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

material to re-establish shared attention. However, it is good to be aware
of these possible shortcomings when designing co-design in order to
prepare strategies for overcoming distractions that emerge during collaboration.
I chose to talk about encounters in Goffman’s terms (1963) to
describe the level of engagement with the situation, which may include
the people and/or the design material. It is not just engagement that is
relevant in co-design, but reaching and maintaining a shared focus of attention
is most essential.
When discussing a visual stimulus in co-design, the aesthetic qualities
have not been much debated and could be one of the areas for further research.
However, in light of this dissertation, it seems that tangible predesigned
material is not so evident after all. Instead, my experiences stress
the ability to create quick-and-dirty prototypes, drawings or visual reminders
on the fly, rather than aesthetically finalised game material prior
to the gathering. Without further studies, it seems that aesthetic qualities
are more important for the design researcher in building confidence and
triggering inspiration than for the participants or the success of the design
game. The visual outlook is a part of customising the method and can
be seen as part of a continuous renewal process. Thereby, it is nevertheless
relevant in terms of research. Aesthetically well-considered material
may also support the professional image of the material and thus increase
participants’ motivation and trust regarding the approach.
In general, design games material has many positive influences on the
co-design, as was summarised in Table 6 (page 210), in terms of supporting
idea generation, design collaboration and creative interplay between current
practises and future opportunities. Although I have shown that predesigned
material is not necessary, most often it is of great help in giving starting
points for the collaboration, in enabling moving between fragments and
a holistic view, in providing visual stimuli for evoking new associations,
in playing with alternatives, and in documenting progress and decisions.
Whether predesigned game material is needed or not, and what kind of
material might be needed, depends on the contextual needs of the game.
Sometimes imagination and collaboration may not need any visual
triggers. Instead of manifesting an intensive and immersive play spirit
through design game materials, imagination and collaboration may
emerge from the narration, which invites imagination-in-action (original
term introduced by Johnston 1998/2005). Imagination-in-action
describes the desired atmosphere in design games without emphasising
the need for predesigned material. It is the ideal situation, where coconstructing
a scenario or a performance becomes so captivating that it
engages all the participants and draws from both fact and fiction without
too much criticism. Role characters may enhance imagination-in-action
since they free participants to act and think differently than they do during
their daily routines.
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