School Project @ Politecnico di Milano
Team Member: Vlada Ershova, Antonio Gandolfo, Ce Wang
Instructor: Laura Galluzzo, Elena Guinta
My Role: UX Research, 3D Designer & Visualizer
📝 Project Background
The project aims to design temporary solutions for the service of "Io leggo, Tu leggi, Noi leggiamo", located in Tirano(SO), Italy. The service aims to create an ecosystem of books, reading and readers, creating a city environment in which the book is physically present, visible and recognisable.
Partners:
🎯 Project Goal
To design temporary, reversible and eco-sustainable solutions, paying attention to the assessment of the social and environmental impact of each aspect of the project, responding to the objectives of the local stakeholders involved as partners in the activity.
- Research on existing and potential territorial resources
- Design of strategies for local development // territorial eco-system of offers from short term to long term
- Co-design envisioning sessions with FORME and citizens
- Spatial, service and virtual prototyping
💎 Our Process: Human-Centered Design
The human-centered design approach was applied in this project, aiming to design services/activities that are needed and would be appreciated by the users.
we started by asking ourselves:
How Might We Engage People To Start Enjoying Reading?
➔ Inspiration
Personas
Personas were one of the first steps we took to understand the final users.
Context Research
In an effort to understand the context environment, we conducted desktop research and a field trip. to know better about Tirano, the geographic location. In the map below, we studied the critical locations in Tirano that is easily accessible by our target user group.
Case Studies
We have conducted case studies to get inspired by similar projects throughout the globe, trying to find a way that brings people closer to reading.
Co-Design Activities
To involve users in the design process and understand their real needs, we organized co-design sessions that allowed us to talk to the end-users, and the local organizers and to better understand their vision of the project. Four different activities were introduced for the educators and the kids.
Co-Design Recap
Challenges and Opportunities
🔰 Reading in the dominance of the digital world and the trend for “fast” information
🔰 Space that is inviting for people to stay there longer
🔰 Stronger visual communication offline and online
🔰 Design and activities that attract the young audience
➔ Ideation
Scenario: “Reading wave”
A social, cosy space with fresh air to chill, read, share ideas, and socialise. The space combines two main functions of public activities and events where talents share their knowledge to rise up an interest in culture, reading, storytelling and related topics and of reading and resting on your own.
social cosy mobile green city quitter creative communities public activities talents workshops culture reading storytelling relax
Our Solutions
EFFORTLESS ENCOUNTERS
The design will focus on creating a temporary structure that is easily relocated to strategic locations of Tirano. Along with the eye-catching branding and smart place-making, we aim to create moments of effortless experience of getting to know and participate in the service.
VIBRANT AND INVOLVING MOMENTS
By introducing a new way to enjoy reading and communicate with others, the program will aim to invite the citizens, especially the young generation to participate in a continuous co-creation project around the topic of Reading. Therefore, we hope to create a sense of belonging to the local community and help kids to adopt the ratial of reading in their daily routine.
Project Definition
A TEMPORARY STRUCTURE THAT
- is easily assembled and moved around the city
- support various activities of private and public reading, group sharing
- support locals, especially the young generation to better use the urban public space
A CO-CREATION ACTIVITY THAT
- support the adoption of reading habits
- is interesting and involving for kids of different age ranges
Concept Visualization
The prototype has a total of three base units, the curve unit is inspired by the shape of the wave. The three units are combined in different ways for different functions and activities. The bottom part of one of the rectangular units has a place for book storage.
The activity stimulates interaction between users through the creation of stories. The cards used for the game are given with sentences coming from different books which can be put in numerous ways to “write” a story.
➔ Implementation
Branding
Prototyping VR temporary structure and AR Instagram filter
Development of the model
Simulate the locations as in Tirano
Tools: Sketchup, Enscape, SparkAR
Labour: within the team
Budget: €0
Prototyping Bench and Activity “become a writer”
Construction of bench and board
Printing of elements for activity/board
Tools: wood, paper, cardboard, corks
Labour: within a team
Budget: €70
