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4839 research outputs found
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Exploring more-than-human worlds and becoming with living and non-living entities through play
No full textIn recent years, we have observed the emergence of a variety of video games that allow their players to temporarily exist entangled in more-than-human worlds, becoming with other species and things. Informed and inspired by posthuman philosophies, this article examines three video games: Everything (2017), Stray (2022), and Endling - Extinction is Forever (2022). This analysis focuses on three key questions: 1) How are these games enabling players to become with non-human characters representing real-life organisms? 2) What kinds of knowledge do players gain about these worlds? 3) How to define a more-than-human playful experience? The article concludes by introducing an initial draft of guidelines intended to facilitate the development of more-than-human games
Balancing cognitive load in design work: A conceptual and narrative review
No full textDesigners address complex and even wicked problems, which requires them to deal with high levels of uncertainty and ambiguity, requiring high levels of mental effort. The cognitive load of designing is thus likely to affect design behaviours, activities and method use. However, the nature of design work presents a challenge in applying existing theory on cognitive load to explain and predict design behaviour. Especially designers\u27 tendency to expand the design space to increase creative potential seems to fall outside the current theories on cognitive load. Following recent calls for theory-building within design, this paper outlines a conceptual framework mapping the relationship between cognitive load and the process of framing and reframing. We examine this dynamic between cognitive load and design by drawing upon theories rooted in cognitive science and information processing. Through a narrative review and conceptual modelling, we propose a model suggesting that cognitive load can be managed
Design x Non-Profits: Towards an understanding of design integration in the Australian Non-Profit Sector
No full textDesign has long demonstrated an interest in shaping society and the world for good. In Australia, there are 59,747 non-profit organisations that seek to do the same. Surprisingly, there is little research situated at the intersection of these fields. This research explores the potential remit of design in non-profit organisations and provides insight into where and how design practices may be beneficial to non-profit partners. This paper first thematically analyses the responses of 140 Australian non-profit organisations as they reflect on their strategic position and core activities. Drawing on these insights, we outline five thematic notions of value as it pertains to non-profits, their stakeholders and beneficiaries. Finally, we contribute a preliminary map of the Australian non-profit value ecosystem and speculate on design’s potential for integration
Enhancing healthcare experiences for people with visual impairments: A systematic literature review on the benefits of user-centered design
No full textThe pursuit of equity in access to healthcare services for people with visual impairments has been a persistent challenge attributed to comorbidities, as well as physical and attitudinal barriers. The incompatibility of guidelines and practices within health systems leads to complex interactions between users and services. Through this systematic literature review, we aimed to explore the potential of User-Centered Design to enhance user experiences for the visually impaired within health systems. We surveyed peer-reviewed journal papers published between 2013 and 2023 on Pubmed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science. We identified fourteen studies, primarily focusing on projects aimed at understanding the challenges faced by individuals with visual impairments to improve accessibility and usability. User involvement is a pivotal aspect of most projects. The studies clearly demonstrate the potential of User-Centered Design to provide better experiences for these users
Exploring if organisational transformation enhances policy and public sector innovation labs their impact potential: A case study on Zet
No full textAs experimental spaces, design-led Policy and Public Sector Innovation labs employ design and participatory practices to help governments innovate. However, their short-lived nature is often detrimental to informing policy processes and government practices systematically. A year-long case study on Zet, a Dutch PPSI lab, including 29 interviews and 2 workshops, explored how organisational transformation from a government-enabled to an independently-run lab acts as a sustaining strategy. This article focuses on how Zet’s organisational transformation affected their potential to inform policy and government practice. Findings reveal that Zet started to prefer long-term client partnerships over short-term assignments. In addition, knowledge of government dynamics increased, supporting the integration of lab outcomes into policy-processes. Nevertheless, barriers to translating and integrating project outcomes remain. These findings place the use of design for just policies in the broader context of organisational sustainability with implications for labs seeking to enhance their impact through increasing their resilience
Transitioning to a Circular Economy: a Gender- Sensitive Exploration of Circular Consumption in Denmark and Southern Sweden
No full textThe dominant model of a resource-intensive linear economy has resulted in excessive production and consumption, leading to the depletion of natural resources and significant waste generation. Transitioning to a circular economy (CE) is crucial for achieving more sustainable production-consumption systems. However, the CE discourses have been dominated by technological and manufacturing solutions, with relatively less attention to developing circular consumption practices and establishing pathways for everyday participation. This article presents the findings of a Master\u27s thesis that explored the gendered aspects of circular consumption and its challenges for individuals in Denmark and Southern Sweden. The research shows that a gender- sensitive approach is necessary to address these challenges. However, designer practitioners encounter systemic barriers to integrating gender sensitivity in design processes and teams, including lacking involvement in user research, insufficient funding for gender-sensitive participant recruitment, or feeling intimidated to discuss gender in front of other team members and decision-makers
Design Principles For Co-creating Feminist Imaginaries
No full textThis paper advocates for the potential of feminist participatory practices to create conditions for inclusive and equitable futures. It addresses the need to design for transformative feminist futures and challenges normative innovation spaces. The authors reflect on their experiences organising two feminist hackathons, emphasising intersectionality, equity, and collaboration. They present 11 design principles that guided their efforts, highlighting the importance of centring local grassroots organisations. The paper discusses the potential of these design principles as tools for community engagement, nurturing collective imagination, and normalising feminist practices in collaborative spaces. It emphasises the importance of moving from embodied knowledge to embodying knowledge and integrating values and experiences into the infrastructure of innovation events. The authors acknowledge the challenges in operationalising principles, such as valuing labour and expertise, and raise questions about commitment and responsibility in inclusive, feminist events. This work contributes to the discourse on designing conditions for co-creating feminist imaginaries
Why we failed: Exploring the context of establishing a living lab in Korea
No full textLiving lab is widely adopted for renewing public services and policy. In establishing living labs, however, practitioners face the realities of the locale that influences the formation and operation of living labs. This paper reports on a single case-study, in which a group of design researchers attempted to set up a smart mobility living lab in Korea. By thematically analyzing meeting notes and a workshop, we uncover the challenges faced during preject phase. Our findings suggest that, while the uncertain and iterative nature of living lab is incompatible with the operational model of the public-sector in Korea, its name and participatory aspect are being enforced upon by ministries in distributing funds for grass-root actions and R&D projects albeit mostly on the surface level. The limited engagements predetermined by the funding schemes may impair learning and evolution – the key benefits of living labs as an open and participatory innovation process
Design for Wellbeing and Happiness
No full textThe influence of design on wellbeing and happiness is a subject of growing research across various design domains, including products, services, systems, and environments. However, a challenge remains in grounding research on solid theories and methods that can unveil how design impacts people\u27s wellbeing, enabling evidence-based approaches to design. This theme track focuses on contributions from design in fulfilling the societal need to promote wellbeing and happiness, aligned with the conference theme: Resistance, Recovery, Reflection, Reimagination. The conference encourages us to expand our design horizons by reflecting on how the world is challenging the prevailing focus of design, which is often limited to addressing superficial and incremental improvements to existing realities. It urges us to advance our methods, approaches, and processes to effectively solve complex problems. We welcome papers that report on theoretical and empirical studies contributing to developing the \u27design for wellbeing and happiness\u27 (DfW) field, addressing individual and/or social challenges. Examples include, but are not limited to: Design and research methods: Reflecting on the challenges and proposing ways to embrace individuals and their subjective experiences in exploring wellbeing and happiness. Design decision-making: Exploring methods, tools, and approaches or research projects that focus on supporting and facilitating decision-making regarding DfW. Evidence-based design: Exploring projects in DfW across various design domains. Emerging technologies: Examining how technology can enhance or negatively impact wellbeing and happiness. Wellbeing and sustainability: Reflecting on the challenges between individual and general goals and needs. Ethics of DfW: Identifying and addressing ethical questions in DfW
