TYPE OF WORK
Spatial Design
USER 1
Residents and City Locals
USER 2
Tourists
Visitors
FOLLOW
TASK AND OVERVIEW
RIGHT TO THE CITY
Between April and June, my team collaborated with The Glasshouse on an extension of their WEdesign project called "Right to the city". Tasked with transforming a public place into a feminist space, our response, FeminiCity, was a workshop using recycled clothing to modify public spaces, fostering comfort and invitation. In a group of 7, we extensively researched, designed, and crafted a 3D solution, aiming for tangible change and disruption of ingrained inequalities within the urban landscape riddled with hostile architecture.
The challenge included identifying a public place and recognizing a way to re-organize, re-orient, and re-configure it to be a feminist place. We responded by creating a replicable design, leading us to develop a fun, comprehensive workshop involving people and real-life implementation of the designs in public spaces. Regular online meetings and in-person reviews with The Glasshouse team ensured guidance throughout the project. The final presentation showcased our executed, tested, and reformed concept, unraveling the richness of exploration within this challenging brief.
AT A GLANCE
METHODOLOGY
Field study, User interviews, directed storytelling , interviews, iterative prototyping, A/B testing, workshop building and testing
GOAL
Raising awareness on the inequalities on urban architecture , and promoting sustainable behaviors.
COLLABORATOR
The Glasshouse Community-Led Design
ACTION
Gaining initial insight
In the initial phase of FeminiCity, we conducted a thorough exploration of London's urban landscape, engaging in meticulous on-site research across 24 different locations. Over a span of 3 days, we carried out nuanced interviews, mini workshops, and public experiments, encouraging paired interactions to capture diverse experiences and behaviors within the city. Participants actively suggested reforms for the city's infrastructure.
After collecting and analyzing interview data, we focused on three recurring themes—accessibility, security, and representation. Our insights were synthesized into a comprehensive report, with regular in-person and online meetings held with stakeholders for discussions. Recognizing a tangible disconnection between individuals and the city, we strategically formulated project components.
Our strategy was to employ playful interventions that enhance interaction, rest, and play, injecting vitality into the mundane urban environment. To determine the project's direction, we conducted a team activity called Crazy 8, generating 56 potential ideas in a short span of 8 minutes.
.png)
PHASE 1
Design strategy
Applying the thinking hat technique for analysis, our initial concept envisioned a Tetris-shaped, interactive seating installation in a city square, featuring musical elements and lights.
Glowing musical chairs in dimly lit neighborhoods to encourage rest and play
Making the low fidelity prototype of concept1
Discussing and receiving feedback on the prototype
Glowing musical chairs in dimly lit neighborhoods to encourage rest and play
Our objective was to instigate tangible change and disrupt ingrained inequalities marked by hostile architecture in the urban landscape. Throughout this process, we aimed to craft a compelling narrative with the overarching goal of reshaping the design of urban spaces. However, through our first initial concept, the objective was not realized.
Response to insights
Despite the positive feedback on the fun and optimistic take on the brief, concerns about replicability and enduring purpose later led us to a second concept—a workshop encouraging participants to create personal and nostalgic cladding materials from clothing memories. This furniture, informed by feminist interventions in public spaces, not only aims to promote equal access and informal gathering but also addresses the hostile nature of bland city furniture by transforming it into something fun and engaging.
In shaping our workshop, our goal was to create an engaging experience where participants draw from clothing memories to craft personal cladding materials for practical items. Aligned with our recognition of public furniture as a feminist intervention, challenging the dominance of male groups in seating areas, we opted for clothing as a symbolic building material addressing gender inequality in public spaces.
Our keen interest in hostile architecture in London guided the selection of spaces for transformation, emphasizing criteria of hostility, unfriendliness, and underuse for maximum impact. Utilizing clothing as a building material holds symbolic weight in discussing gender inequality in public spaces, considering its role in the performance of gender.
The workshop, strategically divided into two sections, begins with participants sharing clothing stories for individual expression. The creative process involves cladding spaces and furniture with garments, accompanied by personal notes. Waterproofing materials ensure longevity, transforming pieces into impactful interventions.
My influence played a pivotal role in integrating discarded clothing, enhancing sustainability and inclusivity. Collaborating with the team, I addressed environmental concerns and responded to participant feedback. By infusing the project with discarded and 'unsaleable' clothes, our workshop tells personal stories while championing environmental responsibility and inclusiveness. Our innovative solution, incorporating discarded clothes, ensures a sustainable and inclusive approach to our transformative workshop design. Feedback expressed enthusiasm but raised sustainability concerns. Our innovative solution, incorporating discarded clothes, ensures a sustainable and inclusive approach to our transformative workshop design.
OUTCOMES AND RESULT
Iterative design
Building on valuable feedback and prioritized user stories from previous workshops, we developed initial drafts envisioning the workshop outcomes. Employing body-storming techniques, we immersed ourselves as participants, crafting a meticulous guidebook with instructions on upcycling clothes into cushions or furniture cladding. This guidebook underwent testing in three separate groups, each consisting of three individuals, ensuring clarity and real-world applicability. Onsite sessions involved transforming furniture pieces, and collecting feedback for iterative improvements. The process culminated in the second and third drafts of the workshop, seamlessly blending real-world behavior insights with a user-friendly guidebook for a comprehensive and engaging experience.
Workshop Deployment
On a lively day in London, the enthusiastic team embarked on transforming public spaces. Our workshop aimed to convert cold areas into inclusive havens, using clothing as a symbolic building material to address gender inequality. Split into two sections, participants shared personal clothing stories, integrating experiences into the creative process. Spaces were adorned with waterproof-clad garments, transforming unfriendly areas into expressions of inclusivity.
As a team, we championed sustainability by repurposing discarded clothes and infusing new life into forgotten pieces. Despite sustainability concerns, the workshop, blending personal narratives and environmental responsibility, received positive feedback. The team, resolute in their commitment, viewed their innovative approach as a bold stride towards a sustainable, inclusive future. Ultimately, the workshop emerged as a catalyst for change, challenging the blandness of public spaces, leaving an impactful impression on London, and inspiring others to reimagine their surroundings.
PREPARING THE WORKSHOP
I’m a paragraph. Double click here or click Edit Text to add some text of your own or to change the font. This is the place for you to tell your site visitors a little bit about you and your services.
