The Kerdroya Postmortem: Navigating the Labyrinth of Co-creative Design and Collective Vision

Abstract

In this paper, the authors explore the development process for Tregeagle's Kerdroya, an augmented reality app designed to immerse players in the exploration of a real physical labyrinth on Bodmin Moor. The authors discuss the lineage of this game in previous projects from Falmouth University and WAVE, contextualizing Kerdroya within a larger set of themes involving co-creation and educational game design. The authors further unpack Kerdroya's complex design and development process, situating it within the context of debates surrounding collaborative authorship, co-design, and co-creativity. The authors then explore the specific design and development process of Kerdroya with emphasis on the strengths and weaknesses associated with collaboratively developing an experimental app whose aesthetic sensibilities run counter to many of the assumptions of commercial apps regarding usability and polish. The authors conclude that the financial and time constraints of the process allowed them to make a virtue of necessity, finding opportunities for avant-garde creativity amid scarce resources and limited time.