Discover how the Firma Model by Jason Hobbs and Terence Fenn has been applied to social design challenges, it's use in education, for the self reflection of the designer and as a basis for a taxonomy of design tools and techniques. Presented at the Spring UXSF in Tokyo, Japan 2015 hosted by Sociomedia.
4. A humanistic approach to design should place improving
people’s lives, individually and collectively, at the heart of
its ambition.
Design also requires that these solutions are accountable
and sustainable.
5. A humanistic approach however does not mean that we
can bias our research focus towards users at the expense
of understanding complex problems in their totality.
6. Sustainability and accountability require that we consider
all players in the problem-ecology such that we may
place the well-being of the system centre stage.
That the ultimate solution is humanistic is just one of the
challenges we face as designers.
37. Economy
• Farming is regarded as a good career
• Provide a good product
• Compete with commercial farmers
• Struggle to secure capital
• Cant access price information
• Farming business needs to improve
• Contribute to the local economy
38. Culture
• Farming is a common heritage
• Strong oral tradition
• Religious
• African
• Paternal
• Culture of entitlement
• Urban
39. Politics
• Political favoritism
• Government infighting effects service
• Policy inconsistencies
• Lack solidarity
• JHB City has food plan- not effective in execution
40. Society
• Farmers are perceived as not of value
• Farming is not see as a career
• (unless you are rich)
• Community is grateful for produce
• Security issues: theft and vandalism
41. Physical environment
• Natural threats
• Water accessibility issues
• Waste and litter
• Farming improves the environment
• Difficult to access markets due to poor transport
• Poor local amenities
42. Technological environment
• Online banking
• Love google
• Olyx, Facebook, Whatapp, etc
• Regard tech as a sign of progress
• Find content often hard to understand
• Farmers use the internet frequently
• Hate browsing- cost to much in data
43. Legacy
• Farmers had previous careers
• Different ambitions
• No formal jobs available
• Desperation
• Natural curiosity led them to farming
• Knowledge gaps
44. Organisation
• Socially connected to local community
• Self organised
• Farmers Forum
• Struggle to organise themselves effectively
• Clash with poor city organisation
46. Users - Soweto Farmers
• Formally educated
• Family providers
• Want sustainable farming
• Relate well to other farmers
• Aspire to be better farmers
• Enjoy learning
• Very committed to farming
72. The model for research
Ways to use the model:
• Planning research activities
• A tool for multi-stakeholder engagement workshops
• Data mapping, tagging and categorization (affinity modeling)
• Conducting research GAP analysis
74. The model for strategy
Ways to use the model:
• For guiding and enriching ideation through, for example, facilitated
co-design workshops
• The validation of ideas as prototypes in testing under conditions
that are reflective of the problem-ecology
76. The model for critique
Ways to use the model:
• It may also be applied in the critique of design work that has been
conducted by other designers or organisations.
• To apply across various design projects where a consistent model
is required (for example, in a design competition spanning
multiple topics),
• Or in comparing work dealing with a single topic perhaps from
radically disparate contexts (for example, three different design
solutions for public transport, one from New York, one from Lagos
and one from Warsaw).
78. It seemed to us that the logical next step
for the development of the model was to
identify design methods, techniques and
tools that could be used during research,
strategy and critique within the areas of
concern.
82. 1. There are literally hundreds of techniques
2. Many techniques are the same but go by different names
3. Many techniques offer just minor variations on one another
4. Some techniques are just variations in application
5. Some techniques aren’t techniques at all: they’re methods or
approaches
6. Sometimes names are just descriptors of groups beneath
84. Scope:
For the first iteration we would only include design
techniques. We will enrich the index later with techniques
from business, marketing, etc.
85. Sources:
Again, we limited our references to 6 sources with the
intention of enriching and testing ourselves later.
93. The index (1)
Techniques, methods, approaches
for the areas of concern across:
1. Research
2. Strategy
3. Critique
94. The index (2)
Research, strategy and critique are too broad for the
design process so we further mapped techniques (etc.)
into a generic HCD design process
DISCOVERY STRATEGY IDEATION TESTING PROTOTYPE
95. The index (3)
A taxonomy, labeling and a lot of cleaning up!
96.
97. The index 3:
A taxonomy, labeling and a lot of cleaning up!
98. The index 3:
A taxonomy, labeling and a lot of cleaning up!
99. The index 3:
A taxonomy, labeling and a lot of cleaning up!
104. 4th year digital design students are required to
conceptualise a project from problem identification
through to finished design solution.
105. Our first step in the process is to have them explore a
problem of their choice through the use of the Firma
Model for research.
106. Braamfontein
use
rs
lega
cy
mark
et
organi
sation
economics
politics
history
cultureandsociety
unemployment
Urbanpoor
previous
am
bitions
desperation
curiosity
Centralpoint
educated
Youngpopulation
Pro-regenerationYouth aspire to
work in Braam
Shift in identity
Art &
design
appreciation
Cultural Hub
Civic engagement
Voyeuristic
Hedonic
Theft & vandalism
Diversity
Diversity
Fashion
brands
Info
overload
Public agency
Inclusive
Socialdivide
lack historical back-
ground
Social disparities
Informal traders
Established
Consistantconsumer
patterns
Saturated
Weekend go-ers
interconnected
Good
communication
Meet-ups
self- organised
Tech-savvy
Development
Business
savvy
Improvedcity
management
Univesities
needmoreaccessto
localmarkets
no
form
al jobs
physicalenvironment
technologicalenvironment
mass- urbanisation
poverty
Pvt owned buildings
waste and pollution
Nelson Mandela Bridge
econom
ically
divided
society
servicedelivery
issues
Live&
work
climate changeCentral
Renewed spacesBeautificationCultural ArcHeritage Sites
Visual information
Live music
Dancing
Perform
ance
art
Efficient transport system
Plethora of signage
use the internet frequently
own at least 1 mobile phone
Popularity of internet cafes
find most of their information
via the net
Facebook
M
xit
IoT
W
earables
M
usic
WhatsApp
Urban regeneration characterised by
the increased accessibility to the net
range of phones vary from smart to dumbregard technology as a sign of progress
Uber
online banking
SMSing
natural threatsclose to informal markets
Theatre
Parks
Art
Meets global standards
Meets global place standards
RooftopsNightlifeTrafficRea
Vaya
Bicycles
Focuson
economic
viability
land
distribution
eduction gaps
job creationSocial capital
Creation
of
new
m
arkets
Informal traders
competing with
pvt sector
fast-paced
Niche-stores
New Money
“World classcity”
Urban poorEntrepenurialInvestments
Exclusivity
Young
workforce
Localvs
international
farmerslack
solidalitary
politicsof
self-interest
Pvt marketself-interest
dealing
with
political
favoritism
dealingwithpoliticalaffiliations
dealing
with
infighting
in
Governm
ent
poorpolicycontinuance
Rhythm
Pragmaticsociety
Apartheid
UrbanPoor
Slumlords
Colonial
Oldmoney
Disseminated
Lackof
education
Buildings
Lackof
infrastructure
Lackof
interest
Lackof
resources
Socialdisparities
Snap Scan
QR codes
Device crazy!
Technology Precinct
WiFi
Tasmin Jade Donaldson, UJ Dept of MultiMedia
The three primary aims of the Firma Model are to:
Provide a generic research framework that can be applied to broadly and deeply explore and define problem ecologies
Identify key areas of concern within the problem ecology and thus assist in articulating the design strategy (i.e. how should the areas of concern be changed)
Lastly, provide the basis for critiquing the resultant design solution based on a knowledge of what the problem was and the desired change
It provides traceability, sustainability and accountability
Soweto
Michael Denne (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soweto#/media/File:Soweto-002.jpg)
Soweto
Soweto
Izindaba Zokudla
PARTICIPANTS USE CREATIVE TOOLS SUCH AS COLLAGE AND CLAY
TO RESPOND TO PROBLEMS SET BY THE DESIGNER
DATA IS GENERATED PRINCIPALLY WHEN THE PARTICIPANTS DISCUSS THEIR CREATIONS
In general participants responded well to the exercises although many at first considered the task to be “for children”.
Once the discussions of the artefacts begun, they become very engaged and often my role was only to redirect or end the conversation.
Having the designed artefacts as the focal point of the conversation did allow for insights to emerge in real time that became critical to the authors understanding of the farmers needs.
For example, in the second exercise many of the farmers modeled farm equipment such as mulchers, tractors, water purification systems, (not very imaginative).
At first these items seemed to offer very little relation to a possible interaction design solution however it soon became apparent that what was been described was the farmers need to expand production and farm more smartly utlising semi- industrial methods and smarter business practice.
This became a highly informative insight that orientated much of the later design strategy.
ORGANISATION RELATED TO REQUIRED INFORMATION CONTENT
ORGANISATION RELATED TO FARMERS CURRENT APPROACHES TO ACCESSING INFORMATION
CLASSIFIED IN TERMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DATA
EACH X 10
EXTRACTED DATA FROM SECONDARY RESERCH SOURCES
LED TO FAIRLY COMPLEX DATA SET
HAD TO BE COMMUNICATED BACK TO THE FARMERS
NOT SO MUCH INTO I.A PATTERNING AND COMPLEX DATA
APPLIED THE DATA TO THE MODEL AND USED AS THE PRIMARY COMMUNICATION TOOL TO ENSURE THAT MY
INTERPRETATION OF THE FARMERS EXPERIENCES WAS ACCURATE.
WE AMENDED AND CONFIRMED
PRIORITSE WHAT WAS MOST MEANINFUL TO THE FARMERS
Amongst other things, an effective design strategy should include the purpose of the design effort (a description of why the problem is a problem and to whom) and a clear articulation of the change expected as a result of the design intervention. Without these two elements it would be difficult to guide the solutioning process and evaluate its impact with any rigor.
It follows then that the design strategy would emerge from design research (rather than as an input) and prior to solutioning.
For the purposes of design strategy, the Firma Model assists in clearly describing what the problem is, the specific areas of concern at play and the affected stakeholders in the problem ecology. Knowing this, it becomes possible to then articulate how these areas of concern (their stakeholders and relationships) should change as a result of the design intervention to move from a problem ecology to a solution ecology.
Using what was familiar to the farmers, channeled through the fictional characters in a narrative form, allowed the farmers to engage with the problem contexts in meaningful way and provide clear and purposeful feedback about the accuracy of the mapping.
Accountability, sustainability and the Golden Thread
Accountability, sustainability and the Golden Thread
Accountability, sustainability and the Golden Thread
THE GOLDEN THREAD - traceability
User testing of prototype
The Model applied in design research and strategy provides a strong basis for critique. Knowing which areas are of concern, and how they (and others) should change, makes knowing where to look to understand impact, a logical progression.
Many measures already exist to understand change within the fields and disciplines interested within individual areas of concern. Economics has its measures, businesses have their measures, marketplaces have their measures, etc. All of these measures can be applied in harmony with the Firma Model.
Where we believe additional value is offered through the use of the Model is:
In understanding the impact across multiple areas of concern (the systemic dimensions of the problem / solution ecology),
In providing a framework and research that spans areas of concern such that a broad view can be taken to observe and identify unintended consequences of change, and
Having provided a solution hypothesis, if the change required does not occur (or occurs with new problems), it is possible to trace the thinking back to the initial understanding of the problem ecology to revisit either its interpretation and or the solution upon which it evolved.