Exploring Movement-Modifier Facilitation in Movement-based Sports, Health, and Game Design

It can be daunting to ensure a movement flow that unleashes creativity when facilitating movement-based design activities that aim for play, games, sports, and technology domains. When incorporating movement in game design, it is vital to understand game and learning elements but equally movement and play elements because these are important motivational factors. To fully understand the play, sport, and physical activity aspects of movement-game design, we must investigate the world of physical activity and performance. As a part of the Erasmus+ project, MeCaMInD, the innovative design of Movement-Modifier cards was developed, intended as a tool in the facilitation process to engage participants in physical exploration, supporting, modifying, or tweaking movement-based design practices for an inclusive game and physical activity and performance design. The Movement-Modifiers is grounded in sports and health theories, creative design tools and methods. To harvest the Movement-Modifier’s tweaking creative potential, it is crucial to understand when and how to use them in the generative parts of a movement-based design process. Grounded in a phenomenological approach and based on a multiple case study, this paper explores how eight facilitators used the Movement-Modifiers to challenge and tweak the generative processes. The cases are 1) A two-day sports innovation camp for 80 K12 high school students, 2) A workshop on Inclusive exergame design with 15 participants at the Nordic Innovation Summit 2022, 3) A course teaching 65 sport bachelor students the creative acrobatic body performance design. Empirical data were generated using a combination of observations, video recordings, and interviews, and the phenomenological analysis was condensed into written facilitator narratives. We present Movement-Modifier facilitation strategies in three phases of movement-based design facilitation, illustrated on a continuum with the facilitator’s level of involvement on one axis and participation structure on the other. The facilitator’s role is multifaceted, and effective Movement-Modifier facilitation requires sensitivity, adaptability, and careful planning. The Movement-Modifiers should be seen as a tool to support the design process rather than the essence of it.