Ambra Trotto

Ideating in Skills: Developing Tools for Embodied Co-Design

In this paper, we show the development of the Ideating in Skills (IiS) toolset: an embodied design tool aimed at supporting co-design processes. The iterative process of developing the toolset was carried out by students. They worked individually at first, exploring their own skills and moods through movement, visualisations and poetry. These explorations were translated into objects that were able to communicate and connect with each other. In each iteration, the design of the qualities of these connections was based on the findings of the previous explorations. After several individual and team-based iterations, a final toolset was collaboratively created and evaluated in various short design sessions. Based on the potential of the first version of the toolset, a second version was created that is currently used and tested in one-on-one settings all over the world and in multi-stakeholder settings in a creative hub in Sweden.

The Blue Studio: Designing an Interactive Environment for Embodied Multi-Stakeholder Ideation Processes

This paper describes the process of designing the Blue Studio: an interactive space for embodied multi-stakeholder ideation processes. Inspired by embodied sensemaking -- the way people make sense of things through external expression and interaction with other people -- we iteratively designed material, interactive and spatial interventions in the Blue Studio and evaluated them with multi-stakeholder participants in various studies. Thereupon, we analyzed the impact of the design interventions, based on the seven principles to design for embodied sensemaking and highlighted opportunities for refining our interactive space for embodied ideation. Based on the insights gained, a final design of the Blue Studio was realized and evaluated on functionality.

No Man is an Island. Situated Design Research and Wicked Impact

Abstract In this paper, we describe the research-through-design process that led to the realization of the interactive exhibition Charged Utopia that took place in August 2016 at the Norrbyskärs Museum. The design leveraged embodiment and active perception: visitors could activate the content by physically engaging with the space. These interactions were intended to trigger personal reflections on social coexistence, its paradoxes and challenges. The paper guides through the research-through-design process, from initial design direction and their theoretical grounding, to the design process and final event. The paper contributes with a reflection on the “wicked impact” of the event, suggesting that it is of relevance for design researchers that deal with societal issues, to discuss and expose the effects of their practice beyond immediate results.

MoCap Tango: Traces of Complexity

In this paper, we report on an ongoing design research project MoCap Tango. Tango is a form of partner dancing in which two bodies sense each other in a dynamic, physical dialogue that is known for its subtle complexities, beauty and intimate experience. In MoCap Tango, we explore how we can use our skills as designers to highlight and unravel these embedded qualities and use them as inspiration in designing interactions. Using an optical Motion Capture System and custom-made passive markers, the movements of two world-class tango dancers are visualized in realtime. We present our motivation for this project, describe the first prototype and conclude with reflections on what this prototype revealed in terms of design opportunities and its relevance for the TEI community.

Understanding Transformations through Design: Can Resilience Thinking Help?

The interaction design community increasingly addresses how digital technologies may contribute to societal transformations. This paper aims at understanding transformation ignited by a particular constructive design research project. This transformation will be discussed and analysed using resilience thinking, an established approach within sustainability science. By creating a common language between these two disciplines, we start to identify what kind of transformation took place, what factors played a role in the transformation, and which transformative qualities played a role in creating these factors. Our intention is to set out how the notion of resilience might provide a new perspective to understand how constructive design research may produce results that have a sustainable social impact. The findings point towards ways in which these two different perspectives on transformation the analytical perspective of resilience thinking and the generative perspective of constructive design research - may become complementary in both igniting and understanding transformations.

Exploring Active Perception in Disseminating Design Research

The pictorial track exemplifies how the field of interaction design research explores more designerly ways of communicating knowledge in an academic context. In this pictorial, we present the Interactive Dissertation project that explores how the design of a Ph.D. dissertation may embody the experiential qualities of interactive systems that are presented in its (textual) content by leveraging active perception. We report on the research-through-design process and present results from the projects first iteration. We conclude with a visual reflection on the potential of active perception in communicating interactive experiences in print as well as wider implications for the field.

Designing in skills studio

The Designing in Skills Studio provides a framework and tools to address the theme of collaboration in a design process, applying the theories of embodiment and skilful coping. Each participant will collaborate with the others in order to explore one of his perceptual-motor skills, and find out how this skill shapes his sensitivity and can contribute to a richer shared design process and outcome. The studio aims at creating the stage for reflecting on the impact of embodiment on cooperation, and based on these insights, discussing and initiating the development of new ways of tangible and embodied interaction for multi-stakeholder cooperation in the future.

Charged Utopia VR: Exploring Embodied Sense-making in the Virtual Space

This paper reports on preliminary results of a design research project that explores how spaces in virtual reality may be designed to build on qualities of embodied sensemaking. The project forms a basis for the exploration of an ethical dimension to interactions in virtual reality. This publication focuses on identifying qualities of embodied sense-making in an existing physical space, the interactive exhibition Charged Utopia. These qualities are transposed into a virtual interactive space. The translation of the qualities is done through the three main themes: Physical Movement, Resistance and Ambiguity. We present the design research process to describe how these themes were identified and transposed. We conclude with reflections that sketch ways in which we might capitalise on the opportunities offered by a virtual space, while respecting human skills in embodied sensemaking.

Designing Expressions of Movement Qualities

Tango is a form of partner dancing in which two bodies sense one another, and move accordingly, in a dynamic, physical dialogue that is known for its subtle complexities, beauty and intimate experience. In MoCap Tango, we explore how we can build on our skills as designers to highlight and unravel these embedded qualities and use them as inspiration in designing interactions. In this pictorial, we invite the reader to actively participate in the designerly engagement that turns objective data into subjective expressions; highlighting the qualities embedded in the movements of professional dancers.

[X]Changing Perspectives: An Interactive System for Participatory Sensemaking

Public issues are complex: they concern many different stakeholders who have conflicting stakes and are involved from their unique perspective. Working on public issues requires an open process that allows stakeholders to not only contribute to decision-making but also to take up a role in the process. We propose [X]Changing Perspectives, a product service system that stimulates participatory sensemaking: the joint construction of meaning between individuals that could not have been reached on their own. We visually demonstrate the designed materials and service elements and discuss the promise of our approach to [X]CP for complex design challenges in public issues.