The Elopathlon was our first team experience of attempting to solve the identified problems in Queretaro. We were challenged with a dramatic, hypothetical scenario, in which a floundering economy had provoked rapid inflation, severely threatening the survival of many official businesses. This tense economic situation had prompted widespread proliferation of the informal and cheap tianguis, leading to chaos and disruption throughout the city.
Although we lacked an extensive understanding of the site at this point, the function of the task was to immerse ourselves in the situation, as a means of discovering more. The distinct characterization of this challenge certainly allowed such immersion to take place. Through the contemplation of a dramatic event, we were able to envisage how the citizens of Queretaro would react and struggle with this situation. The vibrancy of this story plunged our senses into a mental representation of the city, which would later help to bridge the gap between our theoretical perception of the situation, and the real-life experiences of those that live in these fringe conditions.
The most useful implement in our ELOP tool-box of skills was the application of the traits of our transdisciplinary heroes. These included Arniko; an architect from Katmandu who used his artistic ability to improve relations between Nepal and China, Emma Watson, primarily recognized for her role as Hermione in Harry Potter, but also capable of enchantment in the non-magical world as an ambassador for women’s rights, and Salvador Dali, admired due to his daring and controversial character as well as his ability to communicate a great variety of meaning through a single image. Eugene Violet le Duc and Andre Agassi were also identified as heroes; Eugene due to his use of innovative methods to renovate architectural structures to their former glory, and Agassi as a result of his ability to transform apparently bleak circumstances into triumphant situations, both in the tennis world, and in wider society.
Like many great ideas, our final strategy rose like a multi-colored, paper phoenix from an enormous pile of post-it notes. We started by brainstorming individually and then observing how these ideas either replicated or complemented one another, by clustering groups into four main themes; governance and administration, space and distribution, tools and alternative opportunities. These four themes are encapsulated by the idea that it is important to improve relations between the government and the tianguis to thereafter improve the cleanliness and order of this commerce, whilst at the same time providing alternative opportunities and equipment for official business owners who had been rendered bereft by the economic depression.
The most important insights we gleaned from the Elopathlon were the value of understanding the context of a situation, and the importance of clear communication. Considering a dramatic scenario is compelling and exciting; it can really help you climb inside the map of the city, to understand the stories of the natives and to empathize with the intricacies of the problem. Equally, it is essential that an idea born out of this rich understanding be communicated with as much colour and feeling as it is created, maybe with a dash more clarity, to ensure a truly comprehensive strategy can be developed, explained and shared.
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