Permacrisis and polycrisis characterize contemporary times, which require innovative and systemic solutions to cope with multiple, complex challenges. This global context can be perceived as extremely overwhelming, especially by younger generations. Globally, a call for a radical change is loudly expressed. Still, better, achievable alternatives seem lacking: reality is often configured as a single-destination highway, denying the wide realm of plausible and preferable futures. It is crucial for people to rediscover their power, as citizens and consumers, developing a multiple futures perspective, a superstructure of society, and a willingness to become active change-makers. Moreover, it is necessary to fill the gap between big cities, innovation epicenters, and peripheral areas by expanding small municipalities’ cultural offerings and services. This research-oriented project aims to understand how to democratize the design of a better future, exploring the possible applications and contributions of worldbuilding, strategic foresight, and futures studies practices, in combination with role-playing games, in making the complex and the ambiguous more accessible to all. Firstly, how is it possible to decolonize and empower people’s imagination, paving the way to alternative ideas and radically new visions? Secondly, how to restore optimism and willingness to act, stimulating personal and collective thriving? Lastly, how to ground ideas in the real world, contributing to their realization? The investigation is carried out with a cross-disciplinary research methodology and a product service system design approach. The province of Monza Brianza is elected as a testing ground for the co-design and prototyping phases. Initially, a literature review and interviews are conducted to explore the thesis’ main topics. Then, the offer in terms of future labs and territory co-design activities of the Monza Brianza province is mapped and subsequently enriched with inspiring case studies from different countries. Following, a series of co-design and prototyping sessions are organized and carried out, including surveys and one-to-one interviews to monitor participants’ thoughts and collect insights. Role-playing game design activities and play-tests contributed to the research phase as well. Furthermore, service design tools are employed to analyze and visualize a systemic solution. The output of the research is a multidisciplinary workshop designed to be offered to municipalities in collaboration with local gaming associations and involving the residents of the interested area. This thesis project includes a draft of the program, outlined in light of the co-design and prototyping sessions, the co-design tools, and the guidelines for the various activities. Moreover, the chance to further test the program in the town of Aicurzio next year is to be discussed with the municipality.
La contemporaneità, "policritica" e "permacritica", richiede soluzioni innovative e sistemiche per far fronte a sfide molteplici e complesse. Questo contesto può essere percepito come estremamente opprimente, soprattutto dalle generazioni più giovani, che generalmente si sentono spaventate e oppresse. Viene espresso globalmente e a gran voce un appello per un cambiamento radicale, ma sembrano mancare alternative migliori e realizzabili: il futuro viene spesso identificato al singolare, negando l’ampio regno delle opzioni plausibili e preferibili. È fondamentale che le persone riscoprano il proprio potere, come cittadini e consumatori, sviluppando una prospettiva di futuri multipli, una sovrastruttura della società e la volontà di diventare artefici attivi del cambiamento. Inoltre, è necessario colmare il divario tra le grandi città, epicentri dell’innovazione, e le aree periferiche, ampliando l’offerta culturale e i servizi dei piccoli comuni. Questo progetto di ricerca mira a capire come rendere più democratica e compartecipata la progettazione di un futuro migliore, rendendo il complesso e l’ambiguo più accessibili a tutti. In primo luogo, come è possibile decolonizzare e potenziare l’immaginazione delle persone, aprendo la strada a idee alternative e visioni radicalmente nuove? In secondo luogo, come ripristinare l’ottimismo e la volontà di agire, stimolando la crescita personale e collettiva? Infine, come tradurre le idee nel mondo reale, contribuendo alla loro realizzazione? Questa tesi esplora alcune possibili applicazioni ed eventuali contributi delle pratiche di worldbuilding, strategic foresight e futures studies in combinazione con il gioco di ruolo nel rispondere alle domande di ricerca. L’indagine è condotta con una metodologia di ricerca interdisciplinare e un approccio di Product-Service System Design. La provincia di Monza Brianza è eletta a terreno di sperimentazione per quanto riguarda le attività di co-design e prototipazione. Inizialmente vengono condotte una ricerca teorica e una serie di interviste per esplorare gli argomenti principali della tesi. Successivamente, l’offerta in termini di futures labs e attività di co-progettazione del territorio nella provincia viene mappata e arricchita con casi studio provenienti da diversi Paesi. In seguito vengono organizzate e svolte una serie di sessioni di co-progettazione e prototipazione, accompagnate da sondaggi e interviste individuali per raccogliere pensieri e reazioni dei partecipanti; anche le attività di progettazione e play-test di giochi di ruolo hanno contribuito alla fase di ricerca. Infine, vengono utilizzati strumenti di service design per analizzare e visualizzare gli output di ricerca a livello sistemico. Il risultato della ricerca è un laboratorio multidisciplinare progettato per essere offerto ai comuni in collaborazione con le associazioni di gioco locali e rivolto ai residenti dell’area interessata. Questo progetto di tesi comprende una bozza del programma, delineato alla luce delle sessioni di co-design e prototipazione, gli strumenti di co-design necessari al suo svolgimento e le linee guida per le varie attività. Inoltre, la possibilità di sperimentare ulteriormente il programma nel comune di Aicurzio potrebbe essere presa in considerazione il prossimo anno.
Training active citizens through inclusive worldbuilding and role-playing : local gaming associations as innovative service epicenters
Crippa, Elia
2022/2023
Abstract
Permacrisis and polycrisis characterize contemporary times, which require innovative and systemic solutions to cope with multiple, complex challenges. This global context can be perceived as extremely overwhelming, especially by younger generations. Globally, a call for a radical change is loudly expressed. Still, better, achievable alternatives seem lacking: reality is often configured as a single-destination highway, denying the wide realm of plausible and preferable futures. It is crucial for people to rediscover their power, as citizens and consumers, developing a multiple futures perspective, a superstructure of society, and a willingness to become active change-makers. Moreover, it is necessary to fill the gap between big cities, innovation epicenters, and peripheral areas by expanding small municipalities’ cultural offerings and services. This research-oriented project aims to understand how to democratize the design of a better future, exploring the possible applications and contributions of worldbuilding, strategic foresight, and futures studies practices, in combination with role-playing games, in making the complex and the ambiguous more accessible to all. Firstly, how is it possible to decolonize and empower people’s imagination, paving the way to alternative ideas and radically new visions? Secondly, how to restore optimism and willingness to act, stimulating personal and collective thriving? Lastly, how to ground ideas in the real world, contributing to their realization? The investigation is carried out with a cross-disciplinary research methodology and a product service system design approach. The province of Monza Brianza is elected as a testing ground for the co-design and prototyping phases. Initially, a literature review and interviews are conducted to explore the thesis’ main topics. Then, the offer in terms of future labs and territory co-design activities of the Monza Brianza province is mapped and subsequently enriched with inspiring case studies from different countries. Following, a series of co-design and prototyping sessions are organized and carried out, including surveys and one-to-one interviews to monitor participants’ thoughts and collect insights. Role-playing game design activities and play-tests contributed to the research phase as well. Furthermore, service design tools are employed to analyze and visualize a systemic solution. The output of the research is a multidisciplinary workshop designed to be offered to municipalities in collaboration with local gaming associations and involving the residents of the interested area. This thesis project includes a draft of the program, outlined in light of the co-design and prototyping sessions, the co-design tools, and the guidelines for the various activities. Moreover, the chance to further test the program in the town of Aicurzio next year is to be discussed with the municipality.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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2023_12_Crippa.pdf
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Descrizione: Elia Crippa - Master's Degree Thesis
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/214639