Magdalena Popova
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IN&OUT Design

Phygital spatial design experience

Skills I used

In&Out Design is a physical and digital design experience allowing participants of collaborative mapping workshops to visualise their maps digitally in real-time, without having any 3D modelling skills. The mapping remains physical as a way for the mapping experience to remain human, rich in conversation and friction.

Elements on the physical map are added in the shape of pawns with unique identifiers at their top. After the mapping is complete, a picture of the top-view of the map is added and uploaded to a program, which recognises the pawns and their placement and sends the right coordinates to the 3D engine which can create a 3D model of the park in seconds.

Click to learn how In&Out Design works! Turn the sound on.

Process in Pictures

Participants drawing on a paper map in lab coats
Participants building a map together on a table
Physical map with paper cut-outs and pawns
Physical map with paper cut-outs seen from another angle
Hand-drawn colourful site map
Digital 3D model of the park on a laptop
Two participants working on laptops
Outline of the site drawn on paper
Top view of the map board with cut-outs
Prototype of the pawn layout in a design tool
Second prototype of the pawn layout

Observation: 3 spatial co-design workshops at different levels of immersion

Insight: need phygital method (both physical and digital). I want participants to get the benefits from digital visualisations without having to look at a screen for the whole time!

Ideation: 3 easy ways to transfer physical to digital

Insight: Unity provides highest potential for realism, immersion, and rapid iterative design. Methods for quick content transfer was designed!

Validation: 3 tests to confirm IN&OUT improves scale and space perception