Cohesion Desková hra by Chan Wing Ki is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Železná cena A' Design Award in Vzdělávání Competition Category.

ŽelezoVzdělávání· 2025

Cohesion Desková hra

by Chan Wing Ki

Client: Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Železná cena A' Design Award Winner in Vzdělávání Category

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Verified Award Winner
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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Cohesion Desková hra

Cohesion je kooperativní desková hra vytvořená pro rodiny čelící častým konfliktům a problémům v komunikaci. Hráči společně pracují v časovém limitu na odstranění karet konfliktů tím, že sbírají karty hodnot představující uznání, harmonii, kázeň a vřelost. Sada obsahuje karty postav, karty událostí, tištěnou mapu, přesýpací hodiny a akrylové kostičky hodnot. Karty se nesmí ukazovat ostatním, takže hráči musí mluvit, aby naplánovali každý tah. Hra podněcuje členy rodiny, aby fungovali jako tým a řešili skutečné problémy konstruktivním způsobem.

The Recognition

About the Železná cena A' Design Award

Cohesion Desková hra je vítězem Železné ceny A' Design Award, prestižního uznání udělovaného dobrým designům, které splňují profesní a průmyslové požadavky očekávané od dobře navržených výtvorů. Železní vítězové prokazují velké dovednosti, vysokou specializaci, odborné porozumění a tvůrčí kapacitu svých tvůrců. Očekává se, že Cohesion Desková hra bude vysoce ceněným, obdivovaným a oblíbeným výtvorem, který je praktický a inovativní. Tento design, který získal Železnou cenu A' Design Award, integruje osvědčené postupy odvětví a má kompetentní technické vlastnosti spojené s know-how a talentem. Cohesion Desková hra je vážen pro svou důkladnost a je navržen tak, aby poskytoval zlepšení kvality života, která pomáhají činit svět lepším místem.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Cohesion is a cooperative fast reaction board game designed for educating the families who are facing negative relationships. Players must work together, utilizing different family values like appreciation, harmony, discipline, and warmth, to overcome conflicts and maintain family solidarity. Through communication and collaboration, the game teaches players how to deal with real-life problems in a constructive and positive manner.
Dimensions & Packaging: The board game includes one box package(22cm x 16cm), 4 character cards(8.5cm x 5.5cm), 52 values cards(8.5cm x 5.5cm), 26 event card(8.5cm x 5.5cm), 17 conflict cards(8.5cm x 5.5cm),1 hourglass, 1 map(29.7 cm x 42 cm), 52 acrylic value tiles (3cm x 3cm).
Tags: Board Game, Family conflicts, Team Building, Family Dynamics, Conflict Resolution, Cooperation, Communication Skills, Positive Relationships
Production Technology: The design of "Cohesion" involved a thoughtful process combining research and creative methodologies. I utilized card-based mechanics to encourage interaction, with 4 character cards, 52 value cards, and 26 event cards designed to represent core family values. The 17 conflict cards introduce real-life challenges, fostering discussion and resolution. The board and acrylic tiles were crafted with precision to enhance the visual appeal. Iterative playtesting helped refine gameplay mechanics, ensuring a balance between fun and meaningful engagement.
Design Challenge: Developing "Cohesion" presented the challenge of balancing engaging gameplay with meaningful lessons on family dynamics. Ensuring that the game effectively promoted cooperation over competition required extensive research into family values and conflict resolution techniques. One significant obstacle was addressing the diverse communication styles within families, as seen in Millie's case, where misunderstandings arose. By incorporating feedback from family wellness studies and iterative playtesting, I refined mechanics to foster appreciation and collaboration, ultimately enhancing family connections.
Research: Research Background
The shift from large, interconnected extended families to smaller, detached nuclear families has led to increased instability for families and negative impacts on children. David Brooks (2020) notes that while life has become freer for individuals, it has also resulted in heightened family conflicts. Family conflict refers to active opposition between family members and can arise from struggles over values, scarce resources, and differing interests. Cooperation is essential for maintaining healthy family dynamics, yet competition often overshadows it.
Methods
The design of the board game focuses on fostering cooperation among family members to address conflicts. It aims to create a supportive environment where families can navigate challenges together. The game is informed by research on family well-being, specifically from a study conducted by the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society.
Tools
Board Game: The primary tool for facilitating family interactions and promoting cooperation.
Score System: The game includes a scoring mechanism based on four subdomains of family solidarity: family time, family atmosphere, family responsibilities, and care and support.
Value Promotion: The game emphasizes positive values to counter negative situations and improve family interactions.
Participants
The target audience for the board game is families experiencing negative relationships, characterized by frequent conflicts and poor communication. The game is designed to engage all family members, encouraging them to work together and strengthen their bonds.
Results
The game encourages families to recognize themselves as a team, improving interactions and fostering positive emotions. It provides a support system that helps individuals navigate life's challenges while ensuring they feel connected and valued within the family unit.
Insights
Importance of Cooperation: Emphasizing cooperation over competition is crucial for maintaining healthy family relationships.
Communication Gaps: Addressing communication barriers is essential to prevent misunderstandings, as seen in Millie's family, where communication issues lead to conflicts.
Family Solidarity: Focusing on family solidarity creates a sense of belonging and connectedness, which are vital for emotional well-being and resilience in facing challenges.
Positive Values: Promoting positive values within the game can help families manage conflicts more effectively and build stronger relationships.
Inspiration: The pandemic has led to extended periods of time spent at home with family, resulting in an increase in family conflicts. This rise in conflicts can be attributed to more frequent communication, differing interests, and inconsistent views and opinions on various matters. Interestingly, many of these conflicts often begin with positive intentions but can end in negative feelings.
My board game design aims to address these dynamics by encouraging open communication and understanding.
Project Duration: The project started in December 2022 in Hong Kong and finished in June 2023 in Hong Kong, and was exhibited in Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre in June 2023.
Operation Flow: At the start of the game, each player draws a role card indicating how many base cards they need to hold. Players then draw two conflict cards, replacing any eliminated card with a new one to maintain two on the board. The game is turn-based; if a player lacks the necessary cards to resolve conflicts, they must discard and draw a new card. Players can’t show their cards but must communicate about them. They use event cards to gather required value cards to eliminate conflicts. Players must do this before the hourglass runs out to score family cohesion levels.
Patents: /
Team Members: Designer: Chan Wing Ki
Image Credits: /