SPEAK YOUR MINDExploring dialogue in public places

The following project presentation was made by students in the two-yearMaster’s programme in Interaction Design at Malmö University, Sweden(www.edu.mah.se/TAIND/)

December 21, 2011

Creating a channel for young women to express themselves in Rosengård

Using coffee to create a social setting and stimulate conversation

Paying with stories, instead of money

Core Concept

Target Group

Girls between 16-24, in Rosengård who: Want to be heard Enjoy conversation Want to listen to others perspectives

Final prototype

How does the stystem work ?

Initial ideaOur initial idea was a voice triggerd coffeemaker. But we didn't want to focus to much on the coffee, we wanted to focus on ways that could make sense for girls in Rosengård to express themselves.

We designed a game to learn what are those. Eventually the game becames communication tool.

Designing the Game

The aim of the game was to let users create scenarios along the questions, that are stated on the game plan. The point of these scenarios is for us to understand what make sense for participants. We had made cards with suggestions to answer each question and we also brought blank cards to encourage them to write their own.

Design workshops with the Game

The game had a game plan with five questions:

What's on your mind? How would you like to express yourself? Who is your message for? How would you like to send your message? What would you like to have in return?

We had a workshop at RGRA, but since it was only boys there that night, and we tried to arrange a workshop with both Bircks and Örtogardsskolan in Rosengard, but they didn’t have time for us.

So we arranged spontoneous workshops basically just approaching girls and asking for a few minutes if their had time at MediaGymnaiset and Rosengård Library.

Design workshops with the Game

Design decisions

During the workshop we started to see patterns that helped us make design decisions for a prototype.

Future Conversation Friends New perspective

Design decisions

We made the prototype to test in Christmas market in Rosengård. The prototype has a TIMER where you need to speak for 30 second and, in return ORIGAMi with a new perspective ,A MOTTO about future.

Also we had the idea this is going to be a standalone piece in

the activity area at the end. So we wrote instractions on the prototype to see how much instruction that in needed

Bring a friend Grab a microphone Talk about the future Get a new perspective, origami.

Example dialogue from workshops in Christmas event

G1: What do you want to work with in the future?G2: I wanna be a writer.G1: What kind of writer?What kind of books would you like to write? G2: Youth booksG1: Youth books! What will they be about? G2: Everything about young people….Those that are in love… Those that are friends…. G1: Are you already writing books?G2 : Yes, I am writing a book now…G1: what is it about?G2: A girl without friends… a five year old girl who doesn’t have any friends. G1: When you are writing.Do you use inspiration from your own life. Or do you make it up? 

G2: I make everything up.G1: And nothing in your books , has happened to your friends or to you. Everything is just fiction? G2: No-Maybe my friends…G1: your friends—Do they know about that? G2: They don’t want me to (write about them)…G1: But you do it anyway? You are going to be a cocky writer.G2: No, but, I will tell them. They will have to read the books. 

Machine: Thank you very as you can see the time as filled up now and you have gotten a new perspective.

Key design decisions

2 people needed to operate the machine (Face to face conversation)

Having something in return ( 2 cups of coffee) Listening to other people’s recordings

(New Perspective) Starting/stopping recording (affects

the amount of coffee)

Key design decision

Use qualities

Empowering / giving a voice, the ability to record their thoughts.

Local / place/specific in Rosengård, topics, the users and the listeners of the stories, it’s a physical object, all about Rosengård and the community.

Performative / have to act to get coffee, verbal Collaborative / collecting voices and perspectives Verbal / you have a voice and you can create your

stories and listen and collect others. And it is also connected to the performative. It is a certain way to interact.

Possibilities and challenges

What kind of topics? Could it be related to a Bigger purpose? Collaborations with companies and

organizations? (coffee componies, city of Malmö…)

Who is the owner of the content? Identity of the participant?

Thank you!