Kristen BrownInquisitive by nature, my education and work experiences bridge thegap between creativity and an analytic mindset. Trained in ethnography,interviewing, focus groups, and surveys, the actions and motivations ofothers has always fascinated me, heavily influencing my interest andwork in user-centered research and design.

Childcare On TransportationA six month research dissertation aimedat understanding the habits andattitudes of primary caregivers ofchildren four and under on London’spublic transportation system.

This research was intended to create a conversation aboutthe success and failings of the system to cater to carersand children and hopefully uncover physical andemotional barriers that may reproduce exclusion.

1 Pria Full-time Nanny 34 2 2.5, 5 On foot

2 KimAunt, full-timecarer

19 2 13mo., 4 Car

3 Sophie Mum 27 1 3 Car

4 Will Full-time Manny 28 1 18mo. On foot, tube

5 Naaz Mum 35 5 9mo.,2.5, 6, 9, 13 Bus

6 Annette Mum 41 1 4 On foot, bus

7 Karen Mum 39 1 2 Bus, Tube

8 Susan Mum 41 3 18mo., 3, 6 On foot, Overground

9 Daria Full-time Nanny 25 2 11mo., 4 On foot, bus

10 Caroline Full-time Nanny 43 2 20mo., 4.5On foot, bus,overground

*All names used are pseudonym to protect the identity of the participants

Richmond18 years of carer experience. Five

Islington

Golders Green

Primrose Hill

Stoke Newington

Highbury

Cockfosters

Withheld

Victoria 5 years of carer experience

Richmond 24 years of carer experience

Research was collected in 3phases including observations,semi-structured interviews, and asurvey of 40 respondents.

“Bus drivers can drive dangerously,often braking fast with buggies onboard. Bus drivers rarely lower theramp for prams and often park upbeside steep curbs or awkwardplaces to lift a buggy off alone.”

Annette, mother of a two year old

150 years ofinadequate

infrastructurehas led to

inefficacy &frustration.

Key Insights“People don’t necessarily like children.They’ve had a hard day in the office, thelast thing they want to see is a bunch ofkids, screaming.”

Raj, nanny

“Rarely is there any non-stair access. Itmakes traveling with children in buggiesvery unsafe if you have other children,you have to use escalators or stairs.”

Kim, nanny

“I’d like to see more Information on TFLwebsite, especially if escalators are notworking at specific stations. There isnothing worse than being faced with along climb and 3 under 5's in tow.”

Gabriella, mother

“Many times drivers have refused to letme on or driven straight past when therewas clearly enough space for me andmy buggy.”

Alice, mother

Through the research, a pattern of poor designchoices and ineffective marketing over 150 yearsemerged leading to a massive asscessibility issues.

● Improving Treatment of Carers by●Policy Makers●Other Passengers●Staff

●Up-to-date Travel Info●Educational Elements●Spatial Layout/Environments Design

As an entry point to interventions basedon the research findings, an app couldbe developed to assist in making travelan easier effort.

Report an Issue

Service Changes

App Launch Route My Journey

Find A Station

New Journey

Nearest Station

StationInformation

Step-Free Stations

Saved Journeys

Point A Point B

SaveLocation

?

Alternative Selectors(mode, station, step-free)

Suggested AlternateRoutes

Step-Free Access

Directions

Title

Mode Choice

Directions

Number of Steps

Food

Step-Free Options

Toilet Access

Busiest and SlowestTimes at Station

Station Hours

Nearby Attractions

Suggested/AlternateStations

Service Report

User IdentifiedIssues

Stations

A strategic collaboration with communities through theprocessing and production of abundant invasive plants.Utilize

In a time of depleting naturalresources, there are many underutilized unwanted resources. Bycollaborating with and connectingavailable communities to utilizeabundant waste materials, wecan help control devastatinginvasive plants while building ahealthier relationship for thecommunity and its local fauna.

distributes amongst Sustainable EradicatorsBusinesses enabled to growlarger to eradicate more, quicker.

Profit

Sustainable Eradicators+

Eradication & Harvesting

Processing & Production

Reusable Grocery Bag,Journals/Notebooks,Wallets, Etc.

Craft FairsFlea MarketsHealth/Wellness StoresCo-opsWhole Foods

sold at

Elsewhere CollaborativeFiber ArtistsArtist CollectivesTextile WorkersFolk Schools

Kudzu KollegeGreensboro HiveJ. GambleGoat PatrolCrop Mob

Abundant Material+ Available Community

Design Opportunity

Resources could includeBamboo (wood/fiber)Alumroot (mordant for dyeing)Purple Loose Strife (natural dye)Kudzu

For this case study we worked with Kudzu, ahighly invasive plant in the US. Though it cangrow a foot a day and smother everything in itspath; its medicinal and edible, and can beprocessed into bio-fuels, paper, and a fiber.

“Kudzu in Japan is native. It’s nota problem in it’s native range. It isnot native to this region and thatis why it grows so unchecked."

Melissa BravoPennsylvania Department of Agriculture

Kudzurequiresconstant

maintenanceto contain it.

The government uses dangerous herbicides to combat Kudzu'squick growth, further damaging the affected areas. Sustainablecontrol methods are as effective as herbicides and allows theland to retain nutrients and animals their safety and homes.

We began by working directly along sidesustainable eradicators (controlling withoutchemicals) in North Carolina and reaching outto artist communities to collaborate with.

We hosted workshops in Nashville to eradicate andharvest the vine and collaborated with various artistcollectives known for their expertise with fibers.

“Growing up in the rural South, I wastaught that kudzu was an evil thing, withan acquisitive, destructive nature."

Carol Penn-RomineEdible Memphis

be marketed to environmentally conscious consumers.This includes grocery bags, wallets, messenger bags andjournals all hand made and naturally dyed and printed.

We developed two productlines. One line is of items to

Tags with Utilize branding printed with soy ink on recycledstock includes more information about the processing of theplan materials and how others can get involved and connectwith the communities sustainably.

The other is a line of organicKudzu threads, skeins, andfabrics. All of which are raw ornaturally dyed to be marketedas a sustainable materialalternative in craft stores.

Greenfield Library

Entrance/Exit

Circulation Desk

RampStairs

To Lower Floor

Encyclopedias

Magazines

Stacks

Our class was approached by the school toassist in a redesign of the Greenfield Libraryat University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Theywere planning a remodel of the space andneeded user-friendly and efficient options.

“It’s so dark in here and lackspersonality, for an art school library.It’s also really hard to find thereferences I want to find; books,photos, magazines.”

Julianna, Photography Instructor

Research wascollected onuser habits,

interests, andneeds.

LibraryEntrance>

<To Lower Level

1:12p

1:11p

12:52p

InstructorIn: 1:17pm | Out: 2:06pmChecked OutCame in for references and online periodicalsLeft because she couldn’t plug her computer inAvoids the libraryMostly uses the copier

We began by observing the space and user interactions. Wesynthesized the data to develop a survey, disseminatedamongst the UArts community. We followed it up with asuggestion box to capture insights from non-respondents.

Key Insightsfrom the survey and suggestion box

●convenient seating areas●more diverse/non-art books● less cramped, crowded space●website and offerings clarity●better lighting●update to the overall appearance● better signage/wayfinding●more group and private spaces●more outlets

“There aren’t enough outlets tosupport every laptop in here.Eery time I set up [against theround wall] I have to moveand search for an outlet.“

James, Sculptor

I began to zeroin on a rounded

wall that wasawkward and

inefficient to use.

“There aren’t any computers inthere and no where to plug inyour own. I just want to get inand out as quickly as possible”

Adam, Musician

After prototyping interventions we polled the users.Their feedback prompted the library to makechanges in layout and style, one of which was mydesign for a laptop bar, fitted with pop-up outlets foreasier and quicker computer access.

Out of the 40 interventions we proposed to the library, mylaptop bar concept was the only one that materialized.

Finance OfficeThe project was a 3 week sprint centeredaround the Finance Office of an Arts University.By better understanding internal processes andrelationships within the larger campuscommunity, we aimed to identify opportunitiesfor continuous innovation in the Finance Office.

● The office layout was inefficient and dark● Internal/External communication● Undefined jobs/roles/responsibilities● Lack of organization● Confusion on process and documents● Low Morale● Finance Language● Tracking Filing

Key Insights

“Half our office was laid off last year. We allpicked up whatever slack was left. There wasno conversation about who is now supposed todo what. It’s frustrating and stressful.”

“No one cares about us. They’ve shoved us inthis dark, cramped place and forgotten us.”

“Like shoveling coal at the bottom of the Titanic.”

Through analysis of the research we were able todiagram our focus areas to better address ourstakeholders’ specific needs and stresses.

Realizing that the Finance Office’ssuccess lies in their ability todeliver financial education andeffective service offerings, fiveintervention areas have beenidentified to help implement newframeworks for the FinanceOffice’s future success.

Major role restructuring due to attrition andreplacement and lack of desired time or mentorshipto learn these new roles, an unclear understandinghas developed.

Improperly completed paperwork accounts fornearly a third of the documents turned in that mustbe traced and corrected.

Clarity of communication and understanding of thesteps required to complete tasks were unclear forboth staff and finance department.

We observed a communication breakdownbetween the Finance Office and the larger schoolcommunity. We needed to translate theaccountants’ language of numbers to somethingtangible for artists, dancers, and musicians.

The office was separated into three locations. Thisphysical separation appears to makecommunication more problematic and lead to afeeling of emotional separation.

We co-designed with the employees who reside inthat space to create a scalable and efficient layout.

A role game was deployed to help identify the pointof role confusion and assisted in developing furtherstrategies and tools to help define roles.

By creating infographics and a visual narrative wecreated a visual language to assist communication.

A card game was developed to improve interactionand communication within the office and rebuild theemployer/employee relationship.

Documents were redesigned to differentiate andpromote clarity and triage within the office..

Claustrophobic GuideThis guide was developed as a shoppingreference for sufferers of claustrophobia inPhiladelphia. Among other things, it details all ofthe local shops, their busiest and slowest times,and where to seek comfort in open spaces.

Through a support group for claustrophobia, 10respondents were selected for interviews.Shopping arose as a specifically sensitive topicfor all and became our entry point.

“I feel like I always choose the wrong timeto go out and wind up getting so frustratedand anxious that I can’t even finish myerrands. I just have to go home…. I will cry.

Janine

Respondents were given cameras andasked to take photos during a shopping tripin Center City. The prompt was to take aphoto whenever they felt very relaxed andwhen they felt very anxious. The photos wereanalyzed to better empathize with their fears.

Once we had a better understanding of theirneeds, we compiled data relevant toassuaging claustrophobia.

Thank You!k.brown27@ymail.com 607.425.0507