NEW SOLUTIONS FOR STORAGE AT SAIC

HELLEN LEEBEGINNING DESIGNED OBJECTS ISPRING 2014

//PHASE 1: HEAR

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//PROJECT GOAL:

Create better storage solutions at SAIC utilizing

the Human Centered Design framework

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//HEAR:

Going into the community to research and document the current situation to address the wants and needs of the people while seeking new solutions to improve the storage system.• Individual Interview• Self-Documentation• Expert Interview• Seeking Inspiration in New Places

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//STUDENT VOICE: STEPHANIE CHU

“..they can bump into it [artwork] accidentally. Just that it’s [the storage system] not really secure; it’s not really safe.”SAFETY ISSUES: would rather carry her belongings and projects home rather than storing them at SAIC because the storage system is unorganized and unsecure.

SIZE MATTERS: different lockers in different orientations around campus make her workaround their differences; “I’m just thinking what do you put in there?”

CONCERN FOR OTHERS: understands her classmates needs in the Columbus building for more storage spaces and sees many unused lockers in the 112 MacLean building.

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//SELF-OBSERVATION: A LOOK INTO MY LIFE AT SAIC

GETTING READY:my laptop bag is secure underneath my back pack; this provides added security for my laptop. i wear my laptop case as a bag to distribute its weight evenly on my back.

CTA BUS RIDE:the 93 bus has long wait times (15-30 minutes). it’s usually a quiet ride; however, today, a fellow commuter went around asking people if they believed in God. this created an awkward atmosphere on the bus until he exited the bus at his stop.

BUILT-IN:although it is “not allowed” to drink or eat on the CTA, they provide a small built-in trash can on the bus, which can get in the way of people getting out of the bus in the back because it sticks out in the slightest.

TRAIN ENTRANCE:the kimball station is the brown line’s final stop, so the station is a building. before the entrance is a monitor of the arrival times. the sign in the picture indicates which train will be leaving with a light. the wait is never long.

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//SELF-OBSERVATION: A LOOK INTO MY LIFE AT SAIC

TRAIN SEATING:since the train is empty, there are plenty of seats for me to choose from. the window seat facing the direction we’re going is “my spot.” window seats are the best for its lighting and views.

GETTING COMFY:the seats don’t allow me to sit comfortably with my bags on my back so i take them off and put them in my lap for the duration of my commute.

READING TIME:since my train commute is about 40 minutes long, it is a great time to read, think, or take a nap. today, was a reading day. it is a bit uncomfortable holding my bags while reading, but it’s not terrible.

BIKES ON THE CTA:the man who owns this bike took away 2 seats and my ability to exit the train smoothly by leaning his bike on the seats. when it was my stop, he got up to move it for me.

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//SELF-OBSERVATION: A LOOK INTO MY LIFE AT SAIC

EXIT TURNSTILES:there is still a short walk to the SAIC campus that involves going down stairs, going through metal turnstiles, going down another set of stairs, and walking straight. recently, CTA has been using buckets to catch the leaking water.

CHAIR HANGERS:these chairs at the career + co-op office where i work act as my coat hanger and my bag holder. my coat is on the table because i rushed to clock in.

INSIDE MY BAG:i only carry neccessary items. i avoid carrying heavy objects as much as possible. it is all about carrying less. my afternoon snack is a clif bar because i refuse to carry lunch in tupperware because that is added weight.

CLOCKING IN:i clock in right when i get to work. the system is simple, but old. there have been a lot of problems with this way of clocking in.

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//SELF-OBSERVATION: A LOOK INTO MY LIFE AT SAIC

THE FRONT DESK:i am one of the receptionists and office assistants at the career + co-op center. i work mainly on the computer. i pick up calls, answer student questions, and file. right now, the office is fairly quiet.

WAITING AREA:there are a couple of seats for students to sit in while they wait for their appointments. most students use empty seats as hangers as well.

ETC DRAWER:the files in this drawer are not being used. there also is plastic cultlery, new sticker labels, and my thermos. i put my thermos there so it is easily accessible to me on campus.

WATER COOLER:2-3 times a day i refill my thermos with hot water or tea. i get my water from the cooler in the academic advising office because it doesn’t have the metallic taste the water from the water fountains contain.

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//SELF-OBSERVATION: A LOOK INTO MY LIFE AT SAIC

MACLEAN CAFE:i hang my coat on a chair yet again, and i lean my bag on to one of the ledges underneath the staircase in the cafeteria.

LINNER TIME:i ordered an adult grilled cheese for the first time; it tasted pretty good. my thermos is with me so i can drink hot water without being charged for it (some SAIC cafeterias charge for hot water).

CLASS TIME RUSH:i left 5 minutes before class started to get back to the sullivan building. the maclean elevators are packed and they stop at every floor during this time. i should leave 5 minutes earlier to beat the rush if i ever eat at Maclean again.

WORK LEFT BEHIND:this pile of supplies and work was left on the table in front of the spot i usually sit in. i had to awkwardly push it aside so i could put my laptop on the table.

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//SELF-OBSERVATION: A LOOK INTO MY LIFE AT SAIC

TABLE LEG:i enjoy sitting in the front of the class near the instructor so i can focus on them and hear them better. it is also nice to have the table leg hold up my bags.

RHINO CLASS:the supplies needed for rhino are: a laptop, mouse, and charger. if i could, i would bring none of these because they are heavy and a hassle to carry.

LOCKER SPACE:my locker is on the 12th floor of the sullivan build-ing. i share my locker with another person; those are her pieces of wood and her black box. i leave my rhino supplies in here so i don’t need to carry them back and forth. i leave my laptop in here sometimes as well.

OBSTRUCTION:the owner of the locker next to mine had all of her materials on the top of the lockers. although it wasn’t exactly in my way, i had still had to work my way around her stuff.

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//SELF-OBSERVATION: A LOOK INTO MY LIFE AT SAIC

SHORT WALK:the walk back to the train station is usually cold and windy. it makes everything seem blurry. i rush to catch the train.

NICE SHOES:it takes me 30 minutes to get to the western stop. today i just sat in my seat and closed my eyes to rest for a bit. the guy across me had nice shoes.

RIDE HOME:my dad drives me home because if he didn’t, i would get home at 11 PM since my class ended at 9 PM. instead, i get home at 10:30 PM. de-pending on my mood, i either keep my bags on or put them next to me.

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//DEAN’S OPINION: TIFFANY HOLMES

“If one group of students get ‘X’ then what would the other group of students that don’t get it say?”SENIOR PRIORITY: focusing on undergraduate senior studio spaces to work on bigger projects and creating a capstone class to help students with their portfolios.

IN PROGRESS: aware of the storage issues (in Columbus mostly) and the lack of workspace in all departments; currently working on getting 2 new spaces over the summer; bigger projects will take 7-10 years to implement.

OPPORTUNITIES: encourages us to contact IRFM to hear about complaints listed, talk to the head of the department to file a Captial Assets Request for a (modular) storage system or a new storage solution.

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//SEEKING INSPIRATION: INTL HOME AND HOUSEWARES SHOWMIRROR SPACE:the mirror used by chefs allow the audience to see what the chef sees, which give the audience 2 ways to watch and learn. this could be used in the classroom to minimize clutter in the front of the room allowing for more space.

THINK BIGGER:this gigantic bench creates different sections of space revealing ways to utilize the space more. this idea supports compartmentalization within a bigger space.

SLIDERS:this sliding mechanism helps the user remember the date the food was contained. this mechanism could be used as a marker for when art was stored in a certain place and when it needs to be removed.

ILLUSIONS:this moving shelf looks like it’s wobbling, but the items placed on it are very stable. it inspires thinking unconventionally. perhaps rather than just focusing on a new solution, we could also think of the worst solutions so we can consider all ideas.

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//SEEKING INSPIRATION: INTL HOME AND HOUSEWARES SHOW

LEG SHELVES:these wooden benches are fully utilized from top to bottom. shelves are formed by the legs of the table. this idea can be incorporated into any piece of furniture.

WALL TABLE:we need to be concerned about all of the space and not only the floor space. the wall can be a substitute for 2 legs of a table. this would make our use of the space more efficient.

HANG & CONTAIN:this bathroom toilet paper container uses both the hanging mechanism and the holding mechanism. it combines both into one portable item. similar to the wall table idea, it uses space more efficiently.

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//INSIGHTS: MOVING FORWARD

CONVENIENCE is one of the main concerns as students. if offered an easy and available storage solution more students would leave their belongings and materials at SAIC.

MODULARITY is a favored solution for accessibility and portability reasons. if the solution is modular and not site specific, then it could be implemented across the campus.

COMPARTMENTALIZING addresses the unorganized storage situation at hand. different specified and categorized areas would enforce rules and guidelines.

OPPOSITE THINKING encourages thinking unconventionally and possibly finding a solution in the worst ideas.

EFFICIENT USE OF SPACE including the walls, objects already at SAIC, and vertical space will allow for more room and floor space to move in.

SAFETY is another one of the main concerns as students. if the area is secure through organization and stability within the system then more students would use the storage available.

CONSIDERING OTHERS while forming a new solution provides extremes to base our solution on. [Unused storage in Maclean VS. shortage of storage in Columbus]

REACHING OUT & IMPLEMENTING a new solution for storage is our main goal. we should plan ahead and contact IRFM as well as our department head to inquire about filing a request to deliver our solution to the school.