Pre-design Exercises
These exercises address needs assessment and goal setting, the process the homeowner goes through to prepare for and engage in home design. Please try as many as you like and feel free to work on them with friends and family. Each exercise has a preparation and basic task component, but also includes extension possibilities and the option of sharing what you do or create with other participants.
- QUESTIONNAIRES – Fill out traditional needs assessment questionnaires – by answering questions, form a description of what you need and value
- IMAGE SORTING – Sort images of kitchens into categories – by categorizing examples, understand your preferences.
- REFLECTION – Reflect on what meaning the kitchen has to you, examining your possessions, recalling childhood memories, and recognizing cultural assumptions.
- SKETCHING – Sketch in plan (bird’s eye) view to understand the relationships in your current kitchen and envision ideas for your new kitchen.
- SCENARIO BUILDING – Describe what you do now and what you think you will do in the future for the provided scenarios.
- STORY TELLING – Tell a story about people who live in a kitchen for which you have photos and a plan (bird’s eye) view.
- WISH LISTS – Create a wish list for your new kitchen; recreate it when you are given new constraints or opportunities.
- PHOTOGRAPHIC INQUIRY – Use images to describe a day in the life of your kitchen and pinpoint issues or ideas that you want to explore.
- FIELD EXERCISE – Collect and reflect on simple sensor data and time-lapse images of your kitchen activities.
- DESIGN YOUR OWN EXERCISE – Design your own exercise for needs assessment and preparation for home design.