Abstract

Current mainstream collaborative processes and practices are not always fit to deal with the complexity of our society and the problems it generates. The lack of complexity-based practices for empowering collective intelligence conditions makes it difficult to address and solve intertwined multi stakeholders situations. As a disciplinary attitude can rarely succeed to solve complex and wicked problems, there is relevance and a need to question today’s mainstream approaches to collaboration and innovation. We explore this issue by asking how design can be of help to lead this reflection and to translate collaboration into pragmatic activities. We propose that by focusing on a constructivist paradigm and an interdisciplinary approach, collective intelligence can be constructed. It will then generate new ways to address complex situations. To support this, we draw from two interdisciplinary projects done in two organizations where collaborative design has translated into various social practices. In one case the creative process involves artists and managers, in the other, collaborative reflective practice within an HCI project brings stakeholders to focus on a human-centered approach to design and sustainability. We examine how design has in each case been of help, and finally, we conclude by presenting pragmatic ideas easily translatable into guidelines for fostering collective intelligence.

Keywords

Collaboration, Interdisciplinary, Complexity, User-Centered Approach, Project-Grounded Approach, Collective Intelligence, Innovation

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Jul 7th, 12:00 AM

When Artists and Designers Inspire Collective Intelligence Practices: Two Case Studies of Collaboration, Interdisciplinarity, and Innovation Projects

Current mainstream collaborative processes and practices are not always fit to deal with the complexity of our society and the problems it generates. The lack of complexity-based practices for empowering collective intelligence conditions makes it difficult to address and solve intertwined multi stakeholders situations. As a disciplinary attitude can rarely succeed to solve complex and wicked problems, there is relevance and a need to question today’s mainstream approaches to collaboration and innovation. We explore this issue by asking how design can be of help to lead this reflection and to translate collaboration into pragmatic activities. We propose that by focusing on a constructivist paradigm and an interdisciplinary approach, collective intelligence can be constructed. It will then generate new ways to address complex situations. To support this, we draw from two interdisciplinary projects done in two organizations where collaborative design has translated into various social practices. In one case the creative process involves artists and managers, in the other, collaborative reflective practice within an HCI project brings stakeholders to focus on a human-centered approach to design and sustainability. We examine how design has in each case been of help, and finally, we conclude by presenting pragmatic ideas easily translatable into guidelines for fostering collective intelligence.

 

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