424
P. J. Wolff, III
desktop computer). Behind the inviting interface of the cards is a robust database
that allows large amounts of structured and unstructured data to be easily accessed,
shared, and manipulated.
The LAC concept—which is based on a series of hand-sized, laminated
cards—demonstrates several intentional strategies. First and foremost, this concept
is a modern-day storytelling device, providing a quick and easy way to acquire lots
of knowledge in a vivid and engaging fashion, in which the narrative is the carrier
of the message, rather than mere facts (Berger 2015). In pilot tests, it was observed
that people wanted to touch the cards, turn them, and run their fingers over the surface, even when unprompted. Thus, a secondary strategy of materiality emerged as a
means to reflect one of the inherent characteristics of living labs: hands-on learning.
And finally, there was an intentional strategy to understand the goals and motivations of potential users. This discovery process involved asking many questions such
as What are the metrics for success? Who is the target audience? Is there a space
provided for this journey? Would gamification strategies enhance the experience for
users?
The idea for the LAC was inspired by the findings obtained from the listening
tour, which indicated that potential users needed help in telling the stories of living
lab research in a meaningful and memorable way. The visual similarity of the LAC
with trading cards and their athlete-hero subjects was intentional in an effort to
conjure sports metaphors (i.e., I call them “baseball cards for researchers”). In this
experiment, I combined two unlikely entities, research and sports, in an effort to
reduce the distance between research findings and the general public, and to make
scholarship more accessible. The cultural magnetism inherent in team sports, then, is
being used as a strategy of engagement, borrowed from the cognitive science research
field, to engage those who might normally not be drawn to research (Berger 2015)
(Fig. 2).
7 Findings
The LAC concept has been piloted at internal, regional, and international events
supported by MIT. Cards were displayed as part of tabletop exhibits or as a featured
giveaway to attendees who participated in “dot voting” activities associated with
living labs.
7 These events included orientation for prospective and admitted students
(attended by 63), two pop-up poster exhibits featuring living lab research (attended
by 379), two invitation-only conferences focused on sustainability (attended by 168),
a global industry event (attended by about 3000 within the software and development industry), and an international sustainability-themed conference (attended by
approximately 215).
7 Dot-voting (also known as dotmocracy) is an established facilitation method used to describe voting
with dot stickers or marks with a marker pen. The author utilized dot-voting as a gamification strategy
to incentivize input from those participating in themed events.
P. J. Wolff, III
desktop computer). Behind the inviting interface of the cards is a robust database
that allows large amounts of structured and unstructured data to be easily accessed,
shared, and manipulated.
The LAC concept—which is based on a series of hand-sized, laminated
cards—demonstrates several intentional strategies. First and foremost, this concept
is a modern-day storytelling device, providing a quick and easy way to acquire lots
of knowledge in a vivid and engaging fashion, in which the narrative is the carrier
of the message, rather than mere facts (Berger 2015). In pilot tests, it was observed
that people wanted to touch the cards, turn them, and run their fingers over the surface, even when unprompted. Thus, a secondary strategy of materiality emerged as a
means to reflect one of the inherent characteristics of living labs: hands-on learning.
And finally, there was an intentional strategy to understand the goals and motivations of potential users. This discovery process involved asking many questions such
as What are the metrics for success? Who is the target audience? Is there a space
provided for this journey? Would gamification strategies enhance the experience for
users?
The idea for the LAC was inspired by the findings obtained from the listening
tour, which indicated that potential users needed help in telling the stories of living
lab research in a meaningful and memorable way. The visual similarity of the LAC
with trading cards and their athlete-hero subjects was intentional in an effort to
conjure sports metaphors (i.e., I call them “baseball cards for researchers”). In this
experiment, I combined two unlikely entities, research and sports, in an effort to
reduce the distance between research findings and the general public, and to make
scholarship more accessible. The cultural magnetism inherent in team sports, then, is
being used as a strategy of engagement, borrowed from the cognitive science research
field, to engage those who might normally not be drawn to research (Berger 2015)
(Fig. 2).
7 Findings
The LAC concept has been piloted at internal, regional, and international events
supported by MIT. Cards were displayed as part of tabletop exhibits or as a featured
giveaway to attendees who participated in “dot voting” activities associated with
living labs.
7 These events included orientation for prospective and admitted students
(attended by 63), two pop-up poster exhibits featuring living lab research (attended
by 379), two invitation-only conferences focused on sustainability (attended by 168),
a global industry event (attended by about 3000 within the software and development industry), and an international sustainability-themed conference (attended by
approximately 215).
7 Dot-voting (also known as dotmocracy) is an established facilitation method used to describe voting
with dot stickers or marks with a marker pen. The author utilized dot-voting as a gamification strategy
to incentivize input from those participating in themed events.