Co-creating Interactive Obstacles and DIY Skateboarding Spaces

In this paper, we use research through design approach to introduce the skateboarding community to the maker's culture. Our goal was to provide an opportunity for skaters to experience sketching with technology, sharing ideas on making obstacles embedded with technology, executing one of the ideas and participating in envisioning co-created DIY (Do-It-Yourself) urban skateboarding spaces. In total, twenty-eight skateboarders were actively involved in the process of sketching, ideation, and subsequently making and evaluating a sound-based interactive skateboarding obstacle. The contributions of this paper include the framework for supporting maker activities for and with skateboarders, the artefact itself and the knowledge that emerged from its use in the appropriate urban environment. Finally, the highlights from interviews with twelve highly skilled skaters are provided. The analysis of the interviews resulted in the improvement of the initial framework that was based on the five key principles of creativity in everyday life. Furthermore, the skaters shared their reflections on the use of the obstacle, the making process, and speculated around the emergence of participatory maker culture within the community and possibilities to create urban environments that include creative DIY projects, such as the described one.