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Citizen Interaction Design / User Interview / Ideation 

Spokespeople: helping cyclists record incidents on the road

Spokespeople is a digital system for cyclists that makes it simple to record incidents and experiences while riding their bikes. The system consists of a low-cost Bluetooth button mounted on bike handlebars, and an app that allows people to describe their experiences of the route they’ve just taken. The mapping software is built on Make Place, an open-source mapping system developed in the Lab.
Learn More about the Research [︎︎︎]
My Role
Audience Interview
Feature Ideation
Wireframe Design

Outcome
1. User Interview and Analysis
2. Design Concept and Wireframes


Background

Just 2% of Newcastle residents cycle to work - and with barriers such as safety and a lack of infrastructure, it’s not hard to see why. Researchers from Open Lab sought to change this, by looking into how digital technology and data can help make cycling in Newcastle a better experience. Sepcifically the project is concerned with how people can make visible their everyday cycling experiences, enabling them to collect data and lobby the city council for changes?

This research work overall centers around citizen generated data in hope to enable local people and communities to collecting evidence to inform and make visible issues which are generally hidden from public consciousness.

There are a few areas this project focuses on to help create impact and bring change to this work moving forward:
1.  Research Engagement
2. Data storytelling
3. Design Concept

Process
1. Research Team Discussion
2. User Interview
3. Affinity Diagram
4. Design

How it works

This system leverages digital technology and community engagement to enhance urban cycling experiences. Through a combination of user-friendly hardware, a mobile application, and a participatory website, the Spokespeople system creates a feedback loop between cyclists and city planners, with the aim of making cycling safer and more enjoyable in the city Newcastle.

Project Goals

This portion of the research project interested in:
1. Supporting dialogue between citizens regarding the issues raised by data collection
2. Promoting further engagement with issues raised by existing users of the technologies eg. increasing engagement of existing users with collected data
3. Promoting prioritisation of the issues identified through citizen data collection


User Interview

Goal:  Acquire user perspective & understanding towards potiential areas of change on the website.
We conducted 6 inteview participants who personally using bike to get around the city. And have them review the website design by going through interaction scenarios. This process revealed a few improvement areas on the design and ways to ideate around what can the site focus on in the next steps. 
Key Insights
 1. Map Clarification
2. Route Making for Cyclists
3. Creating a Personal Narrative
4. Using Data & Links for Action
5. Physical Engagement in Newcastle

User Flow



Idea Brainstorm


After organizing the results of the interviews, we see data storytelling as an important part of moving forward. Both the online website data and the changes to the city's public biking accommodations offline are dependent on a better presentation of the data at the individual and public level.


Design Wireframe

1.  Color and Legend Filters
2. Provide Data Context to Personal and Collective Data Points  
Through the conversation and review data context was one of the area that people desire to have more clearity that they can both understand the issue also what happened. In the wireframe the design build on existing data type(GPS location, time, issue type and description), and explore new presentation style that emphasis on the issue context in both public and personal account desktop views.

3. Link Data to Action
Driving effective action is the goal for this research project. For the information collected and published, the site could consider providing a display of information about the issue collection, with links to the collected issues and locations. This would provide some clues and demonstrations of actions that could be implemented.


4.  Physical Engagement in Newcastle

Credits
Project Scope
User Interview 
    Feature Ideation
Time
2 Weeks

Team
   Aare Puussaar
   Thomas Maskell
   Alania Creager
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