CapaCITY
CapaCITY is a concept for an interconnected network within a city providing information about crowding and promoting the use of green space. Built around physical nodes dispersed to neighborhoods around the city, these points would act as sources of information on local crowding expectations, events, transportation, and resources.
The idea for CapaCITY is built off of research that found that individuals who live in cities want more access to uncrowded outdoor environments. I analyzed existing solutions to the problem such as increased transportation out from an urban core, increasing access to nature during traditionally idle times like the night, and building infrastructure to extend green space. Additionally I investigated technology that was in use to communicate location data and influence movement in outdoor spaces such as Crowdfree and Waze.
The first prototype explored the use of information points integrated with mobile phones. Feedback included concerns for privacy, aesthetic integration into the environment, and recognizability. I went on to refine the visual aspects of the physical design, develop a cohesive brand, as well as explore what an interface might look like.
Brand
A lot of the brand was built off of the current guidelines outlined for the City of Boston. Themes of confidence, helpfulness, and optimism in particular are especially relevant to the goals of the CapaCITY project. Going further, the symbols used in this project must be simple enough that it is easily identifiable at a glance while providing the opportunity for variation in context.
