Bio Mapping
Bio Mapping is a community mapping project in which over the last four years with more than 1500 people have taken part in. In the context of regular, local workshops and consulltations, participants are wired up with an innovative device which records the wearer's Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), which is a simple indicator of the emotional arousal in conjunction with their geographical location. People re-eplore their local area by walking the neighborhood with the device and on their return a map is created which visualizes points of high and low arousal. By interpreting and annotating this data, communal emotion maps are constructed that are packed full of personal observations which show the areas that people feel strongly about and truly visualize the social space of a community.
How will our perceptions of our community and environment change when we become aware of our own and each others intimate body states?
The designer behind Bio Mapping is Christian Nold. To find out more about Christian and his projects click below.
Bio Mapping
Softhook
Have you ever wondered the streets of Raleigh and felt emotionally provoked? What gives a place it's unique character? Is it the people, the place, or the things within that environment?
How can this help us as designers? Should designing something with emotional attachment be important?
Sure I have wondered the streets of Raleigh and felt emotionally provoked. There's always that awkward moment when you're ready to cross a busy street, and the light tells you not to walk, but you don't see any cars coming so you just go. It's like you don't want to get hit, but it's stupid to just stand there and wait for the light to tell you what to do. It's a pretty anxious/hurried moment, and there's a bunch of streets to cross in Raleigh. Environmental characteristics like this form Raleigh's character.
However, busy streets aren't the only things in Raleigh that elicit an emotional response. The behaviors of people around you can really impact the way you view a city or space. For example in Raleigh, as I walk around the N.C. State campus, I see students relaxing, playing frisbee, and happily interacting with one another. I get the feeling that N.C. State is a pretty welcoming and safe place to be. On the other hand, at the central area transit bus station downtown I see homeless people sleeping on benches, and people rummaging through trash cans for stuff to sell. On my last trip downtown this scary/crazy man came up to one of my friends and started cussing her for no reason at all. After witnessing things like this, just being at the bus station puts me on edge.
As designers it is important to consider emotional attachment when planning a project. By designing an emotionally successful space for people to interact whith, you can change the way people view an entire city. The people friendly campus at State makes me feel relaxed and safe. The planters and benches that line the streets downtown give the space a sophisticated and polished feeling. The cute businesses and parks near the city market are inviting and friendly. But some areas, such as the transit station, will always be annerving for people, because of the negative experinces they have had there, no matter how many times they are redesigned.
Posted by Sara Marley on October 15, 2008 at 12:22 PM EDT #
I am not from Raleigh, so I do not know the area well; however, I can speak for my own hometown. I come from a pretty small town, where everyone knows just about everyone. I will always love it; however, it isn't the nicest town. Most of the city is poverty stricken, crime is a definite problem, and unemployment is unbelievably high. Even though it may not be the bet place by comparison, I am at complete ease there. It is serene and peaceful, and has a pleasant aura about it.
Places do have distinct feels to them. In the time I have spent in downtown Raleigh, I have felt a completely different vibe. I feel like Raleigh is unwelcoming in its lack of sunlight, and lack of clear views, both of which are caused by the clutter of buildings. I also see Raleigh as run down with its crumbling buildings and construction sites. The people also give a city its own feel. As I walk the streets of Raleigh and see others, I give a nod and say, "hey, how you doin';" however the typical response I receive is no response at all. Where I am from, it is not uncommon to have a pleasant conversation with a complete stranger, that is just the atmosphere; however, in Raleigh, it is as if no one cares. The individual I saw urinating on the stairs leading up to the Convention Center didn't aid in any positive perception either.
As designers, we have the objective to create an atmosphere that is welcoming to the people who will interact with our designs. For a city, people like myself are not the target population, so my concerns are the not the biggest to the designers. However, a city is more welcoming to many others, and those people are the ones the designers should be more concerned with. The best design, however, would be one that attracts all kinds of people, and arouses positive responses from as many demographics as possible. While we typically hope for positive responses, some situations may entail a desired negative response as to instill thought in the audience. I believe that designs should have emotional significance as long as it aids the design's purpose, and does not hinder it.
Posted by Richard Kelly on October 19, 2008 at 06:33 PM EDT #
I think people are the most significant influence on a city's character. Your reaction to a place is more likely to be related to the people you encounter than the infrastructure. Like some one mentioned previously, the bus station is scary because of the people there. We take our cue to be friendly, relaxed, restrained or even frightened from the people in the area. Someone at home in one urban environment could feel entirely out of place in another, regardless of the common features that all cities have. At the same time the mannerisms, style and attitudes of people are reflective of the environment in which they live. Does the environment encourage pedestrian activities? How efficient is the public transportation? Does everyone use it or is it primarily for low income people? Is the climate extreme? What fuels the economy in the area? The answers to these questions are crucial to the planning and design of a city and affect its inhabitants. Raleigh, for example, is not pedestrian oriented as opposed to a city like Portland, OR. It is easy to spend a day in downtown Portland. The street scape has lots of shops, parks, restaurants and bars that are easily visible and accessible on foot. Downtown Raleigh provides little for a weekend visitor and often feels deserted.
It is crucial as a designer to recognize and address the emotional reactions you have because other people are having them too. We must design for people and people will enrich the design.
Posted by Melissa Martin on October 20, 2008 at 09:53 AM EDT #
i've lived in raleigh for about a year and a half now. one can tell a lot about a city's culture by its drivers' behaviors. i come from a city where the car behind you will lay on the horn if you're sitting at a greenlight for more than two seconds. in raleigh, the drivers show more tolerance and courtesy. i feel this is a byproduct of the emotional state of the citizens. people here seem more laid back, and unlikely to provoke others with their roadrage. back home, most people just assume run you off the road out of haste to reach their next destination.
strolling through the older neighborhoods by the governor's mansion reminds me of different times and different agendas. walking there, i'm reminded of the earnest rebuilding period after the civil war. this also floods my head with thoughts of tobacco plantations, rice patties, and indigo. some of these homes have been witness to great social and technological change.
it's funny how you can walk two blocks west and suddenly you're surrounded by cement monoliths and bureaucracy. downtown just seems so jammed together. the adjacency of the different districts leaves little space for transition. i imagine a downtown tour guide can hardly develop a train of thought before moving on to new talking point.
as designers, i feel it is our responsibility to find adequate elbow room for our designs such that they might stand apart from one another. it's reasonable to compound traditional designs upon a pile of preexistence. however, we must consider clearly delineating some form of transitional space between 'that' design and 'this' design. for not, they shall come crumbling down the mountains, over the hills, washing into the rivers and oceans of ambiguity.
design without emotional attachment isn't design at all. one cannot create without thought, and one cannot think without emotion, conscious or otherwise. laborious research must be performed before designing to provoke that unique response from a target group. emotional context decides what is dealt out and what is kept in hand. the results of better design is the culmination of premeditation and emotional intuitiveness.
Posted by gregory levin on October 20, 2008 at 11:44 AM EDT #
I have lived in the area surrounding Raleigh for my entire life, and little has enticed me to trek the streets of downtown. Until recently, central Raleigh was a location almost solely for legislation, with entertainment and parks found far from the tall buildings. My experiences of the streets of Raleigh have been those of a passer-by, as I usually travel through downtown on car rides through the city. As Greg mentioned, a city?s drivers are good indicators of that city?s culture. Raleigh drivers are easy-going but sloppy, but I have found Raleigh drivers to be more frantic than those of rural Florida. The occasional poor driver is the most likely culprit of a strong emotional response downtown.
I have had some experience walking downtown, and it is not just the drivers, but the spaces and people that elicit emotional responses. The natural elements of the city?such as the trees that line most of the roads, the greenery surrounding the governor?s mansion, and Nash and Moore Square?calm me. My experiences with the skyscrapers and the shorter buildings differ; the large structures tend to overwhelm me while the short buildings seem to beckon me inside. The homeless people found around the State Capitol building and the occasional crazy people at the bus station frighten me. Walking around Raleigh for our studio assignment has also given me new insight into the city. On my last walk, a fire truck roared out of its lair, and I felt a mix of excitement and anxiety. On a personal level, seeing a fire truck was a rare sight, but fire trucks also represent the response to disaster, so I was nervous for the families in peril. I also noticed what Sara observed concerning crossing roads. To add to her comment, crossing a street is a metaphor for passing through obstacles. Cars roaring past on a busy street represent turmoil, and the absence of cars passing by represents stagnant anxiety. I always feel relief and accomplishment after I cross a street since successfully crossing a street metaphorically represents overcoming peril and obstruction to achieve a new place in life.
A place is given its unique character by the interactions among the people, the place, and the things within that place, not an isolation of one of those factors. The fire truck made me nervous not only because of the loud noises it made but the idea that somewhere in the city, someone was in trouble. An area of a city can be beautifully sunny and the architecture can be majestic, but the homeless people who hang out in that area give the space a different feel than if they weren?t in that space. City Market in Raleigh is pleasant because of the cobble-stone streets, the quaint restaurants, and the musicians and artists it attracts. The place would not be unique in Raleigh without such a balanced interaction between elements.
As designers, we have to create projects that fit well with the environment and are welcoming to the people who use our designs. By creating this positive interaction between elements, we as designers can elicit positive emotional responses for our projects and for the way our projects interact. The best designs are those that respond well with many different types of people, especially those who aren?t intended to use them. As I have discovered on taking more deliberate walks around Raleigh, observation is the best way to determine how elements of a city interact.
All objects elicit some sort of emotional response, as humans are a naturally curious and opinionated breed. Therefore, it is very important for designers to design with emotional attachment in mind. Strong emotional attachment to a space stems from interactions with the space, and people go to places for their usefulness, their beauty, and their entertainment value. We have to strive to understand all the ways in which an area can be interpreted by others in a community, and we have to try to build projects that are appealing to many.
Posted by Jeremy Leonard on October 21, 2008 at 01:22 AM EDT #
Character comes from the mysteries that a certain culture or place has. I think that the idea of having certain things in your culture being able to negatively influence another culture is very interesting. This is especially true when visiting a new place with a new culture. Not knowing how to act around a certain group is half the fun. Learning how to successfully establish the relationship with the group is the other fun part. When you really take the time to break down the ideas behind a certain place or culture's architecture or sculptures, etc. you can start to enrich your knowledge of how an area works, or how it has been worked in the past. Fully understanding your workspace is truly essential to good and accurate design. That certain emotional attachment that is personally connected to an object or person or cultural quirk is what inspires you to really want to create for the people that will be using the space. You consider it a gift of sorts to provide them with something that you would gladly refer to other people as your work of art or great design. Without the connection, you might as well design with a blind fold on because the space will not be a total unity.
Posted by Joe Lawson on October 21, 2008 at 01:26 AM EDT #
I have wandered the streets of downtown Raleigh and suburbs of Raleigh. They have two very different feels to them. The suburbs have more personality and personal connection and more greenery. When you walk down the small streets there is lots to see and many people who are just out walking with their dogs and children who are friendly and will wave. The downtown part of Raleigh can be dreary and monotonous with similar textures and colors. The people who walk down the streets are not unfriendly but they are intent on where they are going and normally cities don?t have the feel of a stroll and waving to people you see because of the negative stereotype of city people being mean and possibly dangerous. Fayetteville Street is one of the few streets that has a lot of character and diversity to it and looks more friendly and used. I wish that the feel that Fayetteville Street has should be carried somewhat more through the rest of downtown Raleigh. In the suburbs of Raleigh, I feel that there are too many of the old characteristic houses being torn down and replaced by newer, less interesting and unique mansions that are completely un-necessary. It?s similar to buying a huge SUV when you are the only one who uses it or rides in it.
It is very important for a designer to consider how his/her work will affect those who interact with it. That is how is work will make an impact. If the work as no attitude or emotion of its own, it will just sit there and never be remembered, liked, disliked, used, or interacted with or it could be interpreted the wrong way to create an unwanted emotional response out of the majority of the viewers. The emotion that the work provokes in others is how it will be remembered, whether the designer intends to provoke negative emotions to get people to think or be disgusted at something or to provoke positive emotions the make the person feel comfortable around it and interested. When your work provokes an emotional response in people is shows that you understand the environment that you?re working in and the people that use and interact with this environment. If you don?t understand these aspect of a design project you are not trying, not connecting with the project, in which case I would say that you are not acting like a designer. One of the things that we are learning in studio is how to extensively explore your work site before beginning and how to analyze all the aspects that are incorporated with that site.
In class we talked about the process map and mapping who we are and what our process is but to see the same style of mapping used for the emotions that people get from where they go is an interesting way to look at a map and to map something like this. It uses the map in different way, and I think it would be interesting to read it to see how they organized it and what emotions people felt in the different places they walked.
Posted by Jennifer Mahaffey on October 21, 2008 at 07:43 PM EDT #