Methodology report about solving an ill-defined problem

Decreasing the time spent in traffic jams in Belgium jan 2020

Methodology of developing a solution for the traffic issue in Belgium This paper is written for the course of Methodology in the third year of the study Industrial Design. Any questions about this paper can be send to robbe.vdverren@hotmail.com

Robbe Van der Verren

Preface

In Belgium there is still a big problem concerning traffic jams and delays. Despite many investments that are conducted to improve the roads, reduce bottlenecks and improve alternative ways to commute, the infrastructure is insufficient for a qualitative daily commute. Peak hours on weekdays are the biggest problem, the amount of the lorries on highways and the presence of retired people adds to the problem.

Long term goals:

- Decreasing all negative impact of traffic jams in Belgium

- Making the infrastructure more adequate

- Creating a better living environment by limiting frustrations concerning traffic

Contents This document is a guide to explore the problem of traffic jams in Belgium and provides a methodology to develop solutions. These steps are developed to facilitate the search for solutions for the traffic problem in Belgium. This paper can be used as a reference methodology for the traffic challenges in other parts in the world.

Preface The rational of the problem and long term goals

2 Design research challenge Problem identification & Stakeholders

4 Process The process of the methodology and objectives

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Opportunity identification Exploration of the problem

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Brief and specification Adjusted problem defenition

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Concept design Finding possible solutions

10 Design development Testing of working prototypes

12 Detail design & Production The final steps to production

14 Conclusion Thoughts on the project

14 Appendix Sources

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GHENT UNIVERSITY

Decreasing the time spent in traffic jams in Belgium Design research challenge

Problem identification There are several articles stating that traffic jams in the west are the worst in Belgium. The numbers are disastrous. Brussels and Antwerp are respectively number two and three in the list of ‘time lost in traffic jams’ in the world. On average Belgians lose 55 hours in traffic jams per year and factors are multiples. That’s why this is an ill-defined problem because there simply are too much viewpoints about the problem, each with its own difficulties and depth.

It is important to understand why we only focus on Belgium. On the one hand, it is because of the fact that the problem is most catastrophic in Belgium. And on the other hand there are enough factors to take in account in the search for solutions. The local factors of the same problem in other countries and certainly in other continents simply cannot be compared with the Belgian environment. However the methodology can be used to tackle traffic jams in general.

Stakeholders The internal stakeholders are off course the people that are most of their time in the traffic jams. This means, the commuters in the first place and also people who use the public roads and public transport for other purposes than work.

External stakeholders are the Belgian government, primarily the department of traffic. Companies and organisers of other means to commute. These external parties are the main influencers of infrastructure and the way our traffic is managed. The ideal solution would be one that can be endorsed by one of these external stakeholders so that possible solutions can be implemented in a more efficient and faster way.

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Brief and specification

Opportunity identification

Design development

Concept design

Production

Process To tackle the difficulty of traffic jams there have to be a broader inquiry in the different aspects of the problem. As shown in the timeline there has to be an opportunity identification first. Next to the problems, the opportunities and desires have to be defined. This is necessary to develop a brief and specification for the problem. The brief helps the development of the concept designs being the following step in the further development of eventual successful solutions.

Important note, this development is yet again an exploration.

Eventually this process will guide us through the unbiased identification and hopefully, in time, to a solution for the problem of traffic jams in Belgium. This paper however, is limited to the methodology to tackle traffic problems in general.

GHENT UNIVERSITY

Opportunity identification EXPLORATION OF THE PROBLEM

During a literature review of online articles returning factors are found which are all subproblems that need to be investigated.

One article in the English newspaper The Guardian made a list of the main problems (editor, August 2014). These problems were confirmed in other articles of domestic and international sources (www.vrt.be, June 2012).

The main problems were the following:

- Company cars

- People live too far from work

Expensive, no park and ride, overcrowded public transport

- A healthy economy

Jobs are concentrated in cities

- Unattractive alternatives

The way company care use is stimulated increases the use of cars

Congestion is a sign of good economic fortune

- Ill-conceived road network

Bad design e.g. mixing local with long-distance traffic.

When tackling the traffic jams issue, web research is just the first step in exploring the problem.

The next step is introducing ethnographic research (spotless.co.uk, 20xx). This will broaden the views of the active researchers and will give insights in the problem that were not expected at first glance. The difficulty of this method is that generally, it is too expensive and time consuming to fully immerse into the perceivable world of the subjects. However, the nature of the traffic problem creates an opportunity to conduct long term studies. This means that not only we, the research team, can observe the subject in traffic jams but we, working as researchers, can also perform daily ‘a day in the life’ experiments by simply commuting to our own work space assuming that we work in Belgium.

We conduct this experiment by studying road user behaviour inspired on the EUs UDRIVE project (Van Nes & Curbelo, par. 7). This method can document emotions, active real life situations and reactions of the subjects.

We use ethnography in this stage to dig deeper into the problem but also to check the stated problems in the articles found in the web searches. Do we understand the drivers correctly? Can we actively observe them in daily life ? How do others feel about them? We use all this information to further develop our understanding of the problem.

We present all these findings in an paper and use the peer review method for our research validation. This way we generate a good overview of the insights that we have gathered up to this point. We will use single-blind and double-blind review at the same time (Elsevier, par. 6-8). The double-blind review is used to communicate and validate information with researchers active in the same field. Because it is double-blind, the bias of the investigator is limited so the article is reviewed on the basis of the content. We use the single-blind review to communicate our findings with the stakeholders.

For the internal stakeholders we make sure that the findings are published on the internet with the intention of provoking a reaction of the Belgian people. This way the people can give their uncensored view on the published consensus of the problem.

For the external stakeholders we use a press release where the group of influencers are also invited.

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“UDRIVE allows researchers to assess drivers’ behaviour in real traffic conditions”

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Brief and specification ADJUSTED PROBLEM DEFENITION

To start the exploration, we began with an literature review. We have immersed ourselves in the real life experiences and to limit our own bias it’s important to examine the numbers behind all these findings. We go looking for studies adopted in the past and check if there are any alignments with our findings. If we find new unexpected factors we take these along in the next steps.

Two of the most important research methods that should be implemented here are surveys and interviews. People confronted with the problem of losing time in traffic jams is the majority of the Belgian population and their voices should be heard. By conducting a series of questionnaires about the subproblems and other findings we gathered in previous steps, we look for consistency in the feedback of the subjects to know what the internal stakeholder really think. When several rounds of these questionnaires are conducted we switch to interviews to get more qualitative information. By these interviews we will double check our insights in order to overcome misinterpretation of the first outcomes of the surveys. In this step it is also possible to gather more useful information about the different factors.

In parallel, while the surveys and interviews are being conducted, a new web research is undertaken. This time we will look for possible solutions in other countries or how they approach the problems. In a next step we can use these examples to generate possible solutions for our Belgian problem. Trend spotting can also give an insight on how people search for alternatives. By looking for what is popular behaviour we can map what people are willing to do to avoid the traffic problems.

With all previous steps we can make a cause and effect diagram to visualise subproblems and further define our main problem. This is a crucial moment because the following steps in the design process will continue on what the adjusted problem definition states. After all this work, a design brief can be made. This is a document that explains the backbone of the project. This is not only a summary of the project at this point, it will also be used to guide a research team to develop possible solutions for the future.

The brief will define the project and its stakeholders. It will state the objectives and limitations of the project and serves as a red line through further development

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“As a socially oriented research method, it captures real-life data in a social setting”

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Concept design FINDING POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

With a clear design brief we can start developing possible solutions. The design brief is communicated to a focus group consisting of specific selected people. On the one hand these people are chosen by Belgians who filled out the questionnaires and who were interviewed (the voice of the subjects) and on the other hand they need to represent researchers and external stakeholders. This means that a team will be formed of politicians, construction giants, architects, sociologists, structural engineers etc. meaning it will be an interdisciplinary project. By integrating their knowledge and methods from different disciplines, more useful possible solutions can be defined. Despite the high cost due to the labour cost of the experts, if this step is done well, it can be very very efficient.

Mind mapping of the solutions generated by the focus group can give an idea of what is possible within a realistic settings. We can divide them into groups and give each group a certain focus approach. These focussed approaches will be communicated with the focus group to test the willingness, popularity and devotion of the people for these solutions.

This information will be poured into an matrix together with the ratings of the focus group and possible investors that might fund the project.

The evaluation of the matrix will define what are feasible solutions within the society and should be tested in the field. We have come a long way since the start of the project and have enough information to initiate enthusiasm and/or possible profitable solutions that can be prototyped by investors.

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Design development TESTING OF THE WORKING PROTOTYPES

In this stage the ideas are developed to the prototype stage. The selected ideas, translated into prototype solutions, will be tested by the developers and the car drivers. When testing with the drivers, it’s important that every aspect is evaluated. We can accomplish this by photo and video diaries. The prototype solutions will be tested intensively to make sure that there are no unexpected errors and that the concept that was envisioned is realistic. When testing a service or product for the traffic jams in Belgium, huge investments will be needed to test properly. Not only does new innovation in the biggest industry in the world costs dearly, the tests will require large testing areas for completely new interaction systems between mobility vehicles.

When these prototypes are fully tested, a new matrix will be made so the best one can be chosen to develop even further. There is also a possibility that there are multiple outcomes where more than one solution is effective. In that case the choice can be made to develop several concepts where different investors can chose their preferred concept.

When you do a web research about mobility prototypes and innovations, there are some concepts that go beyond the ‘normal’ world of mobility. These concepts are still being developed and will require user testing when the prototypes are finished.

For example this is a concept being developed by Hyundai in partnership with Uber. To test a concept like this successfully they will need permission from a city with enough stations. This also asks for enormous investments.

Modular mobility concept being tested https://www.next-future-mobility.com/

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This is a concept being developed by Hyundai in partnership with Uber. To test a concept like this successfully they will need permission from a city and enough stations. This is asks for enormous investments.

Autonomous multipurpouse vehicle concept www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWgp4E9Mwk0

GHENT UNIVERSITY

Detail design & Production THE FINAL STEPS TO PRODUCTION

In this phase the most probable solution is defined. The solution itself will be tested even more and all separate aspects of the design will be explored and further developed into realistic products and/or services.

When developing a solution for traffic jams of the problem of mobility in general, the outcomes can be endless. The solution can be a product or a service, and even the two combined.

To give an idea a few possibilities are mentioned. The solutions that are presented today are still in the testing and approval phase, examples are the air taxis from Nissan that would be used by Uber to transport the people. Also the hyperloop from Tesla is an out of the box project that could be the result of a methodical approach on the design problem.

Conclusion This paper provides a methodology guide to explore the problem of traffic jams in Belgium and explores some research techniques to develop solutions. The selection of the methods and steps to be used are well considered in order to avoid bias of any kind and to capture the experiences of the car drivers as accurate as possible.

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Addex SOURCES

In order of appearance

Traffic jams article the guarian: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/aug/28/belgium-worst-traffic-europe-brussels-antwerp-congestion#comment-40045533 Traffic jams VRT: h tt p s : / / w w w.v r t . b e / v r t n w s /e n / 2 0 1 2 / 0 6 / 2 1 / t ra f f i c _ j a m _ m i s e r y b i g ge st i n b e l gium-1-1339870/ Ethnographic research: https://www.spotless.co.uk/insights/ethnography-when-and-how/ Observation technique in cars: https://www.itsinternational.com/categories/detection-monitoring-machine-vision/features/observing-driver-behaviour-in-real-traffic-condition/ Peer review: https://www.elsevier.com/reviewers/what-is-peer-review How to use focus groups: https://www.thoughtco.com/use-focus-groups-in-research-3026533 How to write an design brief: https://www.upwork.com/hiring/design/how-to-create-an-effective-creative-brief/ Hyundai flying taxi: https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/6/21048373/hyundai-flying-car-uber-air-taxi-ces-2020