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Method

Generative tools

Kits of materials (images, words, pieces) that people use to create collages, maps or models to express experiences, feelings and ideas that are hard to put into words.

In Spanish
Herramientas generativas
Origin
Sanders (2002); Sanders and Stappers (2008)
Output
Collages, maps or models made by the participants themselves

What it’s for

It brings out needs and desires that don’t come up in an interview, because what people say and do doesn’t tell the whole story.

Key elements

  • Make, not just talk

    Creating something by hand helps people think and remember.

  • Open materials

    Ambiguous images and words that invite interpretation.

  • Tell what was made

    The person’s explanation is the most valuable part.

  • Tool, toolkit, technique and method

    Tools are the materials; the toolkit, a set designed for a purpose; the technique, how they are used; the method, how they are combined in a project.

How it’s done

  1. Prepare the kit. Images, words and a clear prompt.

  2. Create. Each person builds their collage, map or model.

  3. Tell it. The person explains what they made and why; it is recorded.

Applications in design

  • When to use it

    Early in the project, to explore experiences, emotions and desires.

  • Avoid

    Analyzing the collage without the explanation of the person who made it.

  • Don’t fall for it

    Test the kit first: too many pieces overwhelm and too few limit.

Connections

Builds on

Related to

Authors and works

  1. 2002

    Elizabeth B.-N. Sanders

    Argued for moving from user-centered design to participatory design, in which people create.

  2. 2008

    Elizabeth B.-N. Sanders and Pieter Jan Stappers

    Proposed that designers make tools so that non-designers can express themselves creatively.

  3. 2010

    Elizabeth B.-N. Sanders, Eva Brandt and Thomas Binder

    Organized participatory tools and techniques by their form (making, telling or enacting), their purpose and their context.

Sources

Original sources

  • Sanders, E. B.-N. (2002). From user-centered to participatory design approaches. In J. Frascara (Ed.), Design and the social sciences: Making connections (pp. 1–8). Taylor & Francis.
  • Sanders, E. B.-N., & Stappers, P. J. (2008). Co-creation and the new landscapes of design. CoDesign, 4(1), 5–18. View source: Sanders, E. B.-N., & Stappers, P. J. (2008)
  • Sanders, E. B.-N., Brandt, E., & Binder, T. (2010). A framework for organizing the tools and techniques of participatory design. In Proceedings of the 11th Biennial Participatory Design Conference (pp. 195–198). Association for Computing Machinery. View source: Sanders, E. B.-N., Brandt, E., & Binder, T. (2010)

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