Back to “Futurehomestories: Designing Co-Creation”

futurehomestories - Method sharing

With the handouts provided here, we would like to give interested parties the opportunity to utilise the co-design methods adapted in the futurehomestories project and tested in various contexts for their own purposes.

The methods adapted and tested in futurehomestories are freely available below for all interested parties. In addition, we offer documentation and instructions for further adaptations of the individual methods. In this way, we would like to make the tried and tested approaches available for further use in other research and design contexts.

enlarge the image: The picture is drawn. You can see binoculars pointed at a blurred house. Futurehomestores is written at the bottom in wavy lettering and underlined with a wavy line.
Illustration: Julia Weller

Below you will find

  • the method materials as a download
  • manuals, which explain for each of the methods what it is based on and what it can do, what it consists of and how it works. The documentation also contains tips for further adaptations.
  • references to the original methods on which the futurehomestories adaptations are based

Tiles IoT Inventor Toolkit was developed as a card-based co-design method. Our adaptation All tomorrow's homes enables people to playfully co-create stories about their homes of the future and their technologies. We started by exploring the original toolkit and creating an initial digital prototype. We kept the functional principle and most of the card categories and translated the material into German. We removed cards that did not relate to domestic technology and added those that thematised domestic life. We used the resulting prototype in online workshops. Building on this, we developed our card game-based adaptation with a canvas, adopting the card design but rearranging sections of the game and organising workshops in person. All tomorrow's homes is similar to the original, but focusses on storytelling. All materials can be downloaded in this section.

enlarge the image: You can see a playing field with several tasks. There are pens, cards and written Post-Its on the playing field.
All tomorrow's homes canvas at the end of a workshop. Photo: Benedikt Haupt

 

The IoT Service Kit was developed as a board game-based co-design method. With our adaptation This could be the future, participants can imagine, test and playfully explore scenarios for living with technologies in a speculative home of the future. We started by using the original, documenting and reflecting on our experiences. We retained the functional principle and most of the card categories and translated the material into German. We removed cards without reference to the home application field and added those that thematise domestic life. We introduced two new card categories: Actuators for output options, e.g. ‘fan’ or ‘light signal’ and Jokers for spontaneous game ideas. Instead of the prefabricated options, we developed the component of floor plan shapes, which participants can use to create the space - the home - they want to speculate about in a modular way. We designed new, customisable game tokens and added the character sheet, inspired by role-playing games. This gave creatures and things a place in the game. All materials can be downloaded in this section.

enlarge the image: You can see a brown cardboard box. On it are white sheets of paper in various formats. There are game figures on them. Colourful cards are scattered around the edge of the box. There are also pens and post-its on the box.
The designed vision of a smart home with the tool This could be the future. Photo: Benedikt Haupt

Cultural Probes were developed as a co-design method. This toolkit provides insights into the thoughts of participants who document their reactions to tasks using various materials sent in a package. Little Boxes is our adaptation of the Cultural Probes. Two suitcases filled with small tasks accompany the participants on an imagined journey into a home of the future, which takes on visual form by means of a designed collage of ideas. We want to collect stories about technologies in this speculative home. All materials can be downloaded in this section.

enlarge the image: You can see two open suitcases with numbers on their holders. Inside the suitcases are various envelopes labelled ‘Material’, ‘Little Boxes’ and ‘Stamp’. In front of the suitcases is a colourfully painted picture frame. Inside is the text ‘Welcome home to the future.’
The Little Boxes present their contents. Photo: Arne Berger

Additional photos of the structure of the adaptation

enlarge the image: The ‘Little Boxes’ tool is shown with two closed suitcases and a picture frame in the centre.
enlarge the image: You can see two open suitcases with numbers on their holders. Inside the suitcases are various envelopes labelled ‘Material’, ‘Little Boxes’ and ‘Stamp’. In front of the suitcases is a colourfully painted picture frame. Inside is the text ‘Welcome home to the future.’
enlarge the image: You can see two open suitcases with numbers on their holders. Inside the suitcases are various envelopes labelled ‘Material’, ‘Little Boxes’ and ‘Stamp’. In front of the suitcases is a colourfully painted picture frame. Inside is the text ‘Welcome home to the future.’
enlarge the image: You can see two open suitcases with numbers on their holders. Inside the suitcases are various envelopes labelled ‘Material’, ‘Little Boxes’ and ‘Stamp’. In front of the suitcases is a colourfully painted picture frame. Inside is the text ‘Welcome home to the future.’
enlarge the image: Multicoloured cards are layed out next to each other.
enlarge the image: Cards with attributes are layed out next to each other.
enlarge the image: Multicoloured cards and cards with attributes lie next to each other.
enlarge the image: You can see two open suitcases with numbers on their holders. Inside the suitcases are various envelopes labelled ‘Material’, ‘Little Boxes’ and ‘Stamp’. In front of the suitcases is a colourfully painted picture frame. Inside is the text ‘Welcome home to the future.’
enlarge the image: You can see two open suitcases with numbers on their holders. Inside the suitcases are various envelopes labelled ‘Material’, ‘Little Boxes’ and ‘Stamp’. In front of the suitcases is a colourfully painted picture frame. Inside is the text ‘Welcome home to the future.’

Enormous creative energy is already being channelled into the development and creation of co-design methods. We in the futurehomestories project have also enjoyed working on and with the methods. It is therefore a pity that so far only a few co-creative approaches are accessible to a wide audience. To counter this, we would like to invite you to share feedback with us in addition to providing our own methods. For example, what was your motivation for trying out or adapting the methods, what did you use them for, what experiences and insights did you gain?

We would love to hear from you. Write to us at christian.pentzold@uni-leipzig.de

Together we can contribute to the stabilisation of co-design methods.