Strengthen your digital idea through discussion

The ASAP Map helps you facilitate a discussion about an idea to create shared understanding and build on what you’re already doing.

When to use?

Use the map As Soon As Possible when you have an idea for a digital experience. It’s like a roadmap that helps you reflect on where you’re going and how you can build on what you’re already doing.

How does it work?

Print the map and use it to facilitate a discussion. You first present the idea and agree on the purpose of the idea. You then discuss the purpose through questions on Awareness, Solutions, Alliances and Plans. 

Why use the map?

The map helps you create shared understanding and build on what you’re already doing. This will strengthen your idea, make on-going collaboration easier and enable you to better explain your decisions.

This is really good for framing a discussion. If somebody comes up with a digital idea, you can use the map to anchor it.
Kevin Bacon, Digital Manager, Brighton Museum

How do we reframe the discussion to be around what the objective actually is? This kind of contextual thing provides the opportunity.
Jay Mollica, Creative Technologist, SFMOMA

 

Insight

Behind the scenes of the ASAP Map

In this research publication, researchers from the GIFT Action Research explain how and why the map was created:

The ASAP map was developed in collaboration with the 10 museum professionals in the GIFT Action Research. Early in the process, they tested an initial version in their home institutions. Through this test and as a result of two followup workshop sessions with the group, the map was iteratively developed into the final version. (...) In the workshop discussions, the museum professionals highlighted the map as a way to “dig in and give flesh and bone to some fancy stuff” and as a good frame for discussions: “If somebody come with a digital idea, you can use this to anchor it”. Also, they saw it as having a potential for supporting early collaboration, as one of the museum professionals argued: “Without all stakeholders involved from the very start, you’re building in a potential problem further down the line.”

How to use?


Set up a meeting: Invite relevant staff, partners and volunteers.

Print the map and plan how to facilitate the discussion.

At the meeting, use the map to facilitate a discussion. The discussion is the outcome.


 

Idea vs. purpose

  • The idea is the experience or solution that you imagine to develop.
  • The purpose is the reason why you should develop it.

Example

An art museum wants to use VR (Virtual Reality) to help elderly people at nursery homes build relationships through art:

  • The idea is that the elderly person at the nursery home can see artworks through the eyes of a visitor at the museum via VR.
  • The purpose is to build relationships for elderly people at nursery homes. 

But ‘to build relationships’ can mean many things. This is where the ASAP Map comes in. The map helps you create shared understanding as well as build on what you’re already doing – through questions such as:

  • How do you understand the purpose?
  • How can you build on what you learn from earlier solutions?
  • How is the purpose relevant for other teams at your museum?
  • How does the purpose fit with future plans and strategies of your museum? 

Get the map