I have been developing a card based toolkit for service design as part of the AT-ONE project (www.service-innovation.org). The cards and tools support innovation processes based upon analysis and design of service touchpoints. They are basically cards with images and text, that function as a visual list of potential touchpoints. More information about them is available here: http://designgeneralist.blogspot.com/2010/01/customer-experience-touch-point-cards.html
During evaluation of the cards, I have noticed that people use the cards in different ways, and that the tangible nature of the cards assists them with the cognitive processes they are engaged in. As an example, when laying out cards in specific relations for a task, someone will hold a card in their hand and move their hand back and fore to different groups, to consider if that card fits in the group. The movement of the card, somehow seems to assist the assessment process - "does it fit here, hmm no, maybe here ..." and the combination of tangibility, movement and cognitive process seem to combine to make the task easier.
I don't think this is new knowledge, and I am certain that I have seen somewhere that this has been analysed and discussed - a taxonomy of modes of use. But, I can't find references for this. Can anyone help me?
I am particularly looking at this in relation to the design of task aids, but I guess that this overlaps with the use of visualisation in workshops and even the tangibility of simple prototypes (I have plenty of references in these areas).
Kind regards
Simon Clatworthy
Oslo School of Architecture and Design
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