Metapolis and Urban Life

MAIN        ORIGINAL CALL FOR PAPERS        DAY ONE RESULTS            DAY TWO RESULTS

Day 2 - 11th September 2005

Urban Design Matrix

From the first days votes, 10 actions and 10 objects were selected to form the 2 axis of an Urban Design Matrix of potential ideas.  What might come out of brainstorming the intersection of 'taking a break' and 'shrine', 'collecting' and 'ground level', or 'chanting' and 'blue tarp'?  A wealth of ideas from the pertinent to the absurd, and a chance to explore an exciting, quick fire tool to re-contextualize opportunities for urban computing and urban design. 

Speed Researching

In the spirit of Speed Dating we introduced the concept of Speed Researching. Speed Researching involves successive and rapid pairing of researchers for 10 minute intervals to collaboratively research a specific topic while inviting diverse interpretations and design explorations. With time an overriding pressure on the brainstorm, results of any kind are only reached through rapid open stream of conscious thoughts regardless of appropriateness, usefulness, or quality.

With the workshop participants aligned in two rows facing each other, each pair was first challenged to select an empty entry in the Urban Design Matrix to brainstorm at the end of the first 30 seconds.  For the next 10 minutes the group would rapidly disuses the selected intersecting object-action concept and sketch out out the resulting ideas on the provided card.  At the end of the 10 minute interval the completed idea card was placed back into the urban Design Matrix and research partners were shuffled as participants moved along the table. As the cycle continued each new pair again was faced with the 30 seconds to pick another intersection to respond to; would they go for something new, or a continuation of an area of interest?  How would 'tokyo OS - vending machine' be interpreted in the context of an altogether different action than before, and with an altogether different partner?  6 rounds were made in total, you can see the progression of what was picked and what wasn't in the images below.

Deep Dive

After a chance to discuss and reflect upon the most exciting intersections, connections, and themes, the workshop participants concluded by forming 4 new groups of shared interest.  Ideas and insights were combined, split, evolved and resolved into short presentations at the end of the day (download brief notes). Ideas that emerged:

Tactful streets, playful interactive sidewalk ripples, open source P2P locally reflective vending machine, digital-tangible "ropes" to gently feel our group within urban crowds, alternate shrines that reflect our mobile lifestyle and integrated within our person technologies, ...

Images and Video

Metapolis and Urban Life poster presented at UbiComp 2005 A3 size (17" tall - 3mb PDF) B1 size (42" tall - 24mb PDF)

Click thumbnails below for larger images

Matrix growing 1	Matrix growing 2	Matrix growing 3
Matrix growing 4	Matrix growing 5	Matrix growing 6
Matrix growing 7	Matrix growing 8	Matrix growing 9
The results from 6 rounds	Speed researching	Matrix detail
Looking over the matrix	Matrix detail	Matrix detail

The whole group - Metapolis and Urban Life Workshop - September 2005

Videos:  1 - Matrix Scramble (8mb mpg)   2 - Speed Researching (16mb mpg)

An overview of the whole matrix of ideas, click below for the hi-res image (3.7mb)