This document discusses urban informatics and designing digital systems for cities. It provides an overview of how new maps and data layers can better capture real-time information about cities. One example project described is Urbanflow Helsinki, which involved designing an interactive digital screen system for the city. The project involved user research, prototyping, and developing a concept for the screens that focused on wayfinding, local event information, and getting situated feedback from citizens. The final design centered around an interactive map interface to provide useful information to users.

1. Urban Informatics, or designing for a city
that talks back to you
Sami Niemelä
Creative Director, Nordkapp
— www.nordkapp.fi
— @Nordkapp

2. WE ARE
NORDKAPP
SINCE STAFF PROFITABLE AVERAGE EXPERIENCE
2007 15 Yes 11+years

4. What, why, how and when?
Design Strategy, Business
Design, Customer Insight and
Concept Design.

5. 80
Confidential
%
20 %
Public

6. Things we’ve done
SITO Spatial Map

7. Things we’ve done
Nappula—RFID
for daycare use

8. Things we’ve done
Design for
Shadow Cities
US launch

9. Things we’ve done
Urbanflow Helsinki

10. What is Urban
Informatics?

11. Old maps:
Landmasses,
infrastructure

12. New maps:
Realtime Digital
Layers
HELSINKI CITY PUBLIC TRANSPORT VISUALIZED http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGllzWt0acU

13. e.g.
Air Pollution
http://intheair.es/tools/contaminants/info.html

14. e.g.
location-based
gaming
shadow cities http://shadowcities.com

15. e.g.
What
& where?
foursquare checkins/ social london Anil Bawa Cavia 2010

16. Better
Understanding
of our cities

17. This new world
talks back to us.

18. Bridges
tweet

19. Cellphone
Coverage
photo credit or URL here, strtch to left
cellphone coverage project Sha Hwang @ Stamen

20. the
Worldwide
Pulse of Things.
visualisation Facebook usage

21. Situated
Interaction

22. …is mostly
about context:
e.g. where, when?

23. Kevin Lynch, 1960:
Place Legibility

24. Paths&
Edges&
Districts&
Nodes&
Landmarks

25. Interfaces&
Services&
Time Data Platforms&
+ Connected Objects&
Infrastructure.

26. NOW DAILY NEVER

27. First Use
Urban Use
Service
Configure
Design Re-Focus
Renewal

28. The
Larger
Context(s)
graph Ville Tikka / wevolve.us

29. Mobile is
Our New
Eyes to
the World
SUWAPPU http://www.getsuwappu.com/

30. And it
Will Get
Better

31. Streets
Will Lit
Up at
Our Feet
karmatech / wesc rfid concept http://vimeo.com/18926005

32. Everything
that can be
software,
will be.

33. There’s
an app
for that.

34. An app
that knows
where
you live.

35. + +

36. WHERE?
Mobile Phones
Multiuser screens
Urban Screens
TV Tablets
PC

37. Urbanflow Helsinki
a case study

38. DESIGN PROBLEM
20 urban screens
scattered around the city.
No interactive content.

39. THE VISION
X pcs different types of screens in
the nodal points of public and
pedestrian traffic, with integrated
mobile and web services

40. …of which some are dedicated to
commercial content, and some
solely for serving municipal
content.

41. How it
all started?

42. 2008-09
Interviews,
observation,
ideas

43. 2009-10
Research in
Helsinki & Tallinn

44. 2010
WDC Helsinki
Open workshop

46. Late 2010
Project with
Forum Virium
Helsinki

47. What is a screen?

48. What is the system?

49. How do the current
screens work?

50. Where could they be?

51. What are
the touchpoints?

52. 1750mm 1750mm 1750mm 1750mm
How about
850mm 850mm 850mm 850mm
1000mm 1000mm 1000mm 1000mm
ergonomics?
658mm 658mm 658mm 658mm
0 10 15 15
1750mm 1750mm 1750mm 1750mm
850mm 850mm 850mm 850mm
1000mm 1000mm 1000mm 1000mm
658mm 658mm 658mm 658mm
0 10 15 15

53. Physical
prototyping

54. Digital
prototyping

55. Design synthesis
User needs

56. 1 — Wayshowing; “where is xyz?”
2— What is happening and where?
3— Direct feedback to the city

57. Findings

58. Finding: a map is a natural
and easily approachable
starting point for
interaction.

59. Finding: The locals feel they
have no need to urban
screens (until a such concrete need arises)

60. Finding: a map is familiar
interaction metaphor for
most of people.

61. Concept

62. Design intent
Easy one-handed
interaction

63. Design Principles:
Attract—Inform—Encourage

64. Attract
The screen is a living object that that subtly attracts
attention, enticing the person to approach, even in a
passive mode.

65. Inform
The screen gives useful and immediate information. It
entices users to invest time in the interaction and gives
them the means to control and display relevant
information.

66. Encourage
The way in which the screen behaves encourages
interaction and exploration. The screen can be touched
anywhere.

67. Functionality

68. 1. Wayshowing:
Route planner and city
services

70. 2. Immediate, situated
feedback to the municipality,
from the city.

72. 3. Making the invisible data
visible in your own
environment

75. View the video at http://vimeo.com/26030147

76. Next: minimum
viable product

77. 1. Wayshowing:
2. Events in the city
Text
3. Mobile

78. You Are Here Walking Minutes Information Layers

80. http://urbanflow.io

81. Thanks
sami@nordkapp.fi
@samin
— www.nordkapp.fi
— @Nordkapp