Cynthia’s 1:1 Prep: A Few Thoughts April 6, 2009
Posted by cdh263 in : Assignments , trackbackWith a thesis project that is essentially a service design exercise, I have been using weekly diagrams and readings to clarify and organize an abundance of research related to strengthening the connection between children and nature.
Probably most meaningful to me so far, though, were the articles that defined service design and discussed analytical techniques used in the service design discipline. Sylvia Harris’ Presbyterian Hospital and Rachel Abrams’ Queens Museum case studies helped bring that info into context. They showed how stories can be crafted from the process of gathering information, then interpreting and representing it.
Somehow or another, I’ll be crafting my own story from children’s reaction to props I have made as part of project representation along with research into the the diminished role of nature in our lives today, play and pedagogical theory (situational meaning, contextual learning, inquiry-based learning), game design (boredom thresholds and ambiguity, e.g.), etc.
Because my design works a lot with edges or boundaries — pushing children just beyond their comfort zones to connect with Mother Nature — the universal constructs that Kevin Lynch presents could be helpful. Since I intend to start my design where the children are, one way I might think of this could be to represent these states as his….
* paths, the streets, sidewalks, trails, and other channels in which people travel;
* edges, perceived boundaries such as walls, buildings, and shorelines;
* districts, relatively large sections of the city distinguished by some identity or character;
* nodes, focal points, intersections or loci; and
* landmarks, readily identifiable objects which serve as reference points
….Then pull the children towards a different state with my project; beyond their ordinary, everyday experience.
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