CONTENTS 01 Discover
02 Define
p 4 _ Research
p 12 _ Client’s point of view p 14 _ Colony manifesto p 15 _ Brief redefinition p 16 _ Stakeholders’ point of view
p 20 _ Analysis of city plans p 22 _ Opportunities and directions
p 24 _ Concepts
03 Develop
04 Deliver
p 28 _ The Club Card p 32 _ The Users
p 36 _ The Wee Card p 39 _ The hardware p 40 _ The impact p 42 _ The video p 44 _ Personal contribution
p 51 _ Final reflection
OPEN SOURCE DESIGN
The Brief UK government gave money to develop the project of Smart Cities to improve Glaswegian services, because the city faced lots of problems but shows potential.
Hackathon ideas are just a source material for us. We are given datasets by Open Glasgow to understand the city and come up with refinements or new ideas to stimulate a change in Glasgow’s reputation.
The hackathon held in the city has been the largest in Scotland and the one with the highest prize, bringing together citizens and government to solve problems. Creative community joined the council to introduce new ideas for a new community type.
Decentralising power and solve long term problems have to be the drivers of our work.
What happened was an interaction of people in a new environment, leading to a process identifying the gaps in the system and ending up in a practice of concrete ideas to apply in the city.
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Open Source To start this kind of project we had to understand first what Open Source meant and to define as a colony what was our vision for it. “Not owned by anyone and reachable by everyone�, we aimed to share as much as possible to get the most from the collaboration process.
The result is a matrix of ideas and criteria that reveals a pattern of hot spots and lacks to work on.
To work in this field, we had to create a framework to analyze how much concepts were fitting the Open Source criteria. After checking the recurring characteristics in online OS designs, we defined an ordered list. For every one, a choice between 5 colors can indicate how much the idea being analyzed fits the specific feature (from white missing to red perfectly reflecting).
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Area of interest Transport is my group’s topic. During the first week, before meeting the client, we identified the different spaces of transport in the city and we refined our work process with online OS concepts.
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DISCOVER Research Work on hackathon ideas DATASETS: We have 75 datasets about transport. The most popular are driving license test pass rate, cycle racks and routes, ways of commuting, journey statistics about social fitness, deervehicle collisions, traffic events feed, rail network, records of crimes on public transport, source references to model road network. IDEAS/DATASETS RELATION: Of these whole, the ones interesting our hackathon ideas are Glasgow road network traffic events feed, method of travel to work or study, NaPTAN Bus stops locations, rail station locations, Road Safety, traffic signals 4
location, geocoding, rail station facilities, cycle racks, cycle routes, Journey statistics by cyclists who use Strava and Cycle/Pedestrian counts on Catkins Braes route.
DIY can involve users in the design process and give control creating personal experiences. The educational feature can create awareness and the community can encourage interaction and sharing. Inclusion can appeal to a wide variety and be accessible to the majority. The peer-to-peer organization creates a two way communication between users and a clearer contact act with the council. The ideas are mainly focused on cycling as a way to make the city better, encouraging more people to do it or to use public transports as an alternative. The creation of a relationship
IDEAS NOTES: We have been given 10 ideas, explained in a couple of lines each. We analyzed all of them trough their features, aims and problems and they revealed lacks in the hardware, DIY, educational, community, inclusive and peerto-peer features. Hardwares could engage users physically with personal contact because they need the comfort of another human or object. 5
between travel and destination can be an additional advantage. There os a lot of attention into keeping cyclists and their bikes safe. The only interaction between people and authorities is finding spots where to build bike racks or lanes, but the council already has datas about this.
“Open City Manifesto”. We verified the datasets talking to people about how they travel and cycling in first person around the city. Our goal was involving the community to understand the biggest needs. Human contact revealed to be important and sometimes more functional than an app. There’s need to aim to community sense and peer-to-peer between citizens because the council already knows about the existing problems trough the datas but doesn’t fix them, so people should be involved. Our focus was on public transports or cycling, to discourage the use of cars. There are already too many
DEFINITION: Picking three ideas, we identified their aims and through their analysis we identified questions or reflections, that inspired us for opportunities, synthesis and actions. What we tried to do just after was an understanding of what a  future city looks like through the 6
“maps ideas” and “datagathering methods” council owns. Since no one of the ideas we were given convinced us, the options were: repurposing already existing ideas, combining them, adding more open source features or think of totally new propositions. DEVELOPMENT: Each transport mode is detached from the others, so they could be joined. We wanted our concept to be more hardware, using the “Open City Manifesto” to understand in which direction to go. Datasets can be useful to motivate our observations. 7
The eagle storm Road sense Racks Sentinel Hack Attack Awesome Beavers Chyba Ty The Helmet People Optuum Stabilisers
Individual
Incl
Software
DIY
Hardware
Tacit knowledge
User activated
Rec
Educational
Non-profit
Pee
Accessible
Co
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Perfectly fits the criteria Fits the criteria well
Fits the criteria
Barely fits the criteria Does not fit the criteria
lusive
Links people and institutions
Awareness
ciprocal
Long term
Prevention of a problem
er-to-peer
Quality of life
Emergency
ommunity
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Work on our own ideas INTERVIEWS: Before brainstorming on concepts, we felt the need to analyze citizens’ opinion about the city, the council, traveling, cycling, walking and using route maps. What we got was a series of interviews and answers to an online survey, which showed us how unknown are transport sharing services in the city and how detached north and south feel. Not many were satisfied by public transports, especially buses. Relying more on smartphones than on people, they try to organize their trip in advance without success because of the difficulty in the 10
understanding the timetables and the lanes. The 95% of the interviewed told the city needs more cycle lanes, even though less than 40% of them actually cycles. This fits perfectly with the hackathon ideas trying to get lanes and council not doing anything about it. In general the citizens want a better understanding of council spending.
distinguishing problems and risks. Our goal will be getting more council to citizens feedbacks, creating a relationship between transport and destination, encouraging the use of public transports and cycling and building connections between detached areas of the city. DEFINITION: “We are going to work on integration between public transports, with a particular attention to buses and walkers. Transport is the business card of a city. Its greeness can be improved only through public transports.”
IDEAS NOTES: We wanted to link different transports as a web of interactions between modes inside the city, not forgetting the user’s point of view. Any direction we took had to reflect the colony’s aims, 11
DEFINE Client’s point of view Every concept had to explain clearly the basic idea, quantify the benefits on the city’s economy and be linked through Glasgow and to Glaswegian values. The design process has to show how we got to the idea and how it fits into reality. The starting point has to be activities and goals that Scottish Parliament already set for Glasgow and its savings. Every statement has to be motivated and every presentation has to be experienced and visualized. The idea has to be filtered with 12
economical and social integration, underlining both innovations and savings to prove that it’s worthwhile. Consider that bus companies are private and integration involves 10-year plans and a lot of money. Using case studies, we had to drive the focus adopting, adapting and amplifying.
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Colony manifesto Colony aims to integrate all aspects of the city of Glasgow, to create a city with flow and ease. Our vision for the near future is a city with no social inequalities. Where the citizens interact with local councils and share information and ideas between each other: a city that is directed by its citizens, who don’t respond to long term problems with short term solutions. By focusing on health, public safety, transport and energy we will create an open city that can adapt and protect every citizen. Our aims are link between the council and people, solutions for long term problems in Glasgow, social equality and put Glasgow and its citizens first. 14
Brief redefinition Our Open Source can’t be data sharing because everything in this field would be about the creation of maps. We wanted something oriented to the
by public transport.
community hardware Open Source.
more entries.
Changing the representation of buses data is a low-budget operation, but it could mean a lot
Sharing movement capabilities could be an open way to involve the community.
The transport has to represent the city, so it has to be peoplefriendly, as city and citizens are here.
Appeal to the council by keeping your concepts low budget and tangible – they want to know how these ideas can and will be turned into a reality.
If we use datasets to create a better understanding of public transports, people will be able to use them and integrate different transport modes once they get the timetable. This means that integration will be a consequence and the better it gets, the more people will use them. It will cause a green way of moving through the city, majorly 15
Stakeholder’s point of view Interviews We tried to contact the city council without getting any result, therefore we analyzed their website and the aims we deduced were: economic growth, empower communities, work with partner services, promote rights and responsibility, improve finance and resource management, collaborate with anyone who provide service and ensure everyone has opportunities to contribute.
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First we focused on citizens to encourage them taking public transports. Citizens revealed the need of integrating transport modes in the city. The transport should represent the city. Even the stop could be made more iconic using artworks. Since timetables are unclear, the design of the bus could represent the destination.
We focused then on tourists because they bring money to the city. They need a journey planner to have an overall vision of different companies’ timetables (private and public). They would need a hardware. Bespoke maps with landmarks could be very visually clear and symbolic for who don’t know the city.
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We decided at the end to analyze even transports employees opinions. Staff said that a tablet could help them providing better information and an emergency device would make them feel safer.
To consider all the user groups, we spoke to mothers. Sometimes buses are their only option, but the overcrowding and the maximum number of allowed prams can be problems.
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Analysis of the city plans COUNCIL 5 years plan 2012-2017 improvement in the use of green and public transport. Transform the city into an active network, encouraging walking and cycling. Support SPT smart card for public transport. Implement the electric cars service. Work with SPT, commercial bus operators, community transport operators and community.
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SPT A step for change Improve public transport information, including management of bus stops information.
Introduce illuminated bus information panels at bus stops, large print route numbers, graffiti removal, design complementary to surrounding environment.
Ensure early notification of service changes.
Improve links with walking and cycling facilities.
More remote travel stops with electronic departure times and links to travel lines. Develop a smartphone app for timetables. Improve bus connections and integration with other services.
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Opportunities and directions Council is losing money on ticket sales, staff feel unsafe dealing with public, buses are very confusing and ‘unclean’ and there’s lack of info on delays and times. At this point we realized we could focus on encouraging more people to use public transport, giving reasons to users to hold onto and buy tickets, investing more money into local businesses, giving users updates on transport delays or reviving bus services.
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JOURNEYS INTO EXPERIENCES: This initiative could connect transport with the rest of the city and with the destination. Informations could be available on vehicles at push of a button or on attraction and events around nearest stop. This could create better service for tourists and encourage them to explore and visit local businesses.
in a series of workshops, could make children decor to compete for school trips with the designed bus giving a better education on importance of public transport. CITY CLUB CARD: Reward citizens for using public transport could encourage more people to use public transport, giving a reason to hold onto and buy tickets. They get educated on green travel gaining points by using public transport. Traveling you gain points that can be exchanged for deals in restaurants, cinemas, gigs or local businesses, to save money on ticket loss. Through hardware points around the city, users can check points.
REVIVING BUSES: This could happen with better information on public transport routes and times, maybe a color coding decorating buses to better represent their journey or a use of local art to create new designs. A launch event, involving schools 23
Concepts BUSES INSPIRED BY THE PEOPLE: Color code buses with the roads they take and let the public design them to represent their routes and the city. JOURNEY INTO EXPERIENCES: Create events for travel card holders on buses during the day. Give pensioners a place to meet and feel safe during their commutes. Concessions for people with tickets for Hydro or other events in Glasgow. GYM BUS: Change bus seats with exercise equiptment and get users to generate electricity on bus. Campaign for healthy living and economical travel - free bus service. 24
CARRIAGE UPDATES: Use LED strips or coloured lights to signify to boarding users the busyness of a carriage. The strips could also highlight specific carriages for events such as a quiet carriage, for doing work/reading. CITY CLUB CARD: Create a more permanent and integrated ticketing method. Users gain points as they use public transport and travel round the city. ‘Join the Glasgow Club’ - change how we use and respect tickets. Points used as currency within the city. ‘Have a Glasgow week’. Encourage users to explore more areas and local businesses. Most attractive to students and tourists. 25
COMMON MAPPING JOURNEY TO EXPERIENCE REVIVING BUSES CARRIAGE UPDATES CITY CLUBCARD
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G
Fits criteria well Fits criteria
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DEVELOP The Club Card After checking all our concepts with a new colony framework (featuring protect the vulnerable, user contribution, empower communities, promote responsibility, finance and resource management, collaboration and our four colony aims), we found the city club card the best option. Our successful example is the Japanese Suica Card, which at its introduction in November 2001 was used just in a small area of Tokyo. In two months it reached 1 million users and in one year they went up to five millions all over Japan. It was supposed to be a card to unlock the city. It could be launched in a Glasgow Week Event. 28
Estethics Having to clearly represent Glasgow, we decided to use an image consistent to “People Make Glasgow” campaign, because it’s very well known and recognizable throughout the city. Many times in fact, speaking to users, they just recognized a Council service because of the bright pink they were using.
“Wee” is a Scottish word, used mostly in Glasgow. It’s part of its culture and becomes icon of the city. The card could be a two-parts snap-off type: the bigger card can be kept in the wallet and hidden without having to take it out to swipe and the smaller card can be attached like a badge where you want, to be even shown.
We contacted “People Make Glasgow” office to make sure that we could use their corporate image and they agreed in collaborating. They sent us the official logo, the codes of the colors for screen and printing, the fonts and the corporate manual on how to use these elements properly in our work.
Foxes are going to be our Smart City animals, plus there are a lot of them in Glasgow.
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Hardware
Mechanism
A contactless mechanism can be used for the swiping.
The user has to swipe in and out when he takes public transports, so his fare can be calculated. Credit can be topped-up through hardwares or the website.
An NFC chip could send live feeds to explain the way. A GPS could tell where you are, knowing when to send you the notification, so tourists wouldn’t need the internet to get an online map. Having the card you can approach one of the hardwares in the city, program the route, swipe to memorize the way and start the journey feeds.
Every pound spent on transport lets you gain 2 points and at certain amounts you can get different kind of rewards. When you get to a certain amount of miles a new card is sent out to you as a VIP member. The card costs 5ÂŁ but this amount becomes credit on the card. There are card collection points where you can give back your 30
card and get its credit as cash back. There can be concession cards. The Open Source factor is involving others in sharing online your route or let them join the rewards. The community lets you go in places where you wouldn’t have gone otherwise. There can be involving activities open air like Easter egg hunt, etc..
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COMMUTERS
The Users Our main users are: - Business commuters - Students - Old people - Tourists. I’ve got an app, so I can check always changing
Every user builds up us his own identity trough the type of card he chooses, the experience he gets and the rewards he gains.
train timetables’
ELDERLY
Every user has a number linked to an account, so if you lose it you can just deactivate it online without throwing away points. An annual report is sent out, describing how many miles you travelled, how much petrol you saved, etc..
‘I don’t feel part of a community’ ‘The subway scares me’ 32
STUDENTS
For every user group there’s a type of fox and certain privileges: city gets annual travel updated showing his movements around the city and unlocking better rewards with the use; student gets discounted ticket fares and more rewards with tailored deals; senior gets empowered with travel confidence and discovers opportunities to meet others in senior events around the city; visiting gets clearer routes and maps for traveling with tailored touristic rewards and options to share and see others’ routes; and cub gets education on public transport and family group discounts.
‘I would never take bus, they’re so dirty and unreliable’
TOURISTS
‘We want to take the bus but the maps are so hard to understand’ 33
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DELIVER The Wee Card
CITY FOX
CITY FOX
10383
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ÂŁ1 = 2 points
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GAIN EXTRA POINTS Sign up a friend Become a Gold Fox
£1 = 5 POINTS
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The hardware
2 min
9 min wait
19 min
7 min wait
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The impact Cost From our interviews we found out that the current system loses 40 tickets per train each busy morning. Giving users a faster way to get tickets, the incomes would hugely increase. On buses there are already ITSO scanners used even at train or subway gates, as confirmed in “SPT Modernisation” official document. The only necessary action is an update of the software, so that everything can be connected. Being the hardware screen cost around £600-£800 and the average commuter ticket around £2, the payoff time would be 3-4 days. 40
Further development The rewards are a subside, our main aim is to let people move more efficiently because the Wee Card makes the users feel every transport in the same way. The weak point are buses. They’re the missing link to create ease with public transport.
transports and the short waiting times between each other. Through renders of the Card’s impact on the city, we gave a sneak on how Glasgow could look in the future thanks to the Wee Card. It helped us making the whole action be felt as real and factual, not just possible.
People want to feel prepared when they go around, planning in advance. A card is always there when you need it and makes you feel safer in exploring because it lets you go wrong and always come back. The hardwares will be able to share clear stations timetables and routes, showing the integration between different 41
The video We initially were undecided if showing the whole Wee Card impact on the city (with all the different user profiles) or the user experience. Then, we realized that in our presentation to the council it was more important to explain visually how the card worked in real life in the everyday citizen journey. The resulting feel in Glasgow could have been more advertising material for a possible campaign. We decided to go deep into the Student Fox journey. We wanted to give a credible point of view, following the student from the moving to Glasgow, to the sharing with his flatmates to make new friends.
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MEET BRIAN Awareness
Discover
MOVING TO THE CITY
Reward
Knowlegde Subscribe
Hop Off
Hop On
SAVING FROM BAD WEATHER
SIGNING UP ONLINE
Check Points
Get Rewarded
FINALLY THE REWARD
MAKING FRIENDS IN THE CITY
WELCOME! FLATMATES NIGHT OUT?
RECEIVING STARTING PACK
CONGRATS! +5points
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Use It
Personal contribution Concept map After realizing a map on paper, we realized it was messy and incomprehensible even for us to come up with an idea. Links were hard to see and it was indefinite the difference between the concepts and its development points. I realized a map using the actual London Subway Map, where every line represents an opportunity and the stops represent the development of the ideas. Here visual language and contents cooperate to clarify our decisive process.
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Wee Card The initial inspiration was taken from existing City Club Cards as Oyster Card or Suica Card. The stripes crossing recall the Scottish flag, but the color and the typography reference to “People Make Glasgow�.
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Card cover For the moment when the Card is given out, I designed a cover explaining the reward system and integrating a small map of the city which can be useful for the first trips. It will be useful even in the future use because it can hide the color of the card if it’s found shameful by the user or can protect the swipe technology inside.
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Reward infographic The initial idea was to reproduce a journey on a map, with stops as check points for the rewards. It developed in a very minimal and graphic style, to follow the consistent image that we gave to the card. A little bus represent the user moving to gain points.
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Leaflets These were needed as props to shoot the video. We decided to recreate the welcome pack any student gets when moving into University Halls to make everything more realistic. It vas comprehensive of the building general informations, a map of the city, Glasgow Uni essentials and security generalities.
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Renders in the city To make our concept more visual and believable, I created a series of renders of posters in the city, hardwares, subway and bus stops, info points, etc.. The result should give the clients a clear idea of the impact we’re trying to reach.
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Colony presentation booklet I personally took care of the creation of the Colony Booklet we gave out to audience at the presentation, informing about our project features and organizing every group concept with spaces for notes.
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Final reflection
I articulated my final reflection inside a separated booklet. Here I discussed the experience of the project, what I learnt and my future role as a designer.
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BE THE CITY FOX
£1 = 2 points
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Martina Bonetti Product Design Year3
The Glasgow School of Art, Session 2014/2015, Term 1