Visibility Jam: Re-Designing The Game of Being Seen

Unpick the rules and restrictions you are unconsciously putting on yourself by reframing visibility as a game. 

A one-month, online group programme using analogies from game design to explore visibility.  

Doors are currently closed, sign up here to stay informed. 

Are you ready for Fresh Insight Into Being Visible

Being more visible means speaking out more about who we are, what we can do and the things we believe in, but this can feel scary.

What if you get it wrong?

People might judge you and criticise you. You could ruin your reputation, damage your career prospects, lose your job and end up on the streets…

… but is this really likely to happen?

We hold ourselves back because of the fear of what might happen in the worst scenario, often unconscious of what those fears really are. Sometimes we push through and do it anyway, but they can take effort to overcome – diverting our energy away from showing up and being ourselves.

If we let them, those fears become the rules we follow and stop us showing up.

But what if we could re-write those rules? What if we could redefine success?

What if we could tear them up, start again and redesign the game that we are playing?

In this one-month online collaborative exploration of visibility we will ask:

If visibility is a game that we are creating, how could we design it so that we can win?

Taking inspiration from game jams, where groups come together to collaborate creatively, we’ll use inspiration from the design and development of games to take a fresh look at what we can do to be more visible and why, so that we let go of the fear and anxiety that’s holding us back. 

How Will It Work?

Each week throughout the month of January 2022 we will come together online, to design and develop our game of increased visibility using topics inspired by an element of game design and development.

We will meet on zoom on a Wednesday evening for a 90 minute, interactive call from 7:30 pm GMT. All calls will be recorded.

In-between sessions there will be the opportunity to share insights, collaborate and connect in a private slack community, where you will find additional resources inspired by game design combined with psychological understanding to encourage new perspectives and get you thinking differently.

Taking inspiration from each other we’ll redesign our own personal visibility game, into the game that suits us and what we really want in our life, knowing that if at any time we’re not enjoying it, we can return and re-write the rules.

Week 1 - Designing The Game: What are the rules and what do you need to do to win?

Wednesday 5th January, 7:30 pm (GMT)

This first week is all about exploring the metaphor of the game of visibility and helping you see your current rules. 

We’ll start out by identifying and sharing what we define as visibility, and what you have to do to be successful at it.

We’ll also look at what you definitely shouldn’t do, and what might happen when you do.

By the end of this week, you will have a better understanding of your unwritten rules and success conditions of visibility, and be starting to question which ones you want to keep.

Week 2 - Players: What type of player are you, and who are you playing with?

Wednesday 12th January, 7:30 pm (GMT)

A game needs players, and you are the central player in your visibility game. In the second week, we’ll look at how you play your game and the roles that other players take on.

We’ll ask questions like:

  • Are you all in, or do you hold back?
  • How does your performance vary with other games you are playing in your life?
  • How do you interact with the other players in the game – are you collaborative or competitive?
  • Who do you need to defeat to win… and do you actually need to defeat them? Is there another way

Week 3 - Playtesting: Pushing boundaries and breaking the rules

Wednesday 19th January, 7:30 pm (GMT)

Week 3 is all about overcoming our biggest fear. What happens when we break the rules?

But when we’re playtesting a game, it’s ok to break the rules and the structure of the game so that we discover the weaknesses. 

Based on the rules we’ve identified in week 1 we’ll playfully explore what it means to cheat and break the rules in your game, and the thinking that comes up around it.

We’ll explore whether there are any rules that can’t be broken and what happens when they are.

If you’re up for it you might even go out there and try and break some of the rules yourself…

When we push the boundaries it’s amazing what new inspiration and insight can come through!

Week 4 - Launching our game: How can we lose?

Wednesday 26th January, 7:30 pm (GMT)

In week 4 we’ll explore our definitions of winning and losing, and whether it’s really possible to fail.

When we’re playing a game in which we have created the rules, the odds should be stacked in our favour. 

So why do we spend so much time setting ourselves up to lose, and then beating ourselves up for being a failure? 

In this week we’ll bring together all the learnings and insights that have emerged over the last few weeks, ready to take into the world and play the game, knowing that if we’re not enjoying what we have created we can come back and redesign it again. 

Week 5 - Feedback, review and reflection... and celebrate!

Wednesday 2nd February, 7:30 pm (GMT)

In this final get together we’ll review and reflect on the process and our games and celebrate the journey we’ve been on. 
This will be an opportunity to pull together the new insights you’ve gained about visibility, share them with others and think about how you fully take your game out there so that you express yourself in the world. 

Are you ready to think about visibility from a playful new perspective, using your creativity to define success and the rules you want to follow to get there? 

"Emma has given me a new way of thinking about life that I've never considered before.
I'm taking a much more relaxed approach to life, just allowing things to unfold instead of spiralling down into a "what-if" mindset that inevitably ends up in overwhelm and stress."
Frida Arntsen
Concept Artist, Silent Games
"I feel less stressed and more positive again. My confidence has improved and I feel more productive."
Tanya Widen
Senior Security Researcher, Crowdstrike
"I've learned to listen to my inner voice and trust its wisdom.
I've found a more fulfilling career path that I wouldn't have considered if I wasn't willing to let go of my own concepts of work."
Alison Kellom
Senior Cinematics Artist, NetherRealm Studios

If you’d like to show up and be visible feeling more confident in yourself and with less anxiety about what might happen, and connect with am amazing group of people along the way, sign up here and I’ll let you know when the next one takes place!