Playing in reality: a model case

• Published in: European journal of information systems Vol. 1; no. 5; pp. 321 - 332
• Main Authors: Ehn, P., Mölleryd, B., Sjögren, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 01.05.1992; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Games; Information systems; Management information systems; Sweden; Systems design; Systems development
• ISSN: 0960-085X; 1476-9344
• DOI: 10.1057/ejis.1992.4

This paper is concerned with 'design-by-playing'. As the model case we will refer to a game played at Konsumentverket, the Swedish national board for consumer policies, in 1988. The main reason to construct such an organizational design game was the shortcomings encountered in earlier uses of traditional description methods in processes of participatory design. No matter how suitable the traditional methods were for making requirement specifications for technical implementation, they did not support participatory actions. To many users, systems development is boring. Key issues such as work organization, skill requirements, division of labour and cooperation in the work process are treated superficially. Inspired by the arts and the humanities, a narrative language utilising game and play metaphors for setting up participatory dramatic contexts is suggested to replace or at least supplement a science based language of true pictures of reality in systems development. A conceptual framework grounded in the language-games philosophy of Wittgenstein is outlined.