An efficient way for art students to carry school items from parking lots to their buildings and vice versa, via a scanning system that keeps track of the carts.
Duration: June 18, 2018 - July 23, 2018
Location: California Polytechnic State University, Pomona
Audience: Cal Poly Pomona Students
Team Members: Daniel G. Sandoval
DESIGN PROCESS
Research was conducted by conducting a survey and asking students whether or not a highly sleek and multi-component cart would be of interest to them. The idea seemed very appealing to the students as long as they did not have to pay an initial fee to utilize them. Twenty percent of the interviewees were architecture students who demonstrated relief at the proposal of the idea. Architecture models are hard to carry around and a cart like PIVT would be extremely beneficial to them. Temporarily or permanently disabled students also agree that the cart would provide them with the ease to carry items around more comfortably.
Strategy Implementation: Appropriately designated virtual apps or tangible IDs would make it easy to keep track of the uniquely designed carts and whether or not they were inserted back into the corrals in a 24 hour period. Students would simply have to scan their IDs via the corral scanner, which has a system embedded that keeps track of carts that return damaged. Fines would be implemented when a student damages or fails to return the cart in the given time frame under their own scan code.
Engagement: We were asked to broaden the horizon and make the carts available to students in all departments as well as professors. Since the idea was captivating to everyone we spoke to, everyone wanted to have access to it.
Research carried out in person and via text messages to gather statistics.
Preliminary concept drawings of the carts.
IMPACT
Health Benefits: Would be grand to the students as they'd have means to reduce pressure and fatigue of carrying large art boards, pencil cases and models over long distances. Retractable trays on the cart itself could be customized to the students' liking, depending on the items they are carrying at any given time.
Economically, students would only be forced to pay for the system when carts are damaged or not returned in the given time period. The school would find sponsors to develop and donate budgets that would successfully fund the cart corral system.
Social Implications: Since Daniel and I both understood that carts are not exactly the most attractive or cool way to go around campus, we focused on designing extremely sleek and modern carts to encourage everyone to use them without thinking twice about how uncool they might appear to be.
Environmental Impacts: Since the fee system was implemented, the possibility of having random carts spread out and polluting the scenery was eliminated. As far as environmental damage to the carts themselves, we designed the corrals (and carts) to be contained within glass enclosures, with a lighted roof to help students feel safe at night, and elevated carts to ensure the wheels do not get damaged to rain and severe weather conditions.
REFLECTIONS
The project changed my perspective on the boundaries of design. Not feeling confined within the technical spectrum, but rather focusing more on research and how to effectively bring forth a functioning system in every angle. The more practical side of design, along with user experience, and incorporating my technical skills into solving an environmental problem changed the way I think about design and how it can be utilized to make changes in the world.
ASSETS
App specs demonstrating available carts at each cart corral.
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