Design Interventions: Group 21 @desintervention-blog - Tumblr Blog

Final Implementation Documentary

Here is a link to the video documenting the implementation of our final design.

https://vimeo.com/215781380

Bucket prototype

We changed nothing to the bucket itself but instead provided a different time and location. Also, some rocks were set next to the bucket as to be of easier access to move into the bucket. Strangely enough, some of the rocks by the bucket were left over while the bucket was filled with around 85 rocks.

-Dropped off and set up bucket at 2:25pm, and picked it up around 8:36pm. Seems like the closer to lunchtime on campus the more participation an experiment receives.

-Contained a lot of mulch, a pine cone, and two carrots in addition to the rocks. How would we discourage the addition of alterior items?

-During set up and disposal, multiple curious eyes glanced towards the bucket.

-Successful experiment. Currently reviewing ideas to display results of the bucket and different questions to use.

This was a test of if small art during meal times could conjure up contemplation. It was placed in the UMC from 4:45 to 5:45 and was observed during the period of time. The UMC was quite inactive during these times and most people didn’t react to the set up at all.

-One participant suggested we sit by the art to encourage others to interact with the piece by writing on the notebook. (Nice that they wanted to help but may have discouraged others from participating)

-Possibly looked as though the spot was claimed by someone else. May need to use a larger sign to grab attention and allow people to realize they can interact with it

-Would be better to test during a lunch period or when campus is much more active.

This prototype uses a bucket and rocks as a sort of survey tool to provide a sort of anonymous participation. It was left outside of the Engineering center from 4:30pm to 6:10pm. The left photo is set up and the right photo is after.

-It rained during the hour it was left outside so the paper did get some ink smear. Would suggest checking weather report and providing precautions if necessary.

-People didn’t put in only rocks but perhaps what was on hand such as the lead dispenser and flower. Suggest proving rocks in a manner that makes easier to put in bucket (don’t make them kneel).

For Final Implementation:

We want to run with one of our prototype ideas, but make it more interactive. For example, based on the “It’s not magic” idea, have a kinetic piece of trash attached to a string that moves when people litter with a sign that says “It’s not magic.”

We created this quick prototype of the image to hang in bathrooms around campus, and asked fellow students how they were motivated/affected by this image and what they would change. While their reactions were positive, their feedback provided us with changes to make if we choose to implement this prototype for our final design. Changes we would make include:

-Use a different word instead of “respect,” because that word seems a little too commanding, and some individuals might not respond productively to that. Some suggestions were “notice,” and “appreciate”

-For the final design, make a much more dramatic mess in a bathroom (and then clean it up ourselves, obviously). This will have a bigger impact visually to people that just give the image a passing glance

-In the image of the clean bathroom, don’t have a person in the picture. People thought that was distracting which caused the purpose of the poster to be lost on them.

-Rethink the text design, because the word “magic” immediately catches the eye and does not motivate the viewer to actually understand the meaning of the image.

In conclusion, we need to create a design that visually impacts people that only spend enough time to glance at the sign hanging in bathrooms, and maybe even motivate them to do a double take. Or even appreciate the staff a little more. Who knows.

Testing prototype of tape on door: I placed the tape on the door handle by kitt market and observed how people noticed and interacted with it.

-Because most people go to the market alone, there were no verbal responses to the sign.

-People paused to read it an perhaps ponder, but then everyone just went on their way

-Because it was not eye level, people were sometimes on their phones, and it was silver tape on a silver handle, not everyone noticed it.

From testing this prototype we concluded that, if we choose to install this design, we would put the words on the entrance to the building, so when people see it they are immediately given the opportunity to actually thank the staff.

Prototyping Stage: Initial meeting

Pictured above are our 5 prototypes we plan on testing this upcoming week. We each have tasks to complete and after we collect data on how each one goes, we will reassess and choose which one we want to refine and install again. Here is a brief overview of each idea:

1. A jar showing a little vignette inside of the affluent majority living a luxury lifestyle while others are stereotyped and put into boxes. We are going to put one out on a table in the UMC with a small caption and observe people’s reactions to it.

2. Place a piece of duct tape with the words “Thank Our Staff” on the rectangular door handle that you push to exit campus buildings, and observe if people even notice it at all. (Subtly raising awareness)

3. Our third idea is to create an image to distribute, featuring a campus bathroom split down the middle, on one half being completely messy and the other half showing a student using a clean sink with the caption “It’s not magic”.

4. Fourth we are going to put a bucket by the engineering center bike racks with a sign that says “Put in a rock if you feel affected by the socio-economic divide on campus.” If we get a lot of rocks we will refine this idea and make it an installation to reach a bigger audience.

5. Our last idea to test on a small scale is to paper bomb the tables of the Atlas lobby or the UMC dining area with pieces of paper that say “Say Thank you” in several different languages or “Thank Our Staff”.

Each prototype represents a slightly different aspect of our general theme. Based on how successful each prototype is, we will decide which idea or general view to move forward with.

Ideation Stage Result

We’re going to create a physical installation focused around the theme of divides on campus due to socioeconomic status, notably between students and staff. Our goal is for this to subtly raise awareness of this issue on campus.

#stage 2

4/16/17

Here are photos from our first “Ideation phase” meeting. We put all of our ideas on sticky notes, and then voted on our favorites. We then discussed those ones further. After outlining our priorities and brainstorming for a while, we decided to break for the night and meet again the next day to finalize which ideas we want to prototype.

Initial observations from Pekoe coffee shop (we chose not to pursue this approach)

- Outlets are distributed really well through the tables

- Ebb and flow of customers correlates with classes getting out, but most people who come into the shop when there are high volumes of customers are just getting food to go, whereas people who come in between cycles are more likely to stay

- Customers aren’t making use of outside seating even when it’s nice out

- Tables are the perfect proximity to each other right now where they’re far enough apart that conversations can be private, but not so far away from each other that they feel isolated. Every once in a while, there aren’t enough tables for the amount of people in the space, but it would really ruin the openness of the space to try to force more tables in here - No one seems to like the stools. They get shuffled around from table to table. Often, they’re used as a resting place for backpacks. - The two back tables are in a somewhat more private area, and so people who are going to be staying for a while or seem to be having a more private conversation usually take those up. The tables in the front are used more for short-term eating - All in all, the space has a really nice and cozy but open kind of vibe

Main problem with the space: Disposing of garbage. There’s a really weird setup where there are two cans labeled “Landfill”, and then one recycling bin for containers and one for papers. Above them are signs detailing what to recycle, but they’re really unhelpful for the way that the space is actually used. Each sign has several examples of what to recycle and what not to, but they’re honestly pretty confusing. Many of the options are not relevant to the people who are using this space (who’s going to be trying to recycle bags of shredded paper or frozen food boxes in a coffee shop?), and many of the options that you’re not supposed to recycle aren’t specified anywhere else- I assume they should be thrown out, but what if they aren’t? Beyond this, I’m noticing that a lot of the food and serving ware Pekoe provides are compostable, but there’s no composting option in the bins. I see a lot of customers stop at the trash cans with half-eaten food and compostable cups, look back and forth in confusion for a minute or too, and then just throw their materials away and move on. (I wasn’t able to capture any good pictures of this process, but I included pictures of the offending signs in this post.)

#Stage 1 #Brainstorming

Brainstorming!

#Empathy #In-Class Work #Stage 1

Here are pictures from the initial observational stage (or “empathy” phase) and some notes we jotted down on our first group brainstorming session.

#Stage 1 #Brainstorming #Empathy

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Design Interventions: Group 21