Community Engagement Prototype
Card Game
After my earlier experiments, I knew I needed a method that encouraged players to think from another perspective. I challenged myself to find ways that sparked discussion, sharing, and learning.
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This game initially had three types of cards: Role, Goal, and Action. However, the Goal Cards eliminated any need to play from the Role’s perspective. As a result, I removed the goal card so that players would need to read, understand, and be familiar with the needs and wants of their Role.The points system changed as well, the new strategy required players to not only have to read the Role Card, but their Action Cards as well.The objectives initially included on the Goal Card were now embedded into the role card.
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Testing
After several rounds of testing, the following version of this card game received the most positive feedback from players and generated meaningful discussions not only about the role of space making and suburban renewal but also about tactics used in creating equitable, sustainable, and resilient communities.
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Each round only lasts as long as it takes for each player to have three turns to draw from the deck. The aim of this rapid nature is to generate iterative thinking about design scenarios. A full game is designed to consists of three rounds, which allows each player three different perspectives and objectives. This game was designed to be played in person, as either a group of two or four. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, I am in the process of adapting this to a virtual platform.
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Future
This game was developed to be part of a larger workshop experience as part of this collaborative and iterative design process, which is situated within the larger framework of my eventual thesis project. The goal here is to continue exploring spatial production as a vital contribution to design justice and critical race theory within the process of producing a new phase of the suburban typology which builds towards more equitable, sustainable spaces for all.
A mockup of a virtual play experience as a way to adapt to social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
How To Play
Start with a deck of Role Cards, and a deck of Action Cards
Each player is dealt one Role Card
Each player is dealt three Action Cards. Each player will get three draws from the Action deck over the course of the game.
Only three Action Cards are allowed in their hand at one time.
Once they have drawn from the deck, they get to decide to keep or discard the card drawn, or any of the three cards in their hand.
For Example: This player has Community Garden, Gathering Space, and Community Action in their hand. On their turn they draw School from the Action Card deck. Now they can choose to keep School and discard one card from their hand, or discard School and keep their hand as is.
Each Action Card has a point value in the top left corner.
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The bottom of each Role Card has a series of wants listed. Look to see if an Action Card has any of these key words capitalized. Each of the wants that corresponds to your Role Card receives an additional point.
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The player with the highest total Action and Role Card cumulative points wins the game.
Each Action Card has a point value in the top left corner.
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The bottom of each Role Card has a series of wants listed. Look to see if an Action Card has any of these key words capitalized. Each of the wants that corresponds to your Role Card receives an additional point.
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The player with the highest total Action and Role Card cumulative points wins the game.
The setup for a four person game
Click the image to view the full card deck