Institute of Computer Science (ICS) Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH)
Nikolaou Plastira 100, Vassilika Vouton GR-70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Phone: +30 2810 391755 FAX: +30 2810 391740 E-mail: gramenosATics.forth.gr
Dr. Dimitris Grammenos is a Principal Researcher at the Institute of Computer Science of the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas
Dr. Dimitris Grammenos is a Principal Researcher at the Institute of Computer Science (ICS) of the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH). He is the lead interaction designer of the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Laboratory, specializing in the domains of Universal Design, Universal Access and Ambient Intelligence Environments. He holds a B.Sc in Computer Science (Ptychion, University of Crete, Greece), and an M.Sc and Ph.D in Electronic Engineering (Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Kent, UK). He also holds a Certificate of Competency for the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT).
From 2006 to 2010, he has been in charge of the HCI Laboratory's Universally Accessible Games Activity, actively pursuing the application and integration of Design for All principles in the field of computer games through the development of both theoretical research work and related applied examples. In this context, he has elaborated the Theory of Parallel Game Universes as a means for achieving multiplayer game accessibility and has been involved in shaping novel methods for designing Universally Accessible Games. He also designed and developed “UA-Chess”, a universally accessible chess game which was nominated for the final jury decision of the European Design for All Awards in 2004, and “Game Over!” an alternative educational game for game accessibility, which won the People’s Choice award at the Arcademy Games Awards Montreal, Quebec, in 2008.
He also has published scientific articles regarding how Stupidity, Ignorance and Nonsense can be used for sparking and nurturing creative thinking and innovation, as well as, the first (and only) research paper ever, starting with the words “Once Upon a time…” In 2007, he published the illustrated children’s book “The Orchestra of Colors”, he has created the Internet-based book “Little Smarthood” (https://gramenos.wixsite.com/smarthood) and has also written 2 theatrical plays for children.
Over the past 25 years, he has designed the user interface of numerous interactive applications using a large variety of technologies (e.g., desktop computers, virtual reality, multimedia, mobile location-aware handheld computers, ambient intelligence) in diverse application domains (e.g., assistive technology, tools for working with guidelines, education, entertainment, serious games, healthcare). Over the years, he has created numerous innovative interactive systems, several of which are installed in public spaces (museums, airports, exhibitions, etc.) and used by many thousands of people. He has gained extensive experience and practical know-how in the fields of Interaction Design, Design for All and Universal Access through his participation in numerous national and international collaborative R&D projects.
In 2016, at the “Let's invent the future!” Design & Research Competition of Interaction Design & Children conference he won the 2nd place award with “roboTwin: A Modular & Evolvable Robotic Companion for Children”. In 2014, at the Taipei International Invention Show & Technomart, the Interactive Wall, an interactive advergame that he has designed and implemented. In 2008, “Game Over!” an alternative educational game for game accessibility that he has designed and developed won the People’s Choice award at the Arcademy Games Awards Montreal, Quebec. He has also designed and developed “UA-Chess”, a universally accessible chess game which was nominated for the final jury decision of the European Design for All Awards in 2004. In 2009, he was awarded the ICS-FORTH Outstanding Contribution Award.
Currently, as a member of the Ambient Intelligence (AmI) Programme of ICS-FORTH, he is heavily involved in the design and development of novel, human-centred, AmI environments and interactive applications. He is particularly interested in the design of (universally accessible) applications and systems for museums and public spaces, education, entertainment and their cross-section, and in the shaping of novel interaction concepts and techniques for Ambient Intelligence Environments. In this context, he has designed or contributed to the design, and in some cases developed, several AmI-related applications and systems.
He is the Scientific Responsible for ICS-FORTH for the H2020 project COMnPLAY SCIENCE (www.comnplayscience.eu). The project is being implemented in 10 European countries and aims to help Europe better understand the new ways in which non-formal and informal science learning is taking place through various coding, making, and play activities that young Europeans (children, adolescents and young adults) are nowadays increasingly engaged with, outside school and higher education science classrooms, beyond the formal boundaries of science education.
Since 2014, based on his related experience and expertise, he develops and delivers workshops and events that introduce the concepts and practice of design, creativity and creative thinking to children, parents, teachers and the general public. Some indicative titles include: Future Designers, 1+1 = blue // Creative Thinking Gymnastics, How to become an inventor... in 10 simple steps, Thinkpetizers, Lost island, The return of Thinkai, The Little Red-Smarthood, GDPR and the 40 thieves, etc. Up to now, he has run more than 55 workshops in 5 countries with a total of about 3500 participants, in venues ranging from small classrooms to auditoriums with audiences from 10 to 300 people, including students of all ages, parents, educators and the general public.
He has co-created the "GDPR and the 40 Thieves" an interactive workshop that presents, in a very simple and entertaining way, issues related to the protection of personal data in the digital age. Also, through an experiential approach, it introduces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the fundamental rights it guarantees for all citizens of the European Union. The workshop is also available online at the Mathesis platform by Crete University Press (CUP) and will also be released in March 2020 as a comic (also by CUP).
Indicatively, creative thinking workshops by Dimitris have been implemented in:
Dimitris has also created ANARCHESS a strategy board game for 2-4 players, 7+ years old. It takes just 5-10 minutes to learn how to play. A game lasts about 30-60 minutes. Two editions have been designed: a wooden (Deluxe) and a cardboard one (Travel), which includes custom resin-casted pawns. An electronic version of the game has also been developed which includes accessibility features, so that it can be played by people who have hand-motor impairments and cannot play the physical game.
Note: Gamasutra.com is the leading game development site worldwide and a Webby Award winning online community. Gamasutra.com delivers an international audience of over 396,000 registered members with purchasing power with over 187,000 of the members located outside the United States.
A fast-paced participative workshop comprising a series of activities (the Thinkpetizers) coaching many different aspects of creative thinking. The workshop presents the underlying philosophy and a ‘recipe’ for successfully creating Thinkpetizers and how they can be practically utilized in any formal/non-formal/informal learning environment as a means for triggering (creative) thinking and setting the mood for conducting any type of activity, but also as an engaging way for approaching any learning subject. Participants acquire and experience a design philosophy, as well as, a series of several practical activities, for sparking and coaching many different aspects of creative thinking.
An interactive participative crash course where participants are introduced to the broader context of design and its impact on our everyday lives, as well as to the notion and practices of design thinking. The course mixes multiple learning styles through diverse teaching and learning approaches and multimodal digital material. Future Designers is an experience targeted to broaden one’s thinking - not a lesson. The best description of the course comes from one participant who exclaimed that “it feels like a rollercoaster for the mind!”
Just like we need to exercise our body muscles to be healthy and strong, so we need to exercise our creativity in order to keep it in a good shape and not let it weaken as years go by. The workshop includes a series of entertaining activities coaching many major ‘muscle groups’ of creative thinking (curiosity, imagination, open-mindedness, inventiveness, unconventionality, nonsense, etc.) which utilize simple materials such as a blank sheets of paper, napkins, aluminium foil, balloons, etc. It is targeted to large and highly diverse audiences.
A workshop introducing inventors, inventions, patents, creative ideas and how to produce them, as well as a 10-step iterative process for creating your own inventions. The course comprises creative and constructive activities and is targeted to small groups including both children and adults.
Participants design their own platform game. Through a series of diverse fun activities using simple, non-technological, materials, the workshop introduces the basic knowledge and the first steps required for designing a new digital game, before someone even touches a computer.
The workshop is targeted to groups consisting of one parent / adult and 1-2 children 9+ years old. Using ancient board games and a custom board game design kit participants, are introduced (through creative activities and a lot of playing) to the basic elements and steps for designing a 2-player board game and design their own game, while at the same time train their soft skills and computational thinking.
An experiential mystery adventure in the land of Creativity that combines creative thinking exercises with improvisational theatre techniques. Participants must learn to work together to discover the stolen Ultimate Thnikpetizer before the land of Creativity is destroyed. But, in the end, things are not what they seem.
A hands-on workshop based on the “The Little Red-Smart-Hood” [add link https://gramenos.wixsite.com/smarthood] online book and site. Participants learn about and study technologies that already play a crucial role in their daily lives or are expected to shape their future, think critically (but also with humor) about them, play and create their own ideas and inventions. Additionally, the workshop discusses personal data protection issues that arise through the emerging Internet of Things.
An experiential workshop of creative thinking and imagination for children 7+ years, old based on a fictional cinematic script in the so-called "Age of Discovery". It combines high quality storytelling, images and sound with a range of fun, creative, activities related to verbal, figural and locomotor skills.
A Hollywood-type adventure based on Joseph Campbell’s book “The hero with a thousand faces” which has inspired famous directors like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. It is an adventurous scenario-based educational activity implemented using the concept of Thinkpetizers as building blocks. The activity is over-arched by a meta-Thinkpetizer which concerns how an adventurous scenario-based educational activity can be implemented using Thinkpetizers as building blocks.
An interactive workshop that presents, in a very simple and entertaining way, issues related to the protection of personal data in the digital age. Also, through an experiential approach, it introduces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the fundamental rights it guarantees for all citizens of the European Union.