DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC SPACES

Design Research: design sprints | ideating | prototyping | analysis | visual design

OVERVIEW

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant changes to daily life, particularly affecting how people interact within and use pubic spaces. Over the course of three and a half months, a group of graduate design students examined these changes in a series of five two-week design sprints. Quick, practical solutions revealed that current solutions to the pandemic were temporary.

The group collectively decided that COVID-19 would be viewed as a catalyst for change rather than a problem, guiding ideation toward more permanent solutions that helped inform the creation of a framework for future public spaces. The framework prioritizes four areas of focus: Comfort, Community, Flexibility, and Accessibility, and aims to demonstrate how future spaces can be designed to connect with the emerging and shifting values of the general public. These insights were shared in a public exhibition that envisions what different public spaces might look like using this framework.

DESIGN SPRINTS:

Thirteen sprints took place across a ten-week period examining a range of public spaces including grocery stores, restrooms, libraries, retail, restaurants, transportation, and parks.

Through research, ideation, prototyping, and testing, we explored these places in relation to different user groups, goals, and technologies allowing for various combinations and solutions to emerge.

prototyping physical flow in grocery stores

co-design: vision of a future community park by Participant C

ANALYSIS & FORMALIZED FINDINGS

All public spaces from the design sprints were brought together to compare how each space was prior to COVID-19, during COVID-19, as well as future expectations post-COVID-19.

High-level descriptions summarized initial groupings: higher standards, a change of values, more purposeful spending, and local connection.

Framework (first iteration):

To demonstrate hierarchical structure that leads to a new future, high-level concepts branch down to meanings and then to specific examples. At the top, I created a statement about this new future to describe the framework.

Refining the Framework

COVID-19 As a Catalyst: The values and expectations being examined already existed prior to the pandemic, and it is likely a new kind of public space would have emerged eventually. COVID-19 brought certain issues to the forefront helping people realize that some of what was accepted as “normal” wasn’t in our best interest.

Time frames in relation to COVID-19 (before, during, and future) were needed to show change across time and how it connects to a new future.

The framework’s main categories became:

• Values (how we make decisions)

• Expectations (wants and demands)

• Interaction with Public Spaces (COVID-19 acting as a catalyst and a story to describe future interactions)

These insights led to four statements that describe priorities for future public spaces:

• a priority on spaces becoming versatile

• a priority on supporting a broader range of participation

• a priority on public safety and personal comfort

• a priority on emphasizing community through meaning and purpose

an updated framework shows the progression towards statements describing priorities for future public spaces

FINAL DELIVERABLE: EXHIBIT DESIGN

Three types of public spaces were chosen to depict future scenarios:

1. essential service (public bathrooms)

2. place for fun (public parks)

3. in-between essential and fun (shopping)

Specific examples highlight the 4 priorities of future public spaces, and journey maps for each space help viewers understand this new future. The project overview also shows the interconnected nature of the defined priorities.

As part of the final construction, I managed the visual design of the exhibition display boards and helped write the scenarios. An interactive element was also included with a series of “What if?” cards that prompted viewers to participate in the process as co-designers through questions about each of the showcased spaces as well as encouraging them to vote on the ideas they like.