Demi | Researching users, collections and interfaces

Important question during this assignment is; who is going to be the receiver of the interface?

Important goal: make the collection interesting and useful for the user group.

Useful to keep in mind that nature means something else to us then people from another country?

Find a link between the collection and the user group.

Design thinking > double diamond

Context is a frame that surrounds the event and provide sources.
Looking for information around an object/subject.
Visual metaphor > something that helps make something clearer and of course to make it visible.

Maslow > he created the pyramid hierarchy of needs (A)
Rasworth > she created the donut theory (B)
Dune&Ruby > the do speculative design, they design things in/for the future to help (understand) the present (C)

After making three visual frameworks good ways to go could be:
- Expats arrive with a habit, a lifestyle. For example, Japanese people are probably used to very long work from around 16 hours, but here in the Netherlands we have 8-hour work days. That is a huge difference. They may have more free time now than that they had at home. With all this free time they can go take the nature routes of Staatsbosbeheer.
- Safety is also a good subject. Here in the Netherlands, we can say that safety is pretty descent. In a lot of countries it is not as safe, maybe not even near as safe then here. In some countries it is even forbitten for certain genders to go outside after a certain hour. So for some expats it can be a real shock to be able to go outside, in a nature envorment.

Thursday 08/04 - Notes from Rogerio's class

Thursday 09/04 - Notes from Marks class

Representation and identity politics

We look at the assignment from an empathy perspective.

Method of mapping

Creating languages > now trying to understand those languages we create.

Difference is positive and negative, also because we have all of these classificatory systems.

Hall analyses how we use difference in our day-to-day life through different theories.

The thing we see stands for something else > describe, depict and symbolize.

In our first reaction we tend to stereotype.
Cultural conventions > what we have learned, through those cultural conventions our first reaction can be stereotyped.

During the venn diagram we had to make up some questions. You tend to already make assumptions in the questions.

Monday 12/04 - Notes from Gabrielle's class

Researching interfaces

Interface
A device or program enabling a user to communicate with a computer (also first assumption).
In other words: two things meet and interact

What does an interface do?
• Connects
• Mediate (make a link)
• Facilitate interactions (someone is affected)
• Can offer access
• Facilitate exchange
• Influence behavior (guiding, suggesting etc.)

What van be seen as systems?
Knownledge, content, information, body of thought, human body, program, organisations/institutions, infrastructure, datasets etc.

What can the role of the user be?
Public, viewer, audience, reader, listener, consumer, participant, contributor, passive, active etc.

Organisation Staatsbosbeheer is the system and the users are expats.

Tuesday 13/04 - Notes from Rogerio's class

Feedback
Obstacles are a good way to look between the user group and collection.
The baggage/luggage is a metaphor.

Find a connection between the routes and the expats
What can the routes give or mean for the expats (purpose).

Looking more in to the collection maybe through grouping or wishes/needs of the expats.

Research as group:
We chose a specific group in expats: the student expats.
With other students/friends the nature routes can be more inviting for the student expats.
So maybe special tours can be set up.

The wishes of student expats to the collection could be
• Being able to sit somewhere (have a picknick)
• Being able to play sports (a field to play soccer)
• Easily accessible via public transport and/or bicycle
• No extra costs or maybe student discount for renting supplies.

Monday 12/04 - Working with group

We did a video call with the group to complete Rogerio's visual analyzes.

We applied his feedback by visualizing a little more and adding text.

I had the idea that expats come here with luggage. This is both literal and figurative. Their baggage could be their culture, language, customs, etc. This could stand between them and the collection.
One question that can be asked is do they take this baggage or leave it behind? They can also choose certain things to take with them.

Thursday 15/04 - Notes from Marks class

Preparing for class

Stuart Hall’s Representation Theory Explained
Original subject = meaning
What actually conceptually means doesn’t exist in the real world until it has been represented in the media. Media gives meaning to some events.
They can represent positively or negatively.

Representation is a constitutive occurrence.
> It has no real meaning until it has been represented.

Semiotics
Study of signs
Something that stands for something else
If there is smoke in a forest it is a sign that there might be a fire.

Signifier is the thing that does the standing in for something else.
Signified is the thing or idea that the person trying to communicate is trying to evoke.

Barthe’s Mythologes
Signs are meaningless when they are removed from their proper context (stripped of meaning).

Always Knolling
Knoll: to arrange like objects, in parallel or 90 degree angels as a method of organization.

Notes during class

Method of knolling
What is knolling?
The process of arranging different objects so that they are 90 degree angles from each other.
In our made collections of signs it means that we need to find different collections in the 150 signs.
A question you could ask is: What are relevant signs to characterize your user group?
Give direction to the collection > organizing.

Signifier: describe what you see.
Signified: describe what these signs mean.

New name ideas: foreign students from WdkA/international art students from WdkA.

Exploded view: a way to see everything or/and every part of an object/thing.

700 centenboek > all kind of collections of/through out Amsterdam. Collages of Amsterdam.

Monday 19/04 - Marks class

Prepare for class

1. “Everyone creates stereotypes. We cannot function in the world without them.” (S.
Gilman)
1.1 Revisit the first exercise (mapping of you & the other). What are the assumptions you (still) have about the ‘user group’? How were they debunked or confirmed?

- These people are only here for a coupIe of years so they might not want to learn Dutch.
I can’t fully say that this confirmed but during my research I did found out that expats usually are not very invested in the culture of the country they are living in.
(source: https://www.ensie.nl/redactie-ensie/expat )

- Because they are not familiar with anything from the Netherlands, they will get a culture shock.
I think this can be confirmed because it is obvious that things are going to be different for them then that are used to.

- I think expats are adventurous because they are willing to go to another country for their work. And therefor they are also work driven.
In class Mark came with a good argument because he thinks they are not adventurous at all. He thinks this because he knows some expats and they just live in their own separate neighborhood and don’t want to learn anything about the country there are living in. That is also what I said in my first assumption.
So I really thing this depends on the person. Do they do this for money? to see the world? Or another reason?

1.2 Write down your personal interest in this group? What are you curious about? How do you relate to this group (positive of negative); do you want to be part of it, do you admire them, are you more negative about them?

I had never heard of the word expat before so after some research I found it interesting. People who went to work abroad for a while, cool. But when I found out during my research that expats are known for not being interested in culture, I thought that was a shame. Wouldn't you just like to immerse yourself in the culture?

We eventually reduced the group of expats to international art students at WdKA. I really like this because we have a lot of international students in the classroom and so can hear a lot of personal stories.
I don't know if I would ever want to be an international student myself. But this is more because I quickly become homesick. The idea seems super cool to me but in reality, I wouldn't do it that well I think.

2. Signifiers that stereotype: Objects and their meaning
2.1 Which existing stereotypes have you found about your group? Describe them.

These are the stereotypes based on my own knowledge:
In the research I read them being described as not invested in the culture.
So that stereotype can be that expats do not care for other cultures but their own.

I described them in my assumptions as being adventurous.
So maybe a stereotype can be that all people that travel or all expats are adventurous.

I also read something about that expats have to pay less taxes in the Netherlands.
So expats are just doing it for the money.

Expats are only people who go to another country for work

These are stereotypes I found described online:
‘Expat’ and ‘immigrant’ is determined by your class.
All ‘expats’ are rich and successful.
All ‘expats’ are middle-aged.
Most or all ‘expat’ families send their children to international schools.
‘Expats’ bring in the money, ‘immigrants’ do not.
Source: https://dutchreview.com/expat/5-stereotypes-of-expats-in-the-netherlands-and-abroad/

Stereotypes about international students
Came up with myself:
International students are rich.

These are stereotypes I found described online:
‘loves to connect with people from all over the world during their study’
‘relaxes by watching a ton of Netflix’
‘is passionate about always staying curious and being involved in the worlds’ issues’
‘wants to work for big companies’
‘has the bad habit that they always want to be the best’
‘committing to studies as a ruse to land them permanent residency’
Sources: https://hanzemag.com/uncovering-student-stereotypes-the-international-communication-student/
https://www.studyinternational.com/news/international-student-stereotypes/

International students live in luxury.

All ‘expats’ are middle-aged.

2.2 Fragmentation and Fetishized: Which objects (e.g. food, products, clothes, part of the body) are used to stereotype with? Where did you find them? In which shape, form or media (jokes, sayings, news, tv, politics, shops, history, education,…)

I find it hard to say with which objects they are being stereotyped with because I mostly read about it in articles, and there were no objects said in that. So for the form of media I can say articles. Maybe for the first stereotype things that relate to traveling so passport, suitcase, airplane/airport.

For the all expats are middle-aged stereotype things could be gray hair, reading glasses
Money and expansive objects are related to the all expats/international students are rich stereotype.
There are these called starter packs for international students.

3. The effect of stereotypes: Power and discrimination
3.1 Who spreads these stereotypes about your user group? What do you assume their intention is? Did you find examples of discrimination, ongoing conflicts, historic events or other injustices where stereotypes are used to control or overpower your ‘user group’? Which system of oppression is it part of (racism, classism, agism, sexism)?

I think that the media starts with spreading the stereotypes and then people read it and say that to others. Did not find any examples of the things described in the question. But this doesn’t mean that they aren’t there. I’m going to look more into this.
It maybe can also be an ongoing conflict between expats and non-expats. I can imagine that people can make it a big deal that expats do not want to learn the language, for example.
But this is just an assumption, I will look further into it.

After some more research in the international student group I found out the biggest stereotypes is that international students are rich. Of course, it can be expansive to go study in another country, but this doesn’t automatically mean that they are rich. Many use family savings or investments to finance their period of study.

Source: https://thepienews.com/news/do-international-students-live-in-luxury-or-is-that-a-stereotype/

I found this article that explains that the students are afraid to being judged.
‘According to The Mancunion, many students prefer to stick to a group of friends that are from their home countries rather than get to know the locals because they fear being judged due to the harmful stereotypes.’

Source: https://www.studyinternational.com/news/international-student-stereotypes/

3.2 Have you found examples where your ‘social group’ is reversing the stereotype; using the known stereotypes and appropriating them for their own cause? (see more Hall, 5.1:
Reversing the stereotype).
No, I don’t think so.

I did find an article about that students are talking about the stereotypes. It is called “Breaking Stereotypes About International Students.” It was held to bring awareness to the struggles of what international students have to face.
Source: https://theithacan.org/news/international-students-discuss-stereotypes-and-other-issues/

During the lesson we discussed as a group what kinds of stereotypes we had found / described. We had a few that got over.

Together with Mark, we discussed in a little more detail when and why something is a stereotype. You basically just put people in boxes and we probably all do this on a daily basis.

We made a survey for the international students on our program and we discussed what to do and when.

We chose the nature routes for expats

Monday 19/04 - Rogerio's class

Prepare for class

User stories

As an international art student from the Willem de Kooning Academie.
I want to take a walk on a nature route.
So that I can get new inspiration.

As an international art student from the Willem de Kooning Academie.
I want a good overview of all the nice nature routes.
So that I can go there with my friends to chill.

As an international art student from the Willem de Kooning Academie.
I want good transport options to nature routes.
So that I can easily go there by public transport or bicycle.

The user stories are not character defining but situation defining.

In class

Looking at the collection through the eyes of the international art students of the WdKA.
What can the collection do for them?
Are the routes useful for the user group?
We can also propose new routes.
So you can tell all good existing things in the collection but you can also tell the things that are missing.

We showed Rogerio what we did for the user stories. After this we discussed what the logical next step will be and that is to start looking at the collection from the user's point of view. We can do this by, for example, using the method or knolling that we learned during Mark's lesson.

Monday 19/04 - Rogerio's class

Tuesday 20/04 - Working together at school

After the workshop about the microcontroller (see the page testing for more information about that) we continued working with the group. We wanted to get an overview of what we had done so far and what we still had to do. Because we had the most research about the user, I thought of making a mind map. This way we could see what we already searched on and if it was enough for the presentation.

The paper is nicely filled, and we concluded that we all were going to make one persona and from those three we would make one final personification.

For mapping the collection, we still had to do some more research, until know we really focused on the user group. So, we made a new Miro board so we could easily put all our research on there. Because we were going to see each other again on Friday, we wanted most of the research done by then.

Thursday 20/04 - Working together at school and individual work

We decided to all make a persona. Mine you can see here on the right. I took some of the “basics” from the poll that we did. So, like the age and home country. The rest of the information I tried to write from the international students perspective, also trying to look at the collection.

I also researched some more about Staatsbosbeheer and their routes. What are the things that are interesting for the international WDKA student?
I found that every year a group of international students helps Staatsbosbeheer with manual work. In addition, a whole program had been set up for the students.
An interesting thing I found is that there are special GPS routes. These go of track and you come to hidden and unknown places! You can also make your own route. I thought that this could be a real nice thing for the international students. It is a bit more adventurous, and you still get to know the Dutch nature.
I think that the place Rottemeren is the most attractive for our user group. It is nearby Rotterdam so it will be not too far or expensive with public transportation. You can do many things there, you can sail, mountain bike, walk, cylcle and there are beaches where you can fully relax.
I’m definitely keeping the Rottermeren in my mind for my concept for the interface.