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

In the following chapters, I will use terms “researcher” or “design researcher”
for someone who has the role of a university researcher in a
design research project, regardless of his/her disciplinary background.
When there is the chance that profession might greatly influence the situation,
then a more precise explanation is given. When I use the expression
“game metaphor”, it denotes that an activity is labelled a game or a
design game regardless of whether or not the activity looks like a game in
any of the above-mentioned respects. The expression “game characteristics”
refers to those elements that can be observed in most games, such
as rules and tangible game pieces (playing cards, game board, dice, etc.).
1.2
Data
collection
and
handling
Empirical material was gathered across various case studies organised
with colleagues, external partners and users from 2005 to 2010. The empirical
experiences vary in length, intensity, context and aims while sharing
the focus on designing and conducting creative collaboration beyond
core design team, in particularly set co-design gatherings. Furthermore,
they enlighten the role of tangible design material and the use of “games”
from different angles, thus contributing to the understanding of the design
games driven co-design that seeks for novel design opportunities.
The first three chapters discuss altogether five cases that emphasise
momentarily engagement of various people in co-design. Experiences
from these are combined in Chapter 3 as a base for the Play framework
that is further elaborated in Chapters 4 and 5 in regard to full-scale design
research project “Extreme Design – developing extreme service design
methods”, which includes several partners and three case studies.
Whereas the first five cases take place within various design contexts
and are mainly research-led, the Extreme Design project was positioned
within service design and had practical design intentions as well.
Malterud (2001, pp 483–488) describes three overall criteria that
should be considered in qualitative research: reflexivity, validity / transferability
and relevance. Reflexivity has to do with being aware of the
influence of the researcher’s own position, background and interest in
the research setting and outcomes. The approach I have adopted resembles
a participatory action research that I have been actively involved
with and shaped the encounters by putting great effort in preparing and
structuring them. Since learning has taken place through experimenting
while being involved in practical case studies and performing participative
inquiries, I have experienced the dilemma of being a part of the
studied situation. Also, my background in industrial design has guided
my attention, for instance towards different uses for the tangible design
material in co-design. Throughout the dissertation, I try to be explicit
about my role in the cases being studied. I maintain reflexivity by de-
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