VIEWS stands for “considering Values, Innovations and Emotions to facilitate Wise Decisions with Stakeholders”. VIEWS is a role-playing activity that aims to help decision-makers better understand the emotions and perspectives of different people in society. The setting for the game is a public assembly in which citizens and stakeholders are debating whether or not to implement several proposed sustainable innovations. There are four variations of the game (see How to Play). The goals of the game are to help decision-makers to understand the value-basis of emotional responses to innovations, to encourage decision-makers to incorporate values and emotions into their design processes, and to facilitate social interaction, discussion and critical reflection.

Who should play this game?

Anyone who is involved with designing or implementing sustainable innovations, including new technologies or products, as well as new projects that implement existing technologies. Players can be industry professionals (e.g. engineers, product developers, project managers, marketers) and policymakers – henceforth, “decision-makers”. Secondary audiences can include business clients, interest groups/NGOs and members of the public, for example, if practitioners play the game with these groups as part of a public engagement strategy.

When to play?

The earlier in the process of innovation/ project development, the better. The game will likely be most useful at the idea-generation stage for highlighting potential issues to be considered, and can be later played iteratively throughout the process of innovation development and project implementation.