Phase 1: Concept Workshop — Oslo, Norway
We believe the first step in branding is to discover the meaning behind an organization. This happens before any design begins. And we can’t do this without listening, learning and collaborating with the people who live and breathe the values of the organization, in this case the free knowledge movement!
Great design starts with understanding. Our workshop method is one of our most valuable assets in co-creating “concepts” that represent who you are. This helps us navigate the process towards a design that not only captures the meaning of the movement, but also works as a tool to help you nourish, enhance, and grow your communities.
This is why last week we hosted 2 out of 6 workshops at our offices in Oslo where over 30 community members from 16 nations came together to help us understand who you are as a group but also as inspiring individuals.
A valuable insight we gained from not only the workshops but conversations around the dinner table was that whilst you define yourself as an open and inclusive community, there is also a deep desire to guard and protect. We see this as an important quality and tension and we are interested in learning more.
As part of the workshops we hosted a seminar combined with a tour of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. We had Astrid from Wikimedia Norway talking about the work with the Sami culture, Anna from Wikimedia Argentina highlighting the importance of human rights in the way we portray history and Gitit from Wikimedia Israel discussing collaborations across Hebrew and Arabic Wikipedia. We had Kjersti Løken Stavrum from PEN talking about the importance of context and Kjetil Thorsen from Snøhetta sharing examples of how design can empower cultures and social democracy.
We want to thank all the participants that joined in on our concept workshop in Oslo, challenged us, and shared their experience and knowledge with us!
Next up is our online workshops and workshops in India. We are excited to meet more community members and continue to learn more about the movement.
— Snøhetta