Join the Design showcase in the Middle School lounge to playtest board games that have been (re)designed by Grade 8 students to incorporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion principles into traditional board games. Some of the games include Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, and Life.

Context

Grade 8 design students explored the field of inclusive design through the re-design of popular board games such as Monopoly, Clue, Risk, Catan, Candyland and Game of Life. The design cycle framework was used to support the process; students explored the criteria for inclusive design as laid out by the Inclusive Design Research Center at OCADU through examples such as “Inequalityopoly” and a redesign of The Game of Life by Saskatchewan based ‘Neeched up Games’ that incorporates indignenous teachings, history and culture. Students also heard from representatives of the University of Waterloo’s Games Institute about how how exemplary games like Rise Up, Spirit Island, and Arabian Pots employ design mechanics, characters, and narratives to embrace difference and welcome participation.

In setting about designing their games, each design team was provided with a persona to guide the research, empathy building and inclusive design specifications unique to each project team. Prototyping and testing began with simple found materials which provided fast effective means for gathering feedback and students then set to work to fabricate their various game components; 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines, the Cricut cutter and other craft materials were used in fabrication and assembly of each game. During our final week of the course students were able to playtest their games in a round robin style celebration and gather final feedback on their prototypes. The students final creations creatively integrated the principles of inclusive design and demonstrated superb technical, creative and design skills!