Becca Smith

goals

• Use participatory research and design methodologies to understand challenges in the local community

• Brainstorm, prototype and test possible solutions to the identified problem area: How might we improve communication, understanding and respect between commuters to increase safety of actors on the road in Cambridge?

outcomes

• Prototypes were developed for a tool to cultivate communication and dialogue between bikers and drivers: inspired by the Humans of New York blog, Humans in Motion combines portrait photography with excerpts from different actors' narratives of their experiences driving and/or biking in Cambridge. Two iterations of physical prototypes were made and shared for feedback.

• A research brief was produced, containing information gained through secondary research, stakeholder interviews, observation and immersion, and on the exploration of the solution space and possible future work.

role

Team member; researcher, designer.
Collaborators: James Addison, Roxanne Rahnama

location

MIT Media Lab; Cambridge, MA

timeframe

September-December 2016

process

During the semester-long graduate class Technology and Social Change, our team coalesced around the topic of bicycle safety in Cambridge. We conducted secondary research, stakeholder interviews, observation at key intersections for bikers and drivers, and immersion exercises, with talk-out-loud data capture. Based on the information gathered, we identified a need for greater understanding between drivers, bikers and pedestrians in Cambridge.

The team brainstormed possible solutions and developed physical and digital prototypes for a solution, harnessing a norms-based lever of change approach. Prototypes were shared with local bikers and bike shop employees for feedback, and a second iteration of the physical prototype was developed as a result. Possible next steps for the project were identified, but work did not continue beyond the class.