Log week 7
Sketch and Explanation of Prototype
This week, we began to prototype our design. From our storyboard we decided to visualize the interactive screens. The plan is to place them on traffic lights so that both pedestrians and car-users will be able to get involved with this project. Our prototype illustrates how a participant approaches one of a number of signs, that will be placed along Heaton Road. As mentioned in last week’s log the signs will display facts or tweets advocating cycling as a mode of transportation. The participant would then make a thumbs up or down, depending whether the participant likes the text that is being shown on the sign or not. Sensors on the sign would then register the thumbs up or down through Infrared & Motion Sensors and then, depending on whether the participant responses with a thumbs up or down, will lead to the #thumbsupheaton hashtag or a different cycle fact.
Extended research
This week we also looked further into research relating to our project. We wanted to find some examples that we could directly get information from. We looked into the Australian vote with your feet project, which helped us to think more about the type of interaction with the public we will have. We have found many different projects that use the same type of sensory technology although not as many that focus on the thumbs approach.
This example uses hand gestures to control electronic devices, we partially can take inspiration from this as we need to the hand gestures to be able to read and control our signposts.
Cycle facts
These are some of the facts we plan to use on our sign posts:
Environment
- Bike riding uses minimal fossil fuels and is a pollution-free mode of transport. https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Travel-and-transport/Cycling/Benefits.aspx [Accessed 19-03-2019]
Traffic congestion
- Around 8000 vehicles are using the street each day which will contribute to high levels of noise and air pollution. https://www.spaceforheaton.com/category/traffic-data/ [Accessed 19-03-2019]
- During rush hour, you are 5-8 mph faster than motorised vehicles. https://www.bikecitizens.net/cycling-most-efficient-mode-of-transport/ [Accessed 19-03-2019]
Health
- You get 9-12 times more exposed to pollution inside a car than outside. https://www.google.se/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/12/children-risk-air-pollution-cars-former-uk-chief-scientist-warns [Accessed 12-03-2019]
- 30% of school-aged children face obesity in Heaton, cycling could help alleviate this. (Space for Heaton, 2019)
Economy
- The average cost to drive a car in the UK is £3500 a year, a bike can be as little as £100
Safety
- Motorists adjust their behaviour in the presence of people cycling and are less likely to hit cyclists and pedestrians when there are more people cycling or walking. https://ecf.com/groups/safety-numbers-more-walkers-and-bicyclists-safer-walking-and-bicycling [Accessed 19-03-2019]
What we will use to prototype our sign-posts
- Pen and paper – early stages
- Research & findings
- Inspiration from previously created websites e.g.
- Potentially we will use Balsamiq
- Slideshow
- Motion and infrared sensor technology
Next week’s aims
- To carry on with our prototyping ideas and to hopefully begin to give roles within the group for prototyping so our tasks are all organised
- For our storyboarding to all be completed
- To have clear target users
- To get our drawings into one big concept which will be our final digital concept
Thanks for the update. I see the extra research will be useful for the content in the eventual prototype. Your storyboard is quite helpful in understanding the basic idea and interaction that you will support. Here are a few questions to consider further: Is there a way for me to leave details along with my vote when voting via the public display board? What happens if I was an older person afraid of rapidly moving cycles and I don’t support cycling because of a fear they take up pedestrian space? Will I be trapped in an endless cycle of facts advocating the merits of cycling? Will there be a way to share concerns and contribute them to the decision making process somehow? In terms of the app’s information design, you seem to have two concepts: that of a vote or response; and that of the ‘informational fact’. Consider how they could come together to form useful insights. I’d also be interested to understand who contributes facts on cycling and whether you could also try to create some ‘facts’ from the views people put in locally?
Hi team, thanks for the extra detail about your prototyping here. I like how you are now forming a clear message in the form of your hashtag and are voluntarily conducting extra research to bolster your ideas further. You have a really good command of your project and what needs to happen next – but then again I think that has been there from the start with you! Plus gesture command is certainly going to be a massive growth area in home tech / Internet of Things so to think about how it could be used outdoors is really quite ahead of the curve. Sebastian has given you plenty of questions to think about so I will not add to these, but I will just say that I would like to know your thoughts on safety. How will you ensure that it will be a safe intervention and not distract or confuse road users, particularly with it being attached to traffic lights? I’m sure if you were to identify how you might work closely with Highways at the City Council to install them, or show us how / if this has been trialled successfully elsewhere, that may go some way towards addressing this. Whilst I think it’s neat, I would also be open to the idea of not placing them on traffic lights for the above reasons and thinking of other ways you could place them. Safety shouldn’t be an afterthought as I believe it’s integral to the use scenario and sustainability of your proposed tech. Good work!