LIVITY Courses

Groupthink: Understanding the Need for a Diverse Workplace

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Explore how groupthink affects diversity and inclusionGroupthink is defined as ‘the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group, resulting typically in unchallenged, poor-quality decision-making’.With the creative industries being primarily dominated by young, white, middle to upper class, heterosexual males, groupthink can be a massive problem for the industry.On this two-week course from Livity, you’ll delve into the concept of groupthink, learning about its potentially negative consequences on the creative industry and how you might foster positive alternatives.Discuss whether groupthink can ever be positiveThere is a difference between groupthink and group thinking. In fact, there are many examples throughout history of groups coming together to affect positive change.You’ll explore the effects of groupthink, both negative and positive, with a focus on how it affects diversity in the workplace. Then, you’ll look at alternatives to groupthink and how an organisation can best transition to a more diverse approach to group thinking.Analyse the current state of diversity in the workplaceThe creative industry can’t expect to create inclusive work if it’s not inclusive. If research, development, and creative processes are not inclusive by design, we are not serving our customers and therefore cannot make the best work possible.This course will guide you through diversity in the workplace as it currently stands, from ethnic and gender diversity to socio-economic disparity. You’ll then discuss ways to shape an organisation’s structure to better avoid groupthink.Discover strategies to mitigate groupthinkAt the end of this course, you’ll learn how to create solutions to mitigate or foster different forms of groupthink on management, team, and individual levels, and then how to apply and encourage your methods.This course is designed for anyone wanting to contribute to and foster diversity in their processes, specifically within creative industries.You may find it especially useful if you’re looking to hire a diverse team, whether you’re the founder of a creative start-up, part of a HR team, or in a senior leadership position at a creative agency.

Cultivating Diversity through Research and Insights

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Learn to encourage diversity in creative researchCurrently, there is a severe lack of diversity and inclusion in research and development practices, which makes it difficult for the creative industry to truly represent the people who might use their products.On this two-week course from Livity, you’ll develop your understanding of what diversity looks like, specifically within creative research, and how to create processes that foster diversity in your work.Discover how non-diverse research affects creative processesResearch that accurately represents society without bias seems like the obvious option. But there are many examples of non-diverse research, across all industries, that has lead to unrepresentative results, many of which were costly and even dangerous.This course will guide you through how non-diverse research affects the research and creative processes, using a number of real-world examples to highlight the risks in both the medical and creative industries.Explore why empowerment works better than attacking biasesDuring the second week of this course, you’ll discover why empowering diversity in our development processes works better than attacking biases, exploring what empowerment is and, more importantly, what it isn’t.You’ll then delve into affirmative action and discuss whether it allows for genuine change or if it’s just a box-ticking exercise.Develop strategies and techniques for diverse researchThere are many small steps that you can take to improve the diversity in your research.Through this course, you’ll learn how to develop research with diversity baked in, delving into the negative effects of microaggressions and everyday bias. Then, you’ll finish by exploring how to develop a diverse mindset and use your learnings in your own research.This course is designed for anyone wanting to contribute to and foster diversity in their processes, specifically within creative industries.You may find it especially useful if you’re looking to hire a diverse team, whether you’re the founder of a creative start-up, part of a HR team, or in a senior leadership position at a creative agency.

Develop Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Creative Industries

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Understand DEI and create more representative development processesLearn to foster a more diverse creative process and working environment that leads to more representative creative work.

Cultural Appropriation vs Cultural Appreciation

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Develop ways to effect change in your work and processesIt may seem difficult to understand the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. Ultimately, it is a difference in intent and transaction; voyeurism vs cooperation.On this two-week course from Livity, you’ll learn how to recognise cultural appropriation and how to develop cultural appreciation in your work instead.Discover the key differences between appropriation and appreciationWhen organisations don’t have a diverse range of perspectives and therefore don’t put the right amount of effort, forethought, or understanding into their work, it can lead to offensive and damaging displays of cultural appropriation.This course will guide you through a brief history of appropriation, from Alexander the Great in 356BC to Victoria’s Secret 2012 show.Then, you’ll look at a variety of personal stories of success and failure involving appropriation and its effect on specific individuals and communities.Dive into the nuance of cultural appreciationIt’s important to be wary of anyone that tries to reduce a culture down to single words or phrases. Similarly, we should be wary of allowing a single aspect of a culture we don’t fully understand to ‘inspire’ our work.You’ll explore the various facets of cultural appreciation through case studies and examples. You’ll then explore the work that individuals and communities are currently doing to encourage appreciation over appropriation, and discuss where your own opinion sits within a broader context.Learn how to avoid appropriation and focus on appreciationAt the end of this course, you’ll examine steps that you can take to use your understanding to effect change in your work and processes. And based on the examples throughout this course, you’ll look at what organisations can do to progress.This course is designed for anyone wanting to contribute to and foster diversity in their processes, specifically within creative industries.You may find it especially useful if you’re looking to hire a diverse team, whether you’re the founder of a creative start-up, part of a HR team, or in a senior leadership position at a creative agency.