Tommy Liu - Portfolio for Snook

Tommy Liu

Selected Worksfor

Snook

design research | service design

Contextual Inquiry

Rapid Prototyping

Co-Design Workshops

Stakeholder Engagement

Pomo Indian Nation

GDF-SUEZ

Dig Deep Farms

UNHCR - Refugee Camps

Manufacturing

3-9

10-26

27-35

36-42

43-47

empowering communities

Pomo Indian NationUkiah, CASpring 2008~

The Pomo tribe lives in Ukiah California.

They are dissatisfied with their homes but distrust engineering due to negative experiences in the past


2Homes completed in

September 2012.

4Co-design workshops and rounds of iteration

50+Tribal members took leadership in parts of

the process

15New homes planned off

the same model


Immersion & Home Visits build trust and understanding

Cultural activities are central to the Pomo way of life, but limited space in homes is an obstacle.

// Household size varies from five to eight// Cooking is communal, requiring large kitchens// Emphasis on passing traditions onto youth// Crafts i.e. basketweaving require storage space// Large amount of underemployed skilled labor// Ceremonies such as “Big Time” involve hosting up to twenty extended famiy members

Co-Design Workshopsgive the tribe ownership

Tribal members and engineers brainstormed unmet housing needs. The Pomo led in determining and presenting solutions, ensuring comfort with the chosen technologies meeting their needs.

Top Needs:// Optimizing Space// Living Comfortably// Conserving Energy// Integrating Culture// Interacting



synthesis

prototyping

tribal leaders

grantwriting

contractors

The homes combined native and modern green technologies and were constructed as part of a combined community effort.

Thanks toMy teammates:Cindy Bayley, Mike Himawan, and Yao YuanOur mentors:Alice Agogino, Ryan Shelby, and Yael Perez

And our friends at the Pomo Indian Nation


embedding innovation

Symbioseé GDF-SUEZ, Paris FranceFall 2011 / 2012

GDF-SUEZ is France’s largest utility. A new policy requires their clients to reduce building energy usage by 40%.

Can they retain business through innovative new energy efficiency consulting services?


200+Interviews with occupants,

building managers, and industry experts during

discovery and prototyping

50 GDF-SUEZ executives

engaged in 2-day design workshop

3Pilots in the US and

France, including one by GDF-SUEZ in Dijon

7%Energy savings

recorded


A Failed TrialGDF-SUEZ renovated a Dijon building with their top services to show clients energy efficiency’s value. In reality it uses three times the predicted energy, while occupants threaten strikes.


We explored new technologies, conducting expert interviews with 20 CEOs and founders.Technology and policy solutions existed, but behavior remains an unresolved hot topic.

Benchmarkingexisting solutions


Facility Managers run the building

Ownersrent the building

Users occupy the building

Who uses the solutions in Dijon?


Marie complained about comfort, feeling stingy facility managers and energy efficient features were to blame.

Although personal heating and cooling appliances are banned, we found examples of workarounds - occupants sneaking heaters and fans in - everywhere

Contextual Inquiryoccupants at work


“The building is complicated to control, new facility managers take a year to learn.”

“Owners are always pressuring to use less energy, and make the building gain value.”

Contextual Inquiryfacility managers’ dilemma

“Occupant behavior is an issue.Space heaters near thermostats

disrupt the whole building.”“We give them a Ferrari and they drive it like a Twingo.”

Henri, Dijon’s facility manager, is under pressure. He wants to keep occupants comfortable but had to ban personal heaters which disrupt the building’s control systems.

Other buildings had similar conflicts.


Low fidelity experience prototypes uncovered issues to target in the future.

// Low responsibility for “common resources”// Perceived lack of control// Comfort and convenience always come first

Sacrificial Prototypesrapidly generate insights

1. Energy usage facts shocked occupants, but convenience came first - “elevator over the stairs.”

2. Games showed a lack of ownership over common areas, and no incentive to help the building.

1

2


Functional Prototypestechnological intervention

6 iterative prototypes. 100+ tests. We failed early and often to determine the true opportunity areas.

Occupants expressed concern for their building after learning how it worked, but only acted for a tangible benefit, without giving up personal comfort.

1

1

2

3

1. What is the minimum amount of local heat needed?2. Can aesthetics encourage sustainable behavior?3. Explaining energy usage provides ownership


We held a 2 day event at GDF-SUEZ’s Paris ofice with 50 executives to launch a new innovation group.

Our work with the sales team revealed trouble delivering proven value to and engaging owners.

Co-design Workshopembedding design thinking


Stakeholder Engagementunderstanding owners

Occupancy: 30/100

Arnaud owns the Dijon building. His company DIGL manages one million m2 of real-estate, which is losing value due to low occupancy - energy is an afterthought.

Can improved comfort attract more occupants to these buildings, adding value to DIGL’s entire portfolio?


Facility Managers need information and cooperation by occupants

Owners need to improve building attractiveness, value, and occupancy

Users need comort without inconvenience

We designed a modular system that connects and addresses each stakeholder and the building’s needs. It complements GDF-SUEZ’s existing sales strategy.

Trials were run in Stanford’s d.School and Dijon

Can we change the

Paradigmso energy efficiency represents valuerather than a constraint to these three groups?


67% occupant participation

7% energy saved

20% of users took learnings home

- January 2013 trial in Dijon

Symbioseé greets occupants with educational videos and interactive lobby art informing them of the building’s features and health.

A temperature forecast and facility manager feed-back system empowers occupants to maximize comfort and efficiency through “good” behavior

http://stanfordsymbiosee.herokuapp.com/

http://stanfordsymbiosee.herokuapp.com/


“It’s much easier to satisfy occupants when I can reference complaints against the current temperatures.”

-Chris Crismon, d.School Facility Manager

Symbioseé provides facility managers clear communication with occupants. A building history manual enables new managers to quickly acclimate.


“Symbioseé represents a completely new point of view, without going against our business”

- Cofely, GDF SUEZ sales division

Symbioseé provides immediate value to owners through its sensor nework and database. The relationships it builds work towards the 40% energy savings requirement while increasing comfort and potential occupancy.


The Teaminternational & mulitdisciplinary

local business & marketing

My first projectPomo Indian NationSpring 2008~

ASHLAND-CHERRYLAND IS A FOOD DESERT.

30minute bus ride to the nearest supermarket

46local fast food and

corner stores provide little to no fresh food

Dig Deep FarmsSan Leandro, CAWinter 2012

Dig Deep is an urban farm attempting to bringquality fresh food to underserved areas. Produce is grown on four plots, packed by local employees, and delivered to 70 customers.

Their CSA business model is proven in affluent areas, but has had trouble reaching locals.

“I’m just keeping it together. It’s like trying to balance a stack of boxes in your closet... some days it all falls down.

I’ve got to take care of my niece, pay bills, and my car got stolen the other day. I try to cook vegetarian and make it to the gym but there’s never really time.”

- Terryl “Pac” Rucker

Meet Pac


I spent several days working and eating with Pac and his friends. Stops included fast food, corner stores, or gas stations.

Daily life’s pressures created a habit of immediate gratification - ramen, microwave burritos, and lottery tickets

Contextual Inquirylunch with Pac & friends


Contextual Inquiry at local stores

I explored a more diverse subset of local shoppers by spending time outside local stores. Elderly widows, families of four, and neighbors carpooling with each other agreed that transportation and affordability were key issues.

Many didn’t know what the farm was, and didn’t know that it accepts food subsidies as payment.


Co-design Workshopenergizing the community

The workshop brought together parents, farm workers, local youth, and health officials to discuss healthy eating.

Barriers// Transportation to stores// No time to prepare complicated meals.// Habit and a taste for certain foods.

“I try to live my reality. Like I said I’ve been doing this for a long time. Are my habits really gonna change? I don’t know. I like the way a bar-becqued rib tastes. I’m not gonna lie to you...”

“When you get back at 9PM and have to feed your babies there’s only one choice.”


| Alberta |

Age 61WidowedSpent time in homeless shelterRaised 2 childrenReceives food subsidiesTakes 30 minute bus ride to shopPicky about food’s qualityWaits for checks on the first of the month before shopping

Personas

Key InsightsMore community interaction could change habits and establish Dig Deep as a go-to fo using food subsidies.

The current CSA model does not fit users’ spontaneous shopping habits white a permanent sales base would.

Three personalities emerged based on the qualities of those I met.


These insights led to the construction of a community farm stand.

It will provide an accessible face to understand the farm, host events and workshops to educate locals, and provide constant access to produce.


refugees & host communities

UNHCR - Refugee CampsPalo Alto, CAFall 2012 ~

UNHCR serves 10 million refugees. Half spend up to 17 years in camps where tension with host communities and governments over resources lead to violence and restricted rights.

Can this tension be reduced by shared places between the two communities?


2Camps visited in

Ethiopia

20Refugees engaged in interviews, co-design,

and partnerships

25Case studies of shared places by UNHCR and

other aid agencies

4Opportunity areas

discovered for using shared places.

10UNHCR officials and aid workers

consulted


UNHCR has used shared places in the past. We decided to identify and address issues leading to failure.

// No sustained funding// Lack of understanding of each community’s needs// Exploitation of services by locals

2000

1960

1980

Development Aided Assistance

First support for long-term refugees

Land grants for refugees

Benchmarkingpast attempts


UNHCR Communications

Stakeholder Engagementunhcr’s difficulties

We spoke with UNHCR officials and aid workers to understand the practical challenges they face.

// Overworked staff// Unpredicatable annual funding// Difficulty engagng host governments, communities

“Host governments have their own issues, making it

hard for us to collaborate on camp placement.”


Refugee-drawn camp layouts,

Co-design Workshopengaging former refugees

Former Bhutanese, Burmese, and Eritrean refugees told stories of harsh conditions that led them to independently develop initiatives, including host communities partnerships.

We opened partnerships with Asylum Access and a former refugee.

“Refugees don’t want sympathy. We need empathy, and partners to work with to improve our own situation.”

- Former Refugee

Rapid Prototypesexplain shared places and spark discussion


Concepts Under Review

Reframing challenges as opportunities...

We are collaborating with former refugees, UNHCR aid workers, architects at Ennead, and lawyers at Asylum Access to unlock the full potential of shared places.

making things real

PrototypingManufacturingBringing Products to Market

Functional prototyping aids neeedfinding and validation in service design. Some identified needs, such as lighting, require manufactured parts

My prototyping and manufacturing skills minimize time and risk when bringing concepts to market.

SoLite4 Angaza DesignCircuit Design

The SoLite4 is a solar powered light for rural African villages. An initial run of 1000 happened last July and continuous distribution is beginning this June

I designed the circuit board for manufacture and consulted on the injection molded housing.

EverlightInjection Molding

The Everlight is a modular lamp made of upcycled materials, designed to be more personalizable, affordable, and sustainable than your generic lamp.

I manufactured the base, prototyping with laser-cut and 3-D printing, and CNC-ing the mold for injecting molding, before speaking to contract manufacturers.

Symbioseé GDF-SUEZWireless Sensor Networks

I setup a server, database, website, and wireless electronics for the Symbioseé project’s trials.

This involved programming the sensor nodes, electronics on the lobby art and database calculations. I worked with a programmer to store and translate this information to websites.

Documents

Tommy Liu - Portfolio for Snook