Urban Reclaim
Design Process
DISCOVER
Background Research
Literature Review
Benchmarking
User Surveys
User Interviews
Contextual Enquiry
Focus Group Interviews
DEFINE
User Persona
Affinity Mapping
User Journey Mapping
Storyboarding
DEVELOPE
Ideation and Brainstorming (Crazy-8, Idea book)
Lo and Mid Fidelity Wireframes
Useability Evaluation
DELIVER
Design Refinements
UI Style Guide
Clickable Prototype
User Pain Points
Primary research for Urban Reclaim revealed that communities struggle to access resources, collaborate effectively, and revitalize underutilized spaces. These insights guided the development of a platform to foster connections, streamline planning, and promote transparent collaboration for impactful neighborhood transformations.
Community Engagement
Residents are eager to revitalize spaces but lack the necessary tools and platforms.
Diverse Needs
Spaces hold potential for various uses like community gardens, pop-up shops, cultural centers, etc.
Transparency Gaps
Users want clear timelines, roles, funding, and impact metrics for projects.
User Interviews and Focus Groups:
To understand the community's perspectives and needs, 18 individual interviews were conducted with diverse stakeholders, including government employees, NGO members, educators, and residents. Additionally, focus group discussions with 8 participants, aged 26–55, were held remotely in Detroit. These sessions highlighted unique challenges and opportunities in revitalizing underutilized spaces, shaping the project’s direction with valuable insights.
95%
Community Engagement
Users mentioned showcasing visible impact attracts more people to community engagement events.
80%
Access to Information
Community members should be aware of the things happening in and around their neighborhood.
72%
Challenges and Barriers
Revival can be intertwined with collaborative problem-solving by residents and the government.
Storyboard
The storyboard follows Alex, a community-driven resident, as he transforms a vacant lot in his neighborhood using Urban Reclaim. He begins by exploring the interactive map to identify available spaces. After initiating a project, Alex collaborates with residents through the discussion chat room and gathers resources via the marketplace. Using the AR visualizer, he previews potential designs and shares ideas through virtual graffiti, inspiring others to join the initiative. The streamlined platform empowers Alex to bring his vision to life with ease and transparency.
Design Decisions
Urban Reclaim focuses on empowering users with collaborative tools to transform their neighborhoods. Key features like an interactive map, project management tools, a virtual graffiti board, and an AR visualizer were carefully chosen to foster creativity, accessibility, and community engagement.
Early mockups streamlined user flows, tested interactive features, and established a clean layout to ensure usability. Iterations prioritized simplicity and clarity to align with diverse user needs.
Low-Fidelity
Mid-Fidelity
High-Fidelity
Impact
Urban Reclaim empowers communities by providing:
Active Collaboration
Tools to connect residents, planners, and organizations.
Transparency
Clear visibility into project funding, timelines, and expected outcomes.
Sustainable Growth
Revitalized spaces drive local business, community pride, and tourism.
Reflection
What I Learned
This project emphasized the importance of community-driven design and iterative development to address diverse urban challenges. Transparency and trust are vital for engaging stakeholders effectively.
Next Steps
Expand partnerships with NGOs and local businesses.
Introduce additional features like volunteer recruitment and enhanced funding tools.
Scale the app to other cities facing similar challenges.