IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 38

Game it forward
Is gamification here to stay, or is it just a passing fad? It may be too early to tell. One hurdle can
be getting clients on board. While the key to applying game theory to a design is rooted in the
same process as any other project (begin with a clear understanding of goals and objectives),
the vernacular may be off-putting. Strategy consultants admit that they often avoid using the
term "gamification" in meetings with decision makers, instead talking about making things
"more experiential" or "participatory." And the "trend-risk" factor can be markedly higher than
with other projects-gaming practices can change quickly, and while it's easy to upgrade a device
with a newer version of the latest app, it's markedly harder to update a space.
There are some applications that make it easy for clients to see the value in a gamified approach.
Firms like Populous are moving away from the traditional PowerPoint toward game-inspired
presentation models: Michael Lockwood, AIA, Populous Principal, says they've embraced
gamification as a way to fully immerse clients in the vision they're developing.
"As architects and designers we sometimes take for granted our ability to think and create
in three dimensions," Lockwood says, noting that each of the firm's clients processes information
differently, with some able to understand plans but not three dimensional drawings, and some
who immediately get renderings and animations but struggle to understand plans and elevations.
He says gamification concepts allow them to communicate their designs in as many ways as
possible so everyone on the client team understands what's being proposed. The firm has worked
with a visualization company that's developed a gaming platform that allows them to insert their
architectural models and control a "walk through" of the user experience with a game controller.
"It's literally like walking through a video game," Lockwood says, "But we are taking our client step
by step through their project. They can experience the proposed facility as they would in real life,
by personal choice of what they want to see next. The client is able to say, 'Hey, can you drive down
that street?' or 'Can we walk further down that façade to see how that entry looks from the other
direction?' So many times we have attended opening ceremonies of our facilities and our clients
have exclaimed ", I can't believe how wonderfully this has turned out", - we aim to give them that
joy and satisfaction during the design process."
Populous is up front with their client about utilizing gaming principles. "The dead give-away is
the X-Box controller we use to control our real-time walkthroughs," Lockwood says, noting that
for most clients, it's an enjoyable and fun experience.
But to what extent is making work all about play a successful strategy? And is this just another
workplace trend that's being blown out of proportion because of its potential attractiveness to
millennials? Perhaps not. Today, 59% of us are said to be "gamers"-which, these days, can mean
everything from being a world-class "cyber athlete" to simply playing a game on your commute.
(If Candy Crush is becoming a normal way for members of British Parliament to pass the time
during those long Palace of Westminster committee hearings, it's safe to say it has a broad appeal.)
At its heart, gamification is about experimentation and learning, activities we encourage in every
aspect of design. Perhaps the biggest asset to designers in applying game thinking to their work
is eliminating the fear of failure. After all, in a game, you can always get another life.

38



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015

IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 201
Contents
From IIDA
Behind the Issue
Contributors
IIDA Roundtable
Designer Dialogue
Design Decoded
For Love of The Game
Designers Off Duty
Point / Counterpoint
Inspiration
Colophon
Design Buzz
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 201
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Cover2
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 1
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Contents
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 3
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 4
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - From IIDA
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Behind the Issue
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 7
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Contributors
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 9
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - IIDA Roundtable
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 11
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 12
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 13
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 14
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 15
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Designer Dialogue
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 17
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 18
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 19
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 20
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 21
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Design Decoded
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 23
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 24
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 25
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 26
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 27
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 28
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 29
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - For Love of The Game
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 31
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 32
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 33
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 34
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 35
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 36
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 37
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 38
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 39
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Designers Off Duty
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 41
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 42
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 43
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 44
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 45
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 46
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 47
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Point / Counterpoint
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 49
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 50
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 51
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Inspiration
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 53
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - 54
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Colophon
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Design Buzz
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Cover3
IIDA Perspective - Spring/Summer 2015 - Cover4
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