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

Setting the stage for co-design:
The first chapter introduces the approach and the main problem
area: first, by articulating the inspiration for my research and introducing
the three main topics of interest: 1) Design collaboration,
2) Creative interplay between current practices and future
opportunities, and 3) Design materials as tools in ideation that
directed the subsequent research. Then, by introducing the research
approach and research program that I have followed and
which is demonstrated through four short case studies conducted
during 2007 and 2008.
1
Direct and indirect user involvement in co–design – moving
between dialogue and narratives:
Chapter 2 describes more thoroughly the context of the dissertation
and its particular focus: widening scope of design and empathic
approaches in organising dialogue with users and other
stakeholders. The cases presented in the first chapter are discussed
in connection to the co-design approaches and techniques
that aim at driving empathic sensitivity either through direct or
indirect user involvement. In general, the chapter address the
topic of design and participation.
2
Diving into games, play and performance:
Chapter 3 starts to build the link between co-design and design
games by looking at the activities within the context of design,
which their authors call “games” or “design games”. Based on
them, I will call attention to the gap in existing studies and accordingly
propose that there is a need for a framework that will clarify
the underlying attributes that influence the nature of seemingly
distinct co-design practices, labelled as design games, and the concepts
we use to discuss them. Then I will look further into the intersection
of games, play and performance to address the relationship
between design games and games in general. In this chapter,
I will formulate the first version of the Play framework, which will
then be tested and developed further in the following chapters.
3
Experimenting with design games driven co-design:
Chapter 4 describes how the Play framework was utilised during
the two years that the design research project Extreme Design
(1 st June 2008–31 st May 2010) lasted. The chapter will demonstrate
how three case studies – 1) People flow in senior houses;
2) Developing new service models for bank; and 3) Exploring social
media as a source for new design openings – with different
company partners were established and carried out through de-
4
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