Fight the Power! Games, Thermostats, and the Energy Patriarchy

Confronting issues of global climate change will require creative approaches to energy consumption across a range of human activities. This design case looks at the evolution of a physical/digital hybrid board game that we created to encourage families to reflect on household energy consumption and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of designs for learning 2020-05, Vol.11 (2), p.118-129
Main Authors: Horn, Michael, Davis, Pryce, Banerjee, Amartya, Stevens, Reed
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Climate Control
Educational Games
Energy Conservation
Family Life
Game Based Learning
Learning Activities
Parent Child Relationship
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Summary:Confronting issues of global climate change will require creative approaches to energy consumption across a range of human activities. This design case looks at the evolution of a physical/digital hybrid board game that we created to encourage families to reflect on household energy consumption and environmental sustainability. Design in this context was particularly challenging due to the nature of household heating and cooling systems, which tend to be opaque and difficult to understand. Our challenge was to employ game mechanics to help build up interest, awareness, and understanding of heating and cooling systems, while at the same time providing an enjoyable and engaging activity. Through many rounds of playtesting and interviews, we converged on the design presented here. We start with a conceptual framework describing modern energy practices, after which we describe the game design and reflect on its strengths and weaknesses.
ISSN:2159-449X
2159-449X
DOI:10.14434/ijdl.v11i2.26100