Participatory Design: Alphabet Soup with Xavier
(With Alicia Barnes and Rose Kinsley: MUSEUM 588, Winter 2011).
The final result of an experimental design class with museum pioneer Nina Simon.
Deliverables: Wiki, summary video of class, Flickr streams of finished project and behind-the-scenes.
Media: exhibit, wiki, Flickr streams.
Primary skills developed: participatory design thinking (strategic engagement of visitors), negotiation with institutions, self-direction, time management
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Description:
My team developed and implemented a project creating an interactive experience for Henry Art Gallery visitors, incorporating an exhibition (Vortexhibition Polyphonica: Opus IV) already installed at the museum. We went through the processes of discussion, brainstorming, fabrication, installation, exhibition, and finally evaluation. The progress and content of the class as a whole was preserved using a wiki, in an effort to lay bare our challenges and successes for others working to implement participatory design projects, or wondering about what the process looks like. My group's project, "Alphabet Soup with Xavier," used a small sculpture by artist Xavier Vielhan to elicit engagement from visitors, utilizing responses to the human form, and taking as our inspiration the ways in which people spontaneously interact with public statues. We allowed them to imagine what they might say in response to the statue, ultimately responding to previous visitors' imaginings in the process (the Flickr stream illustrates this better than words).
Significance:
Participatory design—and experience design thinking in general—are gaining traction within the cultural heritage field as approaches that can maximize people’s desire to participate on a variety of levels. We were fortunate enough to get to learn with one of the pioneers of the participatory design movement in the museum world, Nina Simon, who challenged us to think revolutionary thoughts when it comes to designing experiences, even for traditional spaces such as a museum. In the process, we learned a great deal about communicating and negotiating with institutions, and this practice incorporating innovation while also working within more traditional constraints, and negotiating how far to push the envelope, are skills and lessons I that can only benefit my ability to tackle exhibit or other design projects in the future.
The final result of an experimental design class with museum pioneer Nina Simon.
Deliverables: Wiki, summary video of class, Flickr streams of finished project and behind-the-scenes.
Media: exhibit, wiki, Flickr streams.
Primary skills developed: participatory design thinking (strategic engagement of visitors), negotiation with institutions, self-direction, time management
--
Description:
My team developed and implemented a project creating an interactive experience for Henry Art Gallery visitors, incorporating an exhibition (Vortexhibition Polyphonica: Opus IV) already installed at the museum. We went through the processes of discussion, brainstorming, fabrication, installation, exhibition, and finally evaluation. The progress and content of the class as a whole was preserved using a wiki, in an effort to lay bare our challenges and successes for others working to implement participatory design projects, or wondering about what the process looks like. My group's project, "Alphabet Soup with Xavier," used a small sculpture by artist Xavier Vielhan to elicit engagement from visitors, utilizing responses to the human form, and taking as our inspiration the ways in which people spontaneously interact with public statues. We allowed them to imagine what they might say in response to the statue, ultimately responding to previous visitors' imaginings in the process (the Flickr stream illustrates this better than words).
Significance:
Participatory design—and experience design thinking in general—are gaining traction within the cultural heritage field as approaches that can maximize people’s desire to participate on a variety of levels. We were fortunate enough to get to learn with one of the pioneers of the participatory design movement in the museum world, Nina Simon, who challenged us to think revolutionary thoughts when it comes to designing experiences, even for traditional spaces such as a museum. In the process, we learned a great deal about communicating and negotiating with institutions, and this practice incorporating innovation while also working within more traditional constraints, and negotiating how far to push the envelope, are skills and lessons I that can only benefit my ability to tackle exhibit or other design projects in the future.
