As GEDS team we would like to raise the issue of public transport this month.
Can design help rebuild public systems and bring the economy up?
The pandemic has shined a light on cracks in our society, as Leonard Cohen wrote: “There is a crack in everything. That is how the light gets in”. Rebuilding after a pandemic allows us to revise old systems and focus on long-term planning. It will help people to become stronger and create more resistant and reliable communities. The key focus is to create measures to protect people and mend the cracks in our health and public systems.
Problems of the pandemic are a mix of experience design, product design, and service design. By implementing an innovative mindset and creative thinking, designers can help to address the pandemic problems and come up with measures to prevent this from happening in the future by using design thinking tools.
What is design thinking and how can we use it to solve complex problems?
Design thinking is a methodology that solves complex problems by integrating the needs of people, feasible technology, and economically viable solutions. This approach is excellent to tackle such complex, poorly defined problems of the pandemic by focusing on community needs. As Don Norman, co-founder and Principal Emeritus of Nielsen Norman Group said “How can we design something for people without an in-depth, detailed knowledge of them?”, as each community has it is own unique needs, solutions should be embraced at the community level.
To illustrate the importance of design-thinking in problem-solving and to raise the issue of public transport that we are facing nowadays, we will share a relevant design case study “Problem of Public Transport during the Pandemic” which took place in Mykolaiv city, Ukraine.
Public transport is one of the riskiest areas for spreading the virus. However, it has a crucial role in the process of economic sustainability. Forcing operators to reduce or suspend their services might put them out of the job. Also, destroying the connectivity of the cities long after the pandemic significantly damages local businesses.
The aim of this case study was to find out how to protect the survival of public transport at the same time ensure safe mobility for passengers.
Continue reading on the next blog post (Research Methods and Tools)
A Design Thinking Case for Public Transportation during Pandemic – Research Methods and Tools
