
Research Article
Purposeful Prototyping with Children to Generate Design Ideas
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-031-31392-9_7, author={Annie Aggarwal and Mathieu Gielen}, title={Purposeful Prototyping with Children to Generate Design Ideas}, proceedings={Design, Learning, and Innovation. 7th EAI International Conference, DLI 2022, Faro, Portugal, November 21-22, 2022, Proceedings}, proceedings_a={DLI}, year={2023}, month={4}, keywords={Prototyping Children Ideation}, doi={10.1007/978-3-031-31392-9_7} }
- Annie Aggarwal
Mathieu Gielen
Year: 2023
Purposeful Prototyping with Children to Generate Design Ideas
DLI
Springer
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-31392-9_7
Abstract
Prototyping to generate ideas, as part of the design process offers various learning opportunities to sharpen young novice designers’ design and making skills. This study situates itself within the landscape of Makerspaces and co-design with children as emerging opportunities of learning and skill building for children. From experiences of co-design with children it is often observed that children engage with outcome and object-focused model making or plain crafting with no intent of iterative prototyping for ideation. This paper describes the case of design prototyping sessions conducted with children aged 8–11 years old as a classroom activity. The sessions were investigated and analysed to reveal enablers and limitations to purposeful prototyping with children. Defining and contextualising the design problem with the children, the variety of prototyping materials for flexible building, interpretation and expression, and mid-prototyping discussions were all found supportive to children’s purposeful prototyping.