PROJECT BACKGROUND :
The Brief : This project was done as a part of the RCA Grand Challenge 2023/24: Ocean & Cities. It's aim was to bring London closer to the ocean by encouraging cross-disciplinary teams of RCA students to explore a wide range of design challenges at the interface of land and sea.
Goals for the brief :
1. Address the impacts of cities on the ocean.
2. Increase city resilience to ocean-related impacts of climate change.
2. Increase city resilience to ocean-related impacts of climate change.
Our Project : Our region was based in the Merton borough of London. We analysed several aspects of this region, including the relationships of its residents with the different water bodies and the various problems it faces in relation to water. The major identified issue was frequent local flooding and gaps in the system regarding awareness, accessibility to information & resources, and turn-around time for receiving flood-related help. We recognised potential in making resources accessible and encouraging neighbours to help each other through a simple service, a mobile app, to help people be aware, prepared, strengthen community relationships, and foster their connection with nature.
PROJECT TIMELINE :
2 Months - December'23 to January'24
TEAM :
RCA Students - Tamaris Ellins, Parul Gupta, Hailin Lei, Jinghai Liu, Chengyan Wang
ROLE :
User research through interviews & site visits. Site analysis & problem identification. Opportunity identification & strategy proposal. Design concept development. UI/UX design for the app proposal. Contribution in final video through editing & script-writing. Presentation making.
LEARNINGS :
Ethical risk planning during interviews, working in a cross-disciplinary team, providing a service design lens to a nature-based problem, leveraging co-design & place-making methods for strategising an appropriate & efficient solution to achieve a local context-based yet iterative design proposal.
_____________________________________________________
ABOUT MERTON
MERTON & WATER
STAKEHOLDERS
FIELD RESEARCH INSIGHTS
KEY ISSUES
PROBLEM - FLOODING
OPPORTUNITY
HOW MIGHT WE
help Merton residents access flood-related resources conveniently & efficiently, get real-time & immediate help during a flood, and promote community & neighbourhood level engagement for the same?
SOLUTION STRATEGY
To cater to these gaps, we recognised potential in making resources accessible and encouraging neighbours to help each other through a simple service, a mobile app. This platform, floodguard.ai, integrates all flood related information, warnings and resources at your fingertips, while helping you engage with your neighbours to create an empathetic, mutually-beneficial ecosystem. This service aims to help people be aware, prepared, strengthen community relationships, and foster their connection with nature.
DESIGN FEATURES
SERVICE FLOW
DESIGN PROPOSAL