Distractive Design Dissertation

‘Does distractive design have value’

Thomas SaldanhaBA Design

Leeds Metropolitan University

























02 December 2013

“Where there is more than one way to achieve the goal,

choose the graceful one, apply elegance”

(Jason Bruge, 2013)

December 2013 03

04 Aim

05 Four Areas Of Assesment

06 - 11 Case Studys 1 - 6

12 - 15 Psychology

16 - 17 Longevity

18 - 20 Economic

21 - 23 Ethical

24 - 25 Final Conclusion

26 - 29 Bibliography

04 December 2013

The aim of this study is to improve my personal under-standing of what constitutes a distractive design, as well as analysing what value they provide to an end user. The evaluation was conducted after an investigation and debate involving six case studies which were critiqued via four means of assessment.

The six case studies have been carefully selected to provide an impartial range of concepts that address both behavioural and attitudinal psychology, passive and interactive user experiences. The four areas that each case study are assessed by are: the ethical dilemmas designers face when justifying distraction as a method-ology, the psychological implications of distraction within design, the economic justification of said design and the subject of longevity.

Throughout the study, the term distractive design has been used to describe a design which utilises distractive psychology to influence a user’s behavioural and attitudinal experience, without physically changing the fundamental function, mechanical process or aim.

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Psychological

The two areas to be addressed, are designs that psychologically adapt the behaviour and attitude of the target user. This area of in-vestigation will discuss the rationality involved with using said type of psychology to influence a desired outcome.

Longevity

Longevity will address the time period that a distractive design is expected to be relevant and continue to generate the desired psy-chological outcome. The debate will discuss, the notion of distractive design as a permanent solution, or the possibility of it being used as a gimmicky short term fix.

Economical

Similar to ethical considerations, the economic justification of a design relies heavily on circumstantial conditions. The focal area of discussion will be whether the identified problem warranted the cost of an external designer, the economic justification of the selected route and whether an alternative method could have been applied at a reduced price.

Ethical

Ethical considerations play a fundamental process within any design practise. The line regarding appropriateness is subjective and primar-ily based upon circumstantial foundations. This study will question the different ethical rationales amongst the six case studies; and debate both the positive and negative stances of the elected path.

06 December 2013

he Nature Trail, by Jason Bruges Studio is a distractive art installation designed for the corridors of Great Ormond Streets Children’s medical wing (Jeremy Hunt, 2012). The journey along this corridor is the final external public experience the patient will incur prior to their surgical operation, as it links the operating theatre to the other wards.

The brief received by Jason Bruges team was to “design and install a distraction artwork helping to create a calming yet engaging route that culminates in the patient’s arrival at the anaesthetic room” (Jason Bruge 1, 2013). The patient age range within that ward ranges from one to sixteen years of age, and the corridor spans a fifty metre distance (Jeremy Hunt, 2012).

Jason Bruge states that the inspiration for the interactive wall derived from “viewing the patients journey as a ‘Nature Trail’, where the hospital walls become the natural canvas, with digital look out points that reveal the various ‘forest creatures’, including horses, deer, hedgehogs, birds and frogs, to the passer-by” (Jason Bruge 1, 2013).

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There are two fundamental components of the design; the first being the bespoke graphical wallpaper from ‘Muraspec’, developed to hospital grade, with wipe clean properties and easy replacement options (Jeremy Hunt, 2012).

The second is 70 LED panels, with a total of 72,000 LED’s (Jeremy Hunt, 2012) embeddedwithin the wall surface at varying heights, ac-counting for the different eye level and positions patients within a children’s hospital ward will encounter.

The success of the first installation has enabled-plans for further future expansions to ensue. “The hospital says its young patients have been so entranced by the nature canvas that it will grow to fill more walls by 2017” (Leslie Katz, 2012).

Jason Bruge ‘Nature Trail’

December 2013 07

Jason Bruge ‘Platform 5’

latform 5, by Jason Bruges Studio is a distraction piece erected in order to conceal a disused platform at Sunderland train station (Nexus 2, 2011). Commissioned by ‘Nexus’; the 144m long and 3m tall ‘pixel wall’ (Jason Bruge 2, 2013), creates a dynamic installation which covers the west wall of Sunderland Train Station. Where was once previously plain block work; 10,000 glass blocks each representative of a pixel create an animated visualisation of the long-forgotten platform the wall now conceals (Nexus 1, n.d.).

“Behind the wall is a disused platform, which long ago used to see passengers waiting for trains. Now the tracks are long gone and the old platform is hidden from view, we have created ghostly characters that appear behind the glass wall opposite passengers waiting for the trains” (Jason Bruge 2, 2013).

The animated passengers depicted on the wall, were generated by filming the behaviour and character traits of thirty five local residents carrying out their daily activities and motions whilst waiting for a train to arrive (Maja Apih, 2011).

One member of Jason Bruges design team, Jonathon Hodges; explains how each character has its own individual personality “some are friends standing together in conversation, others appearing antisocial and stand away from the others, one or two bring their dogs and some reading newspapers.” (Maja Apih, 2011).

A series of sensors track the location and motion of both inbound and outbound trains, triggering the awaiting characters to react and respond appropriately as if preparing to board the on-coming train. As the train leaves with its new passengers, the empty digital platform begins to re populate with passengers conducting a new pattern of behaviour. Nexus describes the pro-cess as “reflecting the constant flow of humanity through this busy station” (Nexus 1, n.d.).

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08 December 2013

he Super Formula was developed by ad vertisement agency JWT Brazil alongside A.C.Camargo Cancer Center; their philosophy of “The first step in the fight against cancer is believing in the cure” (JWT Brazil, n.d.), resulted in intravenous (IV) bag covers bearing characters of the ‘Justice League’ being used to psychologically change the way IV drips are perceived.

in order for the perception of the treatment to successfully change, multiple prior steps have to be undertaken. The first is that the child patients are given custom comic books and video animations; where by the hero faces a cancer like villain. As the story digresses the hero receives treatment from the Super Formula, which allows them to retain back to full health and continue fighting crime (CBC, 2013).

When the young child is ready to receive their IV drip, they are given a cover displaying the logo of their favourite superhero. Medically the procedure has not changed, the IV fluid is aconventional cancer fighting medication. JWT’s

T solution works purely on a psychological level; they hope by changing the perception of the treatment, they can make a very difficult situation more bearable.

The Super Formula turned out to provide such a positive psychological gain; the entirety of the children’s medical ward was transformed to adhere to the super hero storyline. “The game room was turned into the Hall of Justice, corridors and doors were decorated in the same theme, and the exterior acquired an exclusive entrance for these little heroes” (JWT Brazil, n.d.).The whole concept is most accurately summed up by JWT themselves; “An idea which, since it has been up and running, is helping the children in their own struggle against one of the real world’s greatest villains” (JWT Brazil, n.d.).

JWT Brazil/ A.C.Camargo Cancer Center‘Super Formula’

JWT’s aim was to “create an idea capable of changing their

negative perception of the treatment: Transform the

chemotherapy into a ‘Super formula’ ” (JWT Brazil, n.d.).

December 2013 09

he World’s Deepest Bin, is part of the fun theory initiative by Volkswagen. Their aim was simple “Can we get more people to throw rubbish into the bin, rather than onto the ground, by making it fun to do?” (Volkswa-gen 1, 2009).

To tackle the brief, Volkswagen mounted motion sensors wired to a series of speakers, they then attached them onto a detachable frame and positioned it underneath the bins access slot.

When a member of public drops an item of rubbish within the bin, the motion sensor is triggered which simultaneously signals the speakers to play the stereotypical humorous sound of an object falling down a large hole. The audio sound lasts approximately ten seconds in duration, before a loud clang is heard to simulate the ‘object’ reaching the bottom of the hole (Rolighetsteorin, 2009).

T The design concept evolved around encouraging user participation, and when introduced to the public domain, resulted in a 41kg increase of rubbish than the nearest non-interactive bin which was a small distance away (Volkswagen 1, 2009).

Volkswagen‘The World’s Deepest Bin’

“To throw rubbish in the bin instead of onto the floor shouldn’t really be so hard” (Volkswagen 1, 2009).[ ]

10 December 2013

evin Richardson, the 2009/10 Fun theory award winner posed the question to Volkswagen “Can we get more people to obey the speed limit by making it fun to do?” (Volkswagen 2, 2009). His concept was to change the way we perceive speed cameras from being a negative to positive; by adding a reward system.

The fundamental process of the design is similar to one you would expect in a conventional speed camera set up; if you break the speed limit, your picture is taken and you receive a fine.

This is however where the comparisons end. Rather than the fined money being sent to a governmental driving organisation, motorists are given the opportunity to be rewarded for safe driving and win the accumulated monthly fine collated from all speed tickets at that location. All they are asked is to adhere to the speed limit.

Instead of the conventional method of only a photo being taken when a motorist is breaking the speed limit, a photo is taken of all drivers adhering to the limit or not. This enables the drivers who are following the speed limit, to be rewarded with the potential of a monetary incentive.

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A test of the principle was conducted in Stockholm, where by 24,857 snapshots of cars were taken in three days (Oscar Federico Bodini, n.d.). The average speed previous to the introduction of ‘The speed camera lottery’ was recorded at 32 km/h before the test which reduced to 25 km/h during the test, marking a 22% reduction in speed (Oscar Federico Bodini, n.d.).

Volkswagen‘The Speed Camera Lottery’

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he Piano Staircase was an outcome from Volkswagens fun theory initiative; where the question was posed “Can we get more people to take the stairs over the escalator by making it fun to do?” (Volkswagen 3, 2009). The concept derived around the ability of mak-ing stairs a preferable route over escalators. In essence the aim was to create a distractive diversion, which would simultaneously promotes a healthy lifestyle.

The stairs leading out of the Swedish train station ‘Odenplan’, was transformed into an imitation working piano (Dell, n.d.). The pianos key chart was replicated onto a flight of stairs, where by each step represented one key. Multiple sensors were positioned on every step, so that when a pedestrian used the stairs a noise representative of the key they were stepping on was played through external speakers.

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The results from the Swedish test run of the concept, indicated a sixty six percent increase in pedestrian usage of the stairs (Dell, n.d.). One report described how the public engaged with the novel approach; “Commuters soon opted for the intriguing new stairway and enjoyed making musical movements as they ascended up and down the scale” (Claire Bates, 2009).

Volkswagen ‘Piano Staircase’

12 December 2013

PsychologicalThe Speed Camera Lottery – Analysing the mentality of drivers

In order to understand what is the most appropriate methodology to tackle speeding, the psychology of why we speed needs to be addressed. It is a well-known fact that speed-ing is dangerous, yet continually ill-conceived rationalizations such as ‘It won’t happen to me’, ‘I’m a good driver’ and ‘I’m late’ (Road Driver, 2010) are regularly used.

When “Government research has shown that excessive speed is a contributory factor in over 1,000 deaths and over 40,000 injuries every year in the UK” (Road Driver, 2010) it begs to question are the current methodology’s in tackling speed-ing inappropriate, or are they just making the best of a bad situation?

Traditionally motorists are punished if caught speeding via a fixed penalty notice, resulting in a £60 fine or in extreme cases a £1,000 court fine (Which 1, 2013).

The current methodology of punishment as a means of control does work, however excludes a fundamental portion of the motoring communi-ty; the majority who abide the speed limit. There is no incentive for law abiding citizens apart from not being applicable for a fine.

This is where The Speed Camera Lottery differs, psychologically The Speed Camera Lottery relies on extrinsic motivation, where by “the behav-iour is motivated by a desire to gain an external reward” (Kendra Cherry, 2013).

The advantages of extrinsic motivation are that it involves the entirety of the motoring popula-tion, opposed to a sub group. The drivers who abide the speed limit are offered the potential to be rewarded, whilst those breaking the law are punished.

The phrase ‘The good guy never wins’, is exem-plified within the current method of deterrence. The Speed Camera Lottery rationale could besaid to transform this into ‘The good guy has a chance to win’.

Volkswagen use the extrinsic motivation of win-ning money, as a distractive from the genuine aim of slowing down motor vehicles in targeted areas. The driver’s rationale has altered from no longer being a process conducted only because of expected social behavioural norms or possi-bility of punishment, to one which is driven via the possibility of personal gain.

ason Bruge identified the negative stigma attached to public transport and utilised distractive psychology within Platform 5 as means of providing an attitudinal change to the commuter. The concept of the design address’ the laborious waiting time passengers can incur whilst waiting for a train, whilst simultaneously paying homage to the platform the design now conceals.

Platform 5 – The negative stigma attached to public transport

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‘The good guy has a chance to win’ ][ I

extrinsic motivation, where by “the behaviour is

motivated by a desire to gain an external reward”

(Kendra Cherry, 2013).][

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]

The platform of a train station is stereotypically not a pleasant environment; often dusty, dirty, humid and cramped the capability for stress and tempers to flare are extremely plausible. Jason Bruge decided the best way to tackle saidproblem was to not change the physical envi-ronment per say, but rather adapt the way we process the stimuli surrounding it.

Former Harvard Business professor, David Maister identifies one of the primary character-istics that dictates the attitudinal psychology of the user waiting within a line “occupied time feels shorter than unoccupied time” (David Maister, 1985). Bruge employs this reasoning by providing the interactive wall to act as an alternative focal point of interest, to occupy the user and provide a distraction from the surrounding undesirable features.

The commuters become so captivated by the animated ghostly characters and their conduct of everyday activities upon the adjacent ‘platform’, that there animosity regarding the surrounding environment diminishes. As the characters have their own individual identity, a prolonged sense of value is provided by the ghost’s unpredictable nature and subsequent movements resulting in a multitude of outcomes being conceivable. This rationale of distraction is appropriately exemplified by the philosopher William James, “Boredom results from being attentive to the passage of time itself” (David Maister, 1985).

he psychological aim of the Nature Trail was to transform the experience of the patient through distraction; in order to generate a positive attitudinal change.

Nature Trail – Reducing patient anxiety prior to surgery

Being admitted into a hospital is undoubtedly a very stressful event, not only is it a confusing and scary environment, it’s also full of unfamil-iar terminologies and strange machinery. On top of this a lot of one’s social routine becomes distorted; basic fundamental personal life style choices such as when to bathe, what to eat and when to sleep are no longer an individual’s choice but rather an institutional template (Marian, P. Keith, P., 1998: p94).

Identifying the psychological state of a patient and providing adequate support is equally as important to the wellbeing and recovery of a patient as the physical treatment. The ‘World Health Organisation’ acknowledge this within their definition of ‘Health’; “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (Marian, P. Keith, P., 1998: p4)

Within the spectrum of patients, those “about to undergo surgery experience greater disturbance and stress than in almost any other medical situation” (Marian, P. Keith, P., 1998: p94). The three factors of surgery believed to account for the majority of the inflicted stress are; the unease in undergoing anaesthetic, the anticipat-ed degree of pain that will be received and finally the physical implications that surgery imply i.e. the un-natural nature of creating incisions to open flesh (Marian, P. Keith, P., 1998: p99).

Jason Bruge’s team identified that within regards to children hospitalised, “the highest rates of anxiety occurred during waits in the operating room corridor immediately prior to surgery” (Marian, P. Keith, P., 1998: p107).

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“the highest rates of anxiety occurred during waits in the

operating room corridor immediately prior to surgery”

(Marian, P. Keith, P., 1998: ][

14 December 2013

The design’s purpose was to tackle these elements of anxiety via incorporating the proven technique of distraction in order to takes the child’s mind of the imminent upcoming procedure.

sychologically the Super Formula relies purely on distraction as a means of ‘ sugaring the pill’ in order to mediate the anxiety and stress that a patient will receive. They have identified the pre-existent admiration children have for super heroes, and utilised it as a means to change the perception of IV drips from one that is scary to something that is desired.

Distractive design within a medical environment is not a new concept, the NHS are currently using it as a coping mechanism for young patients. “Distraction therapy is a way of helping a child cope with a painful or difficult procedure. It can also be used if a child is in pain or discomfort. It aims to take the child’s mind off the procedure by concentrating on something else that is happening” (NHS, 2011).

JWT identified the importance of education within the psychology of medicine and made it an integral part of the process. The patients are educated via the Super Formulae in regards to what medically they are about to receive and the likely repercussion in regards to pain. “Some of the fear and anxiety which is found in many

Super Formula –The implementation of ‘sugaring the pill’

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change the perception of IV drips from one that is scary to something that is desired. ][

hospital patients is related to the uncertainty and ignorance they have concerning the nature of their illness and its prognosis” (John Wein-man, 1987: p210)

Furthermore a University of York research study for the NHS on the “Effects of distraction on children’s pain and distress during medical procedures” (Kleiber C, Harper D C, 2000 concluded that “using distraction with children during medical procedures will reduce the amount of observed distress behaviour for most children” (Kleiber C, Harper D C, 2000).

he Fun Theory’ (Volkswagen, 2009) is a public initiative led by Volkswagen with the philosophy that, “something as

simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, the environment or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better” (Volkswagen, 2009).

Volkswagen incorporate this ideology of fun within distraction to alter the desirability of disposing rubbish. They achieve this by transforming the mentality of the user from being a mundane procedure to one which engages and encourages repetitive behaviour.

The World’s deepest bin – The desirability to dispose rubbish

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The psychology relies on the issue that pedestri-ans are often unwilling to hold their rubbish till a suitable bin is provided, and would rather opt for public littering. The issue is not that people are unwilling to dispose of their rubbish within a bin, it’s that they were reluctant to hold on to it if a bin was not in the immediate vicinity.

Volkswagen’s solution was to incorporate a reward system with the intention of encouraging the public to dispose of their litter appropriately. Their design relies on the unexpected nature of an audio stimulus to startle the user into further interaction. The mentality being that, further use will be encouraged in the initial stages as the user will be intrigued and confused by the unexpected response.

hen fundamentally no rational person is willingly to conduct an undesirable activity, applying an appropriate reward scheme can encourage interaction. The designs that were recognised for providing the most influential psychological value, were the ones that incorporated extrinsic motivators as a means to captivate the target audience. The ability to captivate the audience is essential as it provides the fundamental foundation of which distraction requires.

Psychology Conclusion

There is significant value in researching past psychological theories that provide relevance to your target audience’s state of mind. It would be irresponsible to not conduct this research, as the concept’s primary aim fundamentally relies on psychology as an influential tool.

This became especially poignant within the medical case studies, as the previously established theories provided a valuable influence within the finalised concept. An example being the ‘Super hero formulae’ where by an already existent distraction practice of ‘sugaring the pill’ was incorporated into the methodology of the concept.

Due to the nature of psychology, designers have to be fully aware of the potential hazards that may be produced as a result of their concept. With this in mind a psychologist should be present to ethically deem the psychological concept appropriate.

“something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, the environment or for

something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better” (Volkswagen, 2009). ][

W

There is significant value in researching past

psychological theories that provide relevance to your

target audience’s state of mind.][

16 December 2013

LongevityThe World’s Deepest Bin and Piano stairs – The timescale of relevance

he main issue regarding longevity with Volkswagens The Worlds Deepest Bin and Piano Staircase design is that there is only one means of reward irrespective of how many times you engage with the design. An example being that regardless of how many times you interact with the bin, the same audio clip will be played of an object dropping within a lengthy abyss.

This flaw is present within the Piano Staircase design as well because the concept only works as long as the participant deems the outcome valuable. This brings into question, if continually the same outcome is observed; what is the time period before the reward transforms from being a genuine means of motivation to an undesirable gimmicky process and potentially unpleasant activity? The moment the ‘reward’ is no longer wanted, the action required to perform the process is no longer desirable.

A subsequent issue is that people’s tolerances of an outcome vary depending upon the level of exposure and regularity, as well as their personal state of mind. For example one pedestrian may travel a route five days a week. On the first experience of the Piano Staircase, they enjoy the experience and participate themselves however after continued visits along the route, the enjoyment and enthusiasm they

once had to participate now transforms into a negative one as no longer do they view the noise as entertaining but rather an unpleasant clanging. No longer is there a motivation to use the stairs as a means of recreating renditions of musical keys. Instead, consequently, the escalators present a more desirable mode of transport as they allow the quickest route away from the noisy, unpleasant environment which is precisely what the design was initially aiming users to deter from.

nfortunately, due to the nature in which these illnesses indiscriminately infect young patients, a large volume of first time users are constantly accessible.

The issue being debated here is how can you create a positive experience for a user, irrespective to levels of exposure? One proposition could be to continually transform the experience on a weekly basis, however, the negative implications would be the huge economical cost incurred as a result which deems this method unviable.

To further the longevity of such designs, a possible development would be to create a range of visual and audio reactions instead of just one source. This would add a new dimension

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Super Hero Formula and Nature Trail - Maintaining user interest

][ The moment the ‘reward’ is no longer wanted, the action

required to perform the process is no longer desirable.

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][ how can you create a positive experience for a user,

irrespective to levels of exposure?

December 2013 17

in that users who have already interacted with the design previously, may still be intrigued to participate to see what new adapted response they produce.

This could easily be implemented within the Super Formula concept as the psychological background process allows for the development of the mediums of delivery and story to evolve as technology advances. JWT Brazil have already identified this prospect, and already partially implemented it by re branding areas of the hospital to fit within the super hero setup. No longer are there game rooms, but rather a ‘Hall of justice’ (JWT Brazil, n.d.).

he findings indicate that design location, is pivotal. The importance of choosing a relevant location is that fundamentally the process of distraction, relies on the ability to continuously produce an unexpected outcome. So one accountable major variable is user exposure, ideally the most appropriate location is one which provides a steady supply of ‘first time’ users as they are the most influential participants.

The maintenance of providing value is key, as the nature of the design style relies heavily on the use of a reward system. If the provided reward isnot deemed appropriate or justifiable in relation

][ No longer are there game rooms, but rather a ‘Hall of

justice’ (JWT Brazil, n.d.).

Longevity Conclusion

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to the actions required, the target user will be unwilling to participate.

The longevity of the design relies upon the ability for the reward to stay relevant. If continually the same outcome is provided, no matter what action is conducted, it no longer becomes perceived as a reward. The desirability lies with the perception that the user has earned the outcome, with this in mind, longevity can be extended if multiple rewards are given depend-ant on the exertion the user inputs. Equally a concept that provides the same one continuous reward can’t be justified, as it takes away the element of surprise that distractive design rely on.

18 December 2013

EconomicThe Speed Camera Lottery – Redirecting the flow of money

conomically the infrastructure is already in place for The Speed Camera Lottery to go live. The speed cameras currently on location could be adapted and re programmed to comply with the characteristics set by Volkswa-gen. The issue would be adjusting the money flow so that rather than the fines being received by the government, they would be redirected as a reward.

When some city councils are already struggling to fund new camera sites due to a lack in funds, convincing them to redirect the fined money to motorists would be a tough task. One council spokesmen explained why this peculiar circumstances exists. “The current loss is mainly due to the digital cameras being so effective at reducing speed. They are a victim of their own success” (Sarah Harris, 2013).

Funding for additional speed cameras is in jeopardy because they are so successful in lowering speeds of vehicles in the first place. As a consequence, they are not producing the expected revenue which could potentially be collected from these fines and could ultimately help fund further projects. This raises the issue of validity for Volkswagens concept in regards to ‘if it isn’t broke don’t fix it’.

With 59% of 3,249 participants of a Scottish Crime and Justice Survey on road safety, declar-ing their belief that “safety cameras are an easy way of making money out of motorists” (The Scottish Government, 2011), One positive from adopting Volkswagens concept is that it could be used as means of instilling trust back into the government. Currently all the revenue from fines are consolidated into the Government’s treasury fund, to be distributed amongst local authorities later (Which 2, n.d). By releasing the fined money back to motorists, the concern over it being a

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money grabbing concept would no longer be valid; and the issue of improving road safety would be unquestionably the focal subject.

latform 5 was part of the seven million pound renovation to Sunderland train stations platform areas (Philips, n.d.). When the basis of the design is to distract the commuters from the platform it shields, is it justifiable that a portion of such a large amount of money is spent essentially on a short term solution?

With the future of the derelict platform behind the installation unknown, is the money spent on masking it justifiable considering the platform potentially could be renovated? This brings me to ask the question whether short term solutions are appropriate economically or could a plain wall have been more justifiable until a more permanent plan was derived?

The dilemma with these quick fix plans are that if the platform does get destroyed, the design becomes economically justifiable in that the art installation is no longer temporary but rather a permanent solution. If however the platform gets renovated, the money spent previously is now wasted.

Platform 5 – The appropriateness of short term solutions

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is it justifiable that a portion of such a large

amount of money is spent essentially on a short term

solution? ][

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similar argument of implementing a short term solution, is present within the eco nomic justification of the Piano Staircase concept. When the longevity of the design is already in question, is a thirty thousand pound installation (Dell, n.d.) fee justifiable when you take into account the requirement for the concept to be relocated regularly, in order to maintain psychological effectiveness?

The question presented is was there no feasibly alternative solution presentable, in which the thirty thousand pounds could have been more appropriately spent on a concept that provides a permanent solution to the motivational issue?

It has to be taken into account that potentially the Piano Staircase concept was primarily aimed as a marketing tool to inspire and encourage future public projects within the fun theory initiative. Potentially the concept was never completed with the ideology of being a complete solution to the problem, but rather ‘food for thought’. One interpretation of the design could be that Volkswagen’s intentions were good willed, however lacked the appropri-ate implementation to make it an economically viable concept.

In the Super Formula case study, the back ground circumstance plays vital importance to the validity of the design. The basic foundation level of care within the Hospital allowed scope for outside influences to tackle

Piano Staircase – Appropriate implementation

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Super Formula - Fundamental standard of practise

a medical problem, from a psychological perspective.

If however the circumstances changed from a Western world health care environment to a developing world setting, and the fundamental practice was not up to standard; the economic justification to bring in a design team would be very hard to defend. When the money could oth-erwise be spent on improving the basic medical environment, via increased funding for medical staff and medical equipment. An additional issue identified is the cost that the plastic cases surrounding the IV drips will incur. When ultimately the outer case only serves as an attitudinal psychological boost; it brings into question how much value does the psychological enhancement contribute, to the patient’s recov-ery and overall approach to the treatment. We know from the earlier studies that psychology does play a vital role within medical environ-ments within the pre admission, admission and recovery stages of the treatment.

This brings into question at what point does the service become adequate in order for the incor-poration for designers to be justified?

I

This brings into question at what point does the service become adequate in order for the incorporation for designers to be justified?][

20 December 2013

he location of the design provides importance economically. Fundamentally the location dictates what type of user engages with the design, this is important as the designs that were easiest to justify economically were the ones that provided a viable means of longevity.

Long term solutions are preferable economically, but not necessarily conceptually.

This is due to the rationale that the core of distractive design relies on engaging user inter-action. The longer the design is there, the more chance it has of having repeat users which is not conceptually preferable. The middle ground is a design that is well located, cheap to produce and provides value regardless to the amount of exposure received.

Distractive designs rely on a reward system to work. Designs that provide a monetary reward, are hard to justify. Surprisingly not due to ethical issues, but rather fundamental economic problems. An example is the The Speed Camera Lottery, in principle a brilliant idea however economically hard to justify due to the financial problems already existing with the current designs. They’re working too efficiently in reducing speed and as a result are providing jeopardy to future expansions. If this problem is already present when the money is staying internally within the organisation, it is unlikely that the government will willingly divert the fined money and further their loss as it could jeopardise the designs future as whole.

Economic Conclusion

TThe issue regarding at what point designers are economically justified was raised. When put into a context, for example a developing world environment, the justification becomes heavily circumstantial. A basic foundation level of care must be in place before a designer provides benefit. The basis of distractive design is to change the way we perceive an experience with-out changing the mechanical operation. So in a situation where the primary function is not up to standard, distractive design will provide little benefit.

Long term solutions are preferable economically, but not necessarily conceptually. ][

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EthicalThe Speed Camera Lottery – Justifying extrinsic motivations

n ethical dilemma of the The Speed Camera Lottery concept is motorists are being motivated to abide by the speed limit, for personal monetary gain. One presented argument is that the system relies fundamen-tally on bribing the motorists in order to achieve results; and that psychologically the under-standing involved of why the speed limit should be enforced has not been understood from a safety perspective.

This argument centralises around the theory that once the motorist has passed the area where monetary gain is possible, the driver will no longer feel motivated to abide by the speed limit as their personal interest is no longer present.

The issue that the Volkswagen design only influences the drivers speed when the user is being observed, could be justified by the fact that the current method holds the same flaw. From a survey consisting of 1,920 motorists,83% of participants held the opinion that “speed cameras only really slow drivers down at specific locations, rather than changing their overall behaviour” (Which 2, n.d). One argument could be that such a flaw could have been addressed via strengthening the understanding of why the speed limit is enforced.

Fundamentally an extrinsic motivation is justifi-able, as “extrinsic motivators are best applied in situations where people have little initial interest in performing the activity” (Kendra Cherry 2, n.d.).

AA Ethically this raises into question the value of such a design, where by the motorist behaviour has been transformed positively, however potentially for the wrong reasons.

This raises the question on whether it is acceptable to adopt a system which success-fully creates the desired outcome, however via an unethical means. One view could be argued that an educational stance is the best way to change behaviour, whilst the counter could also be presented that the negative ethical stance is justifiable, as long as the positive traits heavily outweigh the negative.

he Super Formula case study raises the ethical dilemma in which the appropriateness of the delivery of the IV fluid, is questioned. When the basis of the concept relies on fundamentally lying to the patient, in this in-stance a young child; is it an acceptable method of treatment both medically and ethically?“extrinsic motivators are best applied in

situations where people have little initial interest in performing

the activity” (Kendra Cherry 2, n.d.).

“extrinsic motivators are best applied in situations where people have little

initial interest in performing the activity” (Kendra Cherry 2, n.d.).]][ [

behaviour has been transformed positively,

however potentially for the wrong reasons.

behaviour has been transformed positively,

however potentially for the wrong reasons. ]][ [

Super Formula – appropriateness of deliverySuper Formula – appropriateness of delivery

TT

22 December 2013

When the circumstances are taken into account that you are dealing with young children in a difficult medical situation, where there is a potential for terminal illness; many would declare the use of ‘sugaring the pill’ appropriate.

The counter argument which some may present is that they wouldn’t want any sort of misrep-resentation, especially in such hard circumstanc-es as the diagnosis of Cancer. Their argument is that if the treatment was exposed as being misleading, it may have an adverse effect on the patient’s state of mind in regards to accepting further treatment.

The issue is who has the right to decide what treatment is given, does the responsibility rely on the parent or medical professional in charge of the situation?

Both present valid arguments, on one hand you have the parent who has legal guardianship, but could be questioned in regards to their state ofmind due to the traumatic experience of receiving news their child has cancer. The opposing argument is that the Medical profes-sion have more knowledge and experience on the subject, as well as physical experience in providing support to past patients so are more equipped to deal with the situation appropriate-ly.

When the object of the medical process is to provide the best physical and mental treatment, is it acceptable for either party to have the deciding vote in regards to the administration of the treatment?

Ethical dilemmas such as those stated above, are questions the design industry have to question and become accountable for. This becomes especially poignant within a medical environment, where confusion, fear and stress are all essential elements that must be ad-dressed

he Piano Staircase concept raises the ethical dilemma, of whether a psycholog ical influence is the most appropriate means of encouraging a user to participate in a physically arduous task. The Piano Staircase

design psychologically changes the behaviour of the user, not the attitude via interactive play within a reward system.

One ethical dilemma is that if the aspect of reward was stopped, the user would feel drasti-cally less inclined to participate. This raises the question on validity as to why the participants are motivated to interact with the design.

Rather than users participating due to the knowledge that it provides a benefit in the form of a healthier lifestyle, it could be argued they are doing it solely for a psychological stimulus.

The issue is who has the right to decide what treatment is given, does the responsibility rely on the parent or medical professional in

charge of the situation? ][ Piano Staircase – Motivation vs Education

T

December 2013 23

When it is indisputable that stairs are the healthier option, and yet users continue to predominantly elect escalators as their preferred means of transport between floors; do designers have the right to try and enforce physically active activities? The theory could be raised, that a more beneficial solution is one that incorporates the educational awareness on the benefits of physical activity.

The notion that education is the most appropriate method to inspire a perma nent behavioural and attitudinal change is a valid theoretical concept, however can be disputed that the real problems lie with human motivation. Regardless of the education-al stance, if the underlying motivation to perform the task is not present; then the design is destined to fail in its objective. This is where the viability for a solution such as distractive design holds merit.

Is bribery an acceptable motivation tool?, or is it unethical to use money as an influential factor when you take into account the users rationale for change is for the wrong reason? The real issue with this methodology is not the ethical rationale, but rather the issue regarding main-tain the ability to provide this reward.

Ethical Conclusion

T

Ethical considerations are fundamental within any medical environment, particularly with regards to responsibility of the patient’s care being discussed. This notion in regards to allowing the user an opinion on a subject matter they potentially know very little on, is coun-terproductive. When the basis of the design is to provide the best treatment, throughout the whole spectrum of assessment, ultimately it would be unwise to disregard the advice of pro-fessional medical staff, and discredit recognised means of treatment.

Is bribery an acceptable motivation tool? ][

24 December 2013

Final Conclusion

rior to the conduct of this study, when asked what design styles influence me, I found it very hard to articulate and define to my peers what I meant when responding with distractive designs. I believe that due to the ambiguous nature of the term ‘distractive’ when associated within a design context, my peers would often misinterpret my intended definition.

My prior knowledge and understanding in re-gards to the value that distractive designs provide, was primitive in nature and would only provide a rudimentary evaluation. My prior con-clusions relied heavily on psychological aspects; resulting in equally as poignant factors such as ethical, economical and longevity issues barely being contemplated.

My personal view was that if psychology could be used to clearly enhance a user’s experience of a service, then why were ‘distractive designs’ not held in higher esteem?

I feel that due to technological advances in society, we have become over accustomed to instantaneous responses to complicated problems. I don’t believe the design industry benefits from trying to comply with this method-ology. Constant demand, in my opinion can often correlate to inferior design concepts. I see the benefit in focusing on establishing permanent solutions, rather than short term fixes. This is not to say that all concepts that provide a short term solution are unjustifiable or necessary, and equally that some areas within design don’t thrive in the instantaneous technological world.

I believe distractive designs do have value within the design industry. At present I don’t believe they are being utilised to their full potential but I can see scope where by in five years times with the right advances in technologies, distractive designs can become a recognised design style.

My new found understanding of the process involved with justifying a concept has lead me to question my previously simplistic assumptions in regards to what defines a valuable design. My previous ideology of ‘it works, so why not use it?, could now be regarded as transformed into ‘it works, but is it the most appropriate means?’.

I am now more conscious of the importance, involved with thoroughly examining the negative implications of a design. I no longer see this identification of flaws as a failing, but rather a positive development.

Just because a design has negative implications attached to it, it does not mean it’s not a justi-fiable approach. It’s the role of the designer, to weigh up all perceivable options and implement the one that they regard is the most justifiable to achieve the aim, with the least negative implica-tions.

This study has made me aware of the complexity involved with justifying a design process. The act of forcing myself to

scrutinise each case study to an extent not previously participated in, has made me recognise the influential

capability designers have on the world. ][

P

‘it works, but is it the most appropriate means?’ ][

December 2013 25

]

Personally this study has made me question some aspects of the design industry; such as the validity of whether designers should have the right to change the way we perceive a process. As designers do we have the right to essentially pick and choose when to shelter specific audi-ences from negative experiences? Some of the most important life lessons are said by some to be taught from negative experiences, so are we potentially over sheltering society when we distract users away from these experiences?

My personal understanding of what a distractive design is has evolved. I now have a more defined idea of what I constitute a distractive design to be. My written definition has not changed, however my physical interpretation has. I look forward to my next module, were i will be able to enhance my knowledge of distractive designs; and encorporating primary research withing my findings.

I no longer see this identification of flaws as a

failing, but rather a positive development ][

26 December 2013

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Documents

Distractive Design Dissertation