Stage 6: get it dried

This stage has one step: the hanging out to get it done!’ priorities washing line project planner.

It is a moment to translate the content that the laundromat has generated and convert it into tangible tasks and priorities. Through this, the previous tasks become relevant, practical, and actionable to the participants. 

What is ‘hanging out to get it done!’ priorities washing line? 

In essence, it is a project planner. It has time on one axis (timeframe determined by the project), and priority level on the other.

By this stage, participants have hung out with their thoughts for a while and have done some rigorous rumbling! Now’s a good moment to check in and think about what all that gentle agitation is bringing to the surface in terms of goals and how those might be measured.

Why?

The wheel might have shifted dirt that wasn’t visible before; the levers might have given pause for thought on when participants are engaging and how the engagement might shape the research that they intend to do. Now’s the time for converting all that agitation into a project plan.

Participants might have added things to the wash that vary in detail. As the zine workbook says:

you’ll have denim dungarees and silk socks, and you’ll need to manage them all carefully to be successful! Now we can take a step back and try to make some priorities. Going back to your washing line or machine, revisit the thing that you pegged out. Are they all still in the rinse or are some of them no longer clothes you want to wear? Are there things in the survey questions that have changed for you? Has the wheel washed any things to the fore that can translate to actions? Has your engagement ‘one liner’ changed?

There may be a mix of things that are higher level and things that are practical steps to get there. For instance, running an event vs. booking a venue. There may be long-term goals, short-term goals or both; individual level, or big-picture ones. Clearly all are important, and all should be captured.