Modelling of memories through design

This article explores how to design for product longevity. The design approach Contexts of Experience (COE) makes the basis for this interdisciplinary study which combines research on consumer-product attachment (CPA) and related psychological mechanisms, design and design practice. The conceptual design approach COE was explored through a case study with student projects on master's level in product design and interviews. One specific project namely the “Spa radiator” that to a great extent infused various experiences as part of the product made the main subject for this study. Through the case analysis done by concept mapping, five different Levels of Activation (LoA) were disclosed: cognitive, motional, relational, perceptive and imaginative. The activation dimension identified is argued to have emerged primarily through the process of making experiences for different contexts of use and the awareness of psychological mechanisms, facilitated by the COE approach. The COE approach seems therefore to contribute to the making of products that facilitate the modeling of memories and associations through user activation. As these emotions and thoughts are potentially tied up to the product it seems essential to create functions that elicit different levels of activation in order to design for product longevity and hence the environment. Memories can furthermore contribute to the commercial value of products since the experiences they elicit are closely tied to brand value. The LoA is therefore suggested as an analytical and creative tool in order to evaluate the ability of a design concept to stimulate CPA, in addition to the COE approac

Participatory Design for Well-being

Participatory design can meet the needs of the individuals’ well-being in hospitals; however constraints occur in such a complex context. A case study of exploratory participatory design processes with health professionals were done at a geriatric department in mental health care. An analysis was done to disclose the structures to an analytical tool: Levels of Participation. It visualizes strategies for activation of participants to health promoting environments in hospitals, thus supporting strategies of corporate social responsibility. Design methodology was used to enhance internal consistence. Solutions and consequences were evaluated in relation to external consistence. Four levels of participation were identified and described: Formal recommendations, institutional strategies, professional practices and influence between patients and their personal space. The Levels of Participation-tool can support multiple and alternative processes of participation with health professionals and patients in the aim for products of well-bein

Analyzing Visualized Complexity

Within the field of systems-oriented design (SOD) students and practitioners visualize their data by GIGA maps (Sevaldson, 2013), Synthesis maps (Jones & Bowes, 2017), or in general terms, maps where exceedingly complex systems and structures are visualized, a praxis which in this article is called Visualizing complexity. Visualizing complexity praxis has contributed for designers to work with and utilize for processes to expand the complexity of wicked problems and to handle and intervene in these contexts, as the process involves the synthesizing of all empirical data as a whole. Although the visualizing complexity praxis is a paramount method for working throughout a holistic perspective for designers, the processes so far are lacking methods for analyzing the empirical data synthesized in the maps to develop a fundament for the succeeding design. Students and practitioners often visualize the necessary amount of empirical data with sufficient quality in their maps. However, the analysis and designing of products or services based on these maps originate from the romantic belief of the designers gut-feeling as a tool for data analysis and creation. Unfortunately, this often leads to the designing of parts separately rather than designing the interaction between parts, that is the designing of systems (Russell L. Ackoff, 1974) which in turn may lead to malfunctioning products, services, and missing potentials for functioning concepts. This article describes ongoing research that contributes to perspectives and methods for analyzing the visualized complexity that the maps contain to increase the quality of the systems-oriented design process. The work is inspired and based on the empirical data that various systems-oriented design processes performed by students and practitioners comprise since I developed the course Visualizing complexity in 2010 at Oslo Metropolitan University on masters level at the Department of product design. The role of the empirical data in this article however has solely been to recognize the problem with the method and as examples that support a theoretical conversation. That is, the main contribution of this research is based on a theoretical conversation originated in systems theory and cybernetics (Krippendorff, 2019). This conversation has brought forth the two perspectives for map analysis that have been incorporated in the course Visualizing complexity. Firstly, that act of dividing structure and systems as a method for system analysis and secondly, analysis by the theoretical overlay

Design competence in ICT education

The new discrimination law in Norway requires new product s and environments to be developed in such a way that they can be used by as many people as possible. In response to this legisl ation the applied information t echnology curriculum at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences has been adjusted to incorporate universal design (U D ). This curriculum is the basis for this case study which addresses the possible effects the role of design might have if included as a study module in a technically - oriented bachelor program. The empirical data discussed in this case study have been gathered from three types of sources: final year bachelor project reports , focus group interviews and a question naire . The stud y indicates that there is a growing awareness among students and educators at the College that knowledge engendered from working with design processes can influence the outcome of information technology projects to become more innovative, contextual, conce ptual and holistic. The study suggests that making design an inherent part of the curriculum enables students to create and evaluate a variety of information and communication technology ( ICT ) concepts targeting the general public. Although the students co nsider themselves as a link between engineers and interface designers, their written work shows relatively little focus on the enabling dimension of usability in universal design, which indicates that the y lack universal design compete nce . Among the main i mplications of the study is the need to modify the required learning outcomes of an information technology curriculum so as to include theoretical knowledge and practical competence related to universal design

Engagement by lamination of autopoietic concentric interaction systems in games: A study of football and Pokemon GO

The aim of this paper is to rethink games and game design within the theory of self-producing interaction systems. With this research, I seek to identify several dynamics of play and engagement elicited by games that, by extension, can serve as game design parameters. The research is oriented toward an analysis of football (soccer) and Pokémon GO within the context of Niklas Luhmann’s (2002/2012) theoretical framework of autopoiesis (i.e., self-producing interaction systems). The theoretical discussion of play situations in the two games reveals five concentric interaction systems through which games motivate play and engagement. These game dynamics are continuing simultaneous communication, multiple observations, double expectations, system autonomy, and unexpectedness through system coupling. The study further shows that when a game succeeds in eliciting these dimensions, functional, continuous, and changing structures allow for the emergence of numerous behaviors and the production of new interaction systems

Toys as enablers for self-producing social systems: Experienced pleasure within play

Some games and toys seems to endure, develop and split into new games and toys, and further engage in their sub-forms. Football is one example, which is a game that has spread around the world, and been hybridized by culture and individual influence (Giulianotti, 2000; J. Tangen, 2004). Thus, there is something about games like football worth analyzing within the research on pleasure and pleasurable products. This paper aims to disclose and define systems of expectations particular to games, specifically football, in order to find general properties in games that engender feelings of pleasure, which can be infused in the designing of other games and toys. The turning points for the discussion in this article are the pleasurable dimensions within games (i. e., football) and pleasure in play in general. The aim of this research was to disclose the aspects of football related to pleasure by way of a theoretical analysis of the framework of autopoietic or self-producing social systems of interaction, a term coined by Niklas Luhmann, and play. This study shows that the intersection between the unknown and expectation seems to form a potential for new experiences that elicit flow, challenges and pleasure. This results in contexts that enable numerous possible behaviors as a result of emerging social sub-systems generated by a central system. Based on the findings, this study suggests that when designing toys it might be beneficial to create a basis for play, which consists of a complex system that includes play-space, rules, variability of use and strategy in which the users themselves can expand, build and alter. This study reflects implications for toy designers to utilize the dimensions of pleasure engendered by the analysis of football in light of autopoiesis

A system analysis of transmedia storytelling toys in relation to desire and pleasure

Transmedia storytelling (TS) is a market and experience stra tegy where children learn to know a toy concept through multiple media platforms such as cartoons, films, games, and tangibles. Each type of me dia reveals information wh ich in total makes a whole toy experience often perceived as dynamic and enjoyable [2]. As the story within the toy develops, new characters and obj ects emerge [2 - 6]. Thus, the children who are engaged with the toy will subsequently desire the character’s novel weapons, vehicles, and costumes which are made available in the market by various channels such as computer games, board games, characters, tangibles, etc. This article explores such transmedia toys through an inquiry into the two systems based around Toy Story and Cars. The mapping of these system s involved visualizing play experiences, pl ay platforms, occ urrences of narrative extensions, and in turn the materializations that have emerged out of these extensions . The establishment a nd characteristics of relations betwee n elements such as the above - mentioned factors and the playing chil dren (and their network) who consume these toys make the first part of the analysis of the map. These inte rrelations are further analyzed in view of how such an experience system can influence children’s experience of the transmedia toy and desire for new one s and, consequently, how they feel about the product. The construct for the analysis c onsists of establishing how the touch points that the system consists of compare wi th theory on product attachment and pleasure [7 - 9] and influence [10, 11], which agai n relates to the desire to purchase

A system analysis of transmedia storytelling toys in relation to desire and pleasure

Transmedia storytelling (TS) is a market and experience stra tegy where children learn to know a toy concept through multiple media platforms such as cartoons, films, games, and tangibles. Each type of me dia reveals information wh ich in total makes a whole toy experience often perceived as dynamic and enjoyable [2]. As the story within the toy develops, new characters and obj ects emerge [2 - 6]. Thus, the children who are engaged with the toy will subsequently desire the character’s novel weapons, vehicles, and costumes which are made available in the market by various channels such as computer games, board games, characters, tangibles, etc. This article explores such transmedia toys through an inquiry into the two systems based around Toy Story and Cars. The mapping of these system s involved visualizing play experiences, pl ay platforms, occ urrences of narrative extensions, and in turn the materializations that have emerged out of these extensions . The establishment a nd characteristics of relations betwee n elements such as the above - mentioned factors and the playing chil dren (and their network) who consume these toys make the first part of the analysis of the map. These inte rrelations are further analyzed in view of how such an experience system can influence children’s experience of the transmedia toy and desire for new one s and, consequently, how they feel about the product. The construct for the analysis c onsists of establishing how the touch points that the system consists of compare wi th theory on product attachment and pleasure [7 - 9] and influence [10, 11], which agai n relates to the desire to purchase

Toys as enablers for self-producing social systems: Experienced pleasure within play

Some games and toys seems to endure, develop and split into new games and toys, and further engage in their sub-forms. Football is one example, which is a game that has spread around the world, and been hybridized by culture and individual influence (Giulianotti, 2000; J. Tangen, 2004). Thus, there is something about games like football worth analyzing within the research on pleasure and pleasurable products. This paper aims to disclose and define systems of expectations particular to games, specifically football, in order to find general properties in games that engender feelings of pleasure, which can be infused in the designing of other games and toys. The turning points for the discussion in this article are the pleasurable dimensions within games (i. e., football) and pleasure in play in general. The aim of this research was to disclose the aspects of football related to pleasure by way of a theoretical analysis of the framework of autopoietic or self-producing social systems of interaction, a term coined by Niklas Luhmann, and play. This study shows that the intersection between the unknown and expectation seems to form a potential for new experiences that elicit flow, challenges and pleasure. This results in contexts that enable numerous possible behaviors as a result of emerging social sub-systems generated by a central system. Based on the findings, this study suggests that when designing toys it might be beneficial to create a basis for play, which consists of a complex system that includes play-space, rules, variability of use and strategy in which the users themselves can expand, build and alter. This study reflects implications for toy designers to utilize the dimensions of pleasure engendered by the analysis of football in light of autopoiesis