Design games as a tool, a mindset and a structure Kirsikka Vaajakallio

Facilitating envisioning and enacting what could be
Thirdly, design games facilitate creative interplay between what is
and what could be; for example, creating scenarios based on game
material that represents users’ experiences help to ground future alternatives
with current practices. Thus it focuses on finding design
opportunities rather than explaining a phenomenon in detail. An
open task allows several interpretations and negotiating a meaningful
focus (Brandt 2006). Furthermore, games create a story-telling
mode for participants (Johansson 2005). Several stories of what is
known, interpreted, and envisioned are intertwined, to fill in the
gaps left open by the fragmented game material and to create more
consistent scenarios. On one hand, design games emphasise participants’
everyday knowledge and, on the other hand, open up the
game world with theatre inspired role-taking and performances.
Although I have identified several aims and qualities for different types of
design games, I still think there is a need to clarify the essence of design
games by quickly taking a look at a few examples of other types of games
and assessing some additional studies on games, play and performance.
3.1.3
Variations
of
the
game
metaphor
Learning what has been done in other areas close to design games is relevant
as design approaches increasingly spread outside product design,
opening new areas for design. Therefore, the aim of this section is to give
an overview of some application contexts of the games with brief examples.
Simulation games developed in the area of organizational management
are given a bit more space since they stress many aspects that are
similar with co-design, such as facilitating collaborative sense making,
however approaching them from different theoretical and practical backgrounds,
thus allowing new insights to draw from.
From brainstorming tools to marketing and innovation games
There is increasing interest in design games type approaches in the widening
design domain. For example, Kultima et al. (2008) have utilised
similar tools, known as idea generation games, to improve innovative solutions
when designing casual mobile multiplayer games. These games
are meant to be played by groups of game designers to come up with new
and innovative game ideas and features. In comparison with many other
design games, they put even more emphasis on lateral thinking and brainstorming
(de Bono 1985/1999).
In the human-computer interaction (HCI) domain, Garreta-Domingo
et al. (2007) have employed the design game approach to demonstrate
some of the key UCD methods, their relation to each other and the possible
outcomes. They promote the game framework as a platform for learning-by-doing
in enjoyable and informal setting. Muller et al. (1994) have
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