Engaging students in public policy conversations
Graduate Investigation
Interaction Design, Design Research
North Carolina State University
2016
Can we use the commons to discover and explore alternative ways to connect with citizens?
This investigation was in response to a request from the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) to rethink the IEI Commons, a public engagement space and information portal in Hunt Library on NC State’s campus. IEI is a non-partisan public policy organization whose mission is to “identify new ways to educate and engage our citizens and to help them solve problems and recognize the importance and necessity of their participation.”
As a class we conducted research into topics relevant to IEI such as hybrid spaces, portals, storytelling, community, and emerging technologies. We also explored ways to incorporate play, presence and participation in the IEI Commons through a series of low-fi prototypes. Pairing this information with my own user research, I developed a design proposal with the overall objective to discover new ways to connect with citizens, especially the 18-30yo demographic.
My proposal was two-fold: 1) establish new access points for citizens by creating a mobile-friendly website and a low-fi, “pop-up” gallery in the Commons; and 2) explore the potential for simple language and alternative medias, such as memes or emojis, to encourage participation. These strategies would help IEI understood new ways to engage a younger demographic, and potentially inform the future redesign of the physical space and digital infrastructure.
Research methods:
Behavioral mapping
Content analysis
Observations / AEIOU
Research through design
Task flow analysis
User experience mapping
User interviews
Instructor: Denise Gonzales-Crisp, Dr. Derek Ham, and Dr. Deborah Littlejohn
A quick study exploring information flow between IEI and students
An early mock-up exploring how alternative medias (memes, emojis, etc.) are effective in expressing reactions, opinions, and underlying perspectives. Memes invite participation through the creation of derivatives and the remixing of content.
Diagram illustrating my proposal to add new access points for students.
Typography and behaviors in the pop-up gallery and website incorporate a default or "MS-DOS" aesthetic, bringing an unfinished, malleable look-and-feel to the content. I wanted IEI’s physical and digital spaces to feel more undone, inviting students to “hack” and take action upon what is there. The jerky motion of animated GIF’s add to this feeling of bottom-up participation.