Grafting: An Approach to Exploring Crossovers Between Craft and Gaming

Potter, Gemma May (2022) Grafting: An Approach to Exploring Crossovers Between Craft and Gaming. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

This thesis investigates the crossovers between craft practices and the play of video games by utilising innovative design and making approaches. The study challenges assumptions about craft and gaming by exploring their intersections and sheds light on the potential value for contexts beyond individual practices. Through an analysis of skilled amateur craft and gaming, the research explored an emerging field by considering the embodied nature of video gaming and its theoretical relationship with craft. Specifically, this study contributes new knowledge through the development of ‘graft-games’ that reveal potential to improve production efficiency by directly connecting craft and gaming. The study combines theoretical investigation with creative practice, employing a mixed-methods approach that spans the fields of craft and gaming. This study establishes new ways of thinking about embodiment and practice in both fields by drawing upon craft theory and games studies. Indeed, through an analysis of autoethnographic observations of amateur craft and gaming case studies, this study also develops a conceptual model that articulates areas of crossover between them. The conceptual model is evaluated through a progressive series of applications and prototypes. Firstly, the graft-game, Hazuki Knit, is informed through a series of public participatory events. A second prototype graft-game, Pocket Racer, is developed through observations of skilled practices within the Blackburn based garment manufacturer Cookson & Clegg, tested at a festival site through public interaction and deployed as an intervention into a small-scale production process. The evaluation and analysis of graft-game prototypes indicate the value of introducing craft-game hybrids into manufacturing contexts. The study contributes new knowledge through the concept of grafting, positing that creating new or merged goals for users supports the development of individual strategies for improving efficiency and reducing risk. New hybrid forms of knowledge emerge through cross-fertilisation and conjoined experiences between craft and gaming. By utilising creative practice this research contributes to our theoretical understanding of the relationship between craft and games, adding new understanding in the form of ‘graft-games’ and the value these generate.