Lab+6

**__Lab #6: Definition of Bodystorming, and Understanding Experience Prototyping__ **

 Bodystorming involves mimicking an experience, or being in someone else’s shoes. Individuals can develop ideas and solve problems by physically acting them out. Bodystorming allows people to go far beyond brainstorming, by enabling individuals to visualize how a problem/solution will play out in real life, versus a written idea or conceptualization.
 * Defining the Term ‘Bodystorming’ **

One can say that bodystorming compliments brainstorming by “implementing” abstract ideas into a physical environment. Bodystorming enables a group of individuals to play out how a task/process would affect a person(s) in real life. Brainstorming does not allow people to feel emotion, while bodystorming does.

For example, in the video “Bodystorming: Experiencing a Disability,” users simulate what it would be like to have a disability. They simulate blindness, ADD, and arthritis. They partake in exercises that allow them to artificially experience the disability. For example, a woman’s eyes are covered to simulate blindness. She is then asked to complete “simple” tasks while artificially disabled.

Bodystorming allows people to comprehend and experience abstract ideas in the physical world. In some instances, solving a problem or understanding an issue through brainstorming ideas and concepts may be too difficult or incomprehensible. If this happens, through bodystorming, one can simulate an environment that will allow people to physically and emotionally connect to a particular experience.

**Describe an issue that you would like to use bodystorming to research, analyze and investigate, and describe how you would develop a Case Theatre scenario to do so.**

An issue that I would use bodystorming to research, analyze, and investigate, is the inefficient use of escalators by people. How many times have you been in a hurry only to find yourself behind someone standing in the middle of an escalator step refusing to walk up? From my own personal experiences it has happened far too many times.

How many times have you missed your subway or bus because someone refused to walk up or “park” themselves on the right side of the step? There is an unwritten rule for escalator users: if you want to enjoy the ride, step to the right side to allow others who wish to walk up to do so on the left side. Most escalators are wide enough for two people. So this unwritten rule is applicable in most places.

I would like to develop a solution to this problem through bodystorming. I would alter the design of the escalator and use bodystorming to determine whether its affects on human behaviour is affective. I would first attempt to simulate the “rules of the road” and apply them to the escalator.

If possible (but not absolutely necessary), I would increase the width of escalators and paint a white broken line down its middle. This would simulate the white broken line on roadways. The purpose of this line is to mimic the rules of the road, having slower vehicles stay on the right, while passing vehicles pass on the left.

With this minor adjustment, individuals should not feel inclined to stand directly in the middle of a step, since that would go against the rules of the road in which they were raised with. The same would apply for static individuals who stand on the left side. This would also clash with the norms of society, especially the rules of the road.

If this is not successful, one would propose a similar idea, except make the left “passing lane” look aesthetically faster than the right lane. To determine what aesthetic look is deemed “fast” would have to be tested through a Case Theatre scenario. The best scenario would be to use average TTC passengers on a modified escalator and see how they react. It may also be beneficial to place notices around all escalators to tell people that this “rule” is now the social norm. With these new features in place, the likelihood of individuals following these rules are greater, but only through bodystorming, will these alternations be deemed as having any affect on society.