Contemporary Practice (Asynchronous Session)
Design Inquiry - Reframing Game Design Research and Practices: Theory Building View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Nandhini Giri
Traditional theories of media and entertainment research were created in an era when media communication was mass in its nature. Theories focused on effects of media interaction that were one-way in communication. Games and interactive media have reversed this assumption by introducing real interactivity in the design and use of media. The objective of this paper is to review the existing literature on theories of entertainment media and assess the extent of their application in the study of contemporary game design and practices. The nature of game design is unique in comparison to traditional media and is characterized by the integration of narrative with interactivity, novelty of media interfaces, and dynamic content modification by media users in a socially collaborative or competitive environment. This unique nature of games demands a re-interpretation of traditional theories and integration with newer design theories that can adequately account for the study of game design and their effects in the field of communication. The results of my interpretative work highlight areas that require a new form of inquiry in game research and the role of design in integrating designers, researchers, and game players to build situated dynamic theories of game design and media effects.
Exploring a Playful Approach to Participatory Design
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Lee Brewster, Mirian Calvo, Rosendy Galabo, David Perez, Leon Cruickshank
This project explores participatory design through community engagement, facilitating the design and implementation of a cross-generational play area in the North East U.K. The challenges for the project were to address the issues of risk in play, use the co-design of play equipment to provide a physical vision for change and initiate the participation of partners and stakeholders to gain and understanding of the context for use. This project took a fun, playful approach to problem solving. The focus of the paper looks at the relationship of the facilitator, an experienced practitioner and four groups of young people working within the participatory project, they challenge some of the barriers to play and risk taking in a wider context by considering what play was and what the groups wanted from play. There is an opportunity to share those intimate sessions and the methods of communicating ideas through drawing, language, and discussion that took place. The project also offers to share some of the emotions that a playful approach generated for the children and the facilitator. We discuss how the groups of young people found their input to be valued equally as stakeholders in a project that impacted on the wider community and attracted international interest. This case study uncovers how the participatory design process brought about the design and manufacture of a product that owes its form to playful exploration of problem solving.
Structuring User Experience Design with Affective Concerns View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Amic G. Ho, P. W. Chau
Most current designs are aimed at achieving success in the market. The design industry is generally interested in creating designs that can connect with users. However, not all designs successfully connect with users or create valuable design experiences. Hence, scholars in the discipline of user experience are increasingly investigating user experience mechanisms including the roles of human needs, affective concerns, thoughts, and actions. Studies have revealed that different senses, such as the auditory and visual, are connections influencing design consumption experiences. Such experiences highly influenced user satisfaction with designs. This finding could invoke a shift in the current design trend, from a function-oriented to an experience-oriented approach. Studies have also demonstrated that affective concerns have become a promising aspect of design experience and enhanced the influence of experience on an individual’s memory. Hence, affective concerns are a crucial factor in the perception of design experience. Studies on design and affective concerns have investigated techniques for intentionally eliciting the affective concerns of users through designed solutions. Thus, the current study investigates the relationships between affective changes and design outcomes and developed tools for supporting designers in introducing affective concerns in design. A critical literature review was undertaken to investigate the state of the art in user experience and analyse, compare, and enhance existing knowledge. The investigation revealed new understanding of the affective changes, which is one of the important factors to influence the perception of design experience.
Working Towards an Optimized Framework for Visual Communication with Digital Natives Based on the Design Thinking Approach View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Khaled M.Mohamed
Visual communication is one of the forms of civilization as it is the oldest method of communication and one of the factors of human survival. And being this study center established the digital generation as an engine of innovation and change, as it is characterized by huge spending power, as it constitutes 42% of the world's population,or about 3,276,000,000, in addition to its influence on several magazines such as marketing, advertising, etc. Where the results of the study showed the existence of preferential and perceptual differences between Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants towards the elements of visual communication, which results in profound effects on visual communication. Young people have a set of different preferences, tools, and methods of processing and using information that does not fit well with the process. Communication in general and visual communication in particular in its current form. As a result, the current methods and visual communication rules need to be researched. All the elements of the visual communication process have changed, which makes it imperative for those in charge of the visual communication process, both academic and professional, to search for frameworks that increase its effectiveness, and discover incentives It includes social and cultural success with Digital Natives. The research surrounding visual communication and the generation of digital natives requires the search for new patterns of understanding that must be developed, practiced, and theorized with the participation of many branches of the humanities to engage in the development of visual communication sciences.
Designing Beyond the Brand: How Customer Experience Design Helps Businesses Adapt to the COVID-19 Pandemic View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Lilian Crum, Meaghan Barry
Customer experience (CX) design is an essential component of any brand to ensure that they can deliver on their promises to their clientele. Within the COVID-19 paradigm shift, effective CX design has become more essential than ever as businesses are forced to adapt to restrictions that are radically changing their interactions with their customers. Customer journeys are impacted by government-mandated lockdowns, the responsibility of enforcing social-distancing, and even with business models being forced to pivot. Presented by the Partners of Unsold Studio, this session uses case studies of recent brand design projects that integrate the customer journey into the many touch-points of the brand. Each project was developed during the pandemic, and considers elements like augmenting messaging via social media, creating streamlined checkout processes on digital platforms, enforcing social distancing regulations, communicating new delivery procedures, as well as maintaining the brand’s core promise as the businesses are forced to adapt.
