General reflection after mid-crit

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1) Some groups might want to consider changing your group names (some groups have already done that). If you have moved on, you don't need to be weighed down by a name that isn't the best any longer or that doesn't really apply to your current work.

2) Some groups presented their ideas in very general terms that made them less easy to understand. Do (also) use concrete examples because they are much easier to understand. Some groups presented a lot of stuff ("we had brainstorming sessions where...", "our original idea was that...") before the core concept/idea was presented. This makes your concept/idea difficult to understand for someone who doesn't already know some about your concept/idea.

3) Anna Swartling's (guest) lecture (number 14) was unfortunately on of the least visited lectures. That is a pity. She basically said:

- Every project with more than two member needs a project leader (perhaps with the exception of small groups of people who have successfully worked together before).

- The project leader has to have the mandate to make decisions. The project leader does not have dictatorial powers, but when group members have different ideas and these differences make it difficult to progress, decisions have to be taken. Group members has the responsibility to support their project leader and to help make the project successful (you can't just blame the project leader, you are responsible too).

- If decisions are not made or postponed indefinitely, you might have different ideas about the goal and pull in different directions. You will always get something together that you will deliver in a school project. The risk you run though is that what you turn in isn't that great, but the bigger risk is that the if the project isn't managed, the relationships between group members will suffer and you leave a project with anger bad blood between you. In worst case, friends will turn to foes (she gave an example of when she was the manager of a badly managed project, a larger amateur theatre production, and how she lost some friends when she at a very late stage had to make some heavy-handed decisions).

She also said that it's important for you to know that if you think you have a problem in the group that you can't solve by yourselves, you should bring it to Daniel and Åke so we can discuss them and help you solve them in order to go forward.

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