Open Source Session
Shitty First Draft
A session that helps learners lower the bar, get moving, and treat imperfect first versions as a necessary part of serious work — not a personal failure.
Why “Shitty First Draft” exists
Most students (and adults) are stuck not because they lack ideas, but because they’re afraid of making something that looks stupid, incomplete, or “not good enough yet”. So they never ship the first version — and nothing compounds.
This session gives people a structured push to make that first ugly version anyway — on purpose — and see that it’s a feature, not a bug, of doing meaningful work.
Core ideas it lands
- • First drafts are supposed to be rough, not impressive.
- • Momentum beats perfection — especially early.
- • Feedback is only possible once something exists.
Where it works best
- • Student cohorts starting projects or portfolios
- • Fellowships, makerspaces, and hackathons
- • Any program stuck in “thinking, not doing” mode
Session snapshot
- Format
- Live session + hands-on drafting
- Length
- ~60–90 minutes (flexible)
- Best for
- Groups of 20–80 learners
- Prerequisites
- A project, idea, or goal they care about
Download the materials
These files are ready to use as-is, but you’re encouraged to adapt them to your learners and context. Translate, rearrange, add your own stories — just keep the attribution.
Facilitator slide deck (PPTX)
Slides for running the session end-to-end. Includes prompts, framing, and scaffolding for taking participants from “idea in head” to a concrete shitty first draft.
Participant workbook (PDF)
Printable / digital workbook that guides learners through choosing a project, drafting their first version, and reflecting on what they learned from shipping something imperfect.
Note: Update the file paths above to match where you actually place the files inside your public/ directory (for example, public/open-source/files/…).
How you’re allowed to use this
You can:
- • Run this session with your own students or community.
- • Adapt, translate, and remix the material for your context.
- • Include it as one component inside a larger program.
Please:
- • Credit The Second Design as the original creators.
- • Link back to this page where reasonable (slides, docs, descriptions).
- • Don’t sell this exact material as a standalone paid product without adding your own work.
If you want a more formal license (for example, for a large institution or partner program), just reach out via the contact page and we can set that up.