Report Co-reflection by: Charlotte van der Sommen - s109229 assignor: Oscar Tomico semester: B2.2
Table of Content Introduction
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Co-reflection - Basics
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Day 1 - First session
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Day 2 - Second session
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Day 3 - Documentation
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Day 3 - Evaluation
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Day 4 - Last session
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Day 5 & 6 - Design Space
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Conclusion
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Final reflection
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Introduction This report contains the process of understanding and practice the co-reflection method of involving the user within my design process. This co-reflection method has been taught during the assignment Co-reflecting, given by Oscar Tomico. I used my project “growing systems� as example to practice the theory, which was given during the classes. In this report I show the steps I made after every individual class. At the end I conclude what I have learned during this assignment. Finally I made a reflection on my development within this assignment.
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Co-reflection - Basics During the first assignment day we got introduced in the basics of co-reflection. This in short a description on co-reflection. We learned that co-reflection is a way to involve the user within your design process apart from testing or designing with the user. With co-reflection the importance still lays at the expert. The goal of a co-reflection session is to inspire and help you with reflecting the next steps in your design process. Also sessions need to be repeatable with less people or more people. What is important in a co-reflection session is that the users understand and can imagine the context
of your project, in order to get the rich input your looking for. So as session leader you need to give as much input as possible. It must be possible to carry out the co-reflection session with all kind of participants, designers, users, clients, so everyone in the society. For a co-reflection session you make use of: Co-operation, Co-experience, Co-design, Co-creation and Co-experiencing design action. You move de lab to the field to get inter-subjective understanding in order for collaborative critical thinking to take place.
The three steps of a co-reflection session:
Exploration: Is the tightening procedure. Letting the users frame the groundings and let them
make sense of the contexts and of themselves. Create Auto-ethnography for the project or discipline your session is about. With a set of activities you help the participants with a base. Together with the participants you explore the context and frame what is important
Ideation: Is the loosening procedure. You generative techniques that guide the participants in the
direction you want to go. You trigger the participants to come up with own ideas within the context in order to release blockages in thinking and create uncritical acceptance.
Confrontation: You confront the participants with your own ideas and visions on the context. After confronting the participants it is easy to comment on the ideas of the designer and have a dialog on positioning and constructing alternatives in order to build upon your vision. Page 3
Day 1 - First session After we gained knowledge about what co-reflection is and how you can create your own co-reflection session, we got the assignment to make our own co-reflection session for our project. We learned to document our session in a way that you name the method, the application and the goal of the session.
Method
Reacting the experience, Situations
Application Let people sit in a public space where you only walk through. Act out walking from one side of the room to the other and let them play with the light buttons.
Goal What kind of interaction possibilities are possible with my light system
Feedback on the first session - -
The sessions need be divided over the tree co-reflection steps: Exploration, Ideation and Confrontation. This is only the Exploration step. For the explorations step it might be a good idea to ask questions like: Explain when you last saw a nice looking light system? And, what are unusual ways to influence light.
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Day 2 - Second session During day two we evaluate the co-reflection sessions we created the day before. This time I Exploration Method
Reacting the experience, and let the participants think about their personal experience
Ideation Method
Relate behavior
Confrontation Method Relating values to the behavior
Application
created a Method-Application-Goal table for every co-reflection step.
Goal
Bring participants to a public space with a ceiling system that includes light tales. Let them experience the way of interaction with the light and the behavior of the light. Finally ask the question, whether they have ever seen an out of the box light system.
Make people aware of the light behavior of in ceiling system within a room in a public space
Application Let the participants play with Momics that react on each other and let them relate it to the ceiling system. Then let them think of ways the light could interact.
Goal Gain input in the way of interaction with the system
Application After showing my idea for the interaction, start a discussion on what interaction would be the most fitted interaction.
Goal To get new possibilities for good interactions with the light system
Feedback on the second session - - - - -
All the steps of the session need to be related to each other, it shouldn’t be a surprise for people what is going to happen. By starting to explain what is going to happen and in what time people are able to follow the steps. The confrontation step needs to be more in depth and more specific. It is about experience for the participants Make sure who does which action to know more I need to keep my mouth shut, only ask why during the sessions.
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Day 3 - Documentation Introduction Project For my project I create a growing light system. My light system is designed for a big white public space with no special purpose except from connecting one space to another. Doors are divided over the wall. Behind those doors are personal studios for artist and designers. People walk through my public space to go to their studio.
My light system will be put into the ceiling system. Every ceiling system will contain a lamp. The lamps have movement sensors and light sensors. The movement sensors detect when people walk underneath the lamp. If so the lamp starts spinning and the light starts shining for two seconds. By spinning the light shines on the lamps around the spinning lamp. By help of the light sensors the other lamps will detect the light and will start spinning and shining light for two seconds too. This way all the lamps will take over each other’s behavior. Once a person enters the room on one side and another person enters the room on another side
of the room, they both trigger a lamp to start spinning and shining and so make a lot of lamps spin and shine in the room. At a certain point the triggered lamps will find each other. My goal is to make it easier for the users to start a conversation, this way they already have a trigger and a subject to talk about. The aim of investigating my project by the help of a co-reflection session is to gain some insights in the possibilities for the looks of the lamp and for the light behavior the light system could provide. During the sessions I used a model of my system to explain how it works. I also showed a model of my design for the lamp to provoke a discussion about the design choices. In order to choose a future direction for my lamp I do this session to explore the possibilities.
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Day 3 - Documentation Exploration Method
Reacting the experience, and let the participants think about their personal experience
Ideation Method Creating new behavior
Confrontation Method Relating values to the behavior and looks
Application
Goal
Bring participants to a public space with a ceiling system that includes light tales. Let them experience the way of interaction with the light and the behavior of the light. Finally ask the questions: What do you think of the light in this room? What kind of feeling does the light give you? Is the light practical?
Make people aware of the light behavior of in ceiling system, within a room in a public space
Application Show a model of the light system. Ask the questions: What should the light look like? What should the light behavior look like? What color should it have?
Goal To get new input for behavior and looks of the lamps.
Application Show my own lamp design and the behavior I came up with by showing my prototype. Ask the question: What do you think about the looks and the behavior of the light?
Goal Evaluate the best possibilities for the looks of the lamps and the light behavior of the lamps.
Documentation: I will write down what input I gained from the participants after looking back at the videos of the sessions. I will rate what ideas are valuable for me and eventually I will work out several ideas to have them as future possibilities for my project. For the ideation phase, I made my own drawing from the input I gained during the session.
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Day 3 - Documentation Exploration phase
Description/observed action
Own Argumentation
He is not yet very mutch into the sessoin and he aswers something, just to give an answer
This is not very important for my session.
Position/movement Quote: Inspiring admosfeer
Position/movement This is indeed true. I have to keep that in mind while creating the light behavior.
Quote: TL-light and light from outside Position/movement
It is important for him to have enough light to see what is he doing. That is important for the final light behavior.
Quote: It gives enough light You can see what you are doing and it isn’t anoying, it doesn’t give shadows Position/movement
I agree, it is my purpose to make it more asmospheric.
Quote: Not admospheric light Position/movement Quote: It is important that there is light in a space
This is very important for him
This is indeed true. I have to keep that in mind while creating the light behavior.
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Day 3 - Documentation Ideation phase
Position/movement
Position/movement
Position/movement
Position/movement
Position/movement
Position/movement
Position/movement
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Description/observed action
Own Argumentation
Just one lamp for every tile, not more that one for each tile.
I agree with this aesthic choice
The lamp could have a cylinder shape
This is also my design for the lamp
There could be strings attached to the lamp that move when the lamp starts spinning
This makes the system very busy and I think it is important to lett the lamps stay clam.
The lamp shouldn’t be too big
This was interesting input. I think I agree that the lamp shouldn’t be too big.
A glass cap over the turning lamp, that makes the system more calm and sublte
The glass dome over the system is a very good idea. This will definately be one of my future posibilities for the lamp.
A boll shaped lamp
I don’t like this shape aesthetically, so I will not use it.
A half boll shaped lamp
This could be a posibility but I don’t think I will use it.
Day 3 - Documentation Confrontation phase: Why should the lamp become bigger it is already big enough, just make the ceiling tile bigger. Your design is nice and clean, nice cylinder. When it is placed against the ceiling it should look very good. Don’t give the light any colors, than you will create a disco ball. I would make it transparent from ground glass in a way that it is not clear where the lamp and where the sensors are. You could also put a ground glass dome over this lamp.
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Day 3 - Evaluation During the third lesson we learned techniques on how to evaluate and reflect on your co-reflection session. According to an article of McCarthy & Wright from 2004 there is a way to validate in an ecological way. You need to keep into account the sensual, emotional, compositional and spatial-temporal threads. There are six steps that help you to make sense of the process: anticipation, connection, interpretation, reflection, appropriation and recount. These threads and steps help you to create your co-reflection session. In my evaluation and validation I used the personal receptiveness steps between the participants.
Personal Receptiveness steps: Situated creativity of action
create both goals and means: The participants were asked to come up with design possibilities for the lamp and for the behavior of the light. It was not very clear for the participants in what way they had to communicate their ideas so I tend to help to much and there is too little input from the participants themselves.. It would have been better to let the participants draw their ideas on paper. This
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way I also let the documentation be done by my participants. – See movie 1
Openness of experience
see the difficulties and the process: The task was quite open. The participants where asked what the lamp should look like and what behavior the light should have, they had all the freedom to show it any way they wanted. Unfortunately they only explained it by help of words and gestures. Maybe for the next time I should say they can show it they way they want and give them some methods to show their ideas, for instance pen and paper. – See movie 2.
A weight of answerability
see simultaneously aesthetical and ethical: The weight of answerability was not very good the participants still during the ideation phase asking for the concept that was already explained within the exploration phase. I might find a room that fits even better to my context so it is also clearer to the participants. Another thing that I could improve is to take more time for explaining the concept, now I rush to much through the exploration phase. - See movie 3
Day 3 - Evaluation Holistic and Unity
consider the relational and multi–layered qualities: Because the session takes place within a space that is at the same time the context of the light system, and because they get to see the lamp, they can position themselves easily in the real context. – See movie 4
Sensory engagement
orient people towards its immediate and reflective interpretation: The space where the session took place was almost the space of the context of the lamps. The model that showed clearly what in what way the system should work, but also already gave the participants an idea on what the lamps should look like. The next session I decided to just explain the system instead of showing the model. – See movie 5
The emotional – volitional character
sense of self-other relations: The participants could understand that the different phases were to introduce them into the light system. They understood when I showed them a model that it was the right moment to show that model. During the whole process the participants where asked to give input and ask questions. The participants where very much involved in the whole session and the emotional-volitional character was over all good. – See movie 6
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Day 4 - Last session A final session was created after the fist two. This session was based on a further moment within the design process, and had much clearer goals. You can see the new session in the documentation on page 7. On page 11 and 12 you can see the evaluation of this session.
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Day 5 & 6 - Design Space Eventually there are two ways of documenting. One, by analyzing the results from your participant’s perspective. That is what I have done at the pages 6 to 10. Another way of documenting is by implementing your own design from a designer’s perspective. A way to document from a designers perspective is by the help of a design space in which everything comes together. In the design space you map everything and by simplifying the information you are able to create such a design space and it makes it easy to see what design decisions
you have to make. The design space is a way to bridge the participants to the designers and is not about the co-reflection sessions but about the design itself. A design space is like a moodboard ore a collage board that inspires to design. On the right you can see my old design space. After the last class got some feedback, which you can read below and I adjusted it a bit so it would look more like a design space. Unfortunately there was not enough time to adjust the design space.
Feedback on the Design Space - - - - -
add more quotes of participats place it more really in the space, so in the picture, the bigger somethins is the more important it is. more participants more input, so show what is important an what less quotes are important link them in a way they make sense together but order them on subject show a diagram with different steps possibilities
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Design-space - Charlotte van der Sommen - B2.2 - co-reflection
Aesthetic decisions for a subtle effect
Ceiling system
Not more than one lamp for every ceiling plate The size shouldn’t be bigger that the size of the scale model
Shapes for the lamps are very subtle, not to distracting
Lamps are like a disco-ball Busy truning around Shape is round - possible strings attached to the lamp that will emphasize the turning of the lamp, use of many collors
Lamp Public space
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Light comes from inside the lamp
Party environment
Lamps react on people comming in the room
Lamps react on time of the day
React on movement of the users
Little light from outside many light inside, a lot of light from outside, little light from inside
Conclusion Overall the sessions where not open enough yet. Because of too much interruption of me the participants and not enough freedom of creativity to fully engage in the project the outcome of the sessions was not as fruitful as expected. Also because the participants could only communicate their ideas to me by explaining them, the openness of the participants in the session was restrained. By taking more time for the sessions and by letting the participant draw and explain what they think. The co-reflection sessions must become much more fruitful. Nevertheless the input I gained is still useful for my future project steps. Because the goal of the last session was much more clear, the session became much clearer and more organized than in the previous sessions.
It was fully to see that one participant had great input for the looks of that lamp. He suggested a ground glass dome for over the lamp, to hide the LED and the sensors. I thought this was a great idea. One participant had the idea to create light patterns with the turning lamps by using collared light. I do not agree with this idea. I think there will still arise a disco ambiance. I think that even though the sessions where not optimal I gained some interesting input. I concluded that the lamps should stay white to get a clean and light environment. I will consider the Idea of the ground glass dome as a future step within my project. It will definitely increase cleanness of the system.
Differences and similarities: Most of the participant agreed with me that the lamps and the light behavior should be very clean. Otherwise you will get a disco effect. So the lamps should be round and in one color. A participant mentioned that the light shouldn’t fall on the other sides of the other lamps but on the ceiling. I hadn’t thought about that yet, but it is definitely worth it to try out the light effect.
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Final reflection During the assignment I learned that communication has much more layers that I thought and you have to be aware of every little step, in order to aggrieve what you want to aggrieve. The co-reflection method showed me that there are more ways to share your concept with others except from the way I always use by improvising a pitch, and hoping to get input form users in this way. You get more valuable when you think carefully about what you want to know from your users. Than you can prepare a session that will result in you getting the information you want I never realized that the input you gain from your users would become significant more valuable when you explain the context well and when you ask the right questions. When I need feedback on my project, or I get stuck in my project I can create a co-reflection session. Because of the depth of the user involvement process I’m guaranteed of a lot of new interesting input for my project. Method we learned to document the co-reflection process is very structures, which I like very much since I’m a person in need of a lot of structure in my work. The tables we used to document the session and the input we gained from the session where very useful. And even though I didn’t immediately understand the added value of the design space. I realized after the last lesion that it is a very handy tool to reflect the sessions. From now on I will use these methods to document these kinds of situations. During the first co-reflection sessions I had a hard time explaining my concept. So I decided to make a
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little model to help me explain my concept. I realized that by showing a model, even though it is a very low-fi model, it becomes much easier to explain your concept. So in the future I must start sooner with creating, it helps me to gain more input on my project in the earlier stages. I realized in this assignment that I’m more fitted in another style of education. During this assignment we spend hours at going though the theory. Because so much time is spend on explaining I eventually get distracted. An assignment is more effective for me when the tempo is a little higher and there is more self-study. To gain more out of these kind of assignment in the future I plan on start reading the articles already before the first lesson. This way I already understand what it is about and can I get more out of the explanation by asking more questions. Eventually I developed the competencies areas “Design & Research Processes”, “Ideas and Concepts” and “Teamwork”. By learning a method to research the design opportunities with the help of participants I developed the competency “Design & Research Processes”. By learning a new way of gaining new ideas by involving the users in your design process I developed the competency “Ideas and Concepts”. And eventually I developed the competency “Teamwork” by working together in a design team to create co-reflection sessions I realized that Every designer is so different and it is very valuable to involve their input in your design sessions to improve it.