Good For: Create physical space for innovation

A living compilation of social innovation lab theory, templates, and tools to help address complex system problems and design a social innovation lab. This web-based resource includes sections Seeing, Doing, and Being, each with links to additional guidance, tools, and videos.

Features: Guiding framework, Peer-reviewed literature repository, Video guidance

The Paraffin toolbox consists of a wide selection of tools and approaches that focus on capacity building and active facilitation methods alongside work on creative projects. It contains a selection of 16 presentation templates that can be used when a workshop planner or facilitator needs inspiration, guidance or concrete methods within building workshops. The resource also includes articles and best practice guidance on running workshops, including virtual workshops. Many of the downloadable…

This online library contains over 400 facilitation resources, available with free login. Tools are organised by topic: Team, Energiser, Idea generation, Issue resolution, Explore and understand, Action. They include information such as time required, group size, difficulty, materials, step-by-step instructions, tips, and variations as well as user comments. This private company also offers free and paid session planner software using the methods in the library.

Features: Facilitators guide

This document gives you the information you need to create your own lab. This could be a UNICEF lab—or could simply be a space of creativity that is aimed at solving significant global problems through the application of dedicated local resources. It provides background on labs, defining a lab's purpose, budget and scoping, and examples of different lab models (outreach/training, product development, service development, operational research, and content broadcasting). It also includes…

Features: Guiding framework, Techniques

The DesignGov experiment was an 18 month initiative of the Australian Public Service to apply design-led innovation to cross-agency problems. This resource is based on the experience of DesignGov and is intended to be a resource for others that might be looking to establish and operate a public sector innovation lab. This resource is offered as a personal contemplation about what should be considered when establishing, running and, possibly, closing a public innovation lab.

Features: Checklist

Authors Julie Wagner and Dan Watch draw from nearly 50 in-depth interviews with global-reaching and local-serving architects and innovation space managers to analyze the continuum of modern innovation-oriented workspaces. They find the role of well-designed innovation spaces in improving firm competitiveness, company culture, and the formulation of new products and ideas, offers important lessons for companies, universities and other drivers of the innovation economy on how to re-imagine space…

Features: Tips&Tricks