A Teaching Think Tank.
Our service model emerged from frustrated consultants - nothing really happens. Mental energy wasted on ideas communicated through pdfs disappear into desk drawers. Frustrations that inspire us now. We saw the principal beneficiaries of our work were the clients that joined us on our journey of discovery. So we built a practice to resonate beyond pdfs. Instead of selling ideas and strategic plans, Longtale Studios would use research, imagination, and testing to educate teams and develop new capabilities.
Then the pandemic hit and accelerated the long-predicted transition to remote work. We heard the tortured screams coming from the converted living rooms and cluttered kitchen tables of work-from-home. The social isolation. The lack of community. The emerging mental health concerns about depression, anxiety, substance abuse. That bitter, half-joking sentiment: “It’s not work-from-home; it’s live-at-work. Haha. Ha.” We realized that our service model almost anticipated decentralized work. Beyond building capability, our service model focused on shared transformational learning journeys, how we use education to nurture culture and create meaningful social interactions. Here’s how we do what we do.
Research.
We start with the past to discover patterns in historical data. We explore the present through immersive, ethnographic methods. We gather signals from the frontiers of the future to anticipate trends.
Learning Experience: Podcast series that shares stories from the research.
Imagine.
We practice expansive logic, combining techniques from industrial design, creative writing, and social sciences, to build and investigate speculative futures. We then generate ideas that might create future value or might uncover emerging risks.
Learning Experience: Short film or graphic novel that articulates four possible futures.
Test.
We construct natural experiments to learn from people. We design immersive experiences that generate data from our target audiences. The experiments validate opportunities for innovation and confirm competitive threats.
Learning Experience: Product Catalog from the Future and Unboxing Reaction Video Series that communicates insights.
Educate.
We curate adventures for teams in remote, pastoral locations. Here, our coaches and hosts facilitate shared experiences that build community and elevate team performance. This event features applied research, tethering the educational journey to current business challenges.
Learning Experience: One-week, on-site social immersions that animate culture and community in decentralized teams.