Design, Play, Change

Design, Play, Change A Playful Introduction to Design Thinking

Design, Play, Change is a game and a book providing 39 design method cards and 1 game board that will help shift the creative process of the users and help them work collaboratively to overcome challenges they face.

This book is designed for those looking to enter into the world of design thinking, the easy-to-follow game format makes this an accessible, light-hearted, yet powerful place to begin. Balancing a detailed knowledge of the fi eld with design methods that bring out creative ways of thinking, the book is a must-have for those looking for a unique way to overcome challenges. From students and teachers to passionate entrepreneurs and project managers, these games can be put to use by everyone.

Whether facing societal, ecological, cultural, organizational, or strategic problems, Design Play, Change helps users collaboratively develop action plans for positive change.

Info

September 2022 boxed set 104 pages + 40 cards 21 x 14.8 cm € 31.99 ISBN 978 90 6369 649 8

SMEENK WINA

AGNES WILLENBORG

Authors

Agnes Willenborg has made striking contributions within both professional and academic spheres of design. Working in many leading roles in internationally renowned brands and leading the development of art and design education, her impact is vast. Willenborg is also cited as the co-founder of Lijn Vier, which was the very fi rst multi-media agency within the Netherlands.

Prof. dr. ir. Wina Smeenk has years of industry experience working as a designer and innovation strategist for a range of renowned international businesses. Within the academic sphere, she has co-developed a range of design-oriented educational programs and she currently works as a Professor in Societal Impact Design.

The Empathiser

62

DESIGN

The empathiser in Design, Play, Change will put themselves in the shoes of the person who is confronted with a certain challenge. When players are allocated the role of the empathiser, they respond intuitively, they feel emotionally involved, they listen, they share personal stories and experiences, they respond spontaneously and off the cuff, and they are not afraid of drama.

PLAY

example GAMEBOARD CHANGE

The empathiser, investigates, creates, and evaluates the challenge from a reflective and empathic mindset. In this role, the players will reflect on the challenge and the context-based on concrete experiences and feelings. They can do this based on their own experience or try to put themselves in the shoes of others involved in the situation in order to understand those stakeholder’s thoughts and experiences. In this role, the players will focus more on people and on the context in which the stakeholders operate. By putting themselves in other stakeholders’ shoes, the players will gain a greater understanding of one another and the other people with a stake in the challenge, which hugely facilitates the quest for chances for change. By taking on the role of the empathiser, the team members gain insight into the motives, aspirations and convictions of the people involved and notice problems and perspectives that would otherwise remain hidden. In the role of the empathiser, the players find answers to questions that would otherwise never have occurred to them, which boosts understanding for players who have a different viewpoint or experience, as well as improving the interaction within the player team. The empathy that is generated also facilitates the creative mindset and inspires creative action. Ideas created via the role of the empathiser can change and transform the lives of people and bring about fundamental and disruptive societal change.

63

EVALUATION

© Agnes Willenborg & Wina Smeenk (2022) PROVOCATIVE PROTOTYPES Push the boundaries

THE CREATOR

WHY

To discover where the boundaries of acceptance lie.

HOW

• Divide the team into 2 groups. Both groups will select one sub-aspect of the Envisioning and translate it into an extreme or provocative prototype by using a ready-made symbolic attribute or one that has been created using the available materials. Expand this sub-aspect, make it ‘abrasive’ and seek conflict. For example: ‘One sub-aspect of a digital assistant is that access must be granted to personal data’. To illustrate the provocative prototype, you could ask for the phone of one of your players, take it from them and ask for the access code. Why and when would the player give you the code or not?

• After 10 minutes, team B will be confronted with team A’s situation and attribute. Note down their reactions and responses. Subsequently, team

A will be confronted with team B’s situation and attribute. Note down their reactions and responses.

• Afterwards, discuss what caught your attention and what possible opportunities exist to improve the Envisioning.

OUTCOME

Identification of dilemmas in the Envisioning concept and how you can overcome them.

Related

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