Week 6 Log – Storyboard
For the second part of this lesson, we decided what sketches and ideas would help bring our idea forward. We manifested this through a storyboard which depicted a theoretical, step-by-step process. It stems from the Newcastle City Council meeting where the main issue was addressed and the project discussed. We then looked at the official cycle lane plan to see what the council has done so far and how we can implement it to achieve our goals. Furthermore, we met with Ali Lamb who explained the whole procedure, we then began our group project and drew up our idea, along with its objectives and identified the surrounding issues such as stakeholders and opposition. This can all be seen on our hand-drawn storyboard.
Final Idea
Through a long and insightful process of discussing and drawing up ideas, we collaboratively decided on a final concept for our NUTC project. The aims of the project were to advertise a new and extended cycling route for all and ultimately to convince residents and stakeholders of the advantages of this project and bring the issues surrounding it to a larger scale.
With this in mind we came up with a solid project – a series of digital, interactive sign posts for cyclists, drivers and pedestrians on Heaton Road. The way this would work is that the digital screen would display informative facts about the advantages of cycling for the environment and and show this to passers by so they can gain awareness of the positives it brings.
Our digital sign would be one of many, in different locations around Heaton Road (for increased exposure) and have a multicoloured digital face. It will display text as well as the twitter feed from our #thumbsupheaton campaign. In order to increase awareness of our project idea, this will be accompanied by a side project where we will create advertisements to promote this before the signs are introduced so people are aware of them coming – through leaflets, paper posters in the local area as well as Facebook adverts.
Space for Heaton meeting
Apart from this we have also met with Mark and Julie. They gave us some more input about the project as well as explained the whole vision, which among other things is to connect the lower parts near Byker to High Heaton through a cycle route. As shown on the map, this cycle route runs through Heaton Road, which makes it a part of a “much bigger thing” that would promote future development in this area. After the meeting we decided that NUTC’s job is to inform the general public about the advantages with this vision, i.e the decrease of air pollution rates of the area, reduction of traffic congestion, improvement of health, offer of safe travel for children, elderly and disabled.
Next weeks plan
Our plan for next week is to start prototyping, as we feel satisfied with our ideas presented on the storyboard. We will also continue to search for project examples that are similar to our proposal. One of the main projects we want to look into are Vote with your feet and Vote as you go from Australia.
Hello. Thanks for the post. It sounds like you are taking the right steps. In terms of the storyboard have a look at our feedback there and perhaps also read the article on storyboarding best practice from our seminar. The storyboard would mostly indicate the narrative of the eventually proposed service, so perhaps consider whether that would mean you as a team needing to be depicted there, or if perhaps you would come in a different kind of capacity. Also consider to show us more about what the users would do in context, so with any of the digital interactive devices in the road themselves. Onwards.
It seems like you have synthesised and distilled all of the information you’ve received over the last few weeks into your storyboards – good work on this. I think your idea is neat and I can clearly see how you’ve built it up over the course of our teaching. I like how you are thinking about multi channel engagement too (e.g. posters). So well done and keep it up.