CCT333+Weekly+Lab+Response+Question+6


 * LAB 6 -** **Definition of Bodystorming, and Understanding Experience Prototyping**


 * //Define bodystorming://**

Similar to brainstorming, bodystorming consists of sketching ideas and concepts through the body rather than just with a paper and pen. This usually includes a group of 5-8 people, each having a role, even if it is just being a prop. Having large cards to define what role the individual is playing, and large bubble cards explaining what it is they're thinking is essential to make bodystorming an effective way of carrying out ideas. Body storming basically allows humans to role play the actions of technology and other equipment interacting with humans in order to understand the relationship between the two.

Bodystorming allows ideas to be carried out physically in order to understand relationships with people, locations and things and how it affects the social behaviour of an individual through a physical, emotional and intuitive level. This method is used after some research is developed for the issue so that the issue can be understood better and if anything different issues can be uncovered since the team is literally role playing each role an item has in order to carry out a design or job effectively. By visually observing a situation that needs to be redesigned, the ideas that come out of the observation are significantly essential and beneficial to redesigning.

The result of physically acting out a situation benefits the concept of brainstorming ideas because every aspect of the situation is personally acted out by the individual. This leaves a connection and understanding of the individual with the situation that needs to be fixed or redesigned. Being aware of the physical environment around, such as background noises, equipment and such enhances the experience of the situation and therefore enhances new ideas and observations that will in fact correspond with the actual situation or setting.

In addition, bodystorming is effective and essential when it comes to trying to come up with ideas to redesign or fix certain situations or items that are not in hands reach. For example, if a team is hired to re-design something for people with disabilities or people who live in a different country, it is critical and beneficial to actually act out the situation. In other words, the team needs to put themselves in the shoes of the people that they do not exactly understand and try to create ideas based on the experiences that will connect them to the actual situation.


 * //Describe an issue that you would like to use bodystorming to research, analyze and investigate, and describe how you would develop a Case Theatre scenario to do so.

An issue that I would like to explore would be the seating arrangement outside of ice cream parlours especially the Dairy Cream on Lakeshore in Mississauga. The seating arrangements consists of 5 picnic tables outside of the place. The problem is that firstly, the tables are quite old, looking like they are going to fall apart any day and the appearance of them is unattractive. There is doodling and graffiti all over the tables, leaving it aesthetically unappealing.

In order to try and find a way to fix the situation it would be essential to firstly research how the setting of picnic tables started and its effect on the overall experience of getting ice cream. It would be important to to analyze the and investigate the issue at hand by gathering a team of about 5 people and going to the ice cream parlour on a fairly warm day. Essentially, staying at bay and observing the interactions and relationships that people have when getting ice cream and sitting at the tables would be important. The team would possibly stand around and overhear the conversations and witness why people are sitting down, what they are talking about, and what time of day is the most busiest at the parlour and at the picnic tables.

After witnessing what the reasons are to sit and relax it is also important to witness and analyze what demography of people attend this place and what age group spends a lot of their time at the picnic tables. There are various people who would be taking a seat there, such as mothers with strollers, people on rollerblades and bicycles. Some individuals will go out for a walk with their dog and get ice cream on the way, therefore they too will take a seat at the table with their dog. After analyzing all of this the problem that arises is the issue of having five picnic tables, which leaves all these people carrying different things with them or being in different situations sitting together and sharing these seats. It might be a little bit awkward sitting at a table with a couple who is romantically enjoying each others company, whereas the other individual is just taking a break for ice cream with their dog.

A Case Theatre scenario in this case would include the 5-8 team members now going to the place themselves, preferably on a day and time of day that is busy but not overwhelmingly busy. This allows the team to physically have room acting out the situation and simultaneously be in the environment to see how the social interaction will affect their experience. In this situation, the team memebers will arrive at the same time, order their ice cream and go outside to see where they can take a seat. However, they will not act as if they know eachother, rather they will pretend to be separate individuals all in different situations. One of them would bring a dog with them, the other will be on rollerblades, two of them would act as a couple who overly expresses their love for each other in public and the other three would come as a group (teenagers) enjoying some leisure time while having some ice cream and being oblvious of the environment around them.

All these role players will then interact with the other customers and try to see how difficult or easy it is to locate a table that will best suit their needs and comfort. After finding a seat, the team member who is alone with their dog will actually act out their level of discomfort when sitting at the same table as the couple who is feeding one another ice cream. The other table would be seated with the three teenagers and the mother with a baby stroller and another customer who has come with her younger son. At this table the oblivious teenagers are carelessly using inappropriate language, screaming, laughing and interrupting the experience the mother is trying to have with her baby who is sleeping in the stroller. Or it disrupts the experience for the mother who is with her son, leaving her upset with the fact that her young child is exposed to such language and behaviour.

Therefore, this body storming allows the team to role play certain behaviours and characteristics that different age groups and situations consist of while simultaneously mixing and mingling with the actual customers. This in return allows for a more thorough observation and experience for the role players since they are playing a role and at the same time having an actual experience as a customer. As a result, to design different tables that are scattered all over the outside of the parlour in different sizes and possibly shapes, allows the customers to feel some privacy and freedom to have a variety of seats to choose from, depending on the mood they are in or the number of people they come with or type of material they come with. This will enhance the experience of having ice cream on a nice day, and will leave the customer leaving the place relaxed rather than annoyed, uncomfortable or upset.

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