April 27 Chat discussion

Vincent has joined

Rachel has joined

7:05 PM Rachel: good morning~

Vincent: good morning and good afternoon :)

me: Thanks, You too.

7:06 PM before we get started, could you share what design project you will be presenting

for your past work?

7:07 PM Rachel: you mean for the presentation during the workshop?

me: yes

7:08 PM Rachel: oh! i didn't put it on the website, but i think i can explain here~

me: I will be presenting on an innovation developed for mexican immigrants to Chicago: a combination of a laundromat and english language teaching facility....so they can do laundry and learn English at the same time.

7:09 PM Rachel: oh~is that like a bag?

7:11 PM me: no. A laundromat is a place to do your laundry (wash your clothes) open to the public

Vincent: My project is a new USB device that can communicate people in the office in a delightful way.

me: so you would go there to wash your clothes and learn english.

how does your USB communicate in a delightful way?

Rachel: i see...

7:12 PM Vincent: Recall the memory of writing on the wall

me: so the USB would project a message from someone else in the office?

Vincent: yes

me: that's fun!

7:13 PM Rachel: cool

me: how about yours, rachel?

Rachel: mine is a little bookmarker. with the pass of time, it will gradually change its color to remind reader to take a rest.

me: so you don't read too much?

7:14 PM Rachel: the change will be activateby bending it, and will recover after use

ha~for me yes

me: very clever!

Rachel: but once i read i just want to finish it once

me: me too...if it's a good book.

Rachel: and never take a rest

Vincent: ha me too

7:15 PM me: OK. Now on to Ren!

Rachel: i just post something on the blog

me: I did earlier too.

7:16 PM Rachel: give me some time to read~

me: Vincent, did you have something you wanted to post?

Rachel: i post some design that i think is simple and interesting

7:17 PM Vincent: no i'm still looking for some product can represent REN for me

me: I think your approach is interesting, Rachel: to build on the principles that would encourage Ren behaviors

7:18 PM Rachel: um...that comes from the WIKI explanation too

ren is something inside

and shall be express from some outside behaviors

7:19 PM me: right.

that was the topic of my post.

Rachel: yep ha

to present some "good humanity"

7:20 PM howevr i think it will be better to not focus on only one characteristic

me: ...like sharing?

Rachel: more is better~

7:21 PM yep that's only one elemnt

me: I like the idea of subtly encouraging people to do and be better.

7:22 PM Sharing is an easy principle to do that with

Rachel: yes.

i saw another good design with similar idea

7:23 PM (forgot the website though)

it's a public seat

me: Are there homeless people in Taiwan?

7:24 PM Rachel: sure~

Vincent: sure

Rachel: but it's for passengers actually~

me: what if there was a system to help encourage people to help homeless people

—different idea

7:25 PM Rachel: that's really "REN"

can be one direction~

7:26 PM help means to help them back to work

Vincent: but we have to think about "how"

me: rachel, what do you mean "can be one direction?"

Rachel: can be one choice of our group work~

7:27 PM me: ah

OK

Rachel: i think we can list many ideas

concept and objectives

7:28 PM if possible we can select 3 good ones today

and think about the detail design later

me: I think that is a good idea.

Vincent: ok

7:29 PM so start brainstorming~

me: OK

so sharing and helping homeless are the first two

7:30 PM Rachel: i think bus stop is another choice too

cause in Taiwan

Vincent: how about redesign a public trashcan

me: what about bus stop?

7:31 PM redesign public trashcan to do what?

Rachel: ha....vincent let me talk first

sorry~

Vincent: sure

me: perhaps a system to get rid of agressive driving

7:32 PM Rachel: another one, yes

bus stop that is designed for people in every age

me: hmm. OK

Rachel: cause when people have to wait in line for a long time

7:33 PM theycan face some troubles, especially for the elders

me: OK

7:34 PM maybe an easily accessible seat inside the bus or train for elders

or a good way to get them there easily

if the bus/train is crowded

Rachel: um...and some design for them if it rains

7:35 PM or if many people don't follow the rules to wait in line

me: maybe a system to help blind people onto the buses easily...a navigation system

Rachel: yes

7:36 PM so for different ages and even for sick pelple, child ...so on

7:37 PM Vincent: but i think if we can let them help each others during the waiting will be great

me: yes...let people help people

Rachel: that combines the idea of sharing

Vincent: It's difficult though

yes

7:38 PM me: perhaps we could look at helping family members who have been in a fight or feud, to resolve their differences

7:40 PM Rachel: or some furniture that can help the family members to get along with eachother well

and to welcome guest

design for more and better interaction

7:41 PM me: or maybe something that is a game, but also a relationship strengthener

Rachel: ha

interesting

though i think we can broaden this to neighbors

or more people

7:42 PM that suits REN mote

me: yeah

Rachel: more

Vincent: invite other people into the game

Rachel: how about terrace

me: terrace?

7:43 PM Rachel: we can think about some areas that people may meet people

and put our design there to create more possibility

7:44 PM me: and facilitate their meeting?

Rachel: facilitate and create interation

interaction

7:45 PM there's one project in Taipei now

Vincent: It can be a bus stop:)

7:46 PM Rachel: ha

me: bus stop: cure for the world's ills

;)

Rachel: i was talking about the problems we have in Taiwan

do you have any in the US

7:48 PM me: I think that being unkind is a general universal problem

Rachel: um...

Vincent: it's true

me: that is manifested in driving, in stealing, in making rude gestures

Rachel: and being unconcerned

me: yeah...unconcerned.

7:49 PM Rachel: common problems in cities

me: Perhaps we could develop a way to get over being unconcerned with others.

Vincent: free hugs

7:50 PM me: hah ha ha ha

Rachel: ha~

me: that's funny!

Rachel: i am so afraid of that actually

Vincent: why?

me: you know, we become very concerned with other people, whose blogs we read

and we don't even know them.

7:51 PM what if we had a way to safely

view blogs of people in your neighborhood, so that you could know them and be concerned about them when you meet them

7:52 PM —if you know someone's story, you might be able to better have empathy for them

7:53 PM perhaps blogs aren't the right tool...but maybe something similar

Rachel: twitter

me: that isn't quite as story oriented

but it's possible

7:56 PM Rachel: there's some website promoting the idea of helping others

i forgot the name, probably "time bank"?

me: talk more about that.

Rachel: you can save time as money in that net bank

7:57 PM me: Perhaps we could think about sharing umbrellas in the rain...like if the person is willing to share, a light turns on at the top, and wet people could step inside

Rachel: and you can provide your telent and professional

oh~that's lovely

Vincent: It's cute

7:58 PM me: and then they would talk and get to know each other.

Rachel: right

me: and someone is sharing too.

7:59 PM Rachel: i think that's a pretty good idea

simply touch the topic

8:00 PM me: just have to figure out how to make it safe...

8:01 PM perhaps your phone could tell somehow that the person with the umbrella is safe...

Vincent: ha

8:02 PM me: maybe there is an adjoining internet service that facilitates

Rachel: or you have to register when you buy

me: yeah

It might go against the idea of Ren, but perhaps someone could get "friendly points" for sharing or something

8:03 PM Vincent: make it into a community

me: like couch surfing...have you guys heard of that?

8:04 PM Vincent: no

me: http://www.couchsurfing.com/

8:05 PM it's a community of people that volunteer their couch for visitors (they have never met) in exchange to be able to sleep on other people's couches in other cities

Vincent: hmm I see

Rachel has left

8:06 PM me: where did rachel go?

Vincent: I don't know too

maybe her computer crashed

8:07 PM Rachel has joined

Rachel: i click on the link and it log me out= =

me: hmm whoops

8:08 PM Rachel: how? sorry let's continue

me: so we have several ideas/areas on the table

8:09 PM Rachel: bus stop
Terrace
umbrella

homeless

me: driving

Rachel: domething for family

8:10 PM me: overcoming unconcern

Rachel: create interaction

trnsform net service to product

Vincent: resolving fight

8:11 PM Rachel: let strangers help others

me: oooh yeah. Maybe it would be a service that connected neighbors who needed help with something, with surrounding peopel

8:12 PM do you have craigslist in taiwan?

looks like it.

Vincent: actually not

8:13 PM especially in the city

me: maybe there would be something where you could post "I am moving, need help" and people from the neighborhood would volunteer to help

or, "I need someone to take care of my dog for a day" etc

that way, strangers would help strangers, and also get to know each other.

8:14 PM Rachel: that shall combine net service

8:15 PM about the time bank that i mentioned

me: Oh, OK

Rachel: it's like members can upload their telent and profession

and upload their needs

8:16 PM such as : my mom needs someone to talk to when i am away for vacation

me: thats a funny need.

Rachel: ha

things like this

and you can save more money when you offer more

8:17 PM and you can get more people to help you using the money you earn

me: OK. so are there more ideas out there?

8:19 PM Vincent: I think the way people use public trashcan is a big problem in taiwan

me: talk more about that.

8:20 PM Vincent: some people didn't treat it as they do in their own house

just throw everything

then go away

8:21 PM me: Like the throw garbage not in the can?

Vincent: yes

me: OK

Vincent: and another case is if there are no public trashcan around

8:22 PM people will throw their garbage into anything look like a "can"

me: yeah, I have seen that here in US

8:23 PM Rachel: feel less guilty probably

8:25 PM me: hmm

Guys...add what I missed here.

6 minutes

8:31 PM Rachel: 您已經受邀加入此聊天室！

yeah!

8:32 PM me: OK

back.

so we have several ideas now.

Would it be OK with you two if we posted our chat conversations on the blog...just so we have everything in one place?

8:33 PM Rachel: ok!

Vincent: ok

Rachel: actually i lost some of them when i am away

sad

8:34 PM me: me too...so perhaps I will post what I have, and you can add anything that I might have missed

Vincent: that will be fine

Rachel: i think we can develop these ideas more this week

me: yes.

do we want to come up with three that we all agree on?

Rachel: and has to conclude some basic concepts

8:35 PM three or more is ok

8:36 PM Vincent: ok

8:37 PM Rachel: bus stop
Terrace
umbrella
homeless
driving
something for family
overcoming unconcern
create interaction(eg.something place on the street)
trnsform net service to product
resolving fight
let strangers help others
trashcan
net service to product

is that all?

me: I think so...

I like the helping the homeless...and the umbrella and overcoming unconcern

8:38 PM I also like the time bank idea, but is that already done? I don't know the difference between the proposed idea and what already exists

Rachel: that's already done for the net service

me: OK

8:39 PM Rachel: but if we can promote this via some product

Vincent: I like umbrella and resolving fight and let strangers help each others

Rachel: that's ok still

Vincent: yes

8:40 PM Rachel: i like Terrace,overcoming unconcern,net service to product

8:41 PM me: net service to product means turning time bank into a tangible good?

8:42 PM Rachel: yes~

or other ideas like a twitter

or blog

8:44 PM i think we can do this all if we want to,

for this week

me: so we each develop our three different ideas?

Rachel: each one for 2-3, ideas that we pick

8:45 PM me: OK. Fair enough.

Rachel: ha

Vincent: ok

Rachel: we can leave our suggestions on the blog

me: Let's have them posted 24 hours before our next chat, so we have time to review them. Can you do that>

?

8:46 PM Rachel: ok!!

Vincent: sure

Rachel: and that's necessary

can Matthew post our discussion on first?

8:47 PM i will read them to recall some memory~

me: yes. I will post them right now.

Rachel: um! so let's meet next week^^

8:48 PM me: same time?

Rachel: for me ok

Vincent: me too

8:49 PM Rachel: then, for next week-> same time for discussion, and post on the blog one day before, give some feedbacks on the blog too

8:50 PM me: sure. sounds good.

thanks guys!