Design

• since 1984 it is a settlement/community where today approximately 120 adults and 40 children are living

• it is a row house complex which was build around 1938 for workers of an ammunition factory of the National Socialist regime

• everybody has her/his own finances, there are no dogmas, everybody should be able to follow her/his own dreams as long as it does not harm the community

• everybody can follow her or his own spirituality and there are plenty of offers like singing, meditation, circle dance, conversation circle, etc.

Permaculture area:

• growing vegetable
• bee-keeping
• cooking with wild herbs
• learning area for children (started but stopped)
• working with horses

Without knowing too much about design, I just started to design my projects. The first attempts were very bumbling but after some practice I was more clear about the purpose of design. It was challenging to find a balance by not using too many design processes.
In the beginning I completely over-designed, which was at times confusing for myself. I started to keep it simple which turned out to be very effective.
Overall I tried to use various Design Processes in my projects and now, at the end of my first Action Learning Cycle, I have a small collection of different Design Processes I used. Please view the sheet "Design Processes I used" on the right.

Kolbs Model

Kolbs Learning Cycle has four phases. Kolb said that learning can only be effective, if a learner consciously executes all four phases. The four phases of the cycle are:

• Concrete Experience (Feel, Do): having a (new) experience or a reinterpretation of an old one

• Reflective Observation (Watch, Reflect): review and reflect on the experience you just gained

• Abstract Conceptualization (Think, Theorize): learning from the experience; reflection gives rise to a new idea or a modification of an existing abstract concept

• Active Experimentation (Do, Apply): plan and try out what you have learned

Reflection:

During my project work, I consciously went through all four stages several times. With the help of the model I was able to find a balance between doing and thinking. It especially helped me to expand my capacity towards abstract conceptualization and reflective observation. And I like that every phase has its place in the model. I myself am a natural concrete experience and active experimentation learner. The Kolbs Model encourages me to expand parallel to my natural learning, my capacities more towards reflective observation and abstract conceptualization. It gives space for all learning types and allows to expand the personal capacities according to the individual needs.

I like the simple and clear design which is overall easy to apply (in a simple and a complex way) and very effective for a balanced project work.

GaSADIM

It is a Permaculture Design process:

Goals articulation, Survey, Analysis, Design, Implementation, Evaluation = a typical land-based and strategical design process often used in permaculture

Reflection

This is a design process which can be used in all situations and projects. GaSADIM is very functional and strategical and allows to reach a complex goal easily. I like this process, because you can apply it in a very easy or complex situation or as a linear or non-linear design process. There is still a lot of space for creativity or to add certain stages to the process. For example you could make GaSADIMET (where the E is "Evaluate" and the T is "Tweak").

My best practice is to add and define many steps in each stage. In the beginning of a project, just keep yourself asking questions you want to have answered in the Survey and Analysis part. They always helped me to succeed effectively.

To track my pathway in the first Action Learning Cycle I used several methods and tools, which I present in the following:

Self-drawn poster: The poster visualizes my project pathway in a clear but flexible way. The river which symbolizes the flow of life and the path next to the projects guide my project work. For me it is always helpful to visualize projects, because I can better think about them.

Flexible Implementation Plan: A plan which includes planned workshops, learning intentions and ideas. The plan was to update it once a week, which turned out to be challenging. First of all, because it was digital and therefore not always present. Secondly, specific goals were missing, which would have enabled me to track my project work even better.

Calendar: Is good for an overall orientation of pathway (life: events, workshops, birthdays, OP submissions), but it does not go in much detail about any implementation.

Pin board: I divided up a board into my different action learning areas. Below each area I wrote the corresponding tasks. It turned out that my goals were to unspecific and therefore I never felt that I really reached a goal. It was more like an overview about my project work rather than a help to get things done. The advantage of a pin board is that it was possible to arrange and rearrange things very flexible.

Small scraps of paper with a specific timetable for the next day: This method worked very efficiently, because I realistically divided up my time into study, eat, relaxing and sports time. In the evening I reflected about the day and wrote a new timetable for the next day. This is something I continue to do, also because it is very specific.

Learning map: In the learning maps I can add all the areas in which I learned something. Hopefully this map will accompany me until I finish my Gaia University studies. There is also space for unknown action learning area continents and I can continue the map on a new paper.

Internet program “I done this today”: Everyday this program reminds you to reflect about the day. This way I automatically reflected about the next steps and tasks of the project.

Monthly status update: And last but not least I received a monthly status update from GaiaU which helps to track my pathway.

In my first Action Learning Cycle with GaiaU I took three months program pause.