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Bicycle Luggage Utilities for SCAD Students in Savannah, GA Emily Pun – Blake Gunderson – Abeer Mehra – Aaron Mendoza Contextual Research Methods IDUS215 - Section 01 Winter 2013
Acknowledgements
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Special thanks to Professor R Campbell, Saad Aqeel, Quinn Baldacci, John Summers, Juan Acosta, and Griffin Mullins. The time and effort you all have contributed into making this research project possible is greatly appreciated.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Secondary Research
Research Context
Findings from Textual Sources
Focus
Answering Research Questions
Research Question`s
What is a Bicycle Luggage Utility?
Data Collection Methods
What Type of Bicycle Luggage Utility is the Participant Using?
Guiding Question Matrix Milestone Chart Field Research
Narrowing of Focus
Where is the Bicycle Luggage Utility Located in Relation to the Bicycle or Cyclist?
Final Context Map
How Does the Cyclist Interact with the Bicycle Luggage Utility during Travel?
Final Stakeholders Map
What is efficiency?
Final Artifacts Map
Preliminary Research
Conclusion & Interpretation for Design Practice
Interview
Design Criteria Based on Findings
Artifact Flash Cards
Opportunities Based on Findings
Word Cloud
References & Appendix
Preliminary Data Analysis & Findings
Interview Protocol
Open Ended Response Analysis
Research Milestone
Close Ended Response Analysis
Guiding Question Matrix
Artifact Card Response Analysis
Bibliography
Biographies
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+ ABSTRACT The main purpose of this research project is to allow students to learn and exercise the various methods and steps involved in human centered design research. The focused research process will allow for the discovery of design opportunities.
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1 INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH CONTEXT 5
+ Introduction
Research Topic (Focus): The focus of our research is to understand how SCAD students in Savannah, GA implement bicycle luggage utilities and how these objects affect their travel experience.
Statement of Purpose: The goal of this research is to identify the key characteristics of efficient bicycle luggage for city cyclist and what will give the students the best experience.
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Research Questions
1. What is a “Bicycle Luggage Utility”? 2. What Type of Luggage is the Participant Using? 3. Where is the Luggage Located in Relation to the bicycle or cyclist? 4. How does the participant interact with the bicycle luggage utility during travel? 5. What characteristics contribute to a bicycle luggage utility’s efficiency?
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DATA COLLECTION METHODS 8
+ Field Research Data Collection Methods Observation Body Storming Mind Mapping
Interviews
Types of Data Collected: Photographs Field Notes Observational Checklist Sketches
The data content depicted physical settings, acts, activities, interaction patterns, emotions, and meanings.
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3 NARROWING OF FOCUS 10
+ Context
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+ Stakeholders
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+ Artifacts
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4 PRELIMINARY RESEARCH 14
+ Interviews
+ Quinn Baldacci Quinn is a 20-year-old junior production design student at the SCAD Savannah campus. She is from New Jersey. She lives off campus with 2 other SCAD students. Quinn is on the Women’s Lacrosse team at SCAD. She does not have a car so she has to ride her bike, take the bus, or catch rides for transportation. She rides her mountain bike to class, restaurants, and sets. She also takes her bike to do small errands, and to visit her coach at York Hall. Quinn will often utilize her backpack to hold her personal items while cycling. She has been biking since she was little.
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+ John Summers John is a 22-year-old junior sculpture major at the SCAD Savannah campus. He is from Dallas, Texas. He lives off campus with 3 other SCAD students. He is on the intermural soccer team at SCAD. John has a car and loves to drive, but also finds enjoyment in riding his customized road bike. He takes pride in its form and consequently does not prefer to have any bicycle luggage utilities attached to it. He mostly rides his bike recreationally, because it helps him relax. However, he will also ride it to the gym and to restaurants. He generally does not like to carry anything more than his keys, lock, phone, and wallet with him. Sometimes, he uses a fanny pack to store these items. He takes his backpack to the gym with him to store his and his roommate’s water bottles. When he is at home in Dallas, it is harder to use his bike for errands, but he will still cycle recreationally.
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+ Juan Acosta Juan is a 19-year-old sophomore sequential art student at the SCAD Savannah campus. He is from Quito, Ecuador. He lives with his roommate on campus at the Weston dorms. He does not have a car because so his bike is his main form of transportation. He takes his bike to class, the gym, to run errands, and to get food. He has a basket on his mountain bike. He uses this and his backpack to transport his personal items. However, he finds it difficult to carry large items like his 18 x 24 inch drawing pad in his luggage utilities. Sometimes, he answers his phone while riding his bike, but it is difficult for him to do so.
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+ Griffin Mullins Griffin is a 22-year-old senior industrial design student at the SCAD Savannah campus. He is from Manchester, Tennessee. He lives off campus with 2 other SCAD students. Griffin has a car, but likes to ride his fixed-gear bike for fun and to save on gas. He also says that it is faster to ride your bike in the city and easier to find parking. Griffin will ride his bike to go to class, get small art supplies, get food, and socialize. He always takes his backpack with him on his bike no matter what. He keeps his phone, keys, wallet, cigarettes, and whatever he finds in his backpack. Sometimes, he will ride with his portfolio bag and his back, but he finds that it will pick up the wind and act as a sail. This is problematic because he rides a light road bike, and the wind causes instability. He also likes to keep his bicycle luggage utilities on his back tray because it is more stable and does not add weight to his body. Another problem he encounters is accessing personal items he keeps in his pockets while biking. His fixed gears make it necessary for him to keep his legs moving while biking, so he has to get his timing right in order to get his hand in and out of his pocket. Griffin drops his personal items often while riding. Griffin has been riding bicycles since he was little.
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Luggage Utility Flash Cards We put together 10 of the most common utilities that SCAD students use to transport their items. We asked the interview participants to list these items in the order according to personal preference.
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Quinn Baldacci
John Summers
Juan Acosta
Gri n Mullins
Artifact Cards Responses
Participant Organization of Artifact Cards
+ Word Cloud
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PRELIMINARY DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 23
Open Ended Response Insights Pros:
Cons:
MD
Legend
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Open Ended Response Insights Pros
Cons:
SM
Legend
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Open Ended Response Insights Pros:
Cons:
XL Legend
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Open Ended Response Insights Pros:
Cons:
MD
Legend
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Open Ended Response Insights Pros:
Cons:
SM
Legend
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Open Ended Response Insights Pros:
Cons:
LG
Legend
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Open Ended Response Insights Pros:
Cons;:
MD
Legend
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Close Ended Response Insights
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Close Ended Response Insights
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Close Ended Response Insights
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Close Ended Response Insights
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Close Ended Response Insights
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MD
MD
MD LG
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Legend
SM MD LG XL
SM MD XL
Artifact Cards Response Insights
LG
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6 SECONDARY RESEARCH 37
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Findings from Textual Sources The textual sources consulted during this research project provide reliable real life examples of problems and solutions regarding cyclist bicycle luggage. Other sources also provided general facts regarding the do’s and don’t of traveling with possessions. Our last source serves as a guide for the execution of our research project.
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7 ANSWERING RESEARCH QUESTIONS 39
What is a Bicycle Luggage Utility?
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A bicycle luggage utility refers to any container used to transport personal items while riding a bike. How to efficiently and comfortably transport daily necessities is an essential question for bicycle commuters like SCAD students. Many options exist for getting cargo like art supplies to classes and it important to consider distance, load, and style when selecting or designing a bicycle luggage utility.
Examples: Messenger bags, panniers, backpacks, seat bags, baskets, and trays
Where is the Bicycle Luggage Utility Located in Relation to the Biker or Bicycle? We noticed two distinct locations where things were stored:
On the body
On the bike
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What Bicycle Luggage Utilities Are Being Implemented and Where Are They Placed?
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How Does the Participant Interact with the Bicycle Luggage Utility During Travel?
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Cyclists usually have a to stop first before being able to access their personal items from most bicycle luggage utilities like backpacks, portfolio bags, pannier bags, back trays, and under the seat bags Utilities like baskets, fanny packs, and satchels allow for easy accessibility to person items during the ride.
What is Efficiency? Efficiency, in regards to this research project, incorporates seven key factors:
Balance Average speed Accessibility During Travel Maneuverability during travel Detachability from Bicycle Time & effort used during travel
Emotion of the cyclist
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8 CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR DESIGN PRACTICE 45
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Design Criteria Based on Findings
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Opportunities Based on Findings
Developing a luggage utility that would take advanta the bike’s space efficiently, especially on the back of the bike because it provides the most balance
Designing bicycle luggage utility specifically for basic personal items: phone, keys, wallet. The luggage utility would allow for easy accessibility during the ride.
Creating a collapsible luggage utility compatible with oversized items like drafting tools, sketch pads, and sports gear.
Modifying the forms of existing bicycle luggage utility to increase their aesthetic quality
Developing detachable luggage utilities that would require the least amount and time and effort to use.
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Design Opportunity Concept Sketches
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9 REFERENCES & APPENDIX 49
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Interview Protocols
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Introductory Script: “Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today. I’m going to be asking you some general questions about the way you transport your items via bike as well as what luggage utilities you are using, then more specific questions to assess level of comfort and efficiency in packing.”
Open Ended Prompts:
Why do you use your bike?
Where do you ride your bike to?
What personal items do you take with you when cycling? Why?
What type of luggage utilities do you use to store your personal items when cycling? Why?
Where do you prefer to place your luggage utilities while cycling? Why?
Are there any personal items in your luggage utilities that you would like to have access to while cycling?
What difficulties do you experience when utilizing luggage utilities when cycling?
Has there ever been a time when your luggage utilities caused you to fall?
Do you have any suggestions for improvements relating to bicycle luggage utilities?
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Interview Protocols Close Ended Prompts:
I feel ________________ when traveling with my utilities. [ ] Comfortable [ ] Off balance [ ] Slower [ ] Faster [ ] More comfortable
Yes
18-23 times 24-29 times
No
Do you ever drop items? Yes No
Participant Organization of Artifact Cards
How many times a week do you ride your bike?
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12-17 times
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0-5 times 6-11 times
If bikes came with the option of OEM utilities to hold your common items would you be more likely to purchase the bike?
Closing Script: “Thank you for your time. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or think of anything that we didn’t cover. May I contact you if I have follow-up questions?”
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+ Guiding Questions Chart
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Bibliography Beverly, MA: Quarry, 2011. Print. "Cycling Sisters." How to Carry Stuff. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. < http://cyclingsisters.org/taxonomy_menu/3/21 >. "Bicycology.gif." Bicycology.gif. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. < http:// www.bicycology.org.uk/how_to_carry_anything.htm >. Haine, Charles. The Urban Biking Handbook: The DIY Guide to Building, Rebuilding, Tinkering With, and Repairing Your Bicycle for City Living. "How to Carry Stuff by Bike." Bicycle Transportation Alliance Oregon. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. < http://btaoregon.org/2007/09/how-to- carry-stuff-by-bike/ >. Kanter, James. "Biking on a Brompton II: Shopping." New York Times. New York Times Company, 19 Feb. 2009. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. <http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/biking-on-a-brompton-iishopping/>. Kohr, Mark. Xtracycle 2013 - EdgeRunner, Hooptie, Sidecar. Xtracycle. N.p., 28 Sept. 2012. Web. 17 Feb. 2013. <http:www.xtracycle.com/ #youtube/0/>. LeCompte, Margaret D., and Jean J. Schensul. Ethnographer's Toolkit. Lanham: Altamira, 1999. Print. Vol. 1 of Designing Conducting Ethnographic Research.
Moses, Stacey. "Carrying Your Stuff: Bicycle Bags and Racks." Utility Cycling. N.p., 15 Apr. 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.
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10 BIOGRAPHIES
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Aaron Mendoza Amendo21@student.scad.edu Aaron is a sophomore industrial design student at the Savannah College of Art and Design from Guerrero, Mexico. His goal is to redesign the metro system in Mexico City.
+Abeer Mehra Amehra20@student.scad.edu Abeer is a junior industrial design student at the Savannah College of Art and Design. He would like to go into interaction design and home and furniture design.
+ Blake Gunderson Bgunde21@student.scad.edu Blake is a sophomore industrial design student at the Savannah College of Art and Design. He hopes one day to design new methods of transportation, small electronics, as well as home goods. He would also like to design furniture for his mother who is an interior designer.
+Emily Pun Emipun20@student.scad.edu Emily is a junior industrial design student at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She is interested in designing any and all commercial products. However, her dream would be to work at a design firm specializing in outdoor gear, toys, or kitchenware.