Resource Garden Proposal

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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Table of Contents

RESOURCE GARDEN

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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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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

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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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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

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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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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.

15

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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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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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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EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN PROPOSAL

The Resource Garden Interior front angle view

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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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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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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.

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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.