Bodystorming
Ideating in the real place, or a similar one, and acting out the situations and ideas there with your body, instead of imagining them from a meeting room.
What it’s for
It helps you check ideas on the spot, in the real place, and see details of the context that are missed from a meeting room.
Key elements
On site
You ideate where things happen.
With the body
Situations are acted out, not just described.
With data
You start from what was observed in the research.
How it’s done
Go to the place or recreate a similar one.
Act out the situation and the ideas.
Note what works and what doesn’t.
Applications in design
When to use it
When you are designing for an activity the team doesn’t know well.
Avoid
Doing it without research data: you would be acting out your assumptions.
Don’t fall for it
What works when acted out still has to be tested later with real people.
Connections
Authors and works
- 2003
Antti Oulasvirta, Esko Kurvinen and Tomi Kankainen
Tested it in real cases: it let them check ideas on the spot and understand the context better.
Sources
Original sources
- Oulasvirta, A., Kurvinen, E., & Kankainen, T. (2003). Understanding contexts by being there: Case studies in bodystorming. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 7(2), 125–134. View source: Oulasvirta, A., Kurvinen, E., & Kankainen, T. (2003)
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