When is role playing really experiential?: case studies

This paper presents and evaluates examples from our work with role playing exercises in design, both in design education and in our own design work. Rationales for role playing in design are: communication within the design process, the increase of technological complexity, the experience and empathy of designers, and the tangibility of interaction, and attentiveness to social change. They led us in developing role playing techniques for design ideation. Here, we reflect on the practical problems of integrating role playing exercises in design teaching and in a design process, and evaluate what hinders or aids the ability to engage with interaction experientially and empathically. Careful consideration of the actor-audience relationship, the setting, sufficient preparation for acting, and props emerge as important elements.