Situated Design Methods

All design is situated -- carried out from an embedded position. Design involves manyparticipants and encompasses a range of interactions and interdependencies among designers, designs,design methods, and users. Design is also multidisciplinary, extending beyond the traditional designprofessions into such domains as health, culture, education, and transportation. This book presentseighteen situated design methods, offering cases and analyses of projects that range from designinginteractive installations, urban spaces, and environmental systems to understanding customerexperiences. Each chapter presents a different method, combining theoretical, methodological, andempirical discussions with accounts of actual experiences. The book describes methods for definingand organizing a design project, organizing collaborative processes, creating aesthetic experiences,and incorporating sustainability into processes and projects. The diverse and multidisciplinarymethods presented include a problem- and project-based approach to design studies; a "Wheel ofRituals" intended to promote creativity; a pragmatist method for situated experience designthat derives from empirical studies of film production and performance design; and ways to transferdesign methods in a situated manner. The book will be an important resource for researchers,students, and practitioners of interdisciplinary design.

Jesper Simonsen is Professor of Participatory Design at Roskilde University and the coauthor of Participatory IT Design (MIT Press). Connie Svabo is Assistant Professor in Performance Design at Roskilde University. c Kristine Samson is Assistant Professor in Performance Design at Roskilde University. Morten Hertzum is Associate Professor of Computer Science at Roskilde University. Ole Erik Hansen is Associate Professor in International Regulation and Environmental Planning at Roskilde University.