Users Experience Fishbowl
Questions submitted to the inner circle are answered, and back-and-forth interaction between inner and outer circles goes on as needed until all the questions are answered.
How to run it
- Inner circle conversation goes on until it ends on its own. 10 to 25 min.
- Satellite groups in outer circle formulate observations and questions. 4 min.
- Questions submitted to the inner circle are answered, and back-and-forth interaction between inner and outer circles goes on as needed until all the questions are answered. 10 to 25 min.
- Debrief using W³ (What? So What? Now What?)
- Get down-to-earth field experience and all the questions and answers about new endeavors out on the table for everyone to understand at the same time
- Make space for every participant’s imagination and experience to show up
- Build skills in listening, storytelling, pattern-finding, questioning, and observing
- Debrief using W³ (What? So What? Now What?) and ask, “What seems possible now?” 10 to 15 min.
Run this exercise live
The facilitator console stays in this browser. Its QR handoff is a short-lived participant snapshot containing only public exercise instructions, phase, prompt, and timer state.
What participants need now
Materials:
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Prompts to use +
Debrief using W³ (What? So What? Now What?)
Build skills in listening, storytelling, pattern-finding, questioning, and observing
Debrief using W³ (What? So What? Now What?) and ask, “What seems possible now?” 10 to 15 min.
Run this with your AI assistant +
Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.
Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: Users Experience Fishbowl. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: Debrief using W³ (What? So What? Now What?); Build skills in listening, storytelling, pattern-finding, questioning, and observing; Debrief using W³ (What? So What? Now What?) and ask, “What seems possible now?” 10 to 15 min.. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.
Origin unverified
- Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Liberating Structures; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including Liberating Structures.)
- What that does and does not claim: we track where an exercise has been seen in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, how popular it is, or that it works. See methodology and trust boundary.
- Corrections welcome: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, tell us.