Design Studies最新文献

Algorithmic system controversies are increasingly issues of concern for diverse publics plus a growing design challenge. For example, the 2020 UK exam controversy sparked wide-spread public debate about the role of algorithms in regard to not only student grading systems, but also the design of automated systems in the public sector. In light of this particular controversy, our study introduces a technical democracy design experiment to examine algorithmic system controversies. We propose an iterative, collaborative design process specific to the study of algorithmic systems which informs our collaborative making of the UK exam algorithm game: a prototype to explore controversies, generate design things, deliberate ethical tensions, and spark thought collectives. This socio-technical acts of contestation model offers a novel and adaptable tool to interrupt public sector design possibilities in two key ways: first, to expand collective learning and experimentation about the political design of algorithmic system controversies; and, second, to support agonistic design thinging about emerging technologies associated with high stakes decision-making across society.

Adaptive reuse (AR) of heritage buildings is a complex process involving many stakeholders with different ambitions. Recently, a theoretical model has been proposed to facilitate this process. However, the validation of this model and investigation of the nexus between process steps, methods/tools used by architects, and the effectiveness of projects are still lacking. This paper aims to validate the model by examining four AR projects in the Netherlands, considered effective as winners of a prestigious architectural prize. The research methods included literature reviews, case visits, and interviews with architects and other stakeholders. The model was refined, and methods/tools used by architects in the process steps were identified, highlighting their link with the effectiveness of results.

In recent years, more designers have been engaging in transitions, for which design expertise is used to develop visions of long-term desirable futures. However, little is known about how design expertise is positioned in transition visioning processes. In this case study, we follow a design agency in envisioning a future food system for a consortium working on the food transition. Based on our findings, we unpack several tensions that emerge between the transition context and design expertise. Such as the tension for designers to explore alternative futures that challenge the current system yet support stakeholders in seeing their place in the future. We conclude by reflecting on avenues for methodological development to optimally position design expertise for visioning in transitions.

In product design engineering, ideation involves producing ideas for new products that fulfil functional requirements. Ideation is associated with activity in multiple regions across the brain. However, knowledge about how these regions interact is limited. In an fMRI study of professional product design engineers (n = 30), we examined neural regions activated during ideation compared with three control conditions (rest, working memory and visuospatial processing). Using Psychophysiological Interactions analysis, we identified increased functional connectivity between five regions of interest and other areas. This included functional coupling between regions of the executive control and salience networks, and the default mode and visual networks. Connectivity between the lingual gyrus and cerebellum also suggests an interplay of visual and motor imagery during ideation.

This paper explores game designers' attitudes and praxis through a Grounded Theory analysis of data collected from interviews with 11 game design professionals. The aim of the research is to investigate and map possible shared approaches and strategies. The study presents a theoretical framework based on the core category “Balancing permanence and change”. Designers appear to build and maintain elements of stability, and contemporarily ensure the process’ flexibility and adaptability to possible constraints through collaborative approaches and iterative methods. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of game design practices and provide a theoretical framework for interpreting designers' choices. Future research should assess the adaptability of the framework across game genres and cultural backgrounds of designers.

Virtual Reality (VR) is an emerging medium with consequences for studying design processes. In VR, users can design using direct manipulation and move both by walking and using their hands in the physical world and beyond physical spaces using abstract movement such as teleportation. However, research examining VR design processes remains limited.

In this work, we present a large-scale analysis of 730 VR designs from 254 students. We built models of VR design processes, selecting features based on previous theoretical and empirical research. By examining these models at scale, we analyzed design behaviors and their relationship with the context and final design. This research provides a tool for describing VR design processes and highlights broader implications for designers and educators.

This study explores how metaphors from users' worlds can be incorporated into design to facilitate user-centred design processes. Through a two-stage data generation process and following qualitative content analyses, we investigate how designers utilise user metaphors in idea generation. For data generation, we collected narratives rich in metaphors from a particular user group and asked 13 designers to make sense of these narratives through metaphor analysis. As a result, we identified useful user metaphor categories, how designers engage with them, and their correlation with particular design outcomes. Our findings reveal that employing metaphor analysis empowers designers to gain an in depth understanding of user perceptions and behaviours, and supports their idea generation processes towards enhancing user experiences in diverse ways.

This paper presents a comprehensive review of fifty-two studies co-designing conversational agents (CAs). Its objectives are to synthesise prior CA co-design efforts and provide actionable recommendations for future endeavours in CA co-design. The review systematically evaluates studies' methodological and contextual aspects, revealing trends and limitations. These insights converge into practical recommendations for co-designing CAs, including (1) selecting the most suitable design technique aligned with desired CA outcomes, (2) advocating continuous stakeholder involvement throughout the design process, and (3) emphasising the elicitation and embodiment of stakeholder values to ensure CA designs align with their perspectives. This paper contributes to standardising and enhancing co-design practices, promising to improve the quality of outcomes in the case of CAs while benefiting stakeholders and users.

Throughout the design process, designers encounter diverse stimuli that influence their work. This influence is particularly notable during idea generation processes that are augmented by novel design support tools that assist in inspiration discovery. However, fundamental questions remain regarding why and how interactions afforded by these tools impact design behaviors. This work explores how designers search for inspirational stimuli using an AI-enabled multi-modal search platform, which supports queries by text and non-text-based inputs. Student and professional designers completed a think-aloud design exploration task using this platform to search for stimuli to inspire idea generation. We identify expertise and search modality as factors influencing design exploration, including the frequency and framing of searches, and the evaluation and utility of search results.