Needfinding in the City
Needs expressed by users:
- Standing Room – The current enclosures are too small
- Pee-rameter – Somehow get rid of urine smell!
- Timing – Users typically do not know how long their wait will be (some, but not all, stops have small digital screens)
- Weather – Shading is needed, as well as better wind and rain protection
- Homeless Parameter – In the design of the seat, a balance needs to be struck such that the seat is comfortable and inviting to the user, but not so much that the seat becomes a “bed” for the homeless.
- Comfort (Seating) – Users want more seats that are comfortable to sit on
Other observations and features we want to incorporate, but are not necessarily driven parameters:
- Roof – Be wary of using a transparent or translucent material as it shows bird droppings! (We could try a translucent material that would allow light to get in, but is opaque enough that the bird poop cannot be seen.)
- Digital display for wait time – Perhaps the MUNI bus stop map could be electronic, i.e. the current location of the bus along the route lights up. This would be used in conjunction with a digital clock/display (that is included in some of the bus stops). (i.e. MUNI teams up with the “311” company (what one of the guys we interviewed used) in order to provide the consumers with a more accurate and efficient bus experience)
How well did your initial component designs meet the new need you have identified? What are some ways it needs to change?
- Charity and Clayton's seat:
The primary goal associated with the seat component is comfort. Our seat, with the foot and backrests especially, helped to provide a relaxing place to rest while waiting for the bus. One way we could improve our design is by making the seat more compact, since our current design may not fit all that well in the thin sidewalk space used for the bus stops. Another factor to definitely consider is the homeless parameter.
- Christina and Ben's enclosure:
Our rectangular design was actually very efficient. The roofs on the stops in SF were all arced, while ours was a combination of three offset planes (purely aesthetic differences), but ours did deal with shading better than the current ones. Shading is still the most complicated parameter to perfect. I also think our “growing” walls for lower temperatures meet the needs of the riders. I think our next design should include the digital displays, a pee-rameter, and a homeless parameter.
