Trial-and-Error based Innovation: Physical Iteration Games as Collaborative Strategy in Product Design

Abstract

Phenomenology opens for seeing mind and body as inseparable in design action. Scandinavian researchers have shown that such an anti-dualistic approach to design is facilitated by employment of physicality as a communication tool. This participatory action research project is arranged to explore the potentials of using Rapid Prototyping (RP)-produced physicality as a tool for the facilitation of creative collaboration between dissimilar stakeholders of design teams. It is found that product design procedures can be supported by RP technology in iterative patterns, which seem to catalyse 'mind/body experiences' and understanding of individual and integrated contributions to the totality. Such 'physical iteration games' are integrated in the 'language games' we play in design, in procedures where 'sense-based' and 'word-based' languages of the actors seem to merge. Two concrete design research projects will be described and the findings elaborated.