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A little late on reporting from the workshop last week: Jack Schulze&Matt Webb showed us some real good methods to define design concepts, and to “breath life” into them by communicating the experiences the user might have and that will define the product for them (Matt used the example of unboxing a product.Some brands, like Apple, have managed to make that into an experience worthy of telling your friends about…).

experience-hooks-presentation

I found it really hard, but very helpful, to twist my head into imagining my project as a finished, established product, and the method certainly showed me how abstract my ideas still are…

The feedback I got was sure enough that I had to define my project. For the workshop, I had pursued an idea of making the concept a orienteering-based game about collecting pictures in the city, but I had not actually looked at the gaming itself, and that was realy those moments I should have presented in an engaging way. And it was also pointed out that I should be better at capitalising on the images taken. So I want to be more visual from now on.

Schulze&Webb´s approach to engaging design seems to be allot about branding the products in a way. Not as in logotypes and marked strategies, but about establishing believable product-worlds that shows what the product is all about. And sure enough it seems like product design and branding are melting more and more into each other, with service and product overlapping (think about the way the iPhone ad´s are instruction manuals or is it vice verca?). Enough ranting, needles to say the workshop was a great new insight to making engaging products. Now it reamins to do it…

Ad suported bikes goes to US

Oh happy monday! We have started this week with a lecture by creative design consultancy Schulze& Webb. As stated on ther web-site, they are “working hands-on with companies to research and develop their technologies and strategy, primarily by finding opportunities in networks and physical things.” Very interesting projects! Check out their Availabot (which is a figure that represents on of your friends on messenger), or if you are as enthustiastic about radio as me, the Olinda digital radio that lets you share your listening with your friends (that is a dedicated switch lets you tune in to whatever your best friend is listening to). You will see their insight to engaging interactions.

Fortunately, they are also holding a workshop for us these three days, to help us better define what the projects are about.

Our first task was to make a product statement for our project. And after several iterations and some well focused tutoring I have decided to explore my project as a game. So for the moment, my statement sounds something like this :

• myView is a game that lets you compete with your friends, collecting images around the city, using a bicycle with a memory.
• 
  

Further we were asked to describe the experience hooks that are found in the products. These are the moments that the user will remember and tell stories about. Mine are:

• Discovering the game
• Looking for your motive
• Choosing when to take a picture
• Taking a picture
• Finding your picture
• Receiving rapports on your activity

More interesting reading from that excellent City of Sound: Transport informatics 

A survey covering ongoing projects about transport systems and data logging, just up my alley! I´m inspired to read about the effect these projects can have, and the importance of a good visualised web end.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.  9. 

1:Find your card, 2: Register, 3: The depot delegates your bike, 4: Retrieve your bike. 5: Pack your baggage, 6: Adjust the seat, 7: Mount the bike, 8: Ride to your destination, 9: Replace the bike at a free spot

The sequence of borrowing a bike on the existing system.The interactions are simple and well explained. Of course, one needs to know where to find the bike depots in the depart and destination areas. 

On the occasion of an empty bike depot when you need a bike or vice versa, a full bike depot when you wish to deliver a bike you will have the possibility to find the status of the five nearest bike-depots in the area.

A video of the interaction:

The last few weeks, my project has focused on the citybike as a place for social engagement and interaction. 

My early research was much about information in the city, “the local” and social theory. I wanted to investigate what common grounds could be designed for the individuals in the local areas. The point I have come to is to use the citybikes as a tool for mapping the city, and the local areas in the city. As I have said before, I consider the citybikes to be a resource far beyond mere means for transportation. They engage people to move, discover new places and there is an underlying feeling of community around the system.

So why exactly do we need citybikes to map the city  ?  I believe there is a huge potential in taking the viewpoint of the daily stroller or commuter in the city. Following Guy Debord´s concept of Dérive, the system would let the camera drift through the city, shooting footage from new angles.  

 Practically, the bikes would be equipped with camera, GPS module, some data storage, an RFID reader, power, and a possibly a LED for feedback.  

Three concepts that explore the potential:

 1. ClearChannel as a service provider: 

 Clear channel as the owner of the city bikes, have equipped the bikes with the necessary equipment to take pictures as the bikes are used. The user will have to activate the camera, but other than that she can maintain passive to the system. The footage is mashed on-top of maps, as an alternative to Google´s street view.

 2. The citybikes as a tool for expression: 

The camera is activated at certain locations throughout the city. The user must pas by to activate the camera, but will then have some photos/video at her disposal. The camera can be triggered while riding the bike. The footage is shared at a website, and the bicycles have dedicated identities, so that you can get the footage from your bike.

 3. The bicycling as motivated activity:  

Looking at Materials 

 

 Prototyping

I´m also looking at what the system could bring of actually interesting footage. This is of course vital for the success and must be thoroughly explored. 

And some more video footage: