The Utilisation of LEGO and Other Materials as Prototyping Tools in the Co-Creation Process

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the usefulness of LEGO and other materials as prototyping tools in the co-creation process involving multiple stakeholders. The results demonstrate that using LEGO and other materials as prototypes in the co-creation process helps designers and stakeholders to explore, evaluate and modify ideas three-dimensionally to validate design solutions, idea generation and evaluation. This study believes that LEGO and other materials are efficient co-design prototyping tools to ensure its main purpose for team and strategy building in enhancing participant's ability to deliver more contribution during group discussions. Keywords: Co-creation; prototyping tools; prototypes; LEGO eISSN: 2398-4287© 2020. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bsby e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v5iSI3.2548

LEGO and Low-fidelity Materials as prototyping Tools in Co-Creation Activities involving Multidisciplinary Participants

“…Here, we can see that majority of respondents strongly agree and agree that prototypes using LEGO and other low-fidelity materials can be used as a tool to facilitate communication and engagement among team members and stakeholders. Here we can see that the possibility of combining LEGO with other materials, which are easily mouldable and transformable, may reveal design problems more quickly, and accurately so that reflective, iterative, and interpretative solution finding (Isa and Liem, 2020;Ranscombe et al, 2020), as well as facilitate teamwork.…”

“…This indicates that participants were comfortable when using LEGO and Low-fidelity Materials as tools in the idea-generation activities. Thus, it can be concluded that LEGO and low-fidelity materials may enhance creativity and encourage users to develop their ideas together (Peters & Ahmadpour, 2020;Isa & Liem, 2020;Van Waart, et al, 2015).…”

“…However, when LEGO is used for physical prototyping, it has significant limitations, including its rigid adherence to orthogonal structure and a restricted number of element (brick) kinds. These limits prevent LEGO from being utilised to create complex models (Wolf, 2014;Isa, Liem, Ali, & Isa, 2020). That is why this study also analysed the combined use of LEGO and low-fidelity materials as prototype tools in co-creation activities.…”