Designers have to spend time with their users to understand their needs and create products/services/systems that meet those needs. Observation is a great way to start getting to know more about your end-users. In this activity, you will spend time in Cambridge Square observing the people and the places potentially impacted by your forthcoming design intervention. Make sure you take notes and pictures to best capture what you witnessed on your site-user observation walk.
Time Estimate: 30 Minutes
Instructions
Step 1: Observation
Because time is tight in this studio you will be put into teams right away. With your partner, explore Central Square and take note of your observations. On this walk, focus on both the site (Cambridge Square) and its users (the people utilizing the space/the individuals and community).
On your walk, be on the lookout for:
- Elements that surprise you
- Issues/problems that stand out
- Behaviors of people in the area (do you notice any interesting patterns?)
- Emotional responses (frustrations, sadness, joy, excitement, nostalgia, etc.)
Using the map and walking through Central Square, choose one site in Central Square where you want to intervene. Sketch what you see, hear, touch, smell, and simply find interesting and exciting things.
Examples of site observations:
- Use of public spaces and how they are "shared" by different populations
- Various groups/crowds moving at specific times (student commutes) or any other crowd behaviors
- Advantageous locations for food exchange (near grocery store/community garden)
- Stark contrasts in the environment (manicured parks v. construction zones)
- Presence (or absence of) places of rest/comfort
Step 2: Documentation / Site Identification
After you've made some observations and taken notes. Select 3 possible locations for your food-sharing intervention. Take photos of the sites you've identified.
Step 3: Debrief
When you return, find another group and debrief about your site walk. Share your observations and potential site options.