We’ve previously discussed the concept of wicked problems – a problem so complex it seems insoluble. But as part of our latest research, we’ve taken considerations around wicked problems further, into an exploration of how visual mock-ups of concepts in stakeholder conversations can help us understand the wicked problem of public transport. The Encircle team… Read more
Posts Categorized: Ideas
Unpacking the bus stop as a system
Donella Meadows was an important systems thinker of the 20th century. She was one of the authors of the 1979 report The Limits to Growth – which stated the world couldn’t continue the way it was – with the rates of population growth and economic and environment consumption it had. 40 years later, that’s something… Read more
Building the case for new technologies
New technologies are heralded every day as the saviour of the large or small challenges faced by humankind. But though these technological advances may be exciting, and the benefits clear, there’s often a disconnection between the case for improving or updating the status quo from a technological perspective, and the business case for doing so…. Read more
Eliminating uncertainty in the transport network
A core difference between public transport systems and individual transport like the motor vehicle is the perception of control. When a person’s driving a car, there’s a sense that you are able to make decisions about your departure time, arrival time, and the route you take to your destination. Of course, traffic jams and delays… Read more
The rise of the super-mobile human
The growth of the smartphone has reshaped traditional communications, media, and information-sharing processes the world-over. But a concept we’ve been considering as part of the Encircle project is the rise of the super-mobile human. The rapid expansion of the use of smartphones has enabled human beings to enhance their natural senses to a large degree…. Read more
Last Train to Trancentral – From Infrastructure to “Info”structure, A Case Study of Embedding Digital Technology Into Existing Public Transport Infrastructures
This article was a further investigation into the various methods by which we may be able to move from an infrastructure to an “infostructure” – integration of responsive technologies into our transport environments. Presented at the Computer Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia Conference (CAADRIA 2011), the article examined three potential solutions for developing an… Read more
Infostructures – A Transport Research Project (Book Publication)
Alternate modes of mass transit will help the cities of Australia improve congestion on roads. But how do we encourage people to move to urban public transport and improve the existing network – especially given the constraints that surround the expansion of public transport networks? Infostructure: A Transport Research Project, a book written by Encircle… Read more
Tools for Multi-stakeholder Decision Making
Public transport is an area in which a number of key stakeholders overlap – including state and federal governments, particular government bodies, private entities, and the wider public. When there’s a range of interested parties, it can make it difficult to have a clear and decisive process in place for planning and executing a project…. Read more
Infostructures – Embedding Media Facades in Public Transport
This article, co-authored by Encircle members M. Hank Haeusler and Martin Tomitsch, describes two design studies that were completed in preparation of the ARC grant application. It is included in our project publications, since it outlines some of the ideas that form the foundation of the grant proposal. The article investigated the idea of using… Read more
Four Future Visions for Urban Transport Environments
Last year I taught an advanced interaction design class, in which students were tasked with improving urban landscapes through the use of digital technologies. Four teams, after their initial analysis of urban everyday scenarios, chose to work on transport environments. This post considers the projects the students produced, showcasing a variety of future solutions to… Read more