Interactions - March/April 2010

As the size of teams grows, so does the amount of coordination and structure needed. “When I reached a point where hundreds of people were coming out, many just friends of friends along for the ride, I realized that I need to make sure the experience is well planned out for their enjoyment, adds Todd. “People do not want to stand out in the rain for an hour if they’re not a veteran member of the group.”

Consuming and Co-creating

We improvise daily. Every time we come across a baffling product or service, we start the process. Without understanding intended use, we cope our way through it (often with pride), not cracking open the user manual the technical writer crafted so carefully, choosing instead to invent our way through the experience. These improvisations, at times, lead to the accidental new uses of products, just as improvisation on the creation side leads to the intentional development of products.

As consumers, we’re already improvisers of sorts. Improvisation, to “compose or perform without previous preparation,” is already part of a societal value system. There’s a socially motivated correlation between the ability to improvise and perceived intelligence.

It would be easier, more elegant, far more usable perhaps, were we in control of the entire experiences we set out to design. But the reality is the democratization of design, whatever its definition, is upon us. So it’s our responsibility to create rich engagements that result in meaningful experiences. And further inspection of improvisa-

tion for us as not just creators, but as consumers, may provide some insight.

Don Norman, in an insightful piece for interactions, clearly navigates “transmedia,” the emergence of multiple media in common pursuit of a story or experience. Whether we are consuming or producing, being a spectator or a creator, what is needed, he puts forth, is “ meaningful, thoughtful creation and participation” [ 10].

Improvisation has interesting
implications for us going forward
when we look at ourselves not
as creators, but as consumers.
While a tweet, a status update,
or a flickr upload may not be a
design contribution as we define
it, a Blurb book or a fully funded
Kickstarter project might be. At
a time when we’re beginning
to become comfortable with
co-creating content, we need to
become comfortable with impro-
vising. Not for a societal con-
struct, but in the interest of cre-
ating meaningful and engaging
experiences alongside everyone
who wishes to engage in creating
them. The challenge will be to
sustain the quality in real time.

[ 10] Norman, D. “The Transmedia Design Challenge: Co-Creation”; http:// interactions.acm.org/ content/?p=1318/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Liz Danzico is equal parts designer, educator, and editor. She is chair and cofounder of the MFA in Interaction Design Program at the School of Visual Arts and an independent consultant in New York, on the editorial board for Rosenfeld Media, and on the board of Design Ignites Change. In the past, Danzico directed experience strategy for AIGA and the information architecture teams at Barnes & Noble.com and Razorfish New York. She lectures widely and writes at Bobulate.com.