Design games as a tool, a mindset and a structure Kirsikka Vaajakallio
Design games as a tool, a mindset and a structure Kirsikka Vaajakallio
Design games as a tool, a mindset and a structure Kirsikka Vaajakallio
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Facilitating envisioning <strong>and</strong> enacting what could be<br />
Thirdly, design <strong>games</strong> facilitate creative interplay between what is<br />
<strong>and</strong> what could be; for example, creating scenarios b<strong>as</strong>ed on game<br />
material that represents users’ experiences help to ground future alternatives<br />
with current practices. Thus it focuses on finding design<br />
opportunities rather than explaining a phenomenon in detail. An<br />
open t<strong>as</strong>k allows several interpretations <strong>and</strong> negotiating a meaningful<br />
focus (Br<strong>and</strong>t 2006). Furthermore, <strong>games</strong> create a story-telling<br />
mode for participants (Johansson 2005). Several stories of what is<br />
known, interpreted, <strong>and</strong> envisioned are intertwined, to fill in the<br />
gaps left open by the fragmented game material <strong>and</strong> to create more<br />
consistent scenarios. On one h<strong>and</strong>, design <strong>games</strong> emph<strong>as</strong>ise participants’<br />
everyday knowledge <strong>and</strong>, on the other h<strong>and</strong>, open up the<br />
game world with theatre inspired role-taking <strong>and</strong> performances.<br />
Although I have identified several aims <strong>and</strong> qualities for different types of<br />
design <strong>games</strong>, I still think there is a need to clarify the essence of design<br />
<strong>games</strong> by quickly taking a look at a few examples of other types of <strong>games</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>as</strong>sessing some additional studies on <strong>games</strong>, play <strong>and</strong> performance.<br />
3.1.3<br />
Variations<br />
of<br />
the<br />
game<br />
metaphor<br />
Learning what h<strong>as</strong> been done in other are<strong>as</strong> close to design <strong>games</strong> is relevant<br />
<strong>as</strong> design approaches incre<strong>as</strong>ingly spread outside product design,<br />
opening new are<strong>as</strong> for design. Therefore, the aim of this section is to give<br />
an overview of some application contexts of the <strong>games</strong> with brief examples.<br />
Simulation <strong>games</strong> developed in the area of organizational management<br />
are given a bit more space since they stress many <strong>as</strong>pects that are<br />
similar with co-design, such <strong>as</strong> facilitating collaborative sense making,<br />
however approaching them from different theoretical <strong>and</strong> practical backgrounds,<br />
thus allowing new insights to draw from.<br />
From brainstorming <strong>tool</strong>s to marketing <strong>and</strong> innovation <strong>games</strong><br />
There is incre<strong>as</strong>ing interest in design <strong>games</strong> type approaches in the widening<br />
design domain. For example, Kultima et al. (2008) have utilised<br />
similar <strong>tool</strong>s, known <strong>as</strong> idea generation <strong>games</strong>, to improve innovative solutions<br />
when designing c<strong>as</strong>ual mobile multiplayer <strong>games</strong>. These <strong>games</strong><br />
are meant to be played by groups of game designers to come up with new<br />
<strong>and</strong> innovative game ide<strong>as</strong> <strong>and</strong> features. In comparison with many other<br />
design <strong>games</strong>, they put even more emph<strong>as</strong>is on lateral thinking <strong>and</strong> brainstorming<br />
(de Bono 1985/1999).<br />
In the human-computer interaction (HCI) domain, Garreta-Domingo<br />
et al. (2007) have employed the design game approach to demonstrate<br />
some of the key UCD methods, their relation to each other <strong>and</strong> the possible<br />
outcomes. They promote the game framework <strong>as</strong> a platform for learning-by-doing<br />
in enjoyable <strong>and</strong> informal setting. Muller et al. (1994) have<br />
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