Category: User requirements

Young Planners Engagement – Week 3

After the first two weeks of setting our goals, meeting our client for the first time, working out the links between stakeholders and getting prepared for an interview, it was time to get the project really moving in a direction which we were all happy and comfortable with.

On the 19th October, the group went to meet 3 members of the Youth Council alongside their mentor. We had taken aboard comments and advice about the questions we were going to ask so we were confident with what we had prepared. We opened the meeting by asking if it was ok to audio record to make sure we had all the information we needed and didn’t miss anything if we wanted to go back and check details. Each member of the group introduced ourselves and we started off by talking to the members of the Youth Council about the plot of land in Murton and what they felt was needed in the future for the area to strive, looking at a map showing North Tyneside and the existing services. The user representatives were very aware on the matter of green space and keeping it protected as much as possible. They also commented on the existing road systems and how they thought some new roads connecting Murton to Monkseaton would be beneficial as the new houses that the developers are planning to build will need road links to help tie together the new built homes and services. Leisure centres and swimming pools were talked about briefly to give the community some recreational use as there are no existing establishments in close proximity. The other topic mentioned was ‘allotments’ and the high demand in North Tyneside for the spaces. As it was commented that the community members wanting an allotment would have to wait several years on the waiting list, so looking to include these would be a massive positive for the community.

The meeting progressed really well and it flowed naturally, we tried to work from our question structure and linked it making it more personal to the clients. The user representatives started telling us about their roles and how they got into it. It was really beneficial as we learnt how it was all voluntary and due to an interest in helping their community and the rewarding feeling they all got. Something we felt was an important issue, was that the Youth Council felt unheard and didn’t have a voice when involved with the developers. We asked about their communication and were informed about the lack of it and how they never engaged with the youth council. The interview then naturally developed through talking about communication to how the use of modern technology affects our lives and how they used it and what did they use it for. It was the turning point in the interview as we started talking about how reliant on phones and technology people are nowadays. It was a key comment about how each of the user representatives all agreed that young people would be more involved in planning and the process it goes through if it was communicated easily through technology and smartphones. It was the confirmation we needed to know that the clients were on the same page as us.

After discussing various ways to get young people more involved with the use of technology, a couple of ideas arose. For example, it was mentioned about QR codes and how it would be easier for someone to just scan in the code to read the information later in their own time rather than stand on a street in the cold trying to read a piece of paper, in which we all agreed it was a much more efficient way to deliver information. This followed on with discussions about the engagement levels and making a product that was quick and easy to use, that could be visually pleasing and straightforward to make choices and voice your opinions.

We were really happy with what we had learnt in the interview and just how aware these young planners were. It was very beneficial and each of us took a lot away from the meeting with multiple ideas about how we are going to move forward and start to think about possibilities of technological products to make the young people of North Tyneside more involved in the planning process.

 

Interview template for Walker

Our interview based research we have focused on talking with local pro-community organisations leaders, as they know the realities of local community and troubles that organisations face.

 

(Welcome), we are 2nd Stage students at Newcastle University. We are currently working on a project named ‘Walker Creative Neighbourhood’. Our aim is to gather the Walker community together and encourage pro-community organisations
co-operation. We would like to develop a set of tools for the community that will help them to organise and support themselves. We assume that after short time after the project has been implemented the people, who are interested in actively participating in their community’s life will be content creators as well, most likely under supervision of moderators (who would also be part of the community). Initiative will help promoting events, education and volounteering opportunities. The project could also include promoting local businesses, entrepreneurship, and also potentially recruitment and freelance opportunities. This project is meant to help community in Walker, thus we would like to ask you a few questions to better understand the community itself.

 

 

  1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
  2. Can you tell us what is the role of your organisation for the people in Walker?
  3. What is your role in the organisation? (unless covered in point 1.)
  4. Which kinds of people do commonly get involved in volunteering for your organisation?
  5. Can you tell us, as far as you are concerned, what is the profile of current volounteers in Walker?
  6. What is current ‘volounteering atmosphere’ in Walker (how people think and feel like about volounteering)?
  7. What challenges does your organisation face to reach out to local individuals, who could volunteer?
  8. How do you think is the best way to inspire people to develop themselves, participate in various activities and volounteer in Walker?
  9. What do you think is the best way to bring up connection between communities in Walker?
  10. How do you think is the best way to encourage cooperation between various organisations present in walker?
  11. What do you think would be the best way to promote/advertise volounteering and other activities?
  12. What could be the best way to reach people with our initiative in walker?
  • A)if digital, what about the people who don’t have access to computers/smartphones, what is the best way to reach to them?
  • B) if digital, how can we also engage people who lack IT skills, i.e. the elderly?
  1. Are there any education projects that you are aware of in Walker?
  • if yes, how do they benefit local communites, how they should be promoted?
  1. How do you think our initiative should be funded?
  2. What do you think the role of local buisnesses should be in this project?
  • how could we encourage them for social reinvestment?
  1. Alice drew our attention to the mapping of organisations and buisnesses in Walker. How do you imagine a map like that should look like, and what features for the users should it include?
  • A)Also, how users should be able to interact with it?
  • B)Should mapping be more stiff – limited to the Walker only, or more relaxed, allowing users to see map’ content beyond Walker, which could be helpful to them?
  1. What do you think the role of local authorities should be in the initiative (or perhaps they shouldn’t participate at all)?
  2. Do you have any other propositions or comments?

interview schedule for air quality group

Interview schedule

This morning, Ben and me are meeting with Peter who has lived in Gosforth a long time and works with people like RNIB (which is to support people with sight less). The meeting will be to discuss the SPACE group and what they have done. What can we learn from the interview about the digital methodS to solve problems. Below is a brief plan for the interview.

Introduction to us

Thank you for inviting us, we are students in newcastle university stage 2. We have a project which is the air quality activism in busy congestion high streets. Our goal is to make the data accessible to the public and increase community awareness and support for self-managed air quality control. We are therefore inviting Peter to our interview to know more about the area and some groups which relevant to the air quality.

Interview

  1. Can you briefly explain what is SPACE and RNIB?
    • What they have done in Gosforth with specific questions?
    • What role does Peter play in groups?
  2. What challenges do you feel Gosforth high street faces from different parts like environment, transport, business, local residents?
    • How do you personally think these issues should be solved?
  3. Do you feel the existing Air Quality Action Plan that from council in May 2011 has been effective?
    • If no, why has it not been effective?
  4. Have you ever used digital engagement methods?
    • If no, what is your opinion on using digital engagement methods?
    • If yes, what method was used and did it work? How many people were involved in using this method?
  5. As you works with people in RNBI, will the disabled community engage with any existing digital engagement methods?
    • If no, why they can not be engaged in or they are not willing to engaged in?
    • If yes, what challenges are facing the community in accessing different data including air quality?
    • How have the local community helped in anyway to allow easy access?
    • How would you believe what is the best or most effective method of engagement for the disabled community?
  6. What kind of people do you have in Space (occupation)? How do they be engaged within the group? How do they engage with other members of the community?
    • How does Space get feedback from the public?
    • Is there any difference for different age groups of people in the community?
  7. Are there any groups of the population SPACE does not currently engaged with?
    • Do you think people want to get involved with the issue of air quality in Gosforth if they are given the opportunity?
    • Are there issues Space are having to overcome to engage local people?
  8. Given the choice of a Smartphone App, Interactive Display on the high street, Emails, Website, Newspaper or any ideas of your own. Which would most likely engage you with air pollution in Gosforth High St and What is also the best for the disabled?

The end

Thank you.