Who wants to join us and AI in writing the Patterns of Patterns 3 paper?
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Thanks for another great Monday Meetup! I hope you don't mind, but I included the peeragogy mailing list on this email to see if anyone else wants to be a co-author :)
To catch up those who missed the call today: we discussed starting a "Patterns of Patterns 3" paper for the upcoming USA PLoP conference.
Would any of y'all like to join us? The deadline to submit is in a little over 12 days from now on June 1st, 2025.
- Put the first two Patterns of Patterns papers where we introduced and refined PLACARD and the three 2024 summary papers of workshops where we used PLACARD into ChatGPT and asked "Deep Research" to make a draft, which it did well. I also asked for an image and it hallucinated badly.
- Put that draft into the wonderful "Pyria" peeragogical remix of ChatGPT that Fabrizio started which made the attached "visual appendix" and "similar metaphor for the original visual map" images plus appendix text. You can view the AI chat at this link https://chatgpt.com/share/682c11db-b7ac-800e-8487-c2e0cada6753
- Asked DeepSeek to revise the draft, but it ended up summarizing. It also couldn't handle uploads of all 5 papers and images. DeepSeek doesn't currently produce shareable links.
- Tried the same thing with Claude and got a similar result, it couldn't handle the paper uploads and just gave a summary. You can view the AI chat at this link https://claude.ai/share/5ad7746f-c4bc-48e4-8a9e-edf68113d959
- Went to Grok and it handled all the prior papers and images, but still just gave a summary. You can view the AI chat at this link https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMg%3D%3D_9cf29954-ada9-4474-97a2-65aebdb03096
- Put those 3 summaries and new images back into ChatGPT along with our earlier PLoP paper "Patterns of Peeragogy" and asked Deep Research to combine it all into a revised holistic draft. You can view the AI chat at this link https://chatgpt.com/share/682b3917-afbc-800e-8522-4cafb21f385a
Does anyone else want to be a co-author of this paper?
Patterns of Patterns III
Abstract
Building on prior work in the Patterns of Patterns series, this study evaluates the PLACARD methodology – integrating Project Action Reviews (PAR), Causal Layered Analysis (CLA), and Design Pattern Languages (DPL) – as a framework for global collaboration. Through workshops in Asia, Europe, and North America (AsianPLoP, EuroPLoP, PLoP in 2024), we engaged participants using a mix of reflective practice, futures thinking, and pattern harvesting. The results include a new proto-pattern, “Have Multiple Leaders Onsite,” highlighting the importance of co-facilitation in hybrid settings. We discuss the process, outcomes, and lessons learned from these sessions, illustrating how PLACARD can scaffold distributed, speculative yet structured collaboration. Limitations such as time constraints and cultural barriers are examined, and we propose improvements (e.g. multilingual support, tool development) and future applications. This community-driven report balances academic analysis with a narrative of playful exploration, aiming to inspire both researchers and practitioners to adopt and adapt PLACARD for collaborative problem-solving.
Introduction
In an era of increasing global interconnectivity, effective collaboration across cultural and geographical boundaries is essential. Traditional methods often falter when addressing the intricate layers of context inherent in international teamwork. The Patterns of Patterns series has developed PLACARD, a methodology that integrates Project Action Reviews (PAR) for reflection, Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) for deep inquiry, and Design Pattern Languages (DPL) for design solutions, to meet this challenge. Introduced in 2021 (Patterns of Patterns), PLACARD was first tested in five U.S. and U.K. workshops; by 2024 (Patterns of Patterns II), it proved adaptable in localized settings. This third installment explores its efficacy in truly global contexts.
In 2024, we conducted PLACARD workshops at AsianPLoP (Fujisawa, Japan), EuroPLoP (Irsee, Germany), and PLoP (Washington, USA), engaging diverse participants in hybrid and in-person formats. These sessions applied PLACARD to bridge perspectives and envision future collaboration, yielding insights into facilitation practices and generating a new proto-pattern, “Have Multiple Leaders Onsite.” This paper details these experiences, highlighting PLACARD’s potential to support inclusive global collaboration and proposing future enhancements to the approach.
Background
PLACARD, first outlined in Patterns of Patterns (Corneli et al., 2021), combines three complementary approaches for collective learning and design:
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PAR (Project Action Review) – A reflective process assessing intentions, actions, and outcomes to learn from experience.
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CLA (Causal Layered Analysis) – A futures studies technique analyzing issues across multiple “layers” (the immediate litany, underlying systems, prevailing worldviews, and deep myths) to reveal root causes and alternative perspectives.
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DPL (Design Pattern Language) – A framework for capturing and sharing reusable solutions in a structured context–problem–solution format, inspired by pattern language theory.
By combining these approaches, PLACARD enables teams to cycle iteratively through reflection, deep analysis, and pattern creation. Patterns of Patterns II (Corneli et al., 2024) refined this integrated method through additional workshops, suggesting its scalability. Building on insights from prior peeragogy research (Corneli et al., 2015), we now apply PLACARD in international conference settings to test its effectiveness in globally distributed collaboration.
Figure 1: The PLACARD Iceberg illustrates the methodology’s layered structure. The visible tip of the iceberg represents immediate Visible Practices, corresponding to surface-level observations captured through PAR (“what we did and observed”). Beneath the waterline lie deeper layers: Systemic Dynamics, reflecting emerging practices uncovered through pattern elicitation (DPL); Worldviews & Norms, encompassing the workshop culture and facilitation models; and the deepest layer, Myths & Metaphors, encompassing creative prompts and futures thinking. All these layers are grounded in foundational values (e.g. collaboration, equity, distributed learning) at the base. This metaphor highlights how observable actions rest on deeper frameworks, emphasizing the depth of context that PLACARD addresses.
Methodology
We implemented PLACARD in three 2024 conference workshops, adapting it to each context:
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AsianPLoP 2024 (Fujisawa, Japan) – A hybrid focus group with one onsite and two remote facilitators (via Jitsi). Participants reflected on the conference using PAR and then applied CLA to analyze underlying issues, identifying linguistic barriers and growth opportunitiesfile-cn7ehbw5eycdtfgnftbu9f.
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EuroPLoP 2024 (Irsee, Germany) – A hybrid session titled “AI Future Envisioning with PLACARD,” with one onsite and three remote facilitators. Participants employed a Transfeminist Tech Oracle card game as a creative prompt, then used CLA and PAR in tandem to explore speculative AI futuresfile-repujaavi4ib9zzcvwz5z9file-repujaavi4ib9zzcvwz5z9.
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PLoP 2024 (Washington, USA) – An in-person workshop, “Imagination Run Wild,” with three onsite facilitators. Participants envisioned future collaboration scenarios using prompt cards and CLA; due to time constraints, a post-session PAR survey was used for reflection after the event.
Across all sites, we coordinated via shared online tools and messaging, while recognizing the added value of having facilitators physically present to manage activities and engage participants.
Figure 2: Anatomy of a PLACARD Workshop – this diagram provides an overview of how PLACARD’s components and supports interconnect during a session. At the center is Pattern Harvesting, where insights are synthesized into new or refined patterns. This core process is driven by the primary methods – PAR, CLA, and DPL – shown at the top. It is supported by surrounding elements: Creative Prompts (tangible aids like cards to spark imagination), Onsite Facilitation (co-located facilitators providing guidance and support), and Remote Collaboration (digital tools coordinating global participants). All components work in concert toward the foundational goal of shared sense-making and global collaboration, illustrating how PLACARD scaffolds the journey from initial reflection to actionable outcomes.
Results
The PLACARD workshops yielded both practical and conceptual outcomes. A key result was the identification of a proto-pattern, “Have Multiple Leaders Onsite,” addressing challenges in hybrid-facilitated events:
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Context: Interactive conference workshops with both in-person and remote participants.
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Problem: A single onsite facilitator struggles to manage breakout groups, technology, and overall flow, leading to gaps in support and reduced engagement (especially for remote attendees).
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Solution: Deploy multiple co-facilitators physically onsite to coordinate activities, handle logistics, and engage with participants. Onsite leaders can divide roles (e.g. one per breakout table or task), ensuring better guidance and responsiveness, while remote facilitators focus on online participants.
This pattern emerged from contrasting experiences: at AsianPLoP and EuroPLoP, solo onsite facilitators found it difficult to support all needs, whereas at PLoP the presence of three onsite leaders significantly enhanced participation and problem-solving. Beyond this specific pattern, the workshops demonstrated PLACARD’s capacity to surface insights into group dynamics and prompt creative ideas (e.g. visions of future collaboration) even within short sessions.
Limitations
Despite positive outcomes, we observed several limitations in our implementation of PLACARD:
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Participant Understanding: The complexity of PLACARD’s three-fold process could overwhelm newcomers. Some participants struggled to grasp CLA’s layered analysis or the pattern format without prior exposure. More upfront orientation (e.g. brief examples or pre-reading) is needed to improve understanding.
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Time Constraints: Each workshop was limited to 60–90 minutes. This often curtailed the depth of exploration – for instance, there was not always time to complete a full PAR debrief during the session itself. The compressed schedule forced trade-offs (skipping or shortening certain steps), potentially reducing the richness of outcomes.
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Facilitation Challenges: Hybrid setups introduced technical and social challenges. Remote facilitators had difficulty fully engaging with in-room activities, and vice versa. When only a single facilitator was physically present, they were stretched thin managing both in-person and virtual aspects.
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Cultural & Linguistic Barriers: Working across cultures introduced language and context gaps. For example, at AsianPLoP some jargon (like “transfeminist” in the card prompts) was unfamiliar, and discussions in English favored those more fluent. These factors sometimes hindered inclusive participation and idea exchange.
Lessons Learned
Through reflection on these workshops, we distilled several lessons for future PLACARD applications:
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Adaptivity: Flexibility in facilitation and agenda is crucial. We found that adjusting on the fly to participant needs (e.g. spending extra time on CLA when interest was high, or simplifying tasks when confusion arose) improved outcomes and engagement.
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Onsite Facilitation Matters: Having multiple leaders physically present proved invaluable. Co-located facilitators could quickly address issues, energize the room, and coordinate parallel activities in ways that a single or remote facilitator could not. This supports the proto-pattern that in-person co-facilitation enhances hybrid workshops.
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Iterative Pattern Harvesting: Capturing patterns works best as an iterative, collaborative process. In our case, many pattern ideas only fully emerged after the workshop, during group reflection on what happened. Allowing time and perhaps follow-up sessions for collective pattern mining can yield deeper insights.
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Creative Prompts and Playfulness: Incorporating games, metaphorical cards, and imaginative prompts successfully sparked creativity and enthusiasm. However, these tools need clear framing – participants require guidance on how to connect playful exploration to real-world patterns. Balancing open-ended play with structured reflection ensured that fun ideas translated into meaningful outcomes.
Future Work
We identify several avenues to expand and improve PLACARD based on our findings:
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Pattern Validation and Growth: The proto-pattern from this study (“Have Multiple Leaders Onsite”) should be tested in future workshops or meetings to evaluate its effectiveness and refine its form. As more patterns are harvested, a pattern language for facilitation can be developed, enabling community feedback and iteration on emerging best practices.
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Multilingual and Cultural Expansion: Future sessions should be conducted in diverse languages and cultural contexts. For example, running a PLACARD workshop in Spanish or other languages (with the aid of real-time translation tools or bilingual facilitators) could broaden participation. This would also help adapt metaphors and prompts to be culturally resonant, addressing the linguistic barriers noted above.
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Tool Development: Dedicated digital tools could better support PLACARD’s hybrid facilitation and analysis. For instance, an online platform might guide participants through PAR questions, capture inputs for each CLA layer in a shared visual, and assist in pattern drafting collaboratively. Such tools would ease the cognitive load and help remote and onsite contributors stay in sync.
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Broader Domains: Thus far, PLACARD has been applied in academic and conference settings. We see potential to apply this methodology in other domains – for instance, in educational institutions for curriculum co-design, in industry for cross-department retrospectives and foresight, or in civic/community workshops to address social challenges. Exploring these contexts will test PLACARD’s versatility and social impact.
Conclusion
PLACARD empowers globally distributed groups to collaboratively reflect, analyze, and design solutions by weaving together multiple methodologies. The 2024 workshops demonstrated how combining structured retrospection with speculative play can generate actionable insights and patterns for better collaboration. We invite others to adopt and adapt PLACARD, advancing distributed sense-making and evolving a shared pattern language for the future of collective work.
References
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Corneli, J., Murphy, A., Puzio, R. S., Vivier, L., Alhasan, N., Bruno, V., Pierce, C., & Danoff, C. J. (2021). Patterns of Patterns: A Methodological Reflection on the Future of Design Pattern Methods. In Proceedings of the 28th Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (PLoP ’21). ACM Press. DOI: 10.5555/3712039.3712044
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Danoff, C. J., Tedeschi, M., Ayloo, S., Corneli, J., & Puzio, R. (2024). PLACARD Workshop. In Proceedings of the 10th Asian Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (AsianPLoP ’24), Fujisawa, Japan. Hillside. (Access via Hillside Commons: asianplop/2024 proceedings, Paper 50.1)
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Tedeschi, M., Ricaurte, P., Ayloo, S., Corneli, J., Danoff, C. J., & Belich, S. (2024). AI Future Envisioning with PLACARD. In Proceedings of the 29th European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (EuroPLoP ’24), Irsee, Germany. ACM Press. DOI: 10.1145/3698322.3698444
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Corneli, J., Alhasan, N., Vivier, L., Murphy, A., Puzio, R. S., Tabor, A., Ayloo, S., Tedeschi, M., Singh, M., Khetan, K., & Danoff, C. J. (2024). Patterns of Patterns II. (Experience report, submitted to PLoP ’23, in preparation). DOI: 10.5555/3721041.3721050
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Corneli, J., Danoff, C. J., Pierce, C., Ricaurte, P., & MacDonald, L. S. (2015). Patterns of Peeragogy. In Proceedings of the 22nd Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (PLoP ’15), Pittsburgh, PA, USA, Oct. 24–26, 2015. ACM. DOI: 10.5555/3124497.3124531
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