Drawing and user experience in public space design.

Abstract

This article reflects the research on how drawing can be used to include urban space user experience on the drawing based, planning professions such as design or architecture. The participation of the users on the public space configuration, it's here interpreted as catalyst for social change. The emphasis of the research is made on “how drawing can be used to include user experience”.

This research is made on the context of an empirical and speculative interpretation of a fact based reality: Imagine that the tax payers support the budget of the continuously city wide cleaning process aimed to erase signs of usage, graffiti or misplaced objects (considered as trash). Note to be made, that this operations are parallel, not nuclear, to the conventional sanitation collection services of waste and other disposals.

Imagine that part of this budget is used for “mediation processes”, namely with some of the people that claim to intervene illegally in the city. Programs such as “trucks of art”, “city canvas” or other “legalization” initiatives. Initiatives with good intention, apparently in the correct direction, but that at the same time induce in error, create the illusion (or reality in some cases) of an art market around signs of human need that have to be addressed elsewhere (better jobs, education, housing and healthcare).

Imagine that for this budget owners “art in the city” will only occur when it's sanctioned, unaware of the oxymoron: what's illegal cant be sanctioned, or if it's sanctioned it's not illegal.

Now imagine that ready made art is a reality, that art is everything, that life it's art, that the city can be a playground and that our architects and designers are up to the task of including everyone in the process of design and maintenance of our public spaces.

In this specific context, asking how drawing can be used to include user experience, we found a chronological and geographical kaleidoscopic journey trough tools for including users in the design and maintenance of public spaces. In particular the digital user experience maturity and broad usage, allied with systemic design approaches are creating conditions of better inclusion of user needs as best practise.

Hope that this article will help on the best “mediation processes” budget usages, and how to better involve users in the sustainable, conception and maintenance of public spaces.