Traditional lo-fi methods focus heavily on the visual channel. To encourage exploration of other modalities, in HaptiMap we have developed a more physically oriented workshop concept to encourage more bodystorming/physical brainstorming activities in the design team. The aim of such a brainstorm is to explore the available design space – and in particular also consider how one can design for other senses than vision. The basic rules for a brainstorming activity are:

  • The basic rule in all brainstorms is that criticism is absolutely forbidden! Criticism is bad for creativity. Get all ideas out first – evaluation should be done afterwards.
  • Don’t keep ideas to yourself. All ideas have to get out in the open – the whole point of the brainstorm is that ideas should lead to new ideas. Don’t be afraid of ”silly” ideas

 

A short “how to” for our lo-fi workshop concept.


This kind of workshop can also be used as a means for involving end users early in the design process (see HaptiMap D1.2). Firstly, selected prototypes from a designer workshop can be evaluated by users. Secondly, one can arrange a user workshop where the users themselves design a product or a service.


The basic difference between a designer workshop and a user workshop is that the designer workshop is more open, while the user workshop usually needs more preparation. For a user workshop it can be suitable to provide partially made mock ups to get the activity going.