Chindogu and Scrapheap Spirit as Creativity Triggers
Alan John Dix, Paula Alexandra Silva · Maynooth University ePrints and eTheses Archive (Maynooth University) · 2006
This paper presents an analysis of the process of group creativity during the Chindogu Scrapheap Challenge, an event that was held as part of a LeonardoNet Workshop in November 2005. Workshop participants were divided in three groups and given a challenge specific to HCI. Immersed in the Scrapheap and Chindogu spirit, groups aimed at finding a solution to the challenge, using materials and equipment either provided by the organising committee or found by the group. Groups generated a remote wild animal interaction device, a static mobile phone charger and an installation for catching cats’ memories and dreams. During the experiments we observe different ways of approaching the challenge: one structured and organised, contrasted with another nearly chaotic. External objects helped as sources of insight, but also limited potential ideas. Constraints importance was evident, not only with respect to themes, tenets and evaluation criteria, but also with respect to maximum completion time.