A quick and intense project of process, with Corey Shulman, Laura Janet, and Ted Ullrich. This always reminds me why I love working in studio environments.
The goal was to understand the connection between products, users and environments, by establishing relationships --physical, virtual, visual, and in-between-- and using concept generation techniques to inform the creative process. And to do it all under the concept of "play things."
Sets of three We begin with a pile of sketches of three-element scenarios of users/products/environments, such as nail/ hammer/wall, car/traffic-light/intersection, kid/ballpit /fast-food. By grouping similar sketches, themes start to develop: linkage, nesting/scaling, change of motion, boundary of control, and perception of time. We then use word associations to define the characteristics of play and categorize them into nouns/concepts, verbs/actions, and adjectives/ descriptions. Then begins another round of sketches for these newly defined 3-element play things.
Finding opporunity After pinning up these new sketches, we begin to find patterns and map them bases on scale and intention, from small to large and for-play to not-for-play. A void of ideas becomes apparent, a large environment where play is secondary to its intended purpose. And what is large and no fun.. baggage claim!
Final design method So back to the original objective, playful relationships between user, product, and environment...
Take isolated entities (traveler, baggage, claim area), introduce interactions (baggage delievery method, seating, carousel), and link them together. This results in an airport baggage claim for arriving travelers that inspires playfulness through impromptu seating arrangements, an intriguing baggage carousel, and an inviting environment.
Diagraming the entire process. Click here for a larger image.
The process begins with a pile of sketches of three-element scenarios.
We then grouped and categorized the sketches to establish connections: linkage, nesting/scaling, change of motion, boundary of control, and perception of time.
Sit back and stare, what are the associations to the original theme of play?
Defining the characteristics of play with word association, later categorizing into nouns/concepts, verbs/actions, and adjectives/descriptions.
Lots of sketches of these new concept/action/description combinations.
Pinning up the new sketches and finding patterns.
Finding a void for a large environment where play is secondary to its intended purpose, when plotted by scale (small to large) and intention (for-play to not-for-play).
What is big and not fun at all? You guessed it, baggage claim!
Lots of sketches for different elements, both physical objects and interactions with those objects.
An airport baggage claim for arriving travelers that inspires playfulness through impromptu seating arrangements, an intriguing baggage carousel, and an inviting environment.
