SIMULTANEOUS DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGN AND PRODUCTION THROUGH VIRTUAL WORK TEAMS: THE PLASTER HOUSE GAME

Problems in the process of product development often have roots in project management-related issues, such as communication flow, teamwork or even lack of knowledge about how to implement a simultaneous project. Hands-on activities based on real-world situations can be used to improve the learning process and train the abilities of future project managers, designers and producers, while stimulating participants to reflect on and discuss the group's actions. This article describes an application of an activity referred to as the Plaster House Game. In this activity, students are organized in groups containing teams of designers and producers, which are located in separate rooms, with the goal of designing and building a miniature plaster house with provided components, using only online communication between teams and dealing with scheduling and production constraints set by the instructors. The work demonstrates that the use of simulation games can reinforce the learning process and allow students to rapidly identify potential problems that may occur in professional practice. It is also possible to show that the strategy chosen for project implementation, combined with better organization of work, can have a significant effect on the results of the exercise.