YSDN 4004 Design Workshop Deliverable: Resource Garden Project Proposal Instructor Myles Bartlett Written and designed by Hyojung Julia Seo March 2016 Printed and bound in Toronto
Crossing disciplinary boundaries through physical & digital systems of exploration
Experiential Design Proposal By Hyojung Julia Seo 2016
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RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
Table of Contents
RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
7-11
About the Project
12-25
Design Elements
26-31
Resource Garden Model
32-47
User Journey: Eve
48-51
Research Process
52-57
Design Process
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RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
Resource Garden Abstract
Research Methods
How can a search experience within a school
To learn more about this problem, Toronto’s
efficient learning spaces. It also revealed
library promote curiosity and encourage
York University’s Scott Library was used as the
how poorly designed spaces deter students,
multidisciplinary exploration? Compared to
main site for primary research. Conducting
which prevents them from accessing the full
public community libraries, university libraries
a survey on York University students, an
potential of great resources.
attract students that search for specific kinds
interview with a senior librarian, and photo-
of resources to support their research and
observational methods were performed to
and development of librarianship and
other academic work. Students want to find
discover the common problems students faced
modern approaches to designing learning
resources that they can understand, which
with the library’s services. The survey results
environments was also reviewed. This
can prevent them from searching for sources
revealed what the service design of the library
was done to gather important background
outside of their scope of familiarity. They also
lacks and why there is a great disinterest
knowledge on how libraries serve its users
have to enter key words, which are not always
for students to interact with librarians. This
in local communities and academic settings.
intuitive, to find reliable and useful books and
outlined the set of problems that needed to be
This study was used to analyze the great gap
articles. Online library catalogues promise to
solved in the searching experience. Comparing
that exists between how libraries were used
do the difficult labour for the user. However,
Scott Library with 6 other academic and public
in history and how they are used now (Battles,
the promise of speed and efficiency from
libraries in Toronto and the Greater Toronto
2004.) With greater access to online search
online results takes away the learning process
Area (GTA) through photo-observational
engines and online databases, the methods of
and unplanned moments of discovery. These
research showed how creating purposeful
librarianship need to be challenged with new
are critical pivoting steps that students should
spaces that are formally distinguished from
ideas and design solutions (Mack et al., 2012.)
not miss when starting a research project.
each other is a successful way to provide
RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
Secondary resources about the history
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Demographic The target demographic is aimed towards
and projects. By creating an exploratory
Canadian students attending large post-
and adventurous journey for undergraduate
secondary institutions where domestic and
students to find resources, they can develop
international students attend. This library
a strong foundation in research practices
service is for students attending universities
and value its process. These research skills
that have 30 000 to 70 000 students, which
can then be transferable for future studies
is the average range of students attending
in post-graduate studies and careers where
Canada’s 10 largest universities (Canada’s
researching is required.
10 biggest universities - Macleans.ca, 2013).
The financial status of university students
Students studying for a bachelor, master,
are also considered in this demographic study.
and doctorate degree can use this service to
In 2013, university students that studied for
discover resources for research assignments.
4 years graduated with an average debt of
It is expected that students studying for
$22,207, which includes the Ontario student
their bachelor degree will benefit most from
opportunity grants they received (Ontario Open
this service as large universities in Canada
data, 2015). Due to the financial debt that many
have significantly more students studying for
students have after graduating, this re search
a bachelor degree than any other degree (Dale,
service is to be free and not become another
M, 2010). Within the group of undergraduates,
expense to increase student debt. Adding a
84% of them are within the age group of 18-24
monetary fee to this service can significantly
(Dale, M, 2010). Targeting these undergraduate
dis courage students from using it.
students can impact their first experiences in learning how to research for research papers
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RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
Psychographic There is an imbalance between the use of library
Monkey, 2015). Many responses described how they
space for academic and recreational purposes.
prefer finding books on their own by using fast and
Students said that they use the library for reading
efficient online search engines. Time is an essential
for leisure, writing for leisure, watching videos,
value when students are searching for results. Slow
and sleeping more than studying, researching for
processes are less enticing, so the service journey
books, and working in groups for projects (Survey
that they take to find book must be fast, enticing,
Monkey, 2015). Not everyone that goes to the library
and encourage their desire for self-discovery. By
is there to access the books. Students need the
using enticing and engaging tools to find resources,
library to provide them with more services than
students will still feel like they don’t need to rely on
just accessing books. Thus, having a space that has
the inefficient method of making appointments with
both recreational and academic services can serve
librarians or taking the time to explain to other staff
students better. Majority of students in the survey
about what they are researching.
also stayed in the library for 2 to 4 hours. This shows
Not all students use the library for academic
how students should not be expected to stay in
purposes. Within the group of students, there are
the library beyond 4 hours (Survey Monkey, 2015).
those that use the library for academic purposes and
Students do not treat the library like a comfortable
need a fast, efficient, and independent method of
home where they would like to stay for majority
finding resources. There are also students that use
of the day. It is a space that is active with students
the library for recreational purposes, and they will
coming in and out in the course of the day.
not always be using the services that an academic
Students are much more interested in working
library provides.
independently to find resources than asking for help from librarians and other staff at a library (Survey
RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
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Functionality This study on librarianship and the primary
experience and service design in an academic
The functionality of the installation involves
research on students’ reluctance to use the
library. The project consists of an interactive
the use of interactive artificial plants that
full extent of library services provided a
installation that creates an exploratory
display search results in the form of light
strong foundation for a bachelor’s thesis
environment. This environment stimulates the
emitting leaves and flowers. The interactive
project. The thesis project tries to solve this
desire to seek unfamiliar places for a greater
plants represent different faculties of study
issue through an experiential service design
breadth of knowledge when researching.
and display search results that are found
system that encourages students to access
In order to emphasize the significance of
within that field. The light emitting plant
multidisciplinary sources in the library.
exploring multiple disciplines, the interactive
modules can be picked off and scanned on a
Having the technology to easily access a vast
search engine installation allows students to
smart device application to keep record of the
network of information and data is a powerful
physically explore, interact, and beautifully
resource and to locate it in the library when
tool for academic research (Weitz, 2014.) This
visualize the variety of results that libraries
available. An after-life to the functionality of
tool comes in the form of online catalogues,
have to offer. In order to make this search
this system includes the ability for users to
but the design of these catalogues do not meet
journey attractive, users are defamiliarized
keep the interactive plants they have picked to
the great potential that the digital medium has
from how they would normally see books
use for future research projects.
for resource exploration.
and library search results. By defamiliarizing
This project presents how technology and
themselves from the book, users are able to
the infrastructure of digital archives can work
experience the book search journey in a new
together to reach the potential of a great user
perspective (Genevieve, et al., 2005.)
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RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
Extension Re-imagining the library service design for students also opens doors for the librarians to take on new responsibilities (Stickdorn, M., & Schneider, J., 2012.) By holistically analyzing the visualization of resources that are available to students, librarians can also discover which faculties lack resources for certain topics. It also encourages librarians of different faculties to build stronger relationships with each other in to maintain a variety of resources from their field of expertise. As an immersive experiential service design, the Resource Garden allows students to cross disciplinary boundaries through physical and digital systems of academic exploration.
RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
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21’-5”
Resource Garden Design Floor Plan
16’-2”
53’-7”
The Resource Garden is situated in the Learning Commons of York University’s Scott
0
Plant Unit 1
hexagons. Each garden pod is surrounded
6 ’-
6”
Plant Unit 3 6’-0”
20 METRES
1
2
3
4
5
6
Faculty Plant Families
4’-6”
6’-3”
within a physical space. Faculty Plant Families
3’-7”
reveal sources from a variety of disciplines
1’-10” 6’-7”
Fine Arts
Engineering
Sciences
Business
Each user can enter the Garden Liberal Arts Non-academic
3’-11”
Pod which is surrounded by 6
the design of the installation so that they have access to all spaces and services.
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FEET 0
3’-0”
3’-0”
students to experience the searching process
the pod. Wheelchair users were considered in
10
SCALE B
by 6 different Faculty Plant Families to allow
that students can explore by walking inside
5
SCALE A
3’-7”
Library. It has 7 garden pods in the shape of
Plant Unit 2
FacultyCement Plant Families column
About the Resource Garden
Each Faculty Plant Family has its own set
The Resource Garden is an interactive garden installation that students can use to find resources across multiple disciplines. It is situated in the learning commons of York University’s Scott Library. This service design encourages students to explore beyond their comfort zones to get a greater breadth of understanding of their research topic.
of unique Book Buds that emit coloured lights
SCOTT LIBRARY SECOND FLOOR
once a relevant book is found. Users can pick them off and scan them with the Resource
The Resource Garden has 7 garden pods in the shape of
hexagons. Each garden pod is surrounded by 6 different Garden Mobile App. The features in the App
Faculty Plant Families to allow students to experience the
searching process within a physical space. Faculty Plant allow users to find books easily in the library,
Families reveal sources from a variety of disciplines that
download online PDFs, put books on hold,students and can explore by walking inside the pod. For equal, archive it for future references.
accessibility, wheelchair users were considered within the design process of the installation so that they can easily access all spaces and services of the installation. Each Faculty Plant Family has its own set of unique Book Buds that emit coloured lights once a relevant book is found. Users can pick them off and scan them with the Resource Garden Mobile App. The features in the App allow users to find books easily in the library, download online PDFs, put books on hold, and archive it for future references.
LEARNING COMMONS AREA FOR THE RESOURCE GARDEN
YSDN 4004 Design Workshop: Resource Garden | By Hyojung Julia Seo | Instructor Myles Bar tlett | March 2016
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RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
0
lant Unit 2
Plant Unit 3
5
10
15
20
SCALE A
FEET
SCALE B
6’-0”
METRES 1
2
3
4
5
6
3’-7”
0
3’-0”
4’-6”
Faculty Plant Families
3’-7”
Engineering
Sciences
Business
Liberal Arts
Non-academic
26.7 ft
10’
-8
”
6’-7”
Fine Arts
Cement column
mons of York encourages s to get a
SCOTT LIBRARY SECOND FLOOR
55’-10”
installation multiple
arch topic. shape of
different perience the
21’-5”
ulty Plant plines that d. For equal, d within the
can easily on.
nique Book book is found. he Resource
low users to ne PDFs, put
LEARNING COMMONS AREA FOR THE RESOURCE GARDEN
nces.
YSDN 4004 Design Workshop: Resource Garden | By Hyojung Julia Seo | Instructor Myles Bar tlett | March 2016
16’-2”
53’-7”
0
5
10
15
20
Resource Garden Design Faculty Plant Family Each Faculty Plant Family has been designed with organic characteristics that mimic trees, bushes, flowers, and wild fungi. By giving each faculty a unique design, the plants represent the different perspectives that multiple disciplines have to offer. Organic aesthetics can stir the curiosity of users and increase the desirability to search unfamiliar faculties. The plant structure can be made of various materials that can be sculpted into organic forms. Examples are fiberglass and acrylic sheets. Fiber optic cables can be
Wheelchair users were considered in the design of the installation so that the interactive components of the plants are within standard maximum and minimum reaching distances.
Wheelchair Accessibility Standards 5’-0” = MAX. HEIGHT FOR AVERAGE ADULT USER 4’-0” = MAX. HEIGHT FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS 1’-3” = MIN. REACH FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS
installed within these structures to connect the library’s search engine system to the Book Buds. The fiber optic cables can transmit light and information into the Book Buds so that they can respond to the users’ actions when used in conjunction with the Resource Garden App.
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RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
5’-0” 4’-0”
5’-0” 1’-3”
1’-3”
4’-0”
3’-0”
3’-0”
Engineering Bush
Fine Ar ts Flower Meadow
RESOURCE GARDEN
Book Bud
Book Bud
(2” x 2”)
(2” x 2”)
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
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5’-0” 4’-0”
5’-0” 1’-3”
1’-3”
4’-0”
3’-0”
3’-0”
Liberal Ar ts Fungi
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Non-academic / Alter native Succulents
Book Bud
Book Bud
(2” x 2”)
(2” x 2”)
RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
5’-0” 1’-3”
1’-3”
3’-0”
3’-0”
Busines s Birch Tree
RESOURCE GARDEN
4’-0”
4’-0”
5’-0”
7’-0”
8’-0”
INACTIVE BOOK BUDS
Science Willow Tree
Book Bud
Book Bud
(2” x 2”)
(2” x 2”)
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
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Resource Garden Interactive Features Book Buds The Book Buds are acrylic pieces that emit light when a search result is found in its corresponding faculty. Upon activation through the Resource Garden App, it will store information about the book the user wants to find in the library. Fiber optic cables connect the Book Buds to the search engine system. Book Buds contain Near Field Communication (NFC) chips that can store information once it is transferred from the search engine system through the fiber optic cables. Users can then pick them off like picking a leaf off of a plant and scan the NFC chips to find the book’s location in the library. Users can make several actions upon scanning the Book Bud, which is mentioned in the next section.
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EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
Book Bud Purpose The purpose of the Book Bud is to entice users to want to explore. By representing resources from different faculties with these unique Book Buds, users will not have to immediately associate the resource to a discipline that is unfamiliar.
Engineering Bush Book Bud
Science Willow Tree Book Bud
Fine Arts Flower Meadow Book Bud
Liberal Arts Fungi Book Bud
Alternative / Non-academic Succulent Book Bud
Business Birch Tree Book Bud
Resource Garden Interactive Features Resource Garden Mobile App The Resource Garden App allows users to interact with the Book Buds in the Garden Pod. It is where users enter key words of their research topic to get the visualization of results in the garden. When the device is in close proximity to a Faculty Plant Family, it scans the search results from the faculty and displays them to the user. After selecting a search result in the app, Book Buds will respond by emitting coloured lights and storing information that can be scanned. Scanning Book Buds with the app allows the user to locate the book in the library, download a PDF if the result is an online resource, or add it to a wish list if it has been checked out. Since this garden system requires a mobile device to host this app, the library must allow users to rent devices with the app installed if they do not have their own smart-devices.
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EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
RESOURCE GARDEN MOBILE APPLICATION INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
Resource Garden Mobile Application
Action Options
Start
Content (User settings) Log in
My profile Accessibility (Book search journey process)
Student ID
Wheelchair
Begin search
Book results
Wish list
Downloads
History
Visual aid
Hearing impaired
Enter key words
Check book availability
Advanced
Search
Open / send downloaded PDF files
History of checked out books
Share book via email / copy URL
Faculty Plant Family detection
Copy citation MLA/APA/Chicago
Book Bud results
Select Book bud
Add to list Book details
Download PDF
Add to history
Resource Garden Mobile App - Wireframe Examples
The Resource Garden Exterior top angle view
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RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
The Resource Garden Interior front angle view
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RESOURCE GARDEN
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The Resource Garden Interior back angle view
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Resource Garden User Journey Have you met Eve? This is a user journey of a 2nd year undergraduate student named Eve. This journey highlights the key points of interaction in the Resource Garden. It addresses the problem and goal that Eve has, how the installation functions throughout the journey, how her goals are met, and the lasting effects of the final outcome.
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RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
Meet Eve! She is a 2nd year Linguistics Major student. Eve is doing a research essay on the history of language and communication. She is very curious and would like to have a better background knowledge about her topic before deciding on her thesis.
Eve enters the 4th Garden Pod of the Resource Garden
She opens the Resource Garden App and logs into her student account.
Her search results are shown as Book Buds from all 6 Faculty Plant Families light up. Eve is fascinated by how many different resources there are about her topic.
Eve approaches the Engineering Bush to discover books in this discipline that are related to the history of languages and communication. She wonders how books related to engineering can possibly have anything to do with her topic.
In the list of search results from the Engineering faculty, she chooses the first 3 books to see what kind of sources they are.
The first book is already taken out so she puts it into her wish list. The second book is an online article which she downloads as a PDF.
The third book is available and is about the history of computer programming languages. This area of language studies interests Eve so she decides to activate its corresponding Book Bud. It is now ready to be picked off!
When a Book Bud is activated, it stores information about the book that was chosen. Eve can now pick it off of the bush and take it with her to scan with the Resource Garden App.
When the Book Bud is scanned, it displays information about where it is in the library so Eve can easily find the book. There is also an option to save the book into the app’s history.
At the end of Eve’s search in the Garden Pod, she chose 5 books that interested her. She picked books from the engineering, business, fine arts, and liberal arts faculty.
Each Book Bud guided Eve to find the books chosen from the Garden Pod. She got to explore areas of the library she normally would not have entered and this made her appreciate the diverse set of resources the school library provided for students.
Eve scanned the Book Buds at the check out station. She was excited to grow her collection of Book Buds she got from the library so she decided not to leave them in the recycling bin shaped like a tree trunk.
Back at home, Eve continues to refer to her Book Buds by scanning them to find similar books. By scanning them Eve can also quickly renew books and retrieve citation information. It is also nice to keep them on her desk as colourful sculptures.
By using the Resource Garden, Eve was able to develop a strong background knowledge on different kinds of language and communication history. This helped Eve construct a very clear thesis with solid supportive arguments. She used various perspectives from multiple disciplines to help her write a very effective and successful research essay.
Eve had an amazing experience with the Resource Garden and cannot wait to suggest her friends to use it as well for their next assignment.
Research Process Ethnographic Study - Photo Analysis A photo-observational study was done for 7 libraries in Toronto and the G.T.A. The libraries were a mix of academic, public, and special collection libraries. The observation notes were analyzed and organized into an A.E.I.O.U chart that showed their different charactersitics. Toronto Reference Library
Scott Library, York University
Robarts Library, U of T
Davenport Library
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, U of T
Gerstein Library, U of T
Pleasant Ridge Library
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RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
A
E
Activity
I
Environments Interactions
O
U
Objects
Users Top floor
Scott Library York University Bottom floor
The following chart contains qualities of
Top floor
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library U of T
Bottom floor
libraries observed during an image-based ethnographic research. Throughout the research, the A.E.I.O.U. analysis method was used to document the qualities of each library.
Top floor
Robarts Library U of T
Bottom floor
The A.E.I.O.U. method is a tool to help guide researchers find critical points to document when doing observational research. It is “a guiding taxonomy of Activities, Environment,
Top floor
Gerstein Library U of T
Interaction, Object, and Users� (Martin, B., &
Bottom floor
Hanington, B., 2012). The Activities, Environment, Interaction, Object, and Users were judged based on certain qualities which are declared at the bottom of
Top floor
Toronto Reference Library Toronto Public Library
Bottom floor
the chart. For libraries with multiple floors, each floor had differences in the way they served its users. By exploring the differences between the floors of the library, it was evident
Top floor
Davenport Library Toronto Public Library
Bottom floor
that the higher floors were designed to serve different needs than the lower floors. The last two libraries at the bottom of the chart are small single floor libraries located
Top floor
Pleasant Ridge Library Vaughan Public Library
Bottom floor
within suburban communities. Great variety in age group
Small variety in age group
Innovative furniture
Conventional furneiture
Easy to interact with librarians
Difficult to interact with librarians
Lots of public social space
Lots of private silent spaces
Crowded
Empty
Research Process Ethnographic Study - Survey Results and comments from a survey of university students and their library experiences were analyzed.
Q7: When researching about a
Q7: Responses
new topic, would you rather... Approach a librarian to guide your direction Search key words in the online catalogue
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percentage of Responses (%)
Key Words Analysis
Responses related to library users’ desire for independence Responses related to negative aspects about the librarian Responses related to positive aspects about the librarian
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Q10. What is one thing you wish could be improved about libraries? Key Words Analysis Responses related to the search experience Responses related to issues within the library Interesting ideas and concepts
RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
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Design Process Floor Plan & Elevation Sketches
Several iterations were made for the floor plan and Faculty Plant Family design. The goal was to for the designs to be organic and functional.
Book Buds
Designing the Book Buds required a lot of experimentation with different forms and materials. There was a great learning outcome in the process of prototyping and researching about materials.
Branding: Logo, Colour, Typography
Due to the complex and unconventional nature of the Resource Garden system, it become important to give the installation a brand what was easy to identify and comprehend. Thus, abstract symbols and logos were avoided.
Resource Garden Model
Photos of Scott Library’s Learning Commons was manipulated to contain the installation.
Resource Garden Model
Using Sketch Up, the dimensions of the Garden Pods were drawn. Then, basic forms were placed as the foundation of the Faculty Plant Families.
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Resource Garden Model
Illustrations were drawn for the conceptual image of the installation to make it easier to imagine the installation in the space. It was also an effective way to create soft, organic, and pleasing aesthetics that one may get when strolling through a garden.
RESOURCE GARDEN
EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL
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The Resource Garden is a bachelors thesis project by Hyojung Julia Seo. This proposal is an experiential design project that suggests methods of exploration and research for students within a library. Special thanks to course instructor Myles Bartlett for his advisement on research and user journeys, and Angela Iarocci for her guidance on architecture and environmental design.