Encounter by A. Atabaki and O. Cabanas MediaLAB Amsterdam ∙ July 2015 Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences This paper presents the design and study of Encounter, a project that aims to reinvigorate the current commercial approach to urban public screens and instead, use screens to foster citizen engagement. Specifically, Encounter extracts data location‐specific data from a city (such as: weather, time of day and social media activity). This data then acts as a trigger to produce on‐screen content in the form of historical archived videos and catchy phrases which both catch the attention of city dwellers and encourage them to have a conversation with another person. For a period of five months Encounter has, in collaboration with Het Nederlands instituut voor Beeld en Geluid (the Dutch Sound and Vision Institute), iterated and studied the effectiveness of the aforementioned solution on two locations: Amsterdam’s public library (Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam) and the Volkshotel (a multifunctional art hotel). By conducting structured interviews in combination with observations, this study shows that screens can transform interactions in large cities in an interpersonal and refreshing way. Keywords: Public screens; Conversations; Engagement; Interactive content; Context‐awareness 1. Introduction Digital immersion is moving into public space. Interactive screens and public displays are deployed in urban environments, malls, and shop windows. Inner city areas, airports, train stations and stadiums are experiencing a transformation from traditional to digital displays enabling new forms of multimedia presentation and new user experiences (Muller 2010: 1285). The emergence of public screens in urban environments is linked to digitization, but also the commercialization of the public domain, in so far as their content is primarily ad‐ based. Inhabitants of cities are thus treated as consumers rather than citizens. Artists and media activists have frequently attempted to subvert this commercialized approach (De Waal and De Lange 2013: 3), however these attempts are often sought through screens that are clickable and interactive. In collaboration with Het Nederlands instituut voor Beeld en Geluid (the Dutch Sound and Vision Institute) this study demonstrates that meaningful and location‐specific content on intelligent semi‐public and public screens motivate inhabitants to become active citizens rather than passive consumers. Here, the active citizen is encouraged to have a random encounter, or conversation with another person. In this way, this study shows that screens can transform interactions in large cities in an interpersonal and refreshing way. This study focuses on two unique case studies located in Amsterdam’s city district Oost that include a screen: Amsterdam’s public library ( Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam or OBA) and the Volkshotel (a multifunctional art hotel). The library’s environment is public as its screen is pointed towards the street and thus projecting towards passerbys. The screen in the hotel is inside a restaurant (a semi‐public 1 space) where its visitors are fixated in the space where the screen is viewed, also referred to as the Landing Zone1 . A single solution was designed for and tested at both of these locations. This solution detects data from its surroundings and translates it into creative content. The screen aggregates location‐specific data that is retrieved from the cloud, such as local weather, time of day, social media streams. The social media streams specifically relate to the activity of recognizable landmarks within the city district of Amsterdam Oost. These recognizable landmarks are general places that can be found in any city, such as: universities, parks, crowded streets, libraries, hotels and zoos. Once this data is retrieved, it is presented as content with two distinct components: historical videos and catchy phrases. The historical videos (retrieved from Het Nederlands instituut voor Beeld en Geluid ) relate thematically back to the previously selected landmarks, and appear and disappear in accordance to social media activity of said selected landmarks, giving the viewer an extra‐sensory awareness of his or her environment. It should be noted that the historical videos could be extracted from any open archive source depending on the screen’s location. The catchy phrases or hooks instill users with different emotions, which subtly act as conversation starters. In order to understand the effectiveness of the aforementioned solution, several steps were taken: exploration of related works, defining of target audiences, creation of content and various experiments. These experiments were conducted in the landing zones of the semi‐public screen in the Volkshotel and the public screen in the OBA. Structured interviews were conducted to gain an understanding as to whether people feel likely to have a conversation about the on‐screen content. Several rounds of observations took place to reveal actual conversations being had. This thorough approach provides insights as to the future potential of Encounter, as well as answers the question: How can meaningful and location‐specific content on semi‐public and public screens facilitate conversation? 2. Methods This chapter outlines three different methods that are used within this study: defining the target audience, researching the creation of content, and conducting interviews and observations. These methods contribute to both the creation and assessment of the content of Encounter. a. Target Audience 1
The landing zone can be defined as the space surrounding the screen where interactions could be happening
It is important to understand the target audience of the previously mentioned case studies (the Volkshotel and the OBA), and find correlations between these audiences insofar as a single solution was to be created for both spaces. Through understanding a space’s target audience, empathy for potential users of Encounter can be created. This understanding was achieved through the method ‘persona’, which involves conducting interviews and observations in order to create imaginary users of these spaces who have defined characteristics (such as life goals, frustrations, hopes and fears). A total of four personas were created: students, young professionals, parents and freelancers. In the creation of these personas, stereotypes were avoided in order to have a clearly comprehend what actually brings users to the Volkshotel and the OBA and how Encounter will or will not suit their personal preferences. b. Creation of content It is essential to note that the content for Encounter evolved as a result of a user‐based feedback and an implementation model. Such model consisted of structuring the flow of data in order to achieve engagement between users. As shown in the diagram(Fig 1), digital data is first gathered from sources such as social media, rss feeds, weather sensors or (IOT) internet of things devices. Then, it goes through a filtering system, meaning that a programming language is utilized to process the data desired and translate it into content renederition. Because screens in cities are showcased in all sizes the content should accommodate to the dimensions required. At last, observations and interviews should be made of the users to gather final data in order to measure engagement.
Fig 1: Implementation model Initially, the visuals for the solution involved an illustrated map that representation of certain selected landmarks in Amsterdam Oost. These landmarks either animated or an archived video would play in order to demonstrate social media activity surrounding that landmark. These visuals, while aesthetically pleasing, were not successful in connecting with viewers. Rather, users felt confused – primarily due to a lack of visual hierarchy – or tended to ignore the screen altogether. Thus, the content had to evolve. The content of the screen consists of three main elements. First, data acting as a trigger: the screen aggregates and presents location‐specific data that is retrieved from the cloud, such as local weather, time of day, social media streams. It should be mentioned that these particular data streams are not set in stone; they can eventually be expanded upon. The social media streams specifically relate to the activity of recognizable landmarks within the city district of Amsterdam Oost. Next, the way in which this data is represented on‐screen: as historical footage. These videos relate thematically back to the previously selected landmarks, and appear and disappear in accordance to social media activity of said selected landmarks. This location‐specific data facilitates users with an extrasensory experience of their surroundings (Amsterdam Oost) and is retrieved from the Sound and Vision’s open archive. Finally, the data is also represented in the form of: catchy phrases of so‐called hooks, which are overlaid on top of the footage. Here is it essential to note that the goal of these hooks is to either provoke or state something that makes people think about their daily lives. By doing so, the project encourages people to interact with one another by creating moments of conversation. These hooks are triggered whenever changes in local weather and the time of the day to appear and disappear (but are not necessarily linked qualitatively to these two triggers). Thus, by using context‐aware urban screens that show content triggered by data from the city, Encounter strives to foster citizen engagement. The hooks for Encounter have been based upon extensive research towards commercials and urban interventions. Empirical studies have shown that when commercials and urban interventions make use of hooks, they are highly successful in catching people’s attention and sparking conversation. Hooks often involve a direct and sometimes controversial message, and are always short (in order to trigger audiences to respond and retain a certain message). As Timothy Foster notes in the article, The Art and Science of advertising slogans (2001): “A slogan should be a statement of such merit about a product or service that it is worthy of continuous repetition in advertising, is worthwhile for the public to remember, and is phrased in such a way that the public is likely to remember it. The purpose of the strapline or slogan in an advertisement is to leave the key brand message in the mind of the target (that’s you). It is the sign‐off that accompanies the logo. Its goal is to stick” (2). One example of such an urban intervention that utilizes a specific slogan or hook is the installation Iamsterdam in Amsterdam. This intervention continually shifts from place to place and invites people to take photographs and physically interact with it, metaphorically integrating users with the city. It is important to note that the hooks created for Encounter have been divided into different categories
such as: debate, laugh, fantasize, be inspired, etc (fig. 2). These categories work to imbue emotions in users. These three interdependent elements (data, videos and hooks) work together in order to encourage viewers to start a conversation. In the next chapter the effectiveness of these elements will be discussed. c. Research and measurement Observations and structured interviews were conducted to evaluate and validate the effectiveness of the displayed content, in order to see the extent to which the solution should be corrected. Here, effectiveness is seen as the ability to trigger two (familiar or unfamiliar) people to have a conversation about the solution. Observations revealed whether or not users were viewing the screens, having an emotional reaction to the content or having a conversation about it. These observations also allowed for a better understanding of the two different landing zones (the Volkshotel and the OBA) that the screens are located in. A total of thirty structured interviews asked users in both spaces questions as to whether they were aware of the content on the screen, how they experienced the content and how likely they would be to share what they experienced with another person. The following chapter will discuss the results of this study.
Fig 2. Categories of hooks, with the aim to make people laugh, debate, feel inspired, etc. 3. Results As was previously noted, the creation of content evolved through user testing to a more relatable form. To measure the effectiveness of the final solution, observations and a total of thirty structured interviews were conducted on several locations in the Volkshotel and the OBA. Here, effectiveness is seen as the ability to trigger two (familiar or unfamiliar) people to have a conversation about the solution. The effectiveness of the solution at the library’s screen was minimal; it was observed that passerby’s occasionally glanced at the screen (fig. 3). Interviews indicated that the screen went, in large part, unnoticed. Roughly one‐third of interviewees felt likely to share their experience of the content with another person. in contrast, the semi‐public screen in the Volkshotel was far more effective. It was observed that users of the space noticed and pointed at the solution, laughed and had conversations about it. Additionally, certain users were motivated by the hook “76% of humanity has tried to lick their elbow”, and attempted to do so themselves. Observations indicated that people found the content shown on the screen interesting, by walking towards the screen and taking pictures and videos of it (fig. 4). All interviewees in this space felt likely to share their experience with another person, indicating that the solution is more effective for screens in semi‐public spaces. Also, interviewees mentioned that the content inspired them and that they already had a conversation about it with the person sitting next to them. After explaining the data behind this content, the interviewees noted that they liked the combination of the black and white footage with the digital and real time data. On average, 64.7% of the thirty interviewees were likely to have a conversation about the screen’s content, with a total of 23.5% willing to share this with a stranger. It is interesting to note that 38.9% of the total respondents felt that the screen’s content enhanced their experience of the space the screen was located in.
Fig 3: Landing zone at the OBA Fig 4: Landing zone at the Volkshotel
4. Conclusion This paper is centered around the question: How can meaningful and location‐ specific content on semi‐public and public screens facilitate conversation? Encounter looks to subtly instill certain emotional qualities in its viewers in order to encourage conversation. The content (historical archived videos and catchy phrases) developed for Encounter can be seen as successful in instilling a sense of nostalgia in a viewer, thus enhancing his or her experience of the space where the on‐screen content is displayed. Additionally, it was revealed through interviews that users in the landing zones of both case studies felt that they could easily relate to the catchy phrases. Moreover, this study indicates that Encounter’s intelligent screen and content‐based solution is effective in fostering social relationships between city dwellers in semi‐public spaces as opposed to public spaces. It is important to note that the time of day has an impact on the effectiveness of this solution, as well as the landing zone of a particular screen, which relates to the duration spent with the solution. People in a semi‐public space like the Volkshotel tend to linger in the landing zone, whereas people passing by the OBA’s screen are less likely to stop. These factors shape a person’s ability to digest and retain the content of the screen. 5. Next steps Next steps for Encounter should include thematically tailoring the on‐screen content to the space that the screen is located, so as to ensure that the hooks and videos are relevant. Another potential step would be to set up sensors that detect noise and movement within the space’s landing zone in order to truly confirm the responsiveness of the content to the users, and to generate different types of engagement. I.e. The screen would require active participation from an audience member to bring another viewer in front of the screen, and upon doing so more hooks that encourage debate would be shown. Further observations should also be conducted in order to have an objective understanding of what the content actually triggers amongst viewers. This must be combined with structured interviews for a solid contextual foundation (taken place in a variety of semi‐public and public spaces to connect the degree of effectiveness of the solution to the space in which the screen is located). It should be noted that Encounter should be tested in different cities or countries as the historical archived videos can be extracted from any open archive source. In conclusion, this study shows that the use of historical archived footage in combination with hooks strongly motivates citizens to start a conversation. Through observations and interviews, positive feedback on the success of Encounter – particularly in semi‐public spaces – can be seen 6. References “A hair‐raising message.” Youtube.com. 2014. May 11 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=064ipuBiWDg>. “Big Screens: Meantime.” Vimeo.com. 2010. June 28 2015. <https://vimeo.com/21034470>. Foster, Timothy RV. “The art and science of the advertising slogan.” Retrieved October 7 (2001): 2008. Kanis, Marije, et al. “Studying screen interactions long‐term: The library as a case.” Proceedings of the 2012 International Symposium on Pervasive Displays, New York, NY, USA. 2012. Kuikkaniemi, Kai, et al. “From space to stage: How interactive screens will change urban life.” Computer 6 (2011): 40‐47. MediaLAB Amsterdam. 20 February 2015. < http://medialab.hva.nl/ toolkit/method‐card/persona/>. Müller, J., Alt, F., Michelis, D., & Schmidt, A. (2010, October). Requirements and design space for interactive public displays. Proceedings of the international conference on Multimedia (pp. 1285‐1294). ACM. Spotify. 2014. 8 March 2015. <https://www.spotify.com/nl/arts/ serendipity/>. The Local. 2014. 12 June 2015. <http://www.thelocal.se/20141008 cancer‐ad‐sweden‐viral>. Waal de, Martijn. “The city as interface: How new media are changing the city.” (2014). de Lange, Michiel, and Martijn de Waal. “Owning the city: New media and citizen engagement in urban design.” First Monday 18.11 (2013). Special thanks to Gijs Gootjes; Observe; SIA; Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam: Marianne Mondeel & Jose Remijn; Volkshotel: Alexander van der Meer; Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid: Maarten Brinkerink & Brigitte Jansen; Encounter project team: L. Binhammer, N. Banerjee, S. Kumar