method · all tools
Prototyping (Theory U)
Depth · what it can open●●○○2 — reflective
Holding · facilitation2 — facilitator
Trust · group readiness★★some
Disclosure · what is sharedoptional
Explore the future by doing: a small core team (~5, a microcosm of the challenge) moves an idea into a concrete experiential prototype — clarify intention, sense the system, hold stillness, build, iterate with feedback, crystallize, evolve. Not a pilot proving a plan; an instrument for learning what wants to emerge, over days to months.
Hold with care
- The time figure is nominal — real prototyping runs days to months; treat it as a program element, not a workshop block
Practical
- Time
- 480 min
- Group
- 3–8 · small-group
- Settings
- in-person, online
- Materials
- Whatever the prototype needs; a real stakeholder microcosm
- Mechanisms
- behavioral-rehearsal, systems-sensing, creative-expression
- Change scope
- state → skill · program-embedded
Origin & where it lives
Otto Scharmer / Presencing Institute (with design-thinking lineage; HT credits also Ela Ben-Ur) — Theory U (co-creating)
Instructions: open online · CC BY (Presencing Institute)
In this directory via u-school for Transformation — Theory U tools · HostingTransformation Methods ToolBox
Related: 3d mapping (pairs-with)
status: checked · added 2026-08-26