The CO-SI Card method: how to refine and validate concepts through a scenario generator framework

This paper describes a design method named "CO-SI Card" that was created and used in a collaborative project with a multidisciplinary team for the design of crossmedia services. This method allows the creation of a tangible and visual tool that generates intermediate representations of situations of communication. These representations optimize the collaboration between members in engaging and playful ways. The purpose of this method is to refine and validate concept(s) by confronting them to random communication scenarios built with the cards but also to explore the communicational potential of the project. We argue first that it is necessary to create tools that allow collaborative team to both diverge and converge in the design process. Then we consider how creating intermediary objects that support a semiotic system where transformations can be operated helps this divergent/convergent process. We then present the method that the team developed-communication situations cards stack-that is a scenario generator framework and how to replicate it. Third, we analyze the case of a project in service design where this method was implemented. Finally, we discuss possible improvements and limitations.

Cédric Mivielle, Maxence Mauduit, Annie Gentes. The CO-SI Card method: how to refine and validate concepts through a scenario generator framework. IASDR, Aug 2013, Tokyo, Japan. pp.4477-4488. ⟨hal-00865252⟩