Re-thinking designing

The objective of the current research work is to explore experiences as ground for work and workplace design. The study was undertaken between 2008-2010 in a research project called the ‘Future Factory’. The research involved exploring alternative futures through a ‘design lab’ approach. The initial phase consisted of context mapping, as explorations of user experiences through interviews and observations. The resulting material was portrayed as ‘Personas’. These fictional characters were used both to communicate and to explore experiences in collaborative activities. A group of young people developed future scenarios. The scenarios were characterized as the positive ‘Utopia’ and the negative ‘Dystopia’, used to discuss implications and alternative futures. Subsequently these tools were used in a series of Future Workshops with project interest groups. This research contributes to practice with methods, tools and guidelines for a reflective and innovative work and workplace design.