Retrospective conversation transcript analysis

To make sense of the transcript data the software Atlas.Ti was used to apply codes and derive themes2_.

Using a simple qualitative interview analysis (Turner III, 2010; Ryan and Bernard, 2003) the following two sets of themes were found. The first set of themes refers to type of workshop outcome. The second set of themes refers to the type of assets used within communication strategies to mobilize brand values and deliver those outcomes.

• Workshop outcome theme 1: references the effect of workshop output

• Workshop outcome theme 2: references new communications developed since the workshop • Workshop outcome theme 3: references qualities of sustainability applied

• Workshop outcome theme 4: references communication strategies used • Asset theme 1: drawing on people relations.

• Asset theme 2: drawing on community of interest between initiatives. • Asset theme 3: drawing on designed “artefacts”.

These themes are described below with examples that show how qualities of sustainability (theme 3) (Figure 5-3, p.141) and communication strategies (theme 4) were applied (Figure 5-2, p.140).

1 The questions of retrospective conversation in section Appendix 10: Retrospective conversation questions, p.177

5.4.1 Asset theme 1 - workshop outcomes drawing on people relations

These outcomes support the insight from workshop #5 which focuses on the accord of communication design of these types of initiatives with ‘relational services’ as described by Cipolla (2012). This accord suggests a ‘relational approach to communication design’ that amplifies qualities of sustainability like relationships and collaboration via communication strategies like experience and interaction.

• For example, the design of gamified interactions between service users to foster a sense of

community, as the representative of Loomgrown shared at end of workshop interview.

“we weren’t talking about the community or the experiment at all. So this will be the first time we try to present it to people.” (evaluation interview 6.6)

• As to fostering relationships, representative of Soleshare shared their new approach to bring their

customers together around shared values. This approach recognises the ‘people’ around their brand as an important asset for the brand.

“sharing their stories is a bit more tempting than just the dead fish in a box.” (evaluation inter- view 2.11)

5.4.2 Asset theme 2 - workshop outcomes drawing on community of interest between initiatives

These outcomes are examples of communication design approaches that draw on a community of like-minded initiatives. This was an insight gained in the workshop series (#2 and #3) and expressed in the informative interviews with different participants. The workshops were described as “an arena for discussion” (workshop #2) to share best practices in both their activities and in communication design.

• For example, food initiative Vidacycle drew on a pool of other food initiatives and invited them for a

food experience using their products to share the story and potentially cross-collaborate. “the aim was to allow people to taste what we had and to share the flavours of the farm and the story and to have other people share about that through their social media” (evaluation interview 1.3)

• A second example is that initiative of Jack’s Veg who designed a new platform inspired by the need

to exchange best practices between food initiatives, which he previously referenced as a personal outcome in his post-workshop interview (section 4.5.3, p.100).

• To explore the value of fostering a community of interest, Soleshare developed a way to expand the

reach of communications through a networked approach relying on other initiatives that share the same values.

“collaborating together in networks that are already in place and kind of buddying up and work- ing with one another to share the burden and costs of setting things up.” (evaluation interview 2.11)

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5.4.3 Asset theme 3 - workshop outcomes drawing on designed “artefacts”

These outcomes show two different approaches to produce communication design through using the tool. Some initiatives took on the role of designing the communications themselves regardless of not being expert designers. Other initiatives took the workshop output as a brief to be executed by professional designers. For example, the representative of Golden Company shared in the post-workshop interview that he recruited expert designers to co-create new brand communications with the youth group that runs the social enterprise. Both of these outcomes support a discussion on the emerging role for the communication designer, as facilitator to design the brief but also executing the design artefacts (to be discussed in the section contribution to knowledge, section 5.11.4, p.152). For example, the representative of Growing Communities took the workshop output as a brief for professional designers and collaborated to create a language more accessible to a younger customer, as discussed in the long term retrospective interview following workshop (#3).

“working with young designers, I asked them to do the bags and will be re-designing the website, so I’ll get some professional help with that.” (evaluation interview 3.8)

A second example is that a representative of Lucid Selections took the workshop output as brief to himself and created a series of videos exploring the quality of authenticity. Since he is the only one who has met the producers he felt his own designs would communicate more authentically than an external designer.

“…it took me three days, took forever, to take a two-minute video, you’d never imagine! [...] I ba- sically just refined wording a lot more, you know we talked about the message, making it more clear and understandable, more humbling to the average consumer.” (evaluation interview 6.2)