Collaboration is a hot topic both in CRISP projects and PSS design in general. Within Grey but Mobile there have been a lot of moments for collaboration. In the image you can see all the project partners, they come from many different industries both private and public, as well as knowledge institutes from Eindhoven and Enschede.
The GbM@DAE team (Maartje and Heather) are focusing on user research, and this needs to play a role in the bigger picture. Therefore, we are asking what are barriers of mobility for elderly people, and how can we research their experiences in such a way their stories play a strategic role in designing new mobility services.
Furthermore we are exploring how this knowledge and understanding of elderly people’s mobility can be;
- lifted from a single project into playing a role on a strategic level
- relied upon for multiple projects, (in organisations and within collaborations)
- a way of bringing elderly people into the design conversation.
In order to understand what role our research can play in Grey but Mobile collaborations, we have begun by having interviews with many of our project partners. The overall goal of the interviews was to give input to the design of our user research, and ensure it would have a positive and lasting role within Grey but Mobile. There were many similarities in the discussions we had, and a few highlight insights include:
1- CRISP = learning
Grey but Mobile is not only about running projects. It is about learning new things, new process, new methods..., and this is done while we are working together towards pilots and projects. We must find a way to make learning a more explicit activity by sharing what we are learning as we progress.
2- Low threshold collaboration
Until now there has been a lot of emphasis in workshops on collaboration, and has been relatively quiet during the in-between times. We need to find different ways for you (project partners) to become more directly involved in our process; for example join us in our fieldwork.
3- Long term planning ahead
Many times agendas don’t overlap, and logistics have become a main barrier to our collaboration. We would like to look together at a future planning with key moments, and create a structured way to meet.
4- Identify a common focus
One of the main strengths of GbM are the diverse stakeholders and different perspectives. This is also a challenge! We would like to make a step in solidifying our collaboration with the different stakeholders sharing their individual purpose, and create a common focus together.
What’s next?
Inside those key insights there are plenty of opportunities to explore. As a starting point, we would like to see the project partners come together in an informal setting to discuss what we have seen come out of these interviews. Do they see their experience translated into these areas? Are there things we missed? Is there anything to add? During this meeting, we would also like to make some planning for the upcoming months, and offer ways for the diverse partners to become involved in our user research directly.
We are looking forward to our next research adventure of setting up meetings with some participants for our fieldwork, and of course keeping our project partners closely involved in the process.