During my final master project, one last perspective is added to my exploration towards the goal of becoming a specialist in the relationship between humans and technology like data and AI systems. Reflecting on my professional development and integration of the areas of expertise in my final master project, Growing Data.
See initial personal development plan
Taking the perspective of data in public spaces, which is becoming increasingly valuable for understanding city and citizen behaviour, allowing data-driven decisions to be made that benefit the city. The question is whether citizens perceive this as meaningful if they are unaware of this system. Therefore, this project explores making public space data meaningful to citizens. See the results here.
Business and Entrepreneurship
Within the context of data in public space, the business ecosystem consists of a variety of stakeholders, from government to citizens. Therefore, a stakeholder strategy was defined, ensuring that the right stakeholders were invited and their roles determined. The experience gained from working on public space projects at Fabrique helped with this. Stakeholder management was deliberately considered, using my knowledge of data and AI systems (M,D&C) to manage relationships with technology experts, while skills in quantitative research and empathy (U&S) were used for citizens. By looking at the entire ecosystem, all values were considered and attempts were made to align them. For the first time, I also defined a personal value system that built on my morality and guided this project (U&S). To examine the macro trends affecting the project, the PESTEL framework was used and future scenarios were defined, which I trained by being TA for Trends and Forecasting and during Researching the Future Everyday.
- Ecosystem Design
- Scenario building
- Stakeholder strategy
- Stakeholder management
- Trend analysis

Stakeholder meeting

Stakeholder map

PESTEL
Creativity and Aesthetics
To bridge the gap between research and design, defining a narrative was used as a creative method to capture the horizon of the concept, a method with which experience was gained at Fabrique. Growing Data was first created through a functional concept, building on the needs of citizens as defined in a co-speculation (U&S) and using theories of participation in public space. Then a creative concept was defined using my personal Design DNA, as defined in Creativity and Aesthetics of Data and AI, starting with a metaphorical approach, to transform data-related complexity (M,D&C) into something understandable and relatable. I value digital exploration, placing ideas directly in context and at scale, while realizing a low-fi prototype focuses on details (T&R). I use color as a medium to create a positive, hopeful and inviting feeling, as seen in my FBP, while in this project I have used its power to attract and make people stop at the designed intervention. Growing Data exists also out of a website and AR layer, which was developed through creativity methods as gained by working at Fabrique (T&R).
- Creative exploration methods
- Design Narrative
- Metaphorical design
- Perspective switching

Citizen perspective

Metaphorical exploration

Design
Math, Data and Computing
Data is at the heart of this project, which began early on with understanding the public space data by doing a data inventory. To do this, some level of data analysis was applied by exploring a variety of open data platforms, applying knowledge learned in a course such as Creativity and Aesthetics of Data and AI. The results of these analyses were often used as a starting point for meetings with stakeholders to communicate the challenge to them (B&E). Here I see that system knowledge is not my strong point, but my level was appreciated by the experts, as also bringing in different perspectives, such as user needs. Data morality, as explored in Interactional Morality, took center stage by asking critical and philosophical questions about meaning (U&S). In Growing Data, citizens are asked to enrich existing sensor data, where this sensor data had to be visualized in the intervention. This required determining a level of data visualization that is an understandable starting point for citizens, choosing inviting facts depicted on the open data platforms. This was visualized through Augmented Reality (T&R).
- Data analysis
- Data inventory
- Data morality
- Data systems
- Data visualisation

Data analysis

Data visualisation

Data system
Technology and Realization
Realization techniques are used to explore, visualize, experience and demonstrate ideas. Insights gained during the process are made tangible, looking at tangible needs, as well as context photoshops or a low-fi prototype, allowing communication of the process to stakeholders (B&E). The designed concept of Growing Data was realized through a physical experiential prototype of the intervention, along with an Augmented Reality interaction. These were carefully crafted using various construction techniques to make the design come to life. A digital prototype of the designed website including data visualizations was also created (M,D&C), using digital design skills learned at Fabrique. The experiential prototype could be brought to the context of public space, enabling qualitative research with citizens (U&S). Here, it can be questioned why the setup was not completely functioning, but as in this exploratory project, I wanted to validate the direction rather than the specific interactions, where this could be a valid next step. The prototype was also placed in an exhibition setting, carefully designed, focused on museum quality (C&A), which can also be seen in my M2.1, to bring some of the context to the table and tell the complete story to the public, including stakeholders (B&E).
- Digital prototype
- Experience prototype
- Exhibition setup
- Tangible findings

Low-fi prototype

Digital prototype

Exhibition setup
User and Society
Data in public space is an emerging topic that is becoming a societal challenge, where it is relevant for designers to explore the possibilities and challenges through placing citizen values at the core. The project began by defining a personal value system, building on morality as introduced in Interactional Morality, which is at the core of the project and used in stakeholder communication (B&E). The research phase seeks to understand complexity and discover how citizens want data in public space to be meaningful to them, building on psychology theories, where this project taught me the value of emotions and fundamental needs. Through field research, as learned in CDR, needs profiles were defined. In the design phase, co-creation and speculation were used as methods to maintain human-scale design, something I have been doing since my FBP. These co-creative ideas were elaborated with theories of interaction, as learned in the UX course, and participation in public space, which were transformed into the complexity of data in public space (M,D&C). Overall, qualitative research played a large role in this project, from interviews, user testing with prototypes (T&R) and expert evaluations as part of stakeholder management (B&E). I believe that doing research for a longer period of time allows one to make stronger conclusions, e.g. tracking how people switch between need profiles over time, where this becomes a goal for future work.
- Co-creation / speculation
- Morality
- Psychology
- Participation
- Qualitative research

Field research

Need profile

User test
Conclusion
Growing Data made it possible to add a final context to the list of perspectives in unraveling the complexity that arises in the relationship between humans and technology. Reflecting a little more on the design and research process, I see that the research went broad rather than deep, which is applicable to such a relatively new topic. Complexity is first embraced by research, then unraveled by design, taking a metaphorical moment to bridge this gap. At each step of the process, stakeholders were invited to participate in the discussion, trying to understand all these perspectives involved, thus connecting the project to the real complexity. The project built on existing theories, along with tracking user needs, and at the right time I followed my intuition and personal design DNA.
During this process, my professional skills were helpful in keeping all stakeholders involved. I found a way to direct my communication techniques depending on the context, sometimes being more reflective and sometimes more presentational. I noticed in this project that my planning and direction of the process became more effective. It has always been a strength of mine, but I felt that I now have quite a bit of experience that allows me to make efficient decisions and steps.
Where my FBP was the beginning of exploring my vision of the future as a designer, I see my FMP as a confirmation of which way I should go. During the bachelor’s, I was exploring how to use my personal characteristics, where all the courses and projects in the master’s allowed me to create a professional identity toward the specialties on the relationship between humans and technology. I am happy to say that I feel ready to leave education and take the step into the industry. Read more about my plans here.