This presentation was delivered on October 20, 2022 at the Transformative Play Initiative Seminar 2022: Role-playing, Culture, and Heritage.
Description:
Roleplay at museums is commonly discussed from the perspective of visitor experiences [1], but it can also be an important tool for design teams. Design processes at museums are often complex [2], with cross-sectorial design teams with a vast range of expertise [3], multiple stakeholders that may hold conflicting values, interpretations and narratives regarding cultural heritage [4]–[6]. This complexity is increased by the fact that there is a movement towards more technology enhanced exhibits [7]–[10], as well as a demand for more visitor involvement [11]–[14]. This brings on a need for organizing design processes in ways that can support this complexity while staying relevant to the cultural heritage sector [15]. Research shows that Live Action Role Playing (larp) can be useful in museum design processes by increasing team awareness about relevant design theories [16], [17]. Larp can also be used more concretely in a design process [18] as a tool for rapid prototyping. While rapid prototyping is a common method in design [2], it is rarely used in museum contexts [11], [15]. This paper looks at how LARP can be used as a rapid prototyping tool through detailing cases of its use in designing cultural heritage experiences in collaboration projects with museum staff and other experts. We employed the process of participant observation [19], [20] during interdisciplinary design workshops where larp was employed. Results show that role-taking makes it possible to increase emotional understanding, as well as increase collaborative and problem solving skills of the team. larp creates an alibi for not being yourself while providing opportunities to envision and experiment with different outcomes. This makes it possible to engage in playful creative design exploration, with lower stakes than in real life. This paper documents lessons learned and implications for future design.
Bios:
Karin Johansson is an experience designer, project leader and educator who creates playful learning experiences, for among others Sida, WWF, IKEA and the Museum of World Culture. After several years as a teacher, larp educator and running her own design company, Karin has now moved into academia, doing a PhD in Human Computer Interaction at Uppsala University, focused on experience design for societal values. Outside work (and a bit at work as well…) Karin is multi-nerding; gaming, larping, doing a horror musical roleplay pod, reenacting and almost anything else that sparks imagination, preferable together with other people and lots of Fika.
Dr. Paulina Rajkowska is a lecturer in the field of Human-Computer Interaction at Uppsala University, Sweden. Her work focuses on studying design processes using a critical perspective. This includes working with different methods of sensitizing design such as use of roleplaying scenarios and action research methodology. Her dissertation centered around articulating the concept of “The User” in an empirical context and communicating it back to research participants and practitioners.
Annika Waern, Docent 2007, PhD 1996. Professor and chair of Human Computer Interaction at dept. of Informatics and Media, Uppsala University. Currently acting as vice dean of the faculty of Social Sciences. Annika is a ‘research by design’ academic with a background in computer science and Human-Computer Interaction. Recently, Annika has been involved with studying playful interaction and movement-based design in a range of domains including physiotherapy and circus training.
Click here to read PDF of slides.
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This seminar is hosted by the Transformative Play Initiative in the Games & Society Lab at the Department of Game Design, Uppsala University Campus Gotland. This seminar is made possible by financial support from the Sustainable Heritage Research Forum (SuHRF). The Transformative Play Initiative explores the use of analog role-playing games as vehicles for lasting personal and social change.
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Graphic Design by Liliia Chorna. Music by Elias Faltin. Video edited by Rezmo (Mohammad Mohammad Rezaie).