mapping social practices through collaborative exercises and visualizations
In this paper, we explore the use of collaborative exercises and mental map visualizations as tools for understanding social practices and exploring co-design opportunities for product and service development. The research is based on material gathered through a case study of a web-based data storage service in its beta stage. We use these tools to study the interconnections of the designed system to an array of other applications, tools and services, which form what we refer to as people's digital ecosystem. Our experiences suggest that taking practices as the unit of analysis is a relevant strategy to bring forward users' own knowledge of their everyday life, and link it to the professional knowledge of developers and designers; and that visualizations and collaborative exercises are relevant design thinking strategies.
social practices mental maps co-design participatory design service design user studies user innovation