dedicated to Ken’s poetic friend.
• Minimum one person.
• Everyone makes/gets 8 meaning shapes labeled: feelings, needs, thoughts, events/facts,
people, actions & topics.
• Someone starts with anything as the focal point for each round.
• People deliberate one point at a time, with requests to meet needs being trump.
• Others will signify, e.g. hold up a card to show what they have to contribute in response.
• One at a time, those with active needs will select which active cards to explore, 1 at a time.
• When people agree we say something like “ditto” and show how much cards overlap.
• Whoever is talking can direct the choices for 2 min and then chooses someone else’s need.
• This person can also defer to another need, or shift focus anywhere during their turn, and
• elicit feedback on input related to side elements.
• All needs play in turn unless deferred or met or deemed unimportant by those holding
• Those with partial agreement may share differences with the group, or write them down.
• Group moderators select people to help others with longer needs in a side deliberation.
• Each need may be addressed by one of us, a few, or the group together.
• After needs are met people can suggest any element be deliberated.
USHIN Deliberation Session
After reading their own proposal pages people will hold up one card for a need they have,
as for understanding or expression related to something on the page.
U4U Proposal deliberation participants may add our names as co-contributors to the proposal.
Purpose test USHIN elements, and they’d have game attraction.
Everyone has a set of meaning shapes, and they hold up which they want to hear about first
supplies for USHIN Deliberation for U4U:
Everyone gets a clipboard and pencil, 8 cards and page of draft proposal.
Paper, sissors, rulers
TO PLAY: The outer star-shaped card represents the merit of contents within.
If these words of merit hold no value for you, skip to the last step. If the message is worthy of your time, open the sender packet and slip out the contents maintaining their order to preserve sender’s priorities or flow.
The top inside card has the main point or main query, depending on whether the point or blank query is face up. The other cards are sub-points or sub-queries relating to the main point or query.
A face up, “open,” card is a request for response based on that shape’s meaning, on topic, and if it has words, it may be a guess, a request for confirmation, or a question. The very system invites open responses.
To reply to any card’s message: cover it with the similarly shaped card from your recipient packet, that expresses how you want to respond to that specific point or query. (See other side for shape meanings.)
Put query side up to request response or point up to confer completion. Blank responses convey agreement.
Add writing only to your own color cards to model the USHIN feature which allows modification of only one’s own, unpublished input – once committed to the digital commons it is considered “forever”.
If you have no response, and want to reject the message on any card, discard it.
Re-order the resultant pairs of cards to indicate relative importance of each from your perspective.
Slip your ordered set of inner cards into the blank recipient packet face up.
Close your packet by inserting the merit (star shaped) pair with or without adding commentary.
Create or add your suitable identity for this input on your recipient packet cover, as sender.
If you agree with the sender’s choice of recipients for your input, leave the “to” section on your recipient packet as is. If not, remove, edit and/or write your own names on your color packet.
Place your packets into the mail envelope or otherwise deliver.