Tiantian is the outcome of a research project, conducted by Studio TAO and Tongji University with Nokia, to demonstrate how digital communication devices can help bridge the social gap between rural and urban China. Here https://vimeo.com/45420646 you can find the video of the project This presentation has been made for the Design Research Society conference in Bangkok, July 2012. Project Team Serena Pollastri Francesca Valsecchi Diego Dalia project tutors Lou Yongqi Wang Bin collaborators Lei Zhong Xia Shuang Wang Ye Zhu Mingjie Thanx to Paul Cambre Song Yimeng Chen Qianqian Song Dongjin Jiang Lina Ben Pullman

1. Mobile
Designing Digital Francesca Valsecchi,
Devices to Connect Serena Pollastri,
Rural & Urban China Yongqi Lou and
Diego Dalia.
Marketplace.

2. product/service system

3. Initial brief
design a mobile device for the
inaccessible target
how we interpreted it
how digital communication devices
can help bridge the
social gap between rural and
urban China.

4. Research context / design harvests
. Sustainable social
and economic local
initiatives
to bridge rural and
urban China.
. Explore the
relationship between
city and countryside,
considering urban
and rural as a
complementary yin
yang relationship to
maintain identity but
promote exchanges
of resources.

5. structure of the research
Create Connections &
Rural/Urban Design Action
China Specificities Resources Exchange
Imbalance
rural target
low education
low income
low access
Role of Technology
based Services & Mobile
Connectivity
mobile
China
consumer
trends INPUT Research Actions INPUT
Desk Research Field Research
(Understanding) (Conversation)
tools (local and tools (explorative and
research filter
worldwisde): analytical):
filter:
reports/article poscard
trend watching survey
- technology trends
data collection in-depht interview
- devices market
case studies
- user habits
Target Definition
Rural target
Urban target
Opportunities

6. scenarios
and
Personal use
design 6
direction Daily Life Facility Social Networking Tool
Local Long distance
communication communication
2
1
7 Design
Direction
4
Work Tool 3 Business Bridging Service
5
Work

7. 6号
11号
Do you know when to cultivate them?
你知道他们在什么时间播种吗?
spring summer
春天 夏天
winter autumn
冬天 秋天
16号
With sensors you can check your plants from remote
通过花盆内的感应装置你能够随时随地察看植物状态
这是一个能照看
urban target
How packaging influence your choice?
ethnography
夏
夏
春天
夏
春天
春天
天
自家花园的设备
天
天
。当植物缺水时
夏
夏
夏
春天
春天
春天
天
天
天
天
能帮助浇水；当
天
天
秋
冬
秋
冬
秋
冬
天 天 天
光照不足时能打
天
天
天
秋 秋
冬
冬
秋
冬
你通常选择哪种包装？
开补给光源；当
天 天 天
温度过于寒冷时 plant 1
water
会给你提醒。 light
夏
夏
春天
夏
春天
春天
healthness
天
天
天
add turn change
water lights plant
夏
夏
夏
春天
春天
春天
天
天
天
天
天
天
秋
冬
秋
冬
秋
冬
天 天 天
天
天
天
秋 秋
冬
冬
秋
冬
天 天 天
3号 13号
Which activities in the countryside? Which are your favourite social or information networks?
选择你的乡村活动 你最喜欢哪个社交网络？
-_- 喜欢程度? ^^
Set of Cards to investigate
)
picking 采摘
gardening 耕种
fishing 垂钓
cooking 烹饪
users’ relationship with
pic-nic 野餐
yuga/tai chi 瑜伽、 太极
running 跑步
riding bike 自行车
leisure activity 休闲
hiking 徒步旅行
bird watching 赏鸟
9号
Food distribution
10号
What do you need to create your garden?
technology, food, rural life.
食品配送 为了建造自己的花园，您需要哪些？
你通常在哪里购买有
机食品？
超市 super market
有机食品店 organic shop
市场 market
家庭配送 home delivery
农户 farm
Research Findings
* Disconnection to food (no cook, eat out)
* Intense use of smartphones
* Safety concerns (whant "clean" food)
* No connection with agriculture (no idea
about seasonality or practices)

8. 23
HOME 24 1
2 rural target
ethnography
22 3
21
4
wife
Fields
Commercial
20
Center
5
COOPERATIVE
#4. WANG FANG
19
6
COMM. CENTER FIELD
PERSONA 1
18
Cooperative
7
Headquarter Home
villagers
in depht interviews with farmers and
17
8
friends coworkers
marginal communities in Shanghai and
16
9
FIELD coworkers
Chongming area.
15 10
14 11
villagers
13 12
coworkers
#1. LU FU GUI
Technological literacy, daily habits,
LEVEL OF INTERACTION
openness to technology
WIFE
FRIENDS
COWORKER A
COWORKER B
Research Findings
* Own mobile, use basic functions (no text
VILLAGERS
or internet)
LOW MEDIUM HIGH
(some leave at home, some carry bag for
* Unconfortable to carry the mobile around
mobile)
24 1
23 2 #5. LIN GANG
22 3
* Short/long distance ties (especially
* Active social life
21
migrant communities)
4
Fields
Commercial
20
Center
5
19
6
PERSONA 1 #2. ZHANG FENG
18
Cooperative
7
Headquarter Home
#3. LIU FANG
17
8
16
9
15 10
14 11
13 12

9. Inaccessible target
definition checklist Personal Field
Illiterate
Education
high educ.
bad good
Health/phisical conditions
high low
Ergonomic Constrains
old young
Age
low high
Budget
y
nsit low high
- De
Budget
Technological literacy
et w
o rk Technology Attitude
Ag
ial n
ize
e
k -S
S oc
low high
or
tw
Erg
ono
mic
con So
cia
l ne
Curiosity on technology
st SO
rain D
s
L
CI
FIE
AL
many
AL
none
in local
BEH
Integration
PERSON
AVIOUR
INACCESIBLE
TARGET
Community
Device owned
ical cond itions
Health/Phys
low high
D ai
E ly ro
Social network - density
TEC UD utin
H N O L O G Y A TTIT e
u ca
t io
n
Social Behaviour
Te
Ed
Curiosity on
ch
local broad
n
ned
ol o
Social network - size
gy
ow
l
ite
ice
rac
Dev
technology
y
low high
Integration in local community
inactive active
Daily routine
Target Positioning

10. greens garlic
beans
qingmao
cai
exploration
fruit beans and findings
rapeseed
observation:
Use of garden as farm
land. Home production
of seasonal local
spinach leek greens pepper
2. Residential house with patio vegetables, herbs,
medicine, fruits for
self consumption, gifts,
market
opportunity
Local knowledge and
produce can be used as
a connection.

11. system design
sp
of ac
pr e f
od or
uc th
ts e e
information space service
an xc
d ha
va ng
lu e
es

12. system FLOW
parse /dec ode /write
rfid rfid
xml
sim
I
hezuoshi
pc -pc parsing website / app
c onfirm
what people do
what machines do
interfaces

13. system FLOW
parse /dec ode /write
rfid rfid
xml
sim
I
hezuoshi
pc -pc parsing website / app
c onfirm
what people do
what machines do
interfaces

14. DEVICE
*open source technology and possible to be
self-constructed

18. university workshops
S Y S T E M
MAP
Dealers Staff User
Publish
es
s
as
te
ra
ist
min
rch
Ad
Pu
Interacts Enables
SCREEN PHONE MAP
Pro es
Produces
Provides
d u ce d uc
s Pro
团宝网
GROUPON

19. future developments
The research project with Nokia is officially
finished, but:
. Summer workshops with the College of IT
(Tongji University) to prototype the device.
. Testing in the real context
TianTian is an open source system. The
physical device and the electronics can be self
made, starting from a low cost kit provided to
the community.

20. Thank you
Francesca Valsecchi
Serena Pollastri
Yongqi Lou
Diego Dalia
designharvests@gmail.com