Reaction Foundry
Free resources / Start with a useful question

Make room for what you could build together.

Three practical worksheets to help you understand a challenge, find collaborators, and test an idea. Use them on your own or bring them to your next conversation.

No account or email required. Read the prompts below, fill them in here, or download a blank copy.

01 / Find a shared starting point

Shared challenge canvas

Use this when people agree something should change, but describe the problem differently.

Invite people to write their own answers first. Compare them together before combining them into one canvas. Keep disagreements visible; they are useful questions to explore.

Download blank template (.txt) ↓
Read the prompts & add your notes
Describe a specific situation people experience. Separate what you have observed from what you are assuming.Name the people affected, including those missing from this conversation. How will you hear from them?Describe a useful change in everyday terms. Where do people agree, and where do their priorities differ?List observations, conversations, or evidence. Note whose perspective each comes from.Choose one unanswered question. Name who will explore it, with whom, and by when.

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02 / Bring the right people together

Collaboration map

Use this before inviting partners or designing a project on behalf of a community.

Start with people affected by the challenge, then expand outward. Treat this as a map of relationships to develop, not a list of people who have already committed.

Download blank template (.txt) ↓
Read the prompts & add your notes
List people with lived experience of the situation. What would make it practical for them to participate?Identify existing groups, projects, and informal networks. What could you learn from or contribute to their work?Map relevant knowledge, skills, relationships, spaces, tools, or funding. Mark unconfirmed contributions as possibilities.Consider their goals, time, support, compensation, and concerns. Ask rather than assume.Propose who needs a voice in which decisions. Identify who can commit resources and what still needs agreement.Choose one person or group to contact. Write an invitation with a clear purpose, a manageable request, and room to decline.

Your notes stay in this page and are not submitted to us. Download them before leaving or refreshing.

03 / Turn an idea into something you can learn from

Small experiment planner

Use this once you have an idea and want to test one important assumption before committing more resources.

Agree on the learning question and the limits before you begin. A test that changes your mind can be useful; record what you learned even if you decide not to continue.

Download blank template (.txt) ↓
Read the prompts & add your notes
Write one question. For example: would a shared weekly planning session help this team coordinate its work?Describe one limited activity, prototype, or conversation. Define its scope and what it will not cover.Identify participants and an owner. Explain what participation involves and how you will get their agreement.Set a time window and a resource limit. Note any concerns, and when you would pause or stop the test.Choose evidence connected to your question: behavior, participant feedback, or a concrete result. Decide what would challenge your assumption.Set a review date. After the test, record what happened, what surprised you, and whether to adapt, repeat, expand, or stop.

Your notes stay in this page and are not submitted to us. Download them before leaving or refreshing.

Keep the conversation going

Have a starting point?

Bring your challenge, an idea you want to test, or a question that needs more perspectives. Let’s explore what we could make possible together.

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