PizzaBlock: Designing Artefacts and Roleplay to Understand Decentralised Identity Management Systems

This pictorial describes in detail the design, and multiple iterations, of PizzaBlock - a role-playing game and design workshop to introduce non-technical participants to decentralised identity management systems. We have so far played this game with six different audiences, with over one hundred participants - iterating the design of the artefacts and gameplay each time. In this pictorial, we reflect on this RtD project to unpack: a) How we designed artefacts and roleplay to explore decentralised technologies and networks; b) How we communicated the key challenges and parameters of a complex system, through the production of a playable, interactive, analogue representation of that technology; c) How we struck a balance between playful tangible gameplay and high-fidelity technical analogy; and d) How approaches like PizzaBlock invite engagement with complex infrastructures and can support more participatory approaches to their design

HCI interventions for science communication

In this paper we describe the practices used by alternate reality game (ARG) designers to engage fans with the issues and effects of global climate change under the scientific guidance of key non-profit organizations. Our multiple case study is based on three projects: Future Coast (2014), the Disaster Resilience Journal (2014) and Techno Medicine Wheel (2007 -- ongoing). Our analysis derives from each ARG designer»s interview and observations of their game»s narrative structure, postmortem. Findings provide HCI practitioners with a list of best practices related to the designer's use of narrative style and physical locations to support fan engagement. These practices emphasize the goals of non-profit organizations (NPO) through science communication utilizing popular media forms

HCI interventions for science communication

In this paper we describe the practices used by alternate reality game (ARG) designers to engage fans with the issues and effects of global climate change under the scientific guidance of key non-profit organizations. Our multiple case study is based on three projects: Future Coast (2014), the Disaster Resilience Journal (2014) and Techno Medicine Wheel (2007 -- ongoing). Our analysis derives from each ARG designer»s interview and observations of their game»s narrative structure, postmortem. Findings provide HCI practitioners with a list of best practices related to the designer's use of narrative style and physical locations to support fan engagement. These practices emphasize the goals of non-profit organizations (NPO) through science communication utilizing popular media forms