Engaging users in creative activities to provide rich information for concept development
Participatory methods include co-design activities as a collaborative process between user and designer.
Methods may include creative toolkits, design workshops, card sorting, collages, cognitive mapping, diagramming, drawing, and flexible modeling.
The creation of an artifact around which a participant may talk will act as a trigger for engaged conversation.
Early phase expressive exercises such as collage enable participants to articulate feelings and desires.
Later phase exercises consist of constructive methods such as flexible modeling, manipulating design elements oriented toward concept generation.
Participatory exercises are combined with verbal discussions of work in progress and presentations of creative artifacts emerging from research sessions.
Focus is on the generation of design concepts and early prototype iterations, ultimately preparing for evaluation, refinement, and production.
Flexible modeling kits are used by participants in constructive generative research. Here, they are being used to propose desired elements for iPhone apps.