URBAN REVIVAL: Promoting Social Good

Parsons The new school for Design, Design DeVeloPMenT, roBerT raBinoViTZ, sPring 2011

giBY lan | saBrina MaerKY | arisara sriseThnil | Kara Kane | ana salinas

PLUS collecTiVe

PLUS collecTiVe promoting social good 1

SOCIAL IMPACT SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIAL GOOD

in this project we explored urban and universal humanitarian, social, and cultural issues. we explored the power of words and actions. We identified opportunities where we could contribute to help raise awareness, understanding, and need locally in nYc and beyond.

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PLUS collecTiVe promoting social good

MeeT The TeaM

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giBY lan

giby is a senior student in Design and Management at Parsons. Prior to Parsons, he acquired a business degree in international business at guangdong University of foreign studies in south china. interested in contemporary design and pop culture, he started his own magazine on culture and design aiming to broaden the horizon of the local youth in guangzhou, a city where he was born and raised.

Kara Kane

Kara was born in nY and moved around the east coast of the Us until she moved to surrey, england at age 11. she moved to Paris, fr in 2008 to study Design Management at Parsons Paris for two years. now she is a junior Design and Management student at Parsons the new school for Design. she is interested in branding, design research, and graphic design.

ana salinas

ana is a junior in Design and Management at Parsons. she was born in Texas and raised in Mexico. she is interested in fashion and art. she has done several internships in those fields in companies like Bergdorf goodman and harper’s Bazaar.

saBrina MaerKY

Born July 21, 1989 in Zurich, switzerland, sabrina lived there until she was 8 when she moved to a small town in colorado. now a junior in the Design and Management program at Parsons the new school for Design, sabrina has great interests in interaction design and research and development. she has traveled all over the world, which has both impacted and inspired her in her every day life. fluent in german and english she is an optimist at the utmost level.

arisara sriseThnil

arisara srisethnil was born on March 27, 1990 in Bergen county, new Jersey. growing up so close to New York City in a Thai household, arisara has been exposed to various cultures for as long as she can remember. currently, she is a third-year student in the Design and Management program at Parsons the new school for Design. she has a great interest in psychology and consumerism and hopes to one day be able to integrate the two in her passions: cuisine,

travel, and lifestyles.


Phases 1. see

Brainstorming Phase 1group Brainstorm 1Brainstorming Phase 2group Brainstorm 2

2. UnDersTanD

identityDesign Processinspirationresearchcase studiesanalysisidentify the Problem

3. BUilD

PersonasDay in the lifePoints of impactfurther researchProblem statementPrototype Sketchesoverall system MapPrototypesfield research analysis

4. share

Urban revivalindividual system Mapsshort Term goalslong Term goals

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see UnDersTanD BUilD share

Brainstorming Phase 1

We identified current events, impacts and effects of behaviors, media, words and actions locally and globally through brainstorming, mindmapping, writing, and sketching. we identifed opportunities, interventions, and situations.

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group Brainstorming 1

after sharing our ideas we recognized that each member of the group focused on the abundance of negativity in the news and our everyday lives. we put positivity in the center because we want to emphasize postivity and social well-being.

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we continued developing mindmaps and ideating potential scenarios where positivity could be implemented.


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group Brainstorming 2

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We identified Diet, Fitness, and Mental health as focal points for our campaign. Through words and postive discourses we see opportunities for promoting social good.



PLUS collecTiVe is a design agency that promotes positive social impacts through various design practices and creative projects.

identity

Positivity optimism equality creativity education social well-Being

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| | | | |


identity

PLUS COLLECTIVE Futura condensed medium

PLUS COLLECTIVEFutura condensed extra bold

PLUS COLLECTIVEFutura medium

PLUS COLLECTIVEFutura medium italic

PLUS COLLECTIVEGaramond regular

PLUS COLLECTIVEGaramond bold

PlUs collecTiVeGills Sans light

PLUS COLLECTIVEGills Sans regular

PLUS COLLECTIVEGills Sans bold

PLUS COLLECTIVEGills Sans bold italic

PLUS COLLECTIVE Helvetica Neue condensed bold

PLUS COLLECTIVEHelvetica Neue condensed black

PLUS COLLECTIVEHelvetica Neue light

PLUS COLLECTIVEHelvetica Neue regular

PLUS COLLECTIVEHelvetica Neue italic

PLUS COLLECTIVEHelvetica Neue bold

PLUS COLLECTIVEHelvetica Neue bold italic

PLUS COLLECTIVEPalatino

PLUS COLLECTIVEPalatino bold

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identity

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PlUs - firm belief in a postive world

circle - collective efforts, the power of community

color choice - Bright but not too saturated, colors near each other on the color wheel are more relaxing when used together

Blue is worlds favorite color

Blue is strong, important. peaceful, and intelligent

green is growth, health, environment, and harmony

PLUS collecTiVe



Design Process

The PLUS collecTiVe design process was developed through researching the design processes of other design firms. We compared all of the different processes and chose elements that we felt were meaningful to our design firm. The open circle signifies a space where we leave it up to the consumer to interpret our innovative concepts, further the understanding and pass on the significance.

seeinsight into a situation

without bias

UnDersTanDresearch and explore current

and historical references

BUilDideation, conceptualization,

visualizing, decide, simplify concept

shareimplement and

spread our vision

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inspiration “open happiness” coca cola campaign

coca cola has always promoted a happy, friendly attitude. This can be seen throughout the company’s branding strategy. Different forms of media they have used range from TV commercials, billboards, sponsorships, coca cola trucks, and more. They have delivered the ‘Open Happiness’ message by showing people uniting and friendly animals, such as the signature polar bear. Through these messages, they have put emphasis on fun, which has inspired us to prioritize fun when promoting happiness and positivity.

a recent coca cola advertisement that was only circulating in latin america, “reasons to Believe” has generated a lot of attention worldwide because it promotes an optimistic view of the world. These different forms of sending positive messages have focused in the concepts of fun, believing, and uniting. PLUS collecTiVe wants to use these ideas in our effort to promote positivity in a local and global sense.

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inspiration in nature

PLUS collecTiVe is inspired by the way the balance of nature solves its problems and is seeking to implement the same balance into the media environment.

The symbiotic, instinctual relationships nature creates, such as that of the clown fish and sea anemone represents the important and necessary balance that should exist amongst all aspects of everyday life. The two have a mutial relationship where the anemone provides shelter and food to the clown fish, while the fish provides water circulation, food, and cleaning for the anemone.

This balance of nature should be a part of the media, a balance between positive and negative information/messaging.

The natural traits of instinct, fight or flight, predator prey, and adaptation also play a big role in completing the balance of nature. The ability to evolve and acclimate to different environments and to survive and live an affluent life is a major part of nature’s success. PLUS collecTiVe uses this balance of nature as a model for society and the media that surrounds it.

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research on structuralism and the negativity Bias

“good news” by robert sollis - all the negative news was cut out of the newspaper leaving not much except advertisments

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levi strauss postulated that every meaning, thought, and culture in our world is built around dualities: positivity and negativity. There is usually a dominant side that shapes how we make meaning. The one side that usually wins out is negativity; this is called negativity bias. events with negative emotional content are better remembered than positive ones. negative stimuli produce more neural activity than equally intense positive stimuli; they also are perceived more easily and more and are quickly stored into memory. The amygdala part of the brain has two thirds of its neurons that look for bad news –it is primed to go negative.

Our capability to quickly process bad news is to keep us out of harm’s way. Natural selection, adaption, and the fight or flight responses are all ways of survival. The brain is alert and notices danger, so that we can react if we are threatened. “Your brain is simply built with a greater sensitivity to unpleasant news. The bias is so automatic that it can be detected at the earliest stage of the brain’s information processing.” ohio state University psychologist John T. cacioppo, Ph.D.



research on the effects of Media on children

children of the 21st century are targeted through various forms of media from the time they can sit. starting in the 1940’s when television, recorded music, videotapes and more became accessible, the milestones of children’s development have been altered ever since. researchers have studied how TV affects kids’ sleep, weight, grades, behavior, and more.

with the abundance of media surrounding children today, according to the american academy of Pediatrics (aaP), “Children are influenced by media they learn by observing, imitating, and making behaviors their own.” This typically happens to children as young as four or five years of age.

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research: negative Messaging

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negativity and negative messages have multiple effects on humans. This negativity usually comes from stress related matters and can result in health problems and a significantly decreased quality of life.



research: Positive Messaging

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Positive messaging helps to promote a positive attitude and perception of an issue, object, or one’s environment. This will eventually lead to positive behavior while generating optimism.




case study 1 16 and Pregnant

soUrce

MTV

channel

TV showBlogs

Magazines

Message

struggle of being pregnant so young

if you get pregnant you can become

famous

receiVer

Teenswomen

adolescentsgirls

feeDBacK

safe sex

some are getting pregnant on

purpose

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Between 1990 and 2005, there was a steady decrease in the rate of teen pregnancies. However, in 2006 there was a 3% increase, the first jump since 1990. 16 and Pregnant, a TV show featured on MTV captured the lives of various pregnant teens. Through showing the unique challenges and difficult decisions teenagers had to go through, MTV’s initial purpose was to educate teens in practicing safe sex. however, the success of the show through reaching a high number of viewers had setbacks.

Though rates of teenage pregnancies did decrease after the premier of the show in 2009, some viewers also received the wrong message: being a teenaged mother could bring fame. Drawbacks of this show include teens getting pregnant on purpose in order to be casted for the show, and deciding the path of their pregnancies based on their potential fame if casted.

Prossomewhat reduced rate of pregnancyshowed the real-life of pregnant teens

consspread the wrong message“Teen pregnancy can make you famous”Does not teach a lesson or how to prevent pregnancy


case study 2 let’s Move campaign

soUrce

Michelle obama

channel

websiteBlog

campaign Programs

Message

healthier lifestyle through eating the

right food and exercising

receiVer

KidsCaretakers

Parentsschools

government

feeDBacK

evaluation

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The rate of obesity in children in the Us has tripled to 17% over the past 30 years. let’s Move! is an initiative launched by Michelle obama, dedicated to solving to problem of child obesity in the U.s. The program collaborates with parents, schools, and caretakers to foster healthy environments and ensure healthy, yet affordable food for children, while encouraging physical activity. These initiatives are communicated through various tools including the campaign’s website, a blog and various collaborations with cities, schools and local communities. although the program does a successful job in

presenting information, there are components of the campaign that detracts the overall success. In the logo, people mistaken the exclamation point depicted through a child jumping for a figure falling headfirst. since its inception in 2010, there are no facts to prove that the campaign has successfully mitigated the problem of child obesity. it would be more encouraging for parents and caretakers to see how problems have been reduced, further motivating their participation to make a change.


ProsThe message is clear and straight-forwardcovers a wide audienceBright, engaging color palette

consno clear criteria for impact measurementimpact of the campaign is somewhat doubtfulMis-leading logo design


case study 3 livestrong campaign

soUrce

lance armstrong

channel

BraceletsPromotion through

celebritiesevents

Partnerships

Message

awareness towards cancer and raising

money

receiVer

general publicathletic people

feeDBacK

raised money that went towards research,

improve the general experience of having

cancer-facilities, training, medication, faster

detection

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overall this campaign/organization was and is a major success. The strategy of using bracelets to create awareness quickly spread throughout the United states and other countries. The liVesTrong organization aimed to educate people about cancer while also raising money. The innovation of selling bracelets became a major revenue stream and source of awareness. The message was to some extent lost because the bracelets became such


ProsMade lots of money for the causeUtilized a creative means of marketing; the issue-bracelets

consThe message was lost because the bracelets became a trend

a trend. This to some extent defeats the purpose of supporting the cause, however, the biggest factor is that, “since 1997 liVesTrong has raised more than $250 million to support its cause.” The bracelets were/are a major innovation in marketing a cause and have become very popular to create awareness.


case study 4 susan g Komen Breast cancer awareness campaign “for The cure”

soUrce

nancy goodman

channel

websitecampaign

race for the cureBlog

sponsors

Message

raising awarenessDonating money for

research

receiVer

womenMen

familiesPatients

survivors

feeDBacK

raised moneyincreased research

less patientssooner detection

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1.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer yearly, and will be for the next 20 years. susan g. Komen for the cure’s mission is to raise awareness and funding to further research and early detection. since its inception in 1982, the foundation has raised close to $1.5 billion in hopes of becoming the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to fight breast cancer.susan g. Komen for the cure reaches out to all. women, men, families

ProsPutting light on awful conditioncreate awareness of breast cancerNon-profit- a lot of money donated to researcheasily recognizedlarge participationMany partnerships / collaborations

and friends are educated on the importance of research, the importance of donating in order fulfill the research, are encouraged to share stories and participate in race for the cure. The foundation’s main source of revenue was through collaborations with various brands. Thus far, this organization has made coping with cancer easier, allowed women to detect symptoms sooner and bring the world together in support and to fight breast cancer.


consMay be attracted to pink products for the wrong reason


Case Study 5 Anti-Smoking Campaigns

soUrce

Anti-smoking campaigns

channel

TV commercialsBannersPosters

School talks

Message

Smoking is bad - shown through negativity and

gruesome images

receiVer

SmokersPotential smokers

adolescents

feeDBacK

Though there have been some decreases in 2010“in 2010 19% of students

were smokers”overall the anti-smoking

counter message has been lost” cDc

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The antismoking campaigns throughout the years had a lot of success in targeting adolescents and sending the message of how bad cigarettes/tobacco are for the body. however the strategies that have been used are no longer as effective. The wrong message is being sent to the point where this age group thinks they are cooler when they smoke, completely defeating the purpose. Though it was just this past year where the percentage rate went up, antismoking organizations need to find different means of communicating

their message. It could be that this target demographic stopped taking themessages seriously because they are so extreme. Finding a more casual way of communicating that smoking is bad while also using a different medium could help to send the right message and have impact. “Though smoking amongst young people did decrease the past years, “in 2010 19% of students were smokers.” “People are getting the image that its cool to use nicotine as a drug. Overall, the antismoking countermessage has been lost.” CDC


Prosa strong, important messageThey have used the method of instilling fear (negativity) which gets more people’s attention

consSome of the messages made kids want to smoke morePeople stopped paying attention to the ads since a lot of them showed disturbing images that people don’t want to see.


case study 6 The fun Theory

soUrce

Volkswagen

channel

environmentarchitecture -

stairs to enter and exit subway station

Message

fun is the easiest way to change people’s

behavior

receiVer

subway users

feeDBacK

66% more people chose the stairs over

the escalator than usual

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The Fun Theory is a Volkswagen web based initiative that started in October 2009. The fun Theory is based on the notion that fun is the best way to change people’s behavior for the better. The fun Theory had a competition open to all entrants for the fun Theory award. The award was based on thoughts, inventions, and ideas that supported the fun Theory. one of the finalists was the Piano Staircase. The stairs to enter and exit Odenplan subway station in Stockholm were transformed into piano keys, so as people

walked on the stairs they made sounds. The goal was to get more people to take the stairs by making them fun and interactive. This resulted in 66% more people using the stairs instead of the escalator. This campaign shows how fun can be a transformative power for improvement. social media has helped spread this campaign; with the help of YouTube this experience has been shared worldwide.


ProsEncourages people to walk rather than take the escalatorPromotes healthy lifestyleinteractive and fun for all ages

consOnly stayed up for one weeknot many people experienced itexpensive to have in effect full time.


analysis of case studies

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Through our analyses of the failed and successful campaign case studies we found that campaigns that collaborated and utilized innovative forms of media were more successful in comparison to the other campaigns that used traditional forms of media. Traditional forms of media include banners, TV commercials, prints advertisements, and radio advertisements. The livestrong bracelets and the fun Theory staircase both utilized innovative media by using the environment and interactive forms. sgK’s for the cure is good example of collaboration with Yoplait.

These collaborations are successful when the right products are partnered with a cause. The major Yoplait demographic is women who want to live healthy lifestyle, so the collaboration is more meaningful. These case studies have led us to identify that innovate forms of messaging are more impactful especially when aiming to deliver positive and fun messages. PLUS collecTiVe has found that new forms of media are more captivating when they catch you off guard, start trends, and encourage you to look at things at differently and changing behavior for the better.



The information age has changed our way of life by means of the internet, email, personal computing, smart phones, and more. Knowledge is now readily available to anyone who wants it. “The information age is defined by output: we produce far more information than we can possibly manage, let alone absorb.” we are now moving into the connected age with social media like Facebook, Twitter, blogging, Youtube, and Vimeo.

we are inundated with information. in the Us, today’s media including traditional and nontraditional channels excessively report on negative events and less on positive ones. negativity is “the expression of criticism of or pessimism about something. ” The abundance of using negativity in the media contributes to negativity biases in people’s minds.

negative stimuli produce more neural activity than equally intense positive stimuli. It is also perceived more easily and more quickly.

There are many existing campaigns in various communication channels including television, blogs, and advertisements that try to raise awareness and educate in the topics of mental health, fitness, diet, and others. Some of these campaigns have been successful in getting their message across such as Livestrong, where others including smoking campaigns have had adverse effects. negativity and unhappiness decreases the well being of the body, mind, and humanity. a positive communication approach is needed in order to effectively enhance, educate, and inform society.

PLUS collecTiVe

identifying The Problem

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Personas

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To better understand how negativity impacts people in their everyday lives we chose to create personas of students and young professionals living in New York City. We chose this demographic because their is a lot of societal and personal pressure and stress on this particular group; especially taking into consideration the state of the economy, the environment, the political world, and the ever increasing health problems that are consistantly greater issues.

To obtain more information from the personas we documented and observed a day in the life of this demographic. This helped us to identify points of negative impact and opportunities for positive and fun means of delivering and implementing what PLUS collecTiVe values.



Personas

Michele, 26 andrea, 24 Maria, 30 chang 24 Thomas, 29

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a Day in The life of Michele

6AM Wakes up, gets ready for work7:30AM Walks to work, waits at cross walks opportunity7:45aM waits for subway opportunitySubway ride-lots of negative advertisements about smoking, attorneys…8:30AM Gets to work11AM Lunch break, run to a dinerrainy out with no umbrella, everyone seems gloomy, in a rush, scared of getting poked opportunity12PM Back to work3PM Gets off work

Michele, 26, born in switzerland, has lived half her life in Zurich, half in colorado and then moved to nY to aspire becoming a successful businesswoman. she experienced some extreme culture shock initially but quickly got to work on finding a job. She now works full time and is in a 2-year training program to become a manager of an apple store. everyday presents new, ever-changing challenges. she rarely has time to go out and when she does, she is too tired. Though not very optimistic, she does not let all the negativity impact her either. she is good at arguing and has strong beliefs that get her through the day.

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3:15PM Walks to the train, lots of traffic, loud noises and honking opportunity3:30PM gets on the train towards home4PM Gets off the train, walks home5PM goes to the grocery store, people are rude, unfriendly at cash register opportunity5:30PM gets home7pm Starts cooking dinner7:30PM eats, cleans up, then plays video games10PM gets in bed, on the computer for awhile-falls asleep



Andrea is a 24-year-old girl working as an assistant buyer for Bergdorf goodman. she’s originally from argentina, and lives with her boyfriend in a one-bedroom apartment in Chelsea. She likes New York City but she often finds it very depressing, as people are very aggressive and mean. Her job is usually very stressful and superficial. Coming from Argentina, she’s used to everyone being friendly and helpful. At work, she finds it disgusting how people are so arrogant, and is in shock with the idea that she can’t even look her bosses in the eye. andrea wants to leave her position because she is unsatisfied with her co-workers’ attitudes. She sometimes describes herself as the moody depressive over-worked New Yorker that you see on the subway or streets, but doesn’t want to be that person.

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6AM Wakes up to go to the gym7:30AM Gets ready for work8AM Rides subway to work opportunitydoesn’t interact with anyone opportunity9:30aM sits at her cubicleeats breakfast while working opportunity

a Day in The life of andrea

11AM Walks to the store to check merchandise stock1PM watches how customers spend thousand of dollars on clothing2PM Comes back to work and eat lunch while working opportunity8PM Leaves work around 9PM Meets with her boyfriend and friends at a bar11PM goes home



Maria is a 30-year-old Senior Designer at the Food Network Magazine. Born in Pakistan and moved to New Jersey when she was 8 years old, Maria quickly adjusted to the culture. she graduated Pratt institute in 2005 and has lived in Brooklyn every since. She remains close to her family but feels like she should interact with them more. Maria loves her job but is typically bombarded with projects. sometimes, she just wants to let lose and paint freely. Maria is a health nut and goes to the gym every day at lunch. By the end of the day, Maria is exhausted from the day’s stresses but chooses to keep her chin up. she gets excited no matter what the circumstances to have dinner with friends even though she has to wake up the next morning and do it all over again.

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6:30AM Wakes up 7aM gets ready for the day8AM Walks to the subway and waits opportunityrides the subway for 30 minutes opportunityListens to music or reads a book on the subway opportunityfinds it hard to interact with others opportunity8:30AM Walks to work- Hearst Tower12PM goes to the gym at lunch

7PM Leaves work 8PM enjoys dinner with friends9PM goes home10PM watches TV10:30PM Checks weather, dreads rain opportunity 11PM Eats a snack11:30PM goes to bed

a Day in The life of Maria



Chang is a 24 year old a graduate student who studies film production at a film academy in Union Square. He hopes to become a successful producer. Originally from Shenzhen, he finds the life in New York very challenging. He wakes up around 9am to go to class or work. To finance his stay in New York, he works part time at a sushi restaurant during the weekend and tutors english at school. he lives in flushing’s, Queens and spends a fair amount of time commuting. Living a busy schedule with school and work, Chang feels stressed and annoyed by the city environment. Despite all the social activities happening in the city, he feels that there is less human interaction, as the citizens are cold and defensive.

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9AM Wakes up10AM Walks to school opportunity11aM goes to class1PM Tutors english at school2:20PM Commutes to Brooklyn opportunityannoyed by nYc’s environment opportunity4PM sits down for a coffee5PM Does homework

a Day in The life of chang

6PM gets on trainPeople are cold and defensive opportunity7PM Meets with friends9PM goes to a bar10PM goes home12aM goes to bed


PLUS collecTiVe promoting social good 67

Thomas is 29. He works as a financial analyst. He is originally from London. He moved to New York to study business at NYU and has lived in the city ever since. He lives with his girlfriend in Murray Hill. His work is stressful and he works very long hours, often not leaving the office before 12am. He goes to the gym before work and runs when he is stressed and needs time to himself. he is struggling with his relationship, because he does not have enough time for his girlfriend. His work seems to come before her. His family feels the same way; he does not call them enough, but he finds it hard to stay in touch with his busy work schedule and the time difference. He is tired on the weekends, he sleeps in, goes to brunch with his girlfriend and their friends, and tries to relax. he enjoys going to bars and watching football.

5:30AM Wakes up 7AM Takes his dog out for walk around the block, he likes how quiet it is at this time, opportunity8AM Takes the subway to the financial district, listens to music on his journey, opportunity8:30AM Walks to Crunch gym and works out9:30AM Gets coffee at Starbucks opportunity10AM Arrives at work11AM Has an assistant bring him a bagel for breakfast12PM starts to stress because he has so much to do the time seems to run away from him

1PM has an assistant order him in lunch: a sub and chips and another coffee opportunity11PM Continues to work through the day not realizing how late it is.11:30PM Goes for a drink with some of the guys from the office and gets something to eat for dinner1AM Takes a cab home, he is too tired to take the subway opportunity2aM gets home 2:30aM watches the news for a little while, and falls asleep with the TV on

a Day in The life of Thomas



Points of impact and opportunities

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consistent points of opportunity and impact occurred during high stress times of the day. This includes commuting, running errands, and similar tasks. Opportunities were identified in terms of where PLUS collecTiVe could counteract the high stress situations and environments.

one being, for example, when people are waiting for the subway with nothing to look at or do. The following prototypes were based off of these points of impact and opportunity to enhance social well being.



research on effects of Urban environment

As Aristotle once said, ‘Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human.’ New York city is one of the most populated cities in the world, but at the same time, it is believed that it’s one of the loneliest cities. in the New York Times, editor Jennifer Senior wrote, ‘One in every two residents of Manhattan lives alone. These numbers should tell an unambiguous story. They should confirm the common belief about our city, which is that New York is an isolating, coldhearted sort of place.’

Moreover, New Yorkers are known for being rude and bad-tempered, and one of the main reasons for them to act that way is stress. according to studies 75% of the general population experiences at least ‘some stress’ every two weeks. And in New York the numbers are higher. According to experts noise makes New York an absolute carnival of stress. Furthermore, stress is contagious and other people’s excessive or ongoing stress pollutes the environment.

Brad gilbreath, PhD, associate professor of organizational leadership and supervision at indiana University-Purdue University at fort wayne said, ‘Stress is an omnipresent fact of life in New York and it’s getting worse.’ studies show that in New York, the rates of people dying of heart attack are 55 percent higher than the national average. ‘Just by visiting New York, you pick up half of the stress effect of living there. and you can shed half of it by leaving.’ nicholas christenfeld, a psychology professor at the University of california added.

however, robert sampson, the criminologist who chairs harvard’s sociology department believes that the reason for their bad -temper is due to loneliness ‘Cities are bastions of lonely, the idea of despairing people is a myth,’ he said in the New York Times. Cities can play a valuable role in fostering this by creating community spaces, activities and experiences that spark these sorts of connections.

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revised Problem statement

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one’s quality of life is often decreased due to the many stressors in urban environments. stressors occur while traveling, during bad weather, in crowded atmospheres and several more. There is also a lack of interaction between residents and the environment in which they live, including interactions with other residents. Both residents and tourists are “abused” by the harshness of the city.

currently, there are limited options one can pursue in order to escape these stresses including going to a park or leaving the urban environment all together. These are both appropriate ways to deal with the urban

PLUS collecTiVe

environment, however, they require planning and can’t be pursued as often as one may desire. The urban environment lacks a way for residents and tourists to escape these stresses without having to leave the city, and even when leaving the city, relief may not fully transpire.

everyday activities such as waiting for the subway or elevator, to crossing the street provide opportunities for PLUS collecTiVe to implement unique mediums and messages. This is in order to mitigate the harsh environment of the urban atmosphere, while also allowing residents to interact with one another creating an overall better quality of life.



Prototype Sketches

subway Murals Karma candy

neo nature

escalator arrows

interactive Post it

letters to strangers Virtual easel

colllaborative Doodle

Decorative Crosswalk


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system Map


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Prototype 1

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In New York City, over 7 million people commute daily. This initiative would be implemented during peak travel hours where there are high levels of stress. Partnering with national geographic, large micro-mesh murals would be hung up between train tracks. Uplifting, impactful sceneries of mountains and beaches will allow people to stop and appreciate nature. it has been proven to have a “profound effect on both a person’s psyche and health.” Through hanging these murals in subway stations, PLUS collecTiVe aims to give people an escape and quality time.

Prosimages of nature promotes positivityrelaxing place to “escape”Bright colors triggers brain activity

consLack of fundingeasily damaged

subway Murals



Prototype 2

in collaboration with an art museum such as the MoMa, on rainy days brightly colored metal sculpture flowers could be placed in the grounds of parks and tree planters along streets and sidewalks. The same concept could also be applied to rain drops that are placed hanging in trees. During gloomy days people tend to be impacted negatively by the rain and are more likely to keep to themselves. Umbrellas, puddles, and slow transportation add extra stress to the city environment providing an opportunity for PLUS collecTiVe to brighten society’s day; research proves that bright colors positively impacts the mood of people resulting in a better day.

ProsA way to make someone smileinexpensiveallows collaboration with artistsBright colors = positive mood

consPeople aren’t interestedLack of funding / sponsorship

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neo nature



Prototype 3

At locations with a lot of foot traffic, people tend to be frustrated with people in their way. at Penn station, users stand on both sides of the escalator; those who are in a rush are held back because they cannot walk up or down on the left side. An opportunity to promote efficient travel is leD arrows on the left side of escalators. These will signal riders to please keep moving, or shift to the right if they prefer to stand. This initiative would be funded through Penn station.

ProsKeeps users awareKeeps traffic movingreduces frustration

consDoesn’t promote positive messagingMore of a quick fix than a form of changePeople may not understandexpensive

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escalator arrows




Prototype 4

everyone crosses the street at one point almost every day of their lives; this activity is nothing out of the ordinary. Especially in New York City where users are typically looking down, decorating crossing stripes with vivid eye-catching patterns will enhance the walking experience and mood of locales and tourists, alike. This effort can be partnered with various street artists or funded by New York City.

ProsUnexpected- surprising to walkersBright colors impact mood positivelycollaborations with artist

consrequires streets to be closed in order to applyillegal?who will fund it?

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Prototype 5

Lettersto�Strangers

What to do you want to do?Write a letter

Get a Letter

Drop a letter

Other

Paper�and�Pencil Insert�andTake�Letters

Being one of the most diverse cities in the world, New York City has open opportunities for locales and tourists to share knowledge and ideas with each other. People will be provided with paper and a pen to write a letter and they will place it in the box. They can write advices, quotes, experiences, or whatever they feel like writing. In return people who wrote the letters will grab one of the letters written from a complete stranger. This will be a way of communication and bringing together strangers in one of the most exciting cities of New York. wewould follow by implement a response system.

Prosshare thoughts with a strangerPromotes interactionUnique method- nothing like this exsits

consPeople can share negative / vulgar ideasBooth can be costlyLack of participation

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letters to strangers



Prototype 6

The virtual easel is meant to be an internet/application site where anyone can paint on a collaborative easel. The easel will be made blank regularly and the completed easels kept on file. In collaboration with museums and galleries, large collages could be made out of the daily or weekly pieces of art. It can even go so far as specific companies that are being collaborated with choosing themes to follow. in creating this joint effort PLUS collecTiVe aims to make people feel united and connect them to the virtually unknown in bringing them together in a different way.

Prosincrease interactionshare ideas creatively with others“Painting” is relaxingBright colors increases mood

consVulgar imagesLack of participation

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Virtual easel



Prototype 7

PLUS collecTiVe’s collaborative Doodle will allow the public to share sketches and build off one another’s artwork. Blank posters that suggest creating a doodle will be placed throughout waiting areas such as in front of elevators, restrooms, and classrooms. This will allow students, faculty and other institution members to anonymously communicate with one another. The doodles will most likely end up being silly, bringing a smile to the next participant’s face.

Prosgives people something to do when they waitsharing ideas, thoughtsinteraction between strangersinexpensive

consVulgar imagesremoval of posterLack of participation

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collaborative Doodle field research



Prototype 7

collaborative Doodle field research: posters placed around Parsons campus by elevators, restrooms, and other waiting areas.


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Prototype 8

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PLUS collecTiVe’s post-it interactive activity allows the public to share their thoughts anonymously to one another. “Fill-in-the-blank” phrases give participants a quick idea of what to write. By posting this on blank walls, along sidewalks and other high foot traffic locations, New York City locales and tourists of all ages can share a small, happy thought to increase the positivity and light in one’s day.

Prosanonymous way to interact with othersshare thoughts, ideas, inspirationsSilly responses make people laughBrightly colored post-its brighten mood

conslitterSticky notes detach from surfaceinappropriate commentsLack of participation

interactive Post-it field research



Prototype 8

interactive Post-it field research: post-its placed around Parsons campus.


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Prototype 9

Locales in New York City tend to walk swiftly and kept to themselves. Smiles are hard to come across. One way of spreading a cheerful spark in one’s day is by passing out candy. These packets of candy will be adorned with witty, yet random facts or quotes along with a suggestion to “share” with someone in order to bring a quick smile to one’s face. PLUS collecTiVe would partner with local candy makers to make custom wrapped treats.

ProsPromotes sharing and interactionfunny quotes / facts bring smilesMany possible collaborations (local candy)

conscan give away the wrong messagecan be costly

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Karma candy field research


PLUS COLLECTIVE promoting social good

“We are all inventers, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities.” –Emerson

Share with with someone!



Prototype 9

Karma candy field research: handed out Karma candy around greenwich Village.

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The tested prototypes gave a lot of insight and feedback as to if and how people interact with one another. The interactive Post-it allowed for people to let out their emotions, whether they were good or bad, it was a matter of releasing stress. we found that most stated how busy they were, and what they had done, essentially something to be proud of. The Karma candy was also a success. Though some were unsure of the purpose of the quotes and facts placed on the candy, individuals seemed compelled and

analysis of field research

laughed at the randomness of it. They also were happy to share; some even returned to get more to give to people they were with. The last prototype tested, collaborative Doodle, was a major success; people wrote messages and completed one another’s doodles as we had hoped. overall all of the tested prototypes allowed for a positive interaction, giving us the feedback we needed to know if and how to create interaction and a positive attitude.

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PLUS collecTiVe presents

URBAN reViValimproving social well-being in the urban environment

Urban revival enhances everyday experiences by promoting social interaction, sharing, and mitigating stress points through the use of ever changing architectural and interactive mediums for immediate, inspirational, and compelling messages.


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Urban revival



URBAN REVIVAL

Social Interaction

Karma Candy

Letters to Strangers

Subway Murals

Neo Nature


Escalator Arrows

Virtual Easel

Interactive Post-It

Collaborative Doodle

Gov. & Artist Collaboration

Urban revival system Map

APPROV

ED


system Map 1


PLUS collecTiVe commissions a photographer to take pictures of nature scenery

Propose prototype to the government

obtain approval for project

3. obtain approval

Produce mesh screens and print photography

4. Produce

install mesh screens in various subway stations around nYc

Document reactions

5. installation 6. Feedbacksystem Map: subway Murals

1. call for proposals 2. Propose prototype

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system Map 2


system Map: neo nature

APPROV

ED

PLUS collecTiVe commissions an artist to create a mock of the flowers and raindrops sculptures


obtain approval for project Produce sculptures out of scrap metal

Install sculptures in parks and sidewalk planters around NYC and change seasonally

Document reactions

3. obtain approval 4. Produce 5. installation 6. Feedback1. call for proposals 2. Propose prototype

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system Map 3


APPROV

ED

system Map: escalator arrows 3. obtain approval 4. Produce 5. installation 6. Feedback1. call for proposals 2. Propose prototype

call for proposal from local designers


obtain approval for project Produce leD arrows install leD arrows in escalators at subway stations in nYc

Document reactions

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system Map 4


system Map: Decorative Crosswalk 3. obtain approval 4. Produce 5. installation 6. Feedback1. call for proposals 2. Propose prototype

APPROV

ED

PLUS collecTiVe commissions an artist to create a mock crosswalk mural


obtain approval for project Produce artwork to place on crosswalks

Apply artwork to crosswalks around nYc

Document reactions

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system Map 5


system Map: letters to strangers3. obtain approval 4. Produce 5. installation 6. Feedback1. call for proposals 2. Propose prototype

APPROV

ED

call for proposals from local designers


obtain approval for project Produce user friendly kiosk in PLUS collecTiVe

Place kiosk in an area with a lot of foot traffic where people are also waiting around such as a park or a subway station

Document reactions

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system Map 6


system Map: Virtual easel3. launch 4. Publicize 5. curate 6. Feedback1. commission 2. Prototype

obtain approval for project create a website with a drawing application

PLUS collecTiVe will choose drawings will be featured in other forms of media to demonstrate collaborations

Document reactions and replies

Users can work on a blank canvas or collaborate with a previous or current usergive users the ability to send and share the drawings

implement website upon users

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system Map 7


system Map: collaborative Doodle3. Produce 4. Partner 5. installation 6. Feedback1. Propose prototype 2. obtain approval

APPROV

ED


obtain approval for project Mass print text onto postersThere should be strong adhesive on the back of the posterPrinted at the top of the poster “while you wait create a colloborative doodle” in gill Sans light, 24pt, black PLUS collecTiVe logo placed in the top righthand corner

Partner with institution Place posters around institutions like schools and office buiildings it should be visible from far away


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system Map 8


system Map: interactive Post-it3. Produce 4. Partner 5. installation 5. Feedback1. Propose prototype 2. obtain approval

APPROV

ED


obtain approval for project Mass print text onto post-itsPost-its should have strong adhesiveThe post-its should be in PlUs collecTiVe colorsMessages and lines printed on each post-it in gill sans light, 12pt, black“Today i’m ________because ________.”

Partner with institution or public space

Post the notes in a high traffic area in nYc, where there is space for people to stand and wait or sit

arrange the notes to spell out a message such as “i am” or “Post it” it should be visible from far away


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system Map 9


system Map: Karma candy3. Design 4. Produce 5. Distribute 5. Feedback1. research 2. collaborate

APPROV

ED

find quotes by leaders, celebrities etc.

collaborate with local candy store Create mock of candy + wrapper Print random fact and inspirational quotes + “Share this!” gill sans light, 12pt, whitePLUS collecTiVe colored packagingPrint the logo on bottom left corner with

Distribute candy in public environment

Document reactions

PLUS COLLECTIVE promoting social good

Studies show that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the population. Share tis with someone!

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short Term goals


our short-term projections for PLUS collecTiVe’s Urban revival include expanding our services to top cities in the Unites states. This will require our firm to respond and modify our strategy to particular city’s specifications. For example, the Subway Mural would not work in cities where there is no underground transportation and so forth. another projection is to increase our number of prototypes, which will contribute to more social interaction and overall improved quality of life.

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our long-term projection is to expand to major cities all over the world. we aim to build an international interaction and database with some of our prototypes. for example, the letters to strangers will be exchanging letter of those countries who speak the same language, leading to a much larger social interaction, essentially making the big world seem smaller. This way we can create a platform of international social interaction and have greater impact in improving the quality of life to citizens of the world.

long Term goals

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research

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