Convivial collaboration in co-creation activities: Social interaction analysis in project-based design education practice

Abstract

This study investigates how shared values and perspectives within a practice contribute to the progression of activities through an analysis of co-creative practices. The focus of this analysis is co-creative practices in a workshop-style class of design that first-year and fourth year students attended in the university’s design department, where the author is affiliated. The data collected include video recordings of participants’ activities during the class, a post-class questionnaire survey evaluating and reflecting on the activities, and interviews with students regarding their in-class experiences. From these data, we explore the emergent collaborative activities of students and identify co-creative elements that enhance these activities by uncovering the value participants find in them. The study reveals several characteristics among teams that foster co-creative activities: (1) The presence of scaffolding that encourages community participation in a convivial manner. (2) Activities that sustain a high level of scaffolding, fostering collaborative creation. Furthermore, a noteworthy phenomenon, termed “alignment,” emerges, wherein participants with diverse activity goals converge toward shared values and objectives through the experience of “fun” and “interest” throughout the activity. The study also delves into the methodological validity and potential implications of the findings.