A STUDY ON THE COMMUNICATION METHOD FOR ONLINE PARTICIPATORY DESIGN WORKSHOP

DS 110: Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2021), VIA Design, VIA University in Herning, Denmark. 9th -10th September 2021

Year: 2021
Editor: Grierson, Hilary; Bohemia, Erik; Buck, Lyndon
Author: Zhang, Yanfang (1); Inamura, Tokushu (1); Ito, Shinichiro (2); Cruz, Christian (3)
Series: E&PDE
Institution: 1: Kyushu University, Faculty of Design, Japan; 2: Kyoto Sangyo University, Faculty of Information Science and Engineering, Japan; 3: Yamaguchi University, Faculty of Global and Science Studies, Japan
Section: Engaging the Public
DOI number: 10.35199/EPDE.2021.48
ISBN: 978-1-912254-14-9

Abstract

In the 21st century, global environmental changes and rapid changes in social structures have led to a variety of social issues. To solve these global issues, new mechanisms need to be created. In the creation of new value, a lot of attention is being paid to design. This is evident from the fact that many workshops are conducted using the ‘design process ‘. The design process is the process of finding a solution to a problem or issue that has arisen, using a design approach and method of 5 stages: (1) understanding, (2) problem identification, (3) idea development, (4) testing (prototype production), and (5) proposal presentation. Due to the widespread of the new coronavirus that has threatened people around the world, online workshops have become very common. In addition, digital communication tools such as Zoom and Miro have been widely used for online workshops. Face-to-face workshops and online workshops have very different communication methods. For the online workshop, digital tools can create communication barriers that can affect the output of the workshop. Even though there are a lot of online workshops based on the design process, conducted in various location, there has been no research focusing on communication methods. The purpose of this study is to propose a method of communication for online participatory workshops that use the design process. The differences in communication methods between face-to-face and online participatory workshops are studied to identify factors that inhibit communication in online workshops that could not occur in face-to-face workshops, and the differences in output and quality are also clarified. This study is based on the SMRC model proposed by David Berlo, and this study was conducted using a quantitative and qualitative approach. The object of the study was the participants of the face-to-face workshops from 2012 to 2019 and online workshops in 2020. Video recording of the participants in the workshops and questionnaires for participants were conducted. The response of the participants in terms of their body language and conversation and the quality of prototypes were noted for each stage in the design process. Then the data was organized to identify the communication issues faced in the online workshops and the difference in the output and its quality. This study is a proposal for design workshop instructors. Based on the findings, a new communication method is proposed to solve the problems identified. The proposed communication method enable online participatory workshops with diverse participants to be conducted with increased chances of success from a communicative perspective. Thus, enabling the workshop organizers who focus on elements of the workshop that are more critical for the qualitative outcome of these. In the dawn of massive vaccination programs currently under implementation, the world will eventually regain some semblance of similarity analogous to a pre-pandemic condition. However, even with a ‘solution’ at hand, online activities, including workshops, are mostly expected to increase and diversify, the significance of this research is a direct contribution to this new era.

Keywords: Design Workshop, Online Workshop, Communication Method, SMCR model

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