Team: Eda Erdal/ Qendresa Selimi/ Vanessa Van/ Zhaolu Song
Brief: Design a sensory-based ritual or experience for the characters of the Xenosomatics world/culture we build together.
Time: 25.01.2021-29.01.2021
Based on the characters of Xenosomatics world we created last week, we need to design a sensory-based online experience. As we only have three days to design, we need to generate ideas, test prototypes, and iterate quickly.
How to design for an online experience?
We wanted to create a scenario that everyone can be creators as well and help them to feel togetherness remotely. The whole process will happen online which means it is very hard for us to feel other senses apart from sight and sound. But could they feel togetherness by touching? We thought about touching the same thing at the same time. Then origami came to our mind, which is physical, easy to reach, and can be created by participants individually. Thinking about soma, I came up that people can wear origami on their bodies and feel the connections.
Since people will experience the ritual online, I also suggested using a video filter and virtual background to enhance the immersive feeling.
Video filter and virtual background testing
LARP Worldview
Pederson (2016) in his talk about mechanics said the assemblage of game designers, world, characters, magic circle, story, players, and mechanics create Larp. So we started with the worldview of our LARP.
Pederson’s talk about LARP.
We decided to create a welcoming ritual for the humans who just arrive on our planet. We set the world happening in 3021 when there are no resources on the earth and human have to immigrate to our new planet. In order to be able to live on the planet, humans must perform a greeting ritual and create a personal symbol.
Testing, iteration, and final larping
We tested our initial LARP version with another group and received very useful feedback to improve, such as slow down the origami steps, more time for imaging, and more "alien" language.
Testing with Gabriel, Max, Yiwei, Yitong
On the final presentation, the larping went well and everyone created their own special origami symbol. Participants thought it’s quite nice to use a tangible thing for feeling togetherness and connect it with the body. Most said they felt lost during the folding process with their eyes closed and doubt themselves if they are doing it right, but they felt quite relieved when we said that the next 2 folds will leave to you and allow yourself to fold your symbol freely.
Final larping.
Reflection about LARP
It’s a quite new experience for me. I was thinking about how designers could apply LAPR into the design and how it could be useful for improving user experience design?
Actually, in my opinion, designers already used LARP in the design process to some degree. For example, when we interviewed users about how they like a product, they need to imagine the scenario that they are using this product and then give feedback. However, I think the differences are that LARP can provide a more immersive environment and can invite users to co-design and co-create. Every participant will influence the final design and the design could also be different with different participants.
References
Origami Guide. (no date) Easy Origami Hat Instructions. Available at: https://origami.guide/origami-clothes/easy-origami-hat/ (Accessed: 27 January 2021).
Pederson, B. (2016) Mechanics - Fader talk by Bjarke Pedersen. 21 July. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfqkMnPiubo (Accessed: 26 January 2021).
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