Phase 2: Learning Jennifer Dai 

 Cultural Probe Kit 

Aim: To investigate how college students form social connections in both a city environment and college space- how, where and why these connections form and how they are maintained

1. Polaroid camera - take photos of what you use the most to communicate with your friends and family, and how you do it 2. Whiteboards with markers- draw what you imagine the perfect setting would be to meet your new best friends 

  

4. Sticky Notes- write down something that you think will make someone happy, angry and sad on the sticky notes- then go and stick them on the first person you see 3. Video cameras- Record one minute of someone by himself or herself. Then record moments between people that could potentially turn into communication points/chances of talking to one another. 

   

Cultural Probe Kit: Redefined

Concept 1:

The White Loft: A Social Space Designed for Curating Connections and Creative Collaboration

Interactive space for college students on campus: Social hub in the form of a 3-tiered loft that functions as separate but cohesive levels

Concept 1:

The White Loft: A Social Space Designed for Curating Connections and Creative Collaboration  White is the theme as each visitor creates their own journey through it and forms their own connections in it- blank slate for everyone- no judgement zone. it is also transparent in physical structure  

 

Concept 1

Level 1: Keep it Cool, Calm and Caffeinated

Level 2: Creative Combustions

Level 3: Get Cultured/Pop Your Passions 1st floor is a recreational centre that has a cafe/dining hall, fitness centre/space for yoga, pilates, meditation- appealing to people who like being active, group fitness and shared activities, but are also able to relax by themselves. People who are looking for a lunch or a quick bite to eat, or wanting to get more fit will be enticed by this initial floor, and then likely to go up to the next floor too.  2nd floor is a pop up event space that will host events for people stimulated by creative passions and who want to meet like minded people­ such as group painting/sketching sessions, web design/graphic design seminars and workshops that encourage team bonding, interaction and collaboration.  Creative minded individuals/artists will likely be intrigued by this floor and want to enter the third floor too.  3rd floor: Cultural and ‘Pop Culture’ Corner Each week there will be a culturally themed interactive event to showcase that culture’s social activities, cuisines, art and lifestyle (food stalls, photo booths with culturally

themed decorations and props). Alternating cultures each week- i.e. Japanese, Chinese, American, Italian. Pop culture themed room every other week- i.e. Throwback Tuesday themed (vintage etc), Hip hop themed. Students can submit their own art to feature each week in this space according to the theme.

  3rd floor: The Provocative Corner For people less interested in a particular culture, this floor will also feature an openly structured room filled with conversation provoking themes/decorations/furniture that are structured to initiate interaction, conversation and debates amongst people in the space i.e. a “vent corner- express your most pressing thoughts”, “silicon valley corner- write/draw/sketch what app you would create if you could come up with anything in the world”, “music corner- grab the person next to you, and record yourselves lip syncing to the first song that comes on shuffle on this ipad screen”

Key Insights:

Through the cultural probe kits we were able to conceptualize ideas and create a potential concept for our project.

We were able to utilise these initial stage methods to further develop more ideas and strategies for our problem.

Through brainstorming conceptual and limitless types of ideas, we are now able to define more concrete solutions while incorporating the creativity of these ones.