Mark’s UX clippings: urban transformations and storytelling

This week: urban transformations in from Chicago to Cyprus, and storytelling using  science fiction.

A group of young designers are exploring how methods used within user-centered design can improve urban regeneration, and are now making their mark on the urban scene of Nicosia, Cyprus, by creatively redesigning “misused public spaces”.

More urban transformation in Chicago where citizens harness technology to offer up solutions to problems in their communities, with the support of the Give a Minute! initiative, created by Jake Barton’s media design firm Local Projects.

Also in Northern Europe they are experimenting urban transformations, as Living Labs have become an established part of local and regional innovation systems. So it became necessary to start benchmarking and harmonizing best practices for setting up and conducting individual Living Lab research.

Storytelling is another big theme this week.

Intel’s Chief Futurist, Brian David Johnson, is a big advocate of using science fiction narratives as a jumping off point for a discussion between management and engineering about the future of Intel’s business, and has commissioned four writers — Douglas Rushkoff, Ray Hammond, Scarlett Thomas and Markus Heitz — to produce science fictional pieces on the future that the company can use in its own planning.

Finally, Digital U is the first television/web series to examine how the internet and social media are changing the way we live, work, play, consume and communicate.