COLA Placemaking
COLA Placemaking
Overview
Overview
wkrm Project Studio, a student-run, faculty-led design studio housed at the Department of Fine Arts building at the University of Texas at Austin, collaborated with the College of Liberal Arts (COLA) during the Fall 2022 semester.
wkrm Project Studio, a student-run, faculty-led design studio housed at the Department of Fine Arts building at the University of Texas at Austin, collaborated with the College of Liberal Arts (COLA) during the Fall 2022 semester.
Role
Role
Visual Design
UX Research
UI Design
Visual Design
UX Research
UI Design
Client
College of Liberal Arts
Timeline
Timeline
4 months
Tools
Tools
Figma
Adobe CC
Figma
Adobe CC
Project Specification
Project Specification
For 16-weeks, the wkrm team (comprised of eight junior and senior Design students) studied the use of educational facilities and space to develop insights, ideas, and plans that improve the look, feel, and function of different environments such as exterior entries, rest/study, and renewal areas, and public information.
For 16-weeks, the wkrm team (comprised of eight junior and senior Design students) studied the use of educational facilities and space to develop insights, ideas, and plans that improve the look, feel, and function of different environments such as exterior entries, rest/study, and renewal areas, and public information.
Robert L. Patton Building
Robert L. Patton Building
Robert L. Patton Building
Burdine Building
Burdine Building
Burdine Building
Focus
Focus
Focusing on the Robert L. Patton and Burdine buildings on UT's campus, our team explored assumptions about topics such as:
When and how students use the spaces
How the buildings and spaces express COLA's identity
How to cultivate a sense of COLA community belonging
These topics then informed our research insights, ideation process, prototyping, and implementation planning.
Focusing on the Robert L. Patton and Burdine buildings on UT's campus, our team explored assumptions about topics such as:
When and how students use the spaces
How the buildings and spaces express COLA's identity
How to cultivate a sense of COLA community belonging
These topics then informed our research insights, ideation process, prototyping, and implementation planning.
"The liberal arts buildings are nice, but when you step inside, it's hard to feel like you're in the heart of a liberal arts college. There's a bit of an identity crisis here."
COLA Student
"The liberal arts buildings are nice, but when you step inside, it's hard to feel like you're in the heart of a liberal arts college. There's a bit of an identity crisis here."
COLA Student
01 / Research
01 / Research
Research & Sensemaking
Research & Sensemaking
Our team conducted extensive research, which involved regular site visits, qualitative investigations, and interviews with students, faculty, and staff. From our research, we developed Placemaking Insights which provided a more structured framework for ideation and design.
Our team conducted extensive research, which involved regular site visits, qualitative investigations, and interviews with students, faculty, and staff. From our research, we developed Placemaking Insights which provided a more structured framework for ideation and design.
Make Space, a book by Scott Doorley & Scott Witthoft, largely inspired our Placemaking Insights.
Make Space, a book by Scott Doorley & Scott Witthoft, largely inspired our Placemaking Insights.
Quick Concepts
Quick Concepts
Quick Concepts facilitated rapid ideation, enabling more profound research and exploration, culminating in the development of the final deliverables for our client.
Quick Concepts facilitated rapid ideation, enabling more profound research and exploration, culminating in the development of the final deliverables for our client.
02 / Design
02 / Design
Concepts
Concepts
Using our research, quick concepts, and Placemaking Insights, we developed the concept categories of:
Thresholds and Cues
Configurations and Adaptations
Localized Services
Using our research, quick concepts, and Placemaking Insights, we developed the concept categories of:
Thresholds and Cues
Configurations and Adaptations
Localized Services
Thresholds & Cues
Thresholds & Cues
We defined Thresholds & Cues as a place of entry that prompts you to do something or a point of beginning that informs you of something. They are environmental factors that work to inform and orient people in spaces. Our ideation and prototyping focused on improving these factors.
We focused on developing signage and and wayfinding cues to help orient users of the space, as well as instill a sense of culture and community using liberal arts-specific iconography, imagery, and language.
We defined Thresholds & Cues as a place of entry that prompts you to do something or a point of beginning that informs you of something. They are environmental factors that work to inform and orient people in spaces. Our ideation and prototyping focused on improving these factors.
We focused on developing signage and and wayfinding cues to help orient users of the space, as well as instill a sense of culture and community using liberal arts-specific iconography, imagery, and language.
Configurations & Adaptations
Configurations & Adaptations
Configurations & Adaptations surrounded the idea of the organization or arrangement of elements in an environment. In this concept, we iterated upon how elements in an environment could be rearranged or new elements could be added to make spaces more inviting.
With this concept we explored comfortable modular seating that would be provided to configure the previously stark space into something appealing for users.
Configurations & Adaptations surrounded the idea of the organization or arrangement of elements in an environment. In this concept, we iterated upon how elements in an environment could be rearranged or new elements could be added to make spaces more inviting.
With this concept we explored comfortable modular seating that would be provided to configure the previously stark space into something appealing for users.
Localized services
Localized services
With Localized Services, we looked into providing amenities and services within the spaces. We wanted to cultivate a sense of identity alongside community through our improvements to the spaces. Our research participants described to us that reading and coffee felt like "iconic" liberal arts. Using this insight, we prototyped a coffee station and little library to promote the liberal arts identity of COLA as well as more community-based activities and spaces.
With Localized Services, we looked into providing amenities and services within the spaces. We wanted to cultivate a sense of identity alongside community through our improvements to the spaces. Our research participants described to us that reading and coffee felt like "iconic" liberal arts. Using this insight, we prototyped a coffee station and little library to promote the liberal arts identity of COLA as well as more community-based activities and spaces.
Protoytping
Protoytping
Prototypes were used to identify the effectiveness of our designs, as well as pain points and improvements. Our team initiated two service-centered prototypes (coffee and a public library) and one physical space prototype (adaptive, comfortable seating in heavily trafficked areas). Data and feedback received from our prototypes proved hugely beneficial in gaining a deeper understanding of our clients and student, faculty, and staff needs.
Prototypes were used to identify the effectiveness of our designs, as well as pain points and improvements. Our team initiated two service-centered prototypes (coffee and a public library) and one physical space prototype (adaptive, comfortable seating in heavily trafficked areas). Data and feedback received from our prototypes proved hugely beneficial in gaining a deeper understanding of our clients and student, faculty, and staff needs.
03 / Outcome
03 / Outcome
Implementation
Implementation
The feedback collected from our research, interviews, prototypes, and placemaking insights has resulted in tangible improvements within the College of Liberal Arts. Specifically, access to formerly restricted spaces within the buildings has been expanded to enhance student engagement and utilization. Furthermore, the successful implementation of the Little Library prototype is now a permanent fixture, with students interacting with it on a daily basis.
The feedback collected from our research, interviews, prototypes, and placemaking insights has resulted in tangible improvements within the College of Liberal Arts. Specifically, access to formerly restricted spaces within the buildings has been expanded to enhance student engagement and utilization. Furthermore, the successful implementation of the Little Library prototype is now a permanent fixture, with students interacting with it on a daily basis.
