Evaluation workshops EI

First introduction workshop We started with sitting in a circle, introducing ourselves and explaining what made us choose Design for end of life. We did a meditation exercise, for which we had to be completely silent. This was very hard for me because I had a cold, and I had to cough almost every 10 seconds. After this we paired up in groups of 4 people and we made a brainstorm about the topic. We got hands on the feelings of people, the related stakeholders and lots of subtopics, like religions and rituals. We had to frame a design goal and visualize the current interaction and an interaction vision. This appeared to be not so easy and there were lots of differences among the groups. It raised a useful discussion. The workshop definitely broadened my perspective and helped to choose a direction: a field that fits me.

Interaction workshop We had to bring our design goal, a storyboard showing current interactions and some inspirational material. At 8.30, a quite early point of time, we started with a meditation exercise. We had to stand up and shake, which was a nice start to wake up, but it took too long. I heard some people got a bit dizzy. For me it was also a bit exhausting. Together with my two buddies I clamed a space on the wall and a table. With our design goals and current interaction as a start, we brainstormed to find qualities of current and desired interactions. We wrote them down together for each person. We tried to find a metaphor for Joriks design goal. We came up with guidance in the mourning process should be like holding the rudder of a boat in a storm. During role play we discovered that a walking high five (with two claps, one high and one low) represents the idea of giving feels like receiving and receiving is perceived as giving (my previous stated interaction vision). Within the next round: movie and music, we were less inspired. We didnt really think of movies beforehand, but we could easily come up with some songs that represented Kikis interactions. Also with the presentations I had the feeling this round was less strong than the others. The last round was about animation. With a big black tensioned fabric frame, we acted out Kikis interactions. Two hands took different poses, like different

expressions (okay, peace, stop, rock etc.). The two didnt understand each other at first, but at the end they were on the same track (the poses were the same). Overall if the instructions would have been a little bit more clear and perhaps if we had some more time, the workshop could have been more effective. Now we had to rush the presentations of our group, which made that we got very little feedback. I was happy though that we were only with 3 people, because now we just had enough room for everyone. Clinics I went to a contextmapping clinic with Pieter-Jan Stappers. It was usefull, but it was more like a tutor meeting about the process and what your activities youve been carrying out, instead of specific feedback about contextmapping. I did bring my sensitizing booklet and I mentioned the comments of my coaches (that it was more an interview and that sensitizing booklets are usually lighter). He did agree that Mourning & death is quite a loaded topic on itself, but he also thought it was good that I got the answers on the questions I had. I expected more information about how to deal with this paradox of sensitizing booklets being light and my loaded topic. Pieter-Jan did advise me to investigate what topics people do like to talk about instead of continuing with death and morning being one of the taboos, people dont like to talk about. I took this advice and I think it helped me in my process.