Data Transparency

DetailsUT 230 Studio: Design and Urban Inquiries
Partner: Nick Scheele
Completed April 2023

Skills
Data Collection
Prototype Development

Context
In this project, we were challenged to re-imagine an urban object and design a web-based tool that integrates technology into its functionality. Through this process, we conducted research to inform the design of an app prototype aimed at offering a new perspective on the urban landscape. The objective was to explore how digital tools can reveal insights and patterns, transforming the way we engage with and understand our built environment.

Inquiry
How can cities collect clean and ethical data that can be publicly used by others for improvement?

Inital Brainstorming

Data Collection

Note: This project explored a future where street lamps could serve as a tool for data collection. Since this data does not yet exist, and to ensure privacy, we used AI-generated data in this project.

Process

Pitch Deck

Final Deliverable

Our company proposal, designed for urban planners, explores how data collected by street lamps could be ethically processed and leveraged for civic projects. Beyond data cleaning, our vision includes a community platform for urban planners, where they can access ethically refined data, and explore projects and research informed by it. This would serve as a collective tool for positive urban impact, made possible through this imagined form of data collection.

Trini Sernas

Studying Urban Technology @ the University of Michigan Taubman College Minoring in Law, Justice, and Social Change

Projects

Studying Urban Technology @ the University of Michigan Taubman College
Minoring in Law, Justice, and Social Change