Architectural cognition cards: a card-based method for introducing spatial cognition research and user-centred thinking into the design process
Open Access
- 6 December 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Architectural Science Review
- Vol. 65 (2), 120-137
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00038628.2021.2008299
Abstract
In this article, we present the rationale, development and preliminary evaluation of a novel set of materials to encourage and improve the consideration of users and their needs during the process of architectural design. Our focus is specifically on two areas: user-centred design principles and spatial cognition research. To this end, we developed two decks of flash-cards, termed the Architectural Strategies Cards (72 cards) and the Spatial Cognition Cards (111 cards). We conducted preliminary evaluations of the cards in the design studio and in design thinking workshops with multidisciplinary groups of students and with architectural practitioners. Our results suggest that the cards improve designers’ immersion into the perspective of building-users in a playful way and introduce scientific concepts effectively. In conclusion, we argue that serious-games and card-based methods should be part of the multiple approaches necessary to encourage and improve user-centred thinking, and integrate research findings into evidence-based design at large.Keywords
Funding Information
- Future Cities Laboratory at the Singapore-ETH Centre (FI 370074016)
- German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD 91736649)
This publication has 44 references indexed in Scilit:
- Can experienced designers learn from new tools? A case study of idea generation in a professional engineering teamInternational Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation, 2013
- Design Heuristics in Engineering Concept GenerationJournal of Engineering Education, 2012
- A systematic literature review of empirical evidence on computer games and serious gamesComputers & Education, 2012
- The structural salience of landmarks: results from an on-line study and a virtual environment experimentJournal of Spatial Science, 2012
- Use of a Web-Based Game to Teach Pediatric Content to Medical StudentsAmbulatory Pediatrics, 2008
- Simulating PlanningJournal of Planning Education and Research, 2007
- Up the down staircase: Wayfinding strategies in multi-level buildingsJournal of Environmental Psychology, 2006
- Classification of learning outcomes: evidence from the computer games literatureThe Curriculum Journal, 2005
- Gaming the future of an urban networkFutures, 2004
- Methods in the Making: A Perspective on the State of Human Research in DesignDesign Issues, 2003