AT: Final evaluation

The AT brief was an interesting challenge to start my third year of university with. Having developed my design thinking skills over the previous two years, I was excited to gauge my progress; a task the AT brief was especially well suited to due to its open ended nature.

The initial phase of the brief was undertaken in groups. This proved to be a worthwhile exercise as the collaborative nature of a group dynamic allowed us to generate and then build upon the multitude of ideas we produced. Through idea harvesting methods, we were able to identify the key areas, which were at this stage still assumptions, that we could look into. At this stage, we began our field research, though individually.

Of my research, it was the observations and role playing that proved pivotal in revealing insights about public transport around Dominion Road at night time. Myself and other bus patrons alike found it difficult to locate bus stops around the Balmoral, due to their low visibility and tendency to be placed in the darker parts of Dominion Road. It was these two observations that informed the generate phase of my brief.

I quickly settled onto the idea of using lighting as way finding, and after sketching out page after page of concepts, I had settled on the idea of a retrofittable street light. A cyclical process of sketching, idea harvesting, and discussion with my lecturers resulted in my final proposed design; the solar street lamp.

I feel that my final concept is an apt response to the AT design requirements, which was to improve or enhance multi modal travel throughout Dominion Road at night time. My solar street lamp provides an aura of light, giving bus users a feeling of security and protection, while acting as a beacon, allowing bus users to spot a bus stop from a considerable distance. Both these factors contribute to an improved public transport experience, and I feel satisfied my proposed design meets the briefs requirements.

In retrospect, I feel I could have improved the form of my lamp. During the generate phase, I hit a wall creatively, fixating on a small selection of shapes. It took me far too long to break out of the slump, and by then the deadline was perilously close, forcing me to pick a shape and run with it. Part of the issue stemmed from the need for both solar panels and LED lights. It meant that any design was bound to be a two-part affair, which proved incredibly challenging to shape into an attractive form. Potentially, I could have addressed the same issues of lighting and way finding in a different package, and in a slightly different manner. If I was to redo my concept, I'd utilise existing electrical infrastructure such as street lamps for power, and create a sign that guides users towards a bus stop instead of signalling them outright.

Overall, I'm happy enough with my response, but suffered from 'designers block' at a critical stage, resulting in what I feel is a slightly compromised design.