This was a project we worked on for IDEO's Make-A-Thon 2013 in Singapore. The ask was: "How can we improve interaction between residents through the use of public spaces?" Our team had five prototypes to help this work.

1. TEAM #3:
THE ELEVATOR
PITCHERS
CONNECTING HDB RESIDENTS THROUGH
COMMON AREAS

2. CHALLENGE
THERE IS A PERCEPTION OF “THE
SINGAPOREAN MENTALITY” - THAT WE
ARE TOO BUSY, NARROW-MINDED AND
UNFRIENDLY.

3. INSIGHT
BUT, ALL PEOPLE HAVE A DESIRE TO
COMMUNICATE. WE LOVE TO MEET, TALK,
LISTEN TO, AND EXCHANGE STORIES. IT
IS IN HUMAN NATURE.

4. INSIGHT
HOWEVER, WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO
TALK TO STRANGERS. WE DON’T KNOW
HOW TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE.
WE ARE AFRAID.

5. INSIGHT
THERE IS A LATENT NEED AMONGST
RESIDENTS TO CONNECT WITH ONE
ANOTHER.

6. INSIGHT
RESIDENTS NEED TO BE PROMPTED ON
HOW TO COMMUNICATE AND START THE
CONVERSATION WITH EACH OTHER.
WE NEED A CATALYST.

7. OBJECTIVE
FIND WAYS TO CONNECT HDB RESIDENTS
THROUGH COMMON AREAS.
PROVIDE THE CATALYST.

8. OPPORTUNITIES
EXPLORE COMMON AREAS:
LETTERBOXES, ELEVATORS, RESIDENT
CORNERS

9. IDEA USING BOOKS
#1
SHARING STORIES

10. KEY INSIGHT
PEOPLE LIKE TO SHARE STORIES

11. THE CLOSEST DISTANCE BETWEEN
TWO PEOPLE IS A STORY

14. AWESOME
PEOPLE LOVE SHARING STORIES.
PEOPLE WERE HAPPY TO SHARE
THEIR STORIES. PEOPLE LOVE TO
READ OTHER’S STORIES
KNOWING MORE ABOUT THE
LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE
AREA
CRAP
NEED PEOPLE TO KEEP THIS
GOING - PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND
HAND-HOLDING
NEED TO SHARE THE STORIES
COLLECTED WITH RESIDENTS

15. IMPROVEMENTS

16. KEY POINTS
WILL THE COMMUNITY CENTER LEAD?
HOW DO WE CIRCULATE STORIES?
RELOOK PROJECT ON ANNUAL BASIS

17. IDEA #2
SHARING THROUGH LETTERBOXES

18. KEY INSIGHT
PEOPLE SHARE THEIR IDENTITY
THROUGH SPACES, I.E. DECORATING
DESKS, LOCKERS

19. KEY INSIGHT
RESIDENTS CAN KNOW MORE ABOUT
NEIGHBOURS THOUGH
THEY’VE NEVER MET

22. AWESOME
CRAP
EASY TO HELP PEOPLE FIND OUT
MORE ABOUT THOSE WHO LIVE
AROUND THEM
PEOPLE NEED TIME TO GET USED
TO THE NEW CONCEPT - LEARNING
BY EXAMPLE
USES A PRE-EXISTING HDB SPACE:
MINOR TWEAKS REQUIRED ACRYLIC COVER AND HAVING
STANDARD ISSUED NOTES
PEOPLE DON’T LIKE FOREIGN
OBJECTS DISPLAYED ON THEIR
LETTERBOXES
REMOVE THE ‘TOUCH-AND-GO’
ELEMENT
SAFETY/PRIVACY IS AN ISSUE

23. IDEA #3
COLLABORATIVE DRAWINGS

24. KEY INSIGHT
PEOPLE BOND OVER GAMES;
EVERYONE CAN BE PART OF A LARGER
MOVEMENT

27. AWESOME
PEOPLE WERE INTRIGUED AND
CURIOUS
FUN WAY OF INTERACTION EVENTHOUGH IT MAY BE FACELESS
CRAP
BARRIER TO CONTRIBUTE SEEMS
TO BE A BIT HIGHER - JUST NOT IN
SINGAPOREANS MENTALITY
NO TIME TO DRAW IN THE LIFTS DISRUPTIVE
WRITING AND DRAWING
PRESENTS A HIGHER BARRIER TO
ACTION

28. IDEA #4
ATTENTION-GRABBING POSTERS
ON HDB LIFT DOORS

29. KEY INSIGHT
WE NEED TO GIVE PEOPLE A VALID
REASON TO CONVERSE. WE NEED TO
GUIDE THE CONVERSATION. WE NEED TO
BE INSTRUCTIVE.

32. AWESOME
VERY SINGAPOREAN LAH SPEAKING LIKE THE MAN ON THE
STREET
GUIDED CONVERSATION AND
WHAT TO ASK - GOT
INSTRUCTIONS SO EASY TO
FOLLOW
BOTTOM-UP, NOT TOP-DOWN
APPROACH
CRAP
THERE WILL STILL BE PEOPLE
WHO WILL BE UNRECEPTIVE TO
THE IDEA OF CONVERSING

33. IDEAFACES ON BODIES
#5
SUPERIMPOSING

34. KEY INSIGHT
WE NEED TO GIVE PEOPLE A VALID
REASON TO CONVERSE; INJECT A MORE
FUN ELEMENT TO INTERACTION

36. AWESOME
SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND FUN
ON THE LIFTS; DEFINITELY
ATTENTION-GRABBING
COERCE THEM INTO TALKING TO
EACH OTHER BECAUSE IT IS
STRANGE
CRAP
STARTED A CONVERSATION, BUT
THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER NOT SUSTAINABLE AS NO LONGER
A NOVELTY
CHINESE ARE SUPERSTITIOUS
ABOUT HAVING MIRRORS IN LIFTS
- ILL-PLACED

37. LET’S RECAP

38. KEY LEARNING
PROVIDING THE CATALYST HELPED TO
GENERATE CONVERSATION AND
CONNECTIONS

39. KEY LEARNING
THE RESIDENTS FELT INDEED THAT THEY
WANTED TO CONNECT

40. CONCERNS
IMPLEMENTATION MIGHT BE AN ISSUE WHO OWNS IT?

41. CONCERNS
WILL THERE BE A BACKLASH FROM
PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT RECEPTIVE?

42. RECAP

43. THANKS!
TEAM #3:
THE ELEVATOR PITCHERS