Towards Lenses for Reviewing Playfulness in HCI

Abstract

From playful design methods to artifacts that facilitate experiences of play, playfulness has been widely explored in HCI. However, this heterogeneous field of research lacks common ground – from a methodological, theoretical, as well as design perspective – which in turn creates problems that hinder related research outcomes. Towards common ground on playfulness, we propose these five lenses for reviewing, synthesizing, and critically engaging with literature: area of implementation, targeted audience, type of contribution, methodology, and motivation. To spark a discussion around the lenses, we probe them on a pilot review of CHI Play literature and discuss their relevance to future literature reviews that work towards making sense of the state of playfulness in HCI.