Make-and-tell in Haspenwood: on generativity in sustainable design

Abstract

This paper evaluates how the 'thick' documentation format Make-and-tell supports generative participation in a sustainable design project 'Haspenwood'. Generative participation refers to the possibility for participants to elaborate on the design after project completion. We frame thick documentation as representing the immaterial backstory of a project, next to its material aspects. Paying attention to thick documentation in a design process, can contribute to defining generativity in sustainable design projects beyond its material challenges (e.g. reuse of resources), but also as an immaterial process wherein a continuous participatory shaping of values takes place (Whal and Baxter, 2008). This article describes how we developed and evaluated tactics (Schoffelen & Huybrechts, 2013) to support designers in producing and evaluating thick documentation approaches throughout design projects in the context of documenting 'Haspenwood'.