Session Brief: Rolestorming

Goal

Artifact: Rollenkarten

Working Question

Which solution ideas for the challenge emerge when the team thinks from clearly defined outside roles?

Context

Challenge as HMW sentence; role list (for example grandmother, competitor CEO, 12-year-old child, industry outsider); short briefings per role; example idea as warm-up.

Setup

• Format: Method session
• Duration: 30-60 min
• Mode: Workshop
• Participants: One facilitator who orchestrates role changes; three to twelve participants who step into roles; one scribe per role (optional) or self-documentation on stickies.
• Owner: One facilitator who orchestrates role changes
• Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
• Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward Rollenkarten. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Role cards with name, context, goals, pet peeves (one card per role); stickies; timer; whiteboard or board with lanes per role and shared consolidation area.

Preparation

Distribute role cards (one per person or small group). Board lanes per role. Rule: speak from the role, not about the role. Exaggeration allowed.

Agenda

1. Phase 1: Warm-up and role briefing (10 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Read challenge aloud. Hand out role cards. Each person reads their role and names three traits of the figure. Short example round with test question. Hint: If someone answers from their own perspective during example round, steer briefly. Role is not costume, but thinking frame. Output: Rollenkarten

2. Phase 2: Solo ideation in role (10-15 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Silent phase: each person generates as many ideas as possible in their role on stickies. One idea per sticky. Target at least 8 ideas per role. Hint: Phones away. Anyone stuck in role should use concrete traits of the figure (for example "What would my grandmother find annoying about this?"). Output: Ideenpool pro Rolle

3. Phase 3: Role showcase (15-20 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Per role, 2-3 min pitch of best ideas, still spoken in role. Others note follow-on ideas. Cross-pollination: pick up ideas from other roles. Hint: If a role only produces clichés, facilitator asks from role context: "What specifically annoys this person about the current solution?" Force concreteness. Output: Konsolidierte Shortlist

4. Phase 4: Translate back and cluster (10-15 min) Owner: Owner Action: Drop role. Translate ideas into own perspective: which of them is feasible or at least testable in context? Cluster, create shortlist of 3-5 ideas. Hint: Without translation back, exercise remains play. Every idea needs a note on how it would look concretely for the real target group. Output: Rollenkarten

5. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: Rollenkarten

Closeout

• Update result artifact: Rollenkarten
• Define location, version, and review recipients.
• Define owner, next step, and review date.

Rollenkarten: Rolestorming

Working Question

Which solution ideas for the challenge emerge when the team thinks from clearly defined outside roles?

Context

Challenge as HMW sentence; role list (for example grandmother, competitor CEO, 12-year-old child, industry outsider); short briefings per role; example idea as warm-up.

Participants

• Owner: One facilitator who orchestrates role changes
• Participants: One facilitator who orchestrates role changes; three to twelve participants who step into roles; one scribe per role (optional) or self-documentation on stickies.

Input

Role cards with name, context, goals, pet peeves (one card per role); stickies; timer; whiteboard or board with lanes per role and shared consolidation area.

Template

Rolestorming Working Template

Goal

Brainstorm from other roles or personas to break your own mental patterns.

Context

When and for what do we use this method?

Input

Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?

Execution

Short notes along the runsheet.

Output artifacts

• Role cards:
• Idea pool by role:
• Consolidated shortlist:

Assumptions and open questions

• ...

Decision / next step

Owner, date, and success signal.

Completion Check

• Rollenkarten is complete enough for review:
• Location:
• Version / status:
• Review by:
• Next step:

Next Step

• Review result
• Mark open questions
• Schedule review or decision