Adam Little @ CIID

SMS Your Drinks - drink delivery service

Caribbian is a bar in Copenhagen that offers a unique service - they deliver cocktails! Three things that Copenhagen has a plethora of are green parks, cargo bicycles and people drinking outdoors. This service brings all of those together through the use of mobile phones. Just text your drink order to the number above (i.e. 2 liters of frozen margaritas) and then find the delivery man who arrives on a cargo bicycle throughout the day at the city’s most popular parks.

No matter how nicely I asked my pizza delivery man in Philadelphia to deliver some beer with my food, he just would not do it. So not only does this service highlight how awesome Denmark is, it is a nice example of mobile technology as a business use in an urban setting.

I will continue to post observations, inspirations and anything else that I come across in the city or online which may be relevant to urban computing, one of the domains of my final project

IDEO created these three video scenarios to communicate some of the user experiences made possible by Intel’s advancements in ultra-mobile PC technology. Although Intel is not in the business of making products like the ones depicted, it is in their best interest to show companies that are (i.e. Sony, Samsung, etc.) what is possible with Intel’s chips.

I am posting this because I think it is a good example of a typical “future scenario” video that focuses on consumer technologies and user experiences.

I will continue to post videos related to future visions and scenarios, one of the domains of my final project

Fitness club ad in the Netherlands, image from unpressablebuttons.com

This fitness club advertisement displays the weight of whoever is sitting on the bust stop bench, reminding them (or possibly shaming them) to think about exercise. It is another example of real-time data and public displays.

One of the most cliché of urban computing scenarios is the Minority Report style targeted advertising, but how can you can realistically change a billboard to meet the needs of one person in a group of people (without wearing a special eyeball)? I like that this does the opposite by singling out a person in a group of people, with the expectation that everyone is looking.

Via Unpressable Buttons

The scene in question from Minority Report

The Networked Omniscient (2006) by Evan Allen & Matthew Worsnick

I am also reminded of The Networked Omniscient (2006) by Evan Allen & Matthew Worsnick, in which they re-imagine Times Square filled with advertisements based on real-time data. For example, an NYPD advertisement that reads “There’s a Glock G-34 pistol crossing 44th Street. We’re on it.” Another billboard (sorry for the bad image) advertises a taxi company by reminding an individual of a flight they have later in the day.

I will continue to post observations, inspirations and anything else that I come across in the city or online which may be relevant to urban computing, one of the domains of my final project

Copenhagen cyclists counter

While walking around town tonight I passed this on H.C. Andersens Boulevard, a display that was recently installed which shows the number of cyclists passing by. Red numbers indicate cyclists who passed by that day and blue is a running total for the year. A small sensor placed a few meters before the display changes numbers each time a bicycle rides over it. And according to the Copenhagenize blog, there is a SIM-card in the counter so the information is automatically sent to the City of Copenhagen’s Center for Traffic. Also worth mentioning is that next to the counter is a free pump for your tires!

This is a good example of real-time data and public displays, but it would be great to give these numbers some sort of context… How many cars have passed by? How does today’s number compare to the daily average? What data can the Center for Traffic send back to this display. Anyway, this was taken around 7pm and roughly, almost 7000 cyclists had passed by? 14,000 if you estimate the other side of the street. Well done Copenhagen!

I will continue to post observations, inspirations and anything else that I come across in the city or online which may be relevant to urban computing, one of the domains of my final project

Early morning chat and breakfast to share ideas about thesis

Still frighteningly vague given that this project is due at the end of August, but here it is anyway…

I want my thesis to …

I want my thesis to explore the social contexts of emerging technologies as they play out in people’s everyday lives. I want to emphasise the everyday by keeping my exploration grounded in reality through a process of user research and analysis. My research will look at the present and recent past so that I can ask questions about the future. At the same time I want to investigate the roles of scenarios, fictional narratives and storytelling as a means of exploring given contexts and communicating design concepts.

I’m interested in/inspired by…

I am interested in the behavioural effects of adopting new technologies and how this changes peoples everyday lives over time. I am also inspired by the creative uses of technology, new appropriations and the opportunities these create to help people improve their lives.

I am interested in new technologies and areas of research around the topic of urban computing, which explores the role of ubiquitous computing and networks in urban environments. Such new areas include locative media, location aware devices and participatory sensing.

It is important that this project involves itself with a context, user group or set of values that interests me personally. For example, how technology can support autonomy, spontaneity or mobility while also strengthening relationships, personal networks and communication. More examples include Copenhagen, cycling, empowerment, travel, community building, poor, disabled, exploration, etc..

During my thesis I would like to challenge myself in…

I would like to challenge myself in the early stages of the design process that we have been exploring throughout the year, which include user research, design vision, identifying problems & opportunities and visualising concepts through scenarios, personas and storytelling.

This is the first post in a new category called THESIS. Although our thesis projects will not officially begin until the end of April, we have spent the past week getting introduced to this project through brainstorming, first as a group and then individually. We have also spent the week getting inspired (or scared or confused) through visits by five Interaction Designers here in Copenhagen. Each one was a graduate from the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea and presented hir or her thesis project, process, learning and answered our questions. Their projects were indeed inspiring but also intimidating as they had a year devoted to their thesis while we only have 4 months.

Anyway, we ended this week by submitting a general statement of intent. Here is mine:

I want my thesis to …

I would like to strike a balance between strong technological innovation and a clearly defined user context. I would like my thesis to unmistakably be the work of an Interaction Designer.

Also: Provide a strong portfolio piece relevant for finding a job, address a socially pertinent subject, meet the needs of a specific user group, explore an emerging technological platform, place more emphasis on a system or service than object and hopefully have the potential for a life beyond September!

I’m interested in/inspired by…

In terms of people, I would be interested in exploring the needs of adults with developmental disabilities or disadvantaged people in Cambodia. I have a strong support network and personal experience with each group and believe they are both rich with interesting challenges. Most importantly, they would inspire me on a personal level.

Technological platforms I would be interested in using are the mobile web, XO laptop, embedded sensors & real time data, networked objects and gestural interfaces.

Thematically I am interested in looking at high tech systems in rural or underdeveloped areas. Also how technology can support autonomy, spontaneity and mobility while also strengthening relationships, personal networks and communication.

Two student projects I have been recently inspired by are Pigeon (service that allows people with limited technology to stay in touch over long distances) and Intocontext (system for entrepreneurs in Africa to upload their profiles directly to kiva.org via multi media text messaging). Each of these projects make use of existing systems, were based on user insights and place the emphasis on a technology enabled service as opposed to device. They are also designed for user groups that technology is not often designed for.

During my thesis I would like to challenge myself in…

I would like to challenge myself not just in areas that need improvement (i.e. sketching, physical prototyping and computer programming) but also in areas I am particularly interested in pursuing on a professional level. These include user research, concept visualization and early design stages (information architecture, system diagrams, etc.).

My comfort zone and what I want to explore outside my comfort zone looks like…