Session 1 – Activity – River of Life

Please read the instructions and experience the activity among yourselves –

Now you have explored the methods for a user-centric approach and before you start creating Low Fidelity screens, here is an activity that helps you to connect with your users without any verbal/ vernacular communication. It will help you to understand how users empathise with your design. Also during the activity, you will empathise with your team members as well.
We call it the “River of life”. Here’s what you need to do. Split yourselves into groups of 3.
You get 10 – 15 minutes to draw/sketch creatively about the events you remember of your life so far in a KG cardboard or chart paper or Miro board.
Please do go back in time and in chronological sequence sketch out with crayons or colour pencils, kindergarten, events like school joining, exams, sports events, music/dance events, travel, birthdays and draw them on a sheet of paper along with any family members, friends as you remember.
These could have been events you vividly remember or ones that made you who you are today. Remember there is no right or wrong, it is just your life from the time you remember to now.
Once you are done, show your drawings to group members and say nothing, until they ask you questions to understand better.

You saw the video on the activity “River of Life”, and played it amongst your team members. From the activity, share your experience on the following aspects:
1. Which particular chart made you think, “Oh, I would have not seen it in that angle as that person did”?
2. Which chat made you think, “I wish I got to experience that too”?
3. How did this entire activity of seeing each other’s river of life aﬀect you? What do you think and feel about it? Why do you think you were asked to do it?