1A GUIDE TO FINDING THE HIDDEN GEMS OF VANCOUVER

PROJECT BRIEF + PROCESS BOOK

DESIGNED BY FIONA SAMSON

2CONTENTSEXECUTIVE SUMMARY

DESIGN PROPOSAL

RESEARCH SUMMARY

DESIGN OPPORTUNITY

DESIGN OBJECTIVES

DESIGN CRITERIA

AUDIENCE PROFILE

HUMAN FACTORS

MARKET RESEARCH

FEASIBILITY

EDUCATIONAL GOALS

CONTACT INFORMATION

SCHEDULE AND DELIVERABLES

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

LITERATURE REVIEW

GANTT CHART

PROJECT BRIEF PROCESS

MIND MAP

PROTOTYPE

ONLINE SURVEY

THE APP

USER TESTING

THE BRANDMARK

COLOUR GUIDE

THE MAP

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

THE WEBSITE

THE VIDEO

CONCLUSION

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PROJECT BRIEF

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ExECuT I v E

S ummaRy1 .0

This document summarizes the information gathered for the proposal of my undergradu-ate thesis project. The project focuses on promoting and supporting local independent businesses within Vancouver, inspired and generated through the involvement of both visitors and local residents. Research findings to date include various design books, tourism websites, and articles written by local resi-dents of Vancouver. Through secondary re-search, I have explored issues such as the term Responsible Tourism, differing perspec-tives of locals and tourists, design strategies, and existing precedents that surround these topics. Through my investigations, I plan on representing these issues by designing a guide that consists of a printed map, a phone app, and an accommodating website that highlights both local businesses and remote locations within the city.

Further information through primary re-search during the development of this project included interviewing various personas of both locals and tourists, which was accom-plished through an online survey as well as a user testing phase. This allowed me to gain a better perceptive on the target audience and the effectiveness of an online presence and a printed publication as the final deliverable.

The research and design of this project took place from September 2012 to April 2013 and will be displayed at the Emily Carr Uni-versity Grad Show in May 2013.

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dES I gN

P ROPOSal2 .0

The main focus for this project is to not only look at promoting Vancouver as a more friendly and approach-able city, but to highlight the various places that make Vancouver so unique and lovable to its residents. The opportunities and challenges of this project was to cre-ate an incentive for locals to contribute their personal preferences into an online database, as well as attempt-ing to create a connection between the various commu-nities within Vancouver. I propose that in developing a campaign through various mediums that utilizes user-generated content, I strive to create relationships and generate trust between residents and visitors through shared experiences of exploring the city. I anticipate that this campaign will not only reduce obstacles be-tween residents within the city of Vancouver, but also improve cultural barriers.

RESEaRCh

S ummaRy2 . 1

The research for this project will focus mainly on local independent businesses and remote locations based on user generated content. The objective is to generate a compilation of unique places to visit and explore, that will intrigue both locals and visitors within Vancouver.

Further investigation of my research can be found in Appendix A: Annotated Bibliography and Appendix B: Literature Review.

As a requirement for research projects involving humans, Emily Carr University students are required to complete the TCPS: CORE Course on Research Ethics tutorial provided by ECUADs Research Ethics Board. My certificate of completion can be found in Appendix D: Ethics Documents and Consent Forms.

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Primary Research

Primary research consisted of an initial online survey and a user testing phase that contained questions and activities relating to peoples perspectives on exploring the city of Vancou-ver. The primary research focused mainly on the perspectives of both local residents and tourists living within the city. Participants for this study were between the ages 19 35 of both male and female, of various ethnicities, professions, interests, opinions, and lifestyles.

Secondary Research

Along with investigations on the influence of user-generated content in terms of travel decisions, I also examined the influence of the general connotations that locals and tourists have on the city of Vancouver. The initial goal was to understand why residents and outsiders feel that there is a great sense of segregation within the city. My research began with an investigation on a documentary by Melissa James and Kate Kroll titled No Fun City, which is a film based on the numerous limitations on local bars, pubs, and music venues in Vancouver. Since its release in 2010, several articles were written by both locals and tourists, sharing their opinions as to why they agree or disagree with the films proposition. This lead me to explore both positive and negative insights that locals and tourists have on the city.

Douglas Couplands, City of Glass is one example of how the author navigates the city and through his exploration he provides cate-gories as to what makes Vancouver so unique. The third section of my research involves analyzing the term Responsible Tourism. This term, which is defined by the Capetown Declaration 2002 and the Kerala Declaration 2008, is an approach, which can be used by travelers and holidaymakers, accommoda-tion and transport providers that seeks to maximize positive economic, environmental, and social impacts and to minimize negative ones. Their objective is to minimize nega-tive impacts of global tourism by promoting economic, environmental, and social respon-sibility, as well as building bridges between travelers and locals through more meaningful connections that provides a deeper under-standing of local culture.

dES I gN

OPPORTuN I T y2 . 2

The opportunities and challenges of this project was to find and create an incentive for locals to share their personal preferences within an online database. By examining the success of user-generated content, I hope to develop a campaign, in the form of an app and website that not only promotes the uniqueness of Vancouver, but also creates relationships through personal experiences of both locals and tourists. In deciding what the deliverables would be for my project, I found that I was really drawn to the idea of travel journals and the uniqueness in the recordings of ones personal experience while travelling. I also believe that having a print publication as an alternative holds a deeper sense in recording memories and makes the experience of the user or the observer more personal and visceral. Overall, I believe that the challenge for this project would be to find places, activities, and interests that will not only attract both locals and tourists to participate in but also encourage them to interact with each other throughout the city.

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dES I gN

OB J ECT I v E S2 . 3

I believe that this project will eliminate previous negative connotations about the city and encourage a more positive lifestyle for the tour-ism community and residents of Vancouver. I hope that it will give an opportunity for both groups to fall in love with city of Vancouver and at the same time develop meaningful connections with each other. In acknowledging and creating awareness of the division between residents of Vancouver, I hope to generate a stronger sense of trust by allowing people to participate and contribute their positive thoughts, opinions, and experiences about the city.

dES I gN

C R I T ER I a2 . 4

User Audience CriteriaThe project will appeal to a young adult audience (19 -35) who were either raised in Vancouver or are completely new to the city.

Structural CriteriaThe map will contain a collection of unique places and business, inspired by user generat-ed content. I anticipate the app will influence the user to experience the city in a distinctive and positive way. The website will serve as a informational platform for both the map and the app.

Performance CriteriaMy project will function as a campaign that will exist through various mediums. In con-junction with experiencing the city in a more personalized way, the second objective of the project is that by simply sharing these experi-ences with others, it may begin to break the negative connotations of Vancouver as being a No Fun City.

Aesthetic CriteriaMy approach was to create a unique map of Vancouver. The printed map is in the form of a origami fortune teller that allows the user to explore the various neighbourhoods within Vancouver.

Technical CriteriaThe app serves a platform for users to contribute their own personal experi-ences of the city. The website high-lights a few selected locations based on popularity of the user generated content.

Marketing CriteriaTo effectively promote the objective of the project, I plan on using the website as a promotional platform as well as using posters implemented throughout the city that encourage users to ques-tion their knowledge and experience of places in Vancouver. I also took part in filming the locations mentioned within the project to produce a short promo-tional video on the use of the project to post on video sharing sites such as YouTube and Vimeo.

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aud I ENCE

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IntroductIonThe target audience is young adults in Vancouver that are either new to the city or have lived in the city for a majority of their life. They have acknowledged that they are currently unhappy with their living situation in the city due to the lack of communication and interaction with other residents and are determined to make a change.

Age FactorsThe audience demographic and user profile that I strived to market towards is for a young to mid age adult market (age 19-35) however, this unlimited access through the website also possesses the opportunity to reach to multiple demographics as well.

Gender FactorsThe project will equally target both males and females.

Cultural FactorsThe challenge within this project was to find the factor that connects resi-dents within Vancouver. Understand-ing what it is to be a Vancouverite will be much easier to examine, how-ever understanding what it is to be a tourist will be more difficult especially when dealing with different cultural backgrounds. Regardless, both groups encompass the same objective; to find new and exciting ways to explore the city of Vancouver.

Educational, Knowledge, and Skill FactorsLocal users will already encompass a general knowledge of the city, and like most tourists, would be searching for places and events that fit specifically to their personal interests.

Income LevelsDue to the fact that living expenses as well as tourism in Vancouver is known to be absurdly expensive, I envision users of the project to have a small disposable income and will be more attracted to affordable activities.

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Languages SpokenThe project itself will be written and designed in English. I realize that by having such a wide range of ethnicities in working with tourists that it may cause some language barriers, however I would like to give tour-ists the opportunity to share their cultural background.

Lifestyle FactorsThe target audience is young adults that are generally more open to sharing their thoughts, ideas, and experiences of living in the city. From a locals perspective, they tend to be busy in terms of work or school and feel the need to take a step back to really explore the city. From a tourists perspective, they are more open to trying anything that the city has to offer to fully absorb the cultural unique-ness of Vancouver.

Examples of InteractionI imagine the target audience to engage with the project through promotional aspects such as the website and promotional posters. Through marketing strategies such as guerilla tactics throughout the city, I hope that the brand will become familiar to all that live within the city.

conclusIonIn conclusion, I hope that the project will be inviting enough to generate user content from both locals and tourists that strive to eliminate division and encourage meaningful relationships between residents in the city. By shar-ing their experiences, I hope that it will create new long lasting relationships and a more meaningful appreciation for the city of Vancouver.

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humaN

FaCTORS4 .0

At this phase of the project, there are no known physiological, psychological, emotional, sensory factors that might influence or constrain the design of the project. As populations age, there is going to be greater demand placed on designers to make products, environments, and information accessible. The target audience of 19 35, will encompass an ability to function with computers as well as smart phone apps. During the proto-type and user testing phase, I worked with various participants to determine effective factors in terms of the interface and overall user experience.

Being a resident of Vancouver myself, I have always noticed certain segregation within the city. I came across the documentary, No Fun City, earlier this year and to some extent, I agreed with the ideas that the filmmakers were implying. Having previous experience with travel-ling to other cities and countries, I felt that Vancouver lacked in welcoming and interacting with the people that we come into contact on a daily basis. Further investiga-tion of market research can be found in Appendix E: Visual Exploration (Existing Precedents).

maRKET

R E S EaRCh5 .0

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ExIstIng Products

YelpThis app operates as a social networking app that functions through user generated con-tent. It provides online search resources for visitors based on the type of business, loca-tion, accessibility ratings, and reviews.

UrbanspoonSimilar to Yelp, this app also provides online search capabilities for visitors strictly based on restaurant businesses. It also provides locations, ratings, reviews, and a reservation system called RezBook.

FourSquareThis app is a location-based social network-ing website that enables users to check-in at locations and events using mobile devices. Using GPS technology, users are awarded points or badges based on the locations that they visit.

GeocacheThis smart phone application is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Users attempt to find a hidden container or geocache by navigating certain areas around the city using GPS coor-dinates. Once the location is found, users sign a logbook and return the geocache to the original location. They also have the option of sharing their stories and photos online. Loca-tions range from local parks, hiking trails, underwater, or city streets.

y e l p u rbanspoon

foursquare g eocache

BEnchmarks

Stay LocalStay Local is a local website that promotes six key neighborhoods in Vancouver: The Westside, Downtown, Gastown, Chinatown, East Van, and the Drive. The site strives to promote local Vancouver attractions based on food, drink, retail, nightlife, arts, and culture.

Local Insight | Things to Do in VancouverThis website contains updated articles writ-ten by local bloggers and experts on Vancou-ver that articulates different perspectives on things to do in Vancouver. Featured articles include 10 Ways to Fit in with Vancouver Locals, Romantic Vancouver, and 20 Reasons I Love Vancouver.

Vancouver Is AwesomeThis website is an online community-based social website that promotes sharing posi-tive stories of arts, culture, lifestyle, and news surrounding Vancouver. The site is designed as a blog like format however, it also gives the user the option of exploring weekly feature categories that include cheap stuff, interesting people, independent music, neighborhood pics, and so on.

Summary reSearch SourceS

By examining the existing apps, web-sites, and products available, I have been able to grasp a better understand-ing of effective strategies that I may use within my project. Websites such as Local Insight have given me a better understanding of Vancouver culture and have also inspired me to explore the places and hidden gems men-tioned within the site. The apps that I have researched have also given me ideas as to the activities that I would like to include to encourage users to engage with the project. As of April 2012, Foursquare as reported 20 mil-lion registered users with over 3 million check-ins per day.

market teSting

I began my market testing with a simple online survey of 10 questions regarding how people feel living within the city, what their personal preferences are based on particular categories, and how people have adapted to online social media.

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concluSion

I believe that in promoting the city of Vancouver based on hidden gems, will persuade users to not only explore the city from a different perspective but also formulate a sense of pride for the people, places, and culture that makes Vancouver so distinctive. The development and success of the apps mentioned above also proves that there is an appreciation for an online presence that corresponds with a physical one. I hope that the content generated by the intended users will improve the relationships and experi-ences of both locals and tourists.

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F EaS I B I l I T y6 .0

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ProductionThe production of the project will take place from September 2012 until April 2013. Factors that may influence the suc-cess of the project might include budget, time, resources, knowledge, skills, and materials.

Audience ResponseI strive to work with both locals and tourists that are passionate about living in Vancouver.

ResearchThe first few months consisted of primary and secondary research. During this time, I gained a deeper understanding to the negative implications of isolation between residents of Vancouver, as well as how people navigate and explore the city.

EduCaT IONal

gOal S7.0

With this project, I hope to gain a better per-spective of both positive and negative behav-ioral patterns between locals and tourists in Vancouver. In doing so I will strive to explore the solutions that have the potential to elimi-nate Vancouvers title as the No Fun City.

During my four years at Emily Carr Uni-versity, I have taken various courses such as typography, web essentials, art direction and so on that have given me the basic skills and knowledge that I can apply to this project. My experiences within these courses have en-abled me to work thoroughly through various Adobe programs such as InDesign, Photo-shop, Illustrator, and AfterEffects. I hope that with this project, I will learn to improve these skills and assets. I realize that I may lack in interaction design aspect of this project, however with in depth research and collabora-tion with other experienced designers in the field, I hope to gain a better understanding on interface design and web development.

Overall, I hope to understand the significance of communication design as it fits to the needs of the cultural community within Van-couver. In terms of communication design, I hope that my exploration within issues in-volving the lifestyle and tourism in Vancouver will widen my knowledge of cultural sustain-ability. I also hope to become more adept at using software for design and production purposes and improve my written, oral, and visual presentation skills.

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CONTaCT

I N FORmaT ION8 .0

The primary investigator of this research is myself, Fiona Samson. I am a fourth year design student at Emily Carr University of Art + Design majoring in Communication Design. I may be reached by: Email: fsamson87@gmail.com or fsamson@ecuad.ca Phone: 778-828-7837 Website: www.fionasamson.com

The faculty supervisors for this project were Deborah Shackleton, Gilly Mah, and Chris Hethrington. They are the instructors of the Core Design course at EC-UAD, DESN410: 2D Core Design Studio. They can be contacted by: Email: dshack@ecuad.ca gmah@ecuad.ca chethrington@ecuad.ca

Phone: 604-844-3800

The production of this project will take place from September 2012 to April 2013. The first four phases of the fall semester have been illustrated in a Gantt Chart, which can be found in Appendix F: Gantt Chart.

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d E l I v ERaBlE SFall SemeSter 2012Phase One: Design Development Research, Design Thesis Proposal, 10 x 10 PresentationPhase Two: Concept Development, Visual Exploration, Research Summary, PrototypePhase Three: Project Development, Modeling, Prototype IterationsPhase Four: Project Development, Testable Prototype, Presentations

Spring SemeSter 2013Phase Seven: Final Project and Prototype DuePhase Eight: Undergrad Research Sympo-sium, Final Files Due, Degree Exhibition

The final proposed design for this project consists of a printed map, a phone app, and a promotional we. It will include various activities and suggestions on how to explore the city of Vancouver, so that the user may experience the city in a more abstract way and in turn share their experiences with others to create a sense of a more sociable community.

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aPPENd I x aannotated b i b l i ography

no Fun city

James, Melissa, and Kate Kroll. No Fun City. Film.

This documentary explores the decline of independent live mu-sic venues in Vancouver due to proliferation of condo develop-ments, the commercialization of large music venues, and strict city zoning and liquor regulations. Hence, the name given to Vancouver as the No Fun City. The film follows the trials and tribulations of small local venues that have been raided, shut down, and in some cases evicted by police officials, and as a result have resorted to playing in illegal venues, warehouses, and parking lots.

Carman, Tara. Part One: Social Isolation Has Far-reaching Effects on Us and Our Neighbours, Survey Says. www.vancouversun.com. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

This article from the Vancouver Sun illustrates the division between local residents in Vancouver. The article describes a sur-vey, titled Connections and Engagement, that was conducted by the Vancouver Foundation about how residents feel increas-ingly estrange from their friends, their neighbors and their communities. The article also articulates the negative effects of insulated neighborhoods such as increased crime rates and health effects such as high blood pressure and dementia. People who reportedly felt more alone than others also tend to have general negative views of their neighborhoods and communities.

Moxley, Mitch. Welcome To Vancouver: No Fun City. Huffing-ton Post 5 Oct. 2012. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. This article written by Mitch Moxley and featured in the Huff-ington Post, illustrates the authors perspective on why Vancou-ver has been titled the No Fun City. Similar to the documen-tary, Moxley also points out the many reasons as to why the city lacks in genuine entertainment such as dull nightlife, few music venues, arbitrary liquor laws, cold weather, expensive housing prices, shortage of young professionals, and few late night public transportation options.

Sulyma, Jason. Vancouver: An Imperfect But Perfectly Fun City, A Rebuttal. Huffington Post British Columbia. 6 Nov. 2012. Web. 6 Oct. 2012. This article was written as a rebuttal to the title of No Fun City that Vancouver has been infamously dubbed. Although Sulyma agrees that Vancouvers cultural scene is far from perfect, there is still much to appreciate about the city other than the obvious such as the Granville Street strip. As for the debate on Vancouver as an anti-social city, Sulyma makes some interesting observations. Other than financial issues and weather restric-tions, he articulates that one of the main factors as to why residents in Vancouver are so disconnected is because we are so fascinated with our digital self in social media. Sulyma also examines the problems involving transit service, liquor laws, and art funding.

reSponSible touriSm

Budapest Go Local: Responsible Travel. Web. 6 Oct. 2012.

This section of the Budapest Underguide highlights the posi-tive aspects of Responsible Tourism, which is defined by the Capetown Declaration 2002 and the Kerala Declaration 2008. According to the site, Responsible Tourism is an approach, which can be used by travelers and holidaymakers, accommoda-tion and transport providers that seeks to maximize positive economic, environmental, and social impacts and to minimize negative ones. Their objective is to minimize negative impacts of global tourism by promoting economic, environmental, and social responsibility, as well as building bridges between travelers and locals through more meaningful connections that provides a deeper understanding of local culture.

Budapest Underguide | Budapest Conference,Team Building Budapest,Visit Budapest. Web. 6 Oct. 2012.

Budapest Underguide is an online travel agency located in Budapest, Hungary, that specializes in tailor made itineraries for both global and local clients. They provide people of every age, profession, gender, and class with various interests. Each walking tour and private guide is unique and tailored to the individual based on his or her interests.

Goodwin, Harold, and Venu V. Responsible Tourism 2008. Kerala Declaration. Web. 6 Oct. 2012. This website highlights the Kerala Declaration on Responsible Tourism, which is a concept that focuses on local economy, well-being, local culture, and environment. They believe that interactions between tourists and local people can exist within a local level however; local communities and tourism businesses need to posses a common understanding. The site articulates that Responsible Tourism is not a product but rather a commu-nity that needs to by managed properly in order to sustain it.

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This book is an artistic collection of contemporary black and white photography of Vancouvers architecture and landmarks by author Mike Chadwick. It not only cel-ebrates the ongoing growth of architectural development but also the citys ability to grow within a natural scenic setting. Chadwicks approach to the content of the book was to avoid the stereotypical photos of the city skyline, mountains, and so on but rather individual scenes and the details within them.

This book features short essays and photographs by Coupland that illustrate his home-town of Vancouver. Each essay and the images that accompany them display a different aspect of the city. Some titles Coupland highlights include the more tourist attractions such as Grouse Mountain, Stanley Park, and Whistler, as well as the more obscure as-pects of Vancouver such as Dim Sum, Trees, Grow-Ops, and The Big One. Through his descriptions of these particular areas, Coupland articulates that people want to know what Vancouver feels like to somebody who lives here from the inside out.

This website contains updated articles written by local bloggers and experts on Vancou-ver that articulates different perspectives on things to do in Vancouver. Featured articles include 10 Ways to Fit in with Vancouver Locals, Romantic Vancouver, and 20 Reasons I Love Vancouver.

Vancouver is Awesome is an online community-based social website that promotes sharing positive stories of arts, culture, lifestyle, and news surrounding Vancouver. The site is designed as a blog like format however, it also gives the user the option of explor-ing weekly feature categories that include cheap stuff, interesting people, independent music, neighborhood pics, and so on.

local inSight

Chadwick, Mike. Vancouver in Focus: The Citys Built Form. Vancouver: Granville Island Publish-ing, 2006. Print.

Coupland, Douglas. City of Glass. Douglas & McIntyre, 2000. Print.

Vancouver - Local Insight | Things to Do in Vancouver. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

Vancouver Is Awesome. Web. 6 Oct. 2012.

This smart phone application is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Users attempt to find a hidden container or geocache by navigating certain areas around the city using GPS coordinates. Once the location is found, users sign a logbook and return the geocache to the original location. They also have the option of sharing their stories and photos online. Locations range from local parks, hiking trails, underwater, or city streets.

Stay Local is a local website that promotes six key neighborhoods in Vancouver: The West-side, Downtown, Gastown, Chinatown, East Van, and the Drive. The site strives to pro-mote local Vancouver attractions based on food, drink, retail, nightlife, arts, and culture.

This book provides numerous examples of successful marketing and advertising campaigns from across the globe. Within each chapter, Tom Himpe provides insight on how to create successful campaigns such as be playful, contagious, a storyteller, sociable, collaborative, supportive, and green.

In this book, Mario Pricken highlights the key to successful advertising and marketing through various campaigns from all over the world. Examples range from print, product, and installations.

exiSting precedentS

Groundspeak, Inc. Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site. Geocaching - The Of-ficial Global GPS Cache Hunt Site. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

Stay Local. Web. 6. Oct. 2012.

deSign StrategieS

Himpe, Tom. Advertising Next: 150 Winning Campaigns for the New Communications Age. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2008. Print.

Pricken, Mario. Creative Strategies: Idea Management for Marketing, Advertising, Media and De-sign. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2010. Print.

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One article, written by Mitch Moxley for the Huffington Post, illustrates the authors perspective on why Vancouver has been titled the No Fun City. Similar to the documen-tary, Moxley also points out the many reasons as to why the city lacks in genuine entertain-ment such as the dull nightlife, lack of music venues, arbitrary liquor laws, bothersome cold weather, expensive housing prices, shortage of young professionals, and few late night public transportation options. He states, newcom-ers to the city reported struggling to meet new people and make friends, a complaint Ive heard from every person I know who has moved to No Fun City.

In comparison to the article, blogger Jason Sulyma wrote another article published in the Huffington Post titled Vancouver: An Imperfect But Perfectly Fun City, A Rebut-tal. Sulyma suggests that Vancouvers cultural scene is far from perfect, however there is still much to appreciate about the city other than the more commercial scenes such as the Granville Street strip. He suggests alternatives in finding the hidden gems of Vancouver in smart phone apps such as The Georgia Straight, Westender, or social media medi-ums such as Facebook and Twitter. As for the debate on Vancouver as an anti-social city,

Sulyma makes some interesting observations. Other than financial issues and weather re-strictions, he articulates that one of the main factors as to why residents in Vancouver are so disconnected is because we are so fascinated with our digital self in social media. He states, its cheaper to look cool on the internet than to support something in person. In addition to the rise of social media, he also examines the problems involving transit service, liquor laws, and art funding. However, Vancouver city is still considered fairly young at barely 100 years old, therefore local culture and communities are still in its early development. In conclusion, Vancouver isnt perfect but the city has the potential to fill it with various cultures and event niches.

aPPENd I x Bl i t e rature r ev i ew

My interest in exploring certain negative behavioral patterns in Vancouver originated from a documentary titled No Fun City, which was written and filmed by former Van-couverites, Melissa James and Kate Kroll. The documentary explores the decline of inde-pendent live music venues in Vancouver due to the proliferation of condo developments, the commercialization of large music venues, and strict city zoning and liquor regulations. Hence, the name given to Vancouver as the No Fun City. The film follows the trials and tribulations of small local venues that had been raided by law enforcement, shut down, and in some cases evicted. As a result, some had resorted to playing in illegal venues, ware-houses and even parking lots. Since the films debut in 2010, various Vancouver residents as well as visitors have written several articles regarding the issues behind the citys lack of fun.

According to an online poll titled Is Vancou-ver a No Fun City, conducted by Global BC in 2008, a majority of residents agree that Vancouver is a boring city. The results of the poll were as is: 70% say that yes, it feels like other big cities have so much more going on whereas 29% say no, theres plenty to do here, were definitely fun!

no Fun city

An article published in the Vancouver Sun titled Part One: Social Isolation Has Far-reaching Effects on Us and Our Neighbors, also illustrates the division between local residents in Vancouver. The article describes a survey, titled Connections and Engagement, that was conducted by the Vancouver Foun-dation about how residents feel increasingly estrange from their friends, their neighbors and their communities which surprisingly beat out other underlying issues such as homelessness, drug abuse and affordability. Some troubling results from the respondents include Vancouver being one of the most difficult place to make friends, people having little interest in knowing their neighbors, lack of volunteer involvement in their communi-ties, and an inability to live comfortably due to financial situations. The article also articu-lates the negative effects of isolated neighbor-hoods such as increased crime rates and health effects. Another study shows that loneliness can affect the immune system, which in turn makes people vulnerable to disease. Accord-ing to a Sentis analysis, people who reported feeling alone are most likely to be between the ages of 25 and 34, single, living alone in an apartment and experiencing financial strain.

People who reportedly felt more alone than others also tend to have general negative views of their neighborhoods and communities. In terms of the multiculturalism that Van-couver is proudly admired for, local resident Bob Cowin explains that it may be the cause of language barriers, which in turn makes it difficult to maintain relationships. Oddly enough, Clement suggests that a natural di-saster, like the long awaited major earthquake on the B.C. coast, may have the potential to pull societies together.

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According to the Kerala Declaration on Responsible Tourism, which is a concept that focuses on local economy, well-being, local culture, and environment, interactions between tourists and local people can exist within a local level however, local communi-ties and tourism businesses need to posses a common understanding. The site articulates that Responsible Tourism is not a product but rather a community that needs to by managed properly in order to sustain it. Recognizing that tourism can be a tool to conserve and enhance local natural and cultural heritage, the declaration also strives to minimize nega-tive economic, environmental, and social impacts, involve local people in decisions that affect everyday life, provide enjoyable experi-ences for tourists through connections with local people, and provide access for physi-cally challenged people. In all, the declaration articulates that recognizing the experience, knowledge, and skills of communities, we can listen and learn from them and the experi-ences of others. The site also provides solu-tions as to promote the idea of Responsible Tourism such as education, raising awareness through campaigns, and media coverage.

During my initial research phase, I came across the term Responsible Tourism through the Budapest Underguide website, which is an online travel agency located in Budapest, Hungary, that specializes in tailor made itineraries for both global and local cli-ents. The term Responsible Tourism which is defined by the Capetown Declaration 2002 and the Kerala Declaration 2008, is an ap-proach, which can be used by travelers and holidaymakers, accommodation and transport providers that seeks to maximize positive economic, environmental, and social im-pacts and to minimize negative ones. Their objective is to minimize negative impacts of global tourism by promoting economic, environmental, and social responsibility, as well as building bridges between travelers and locals through more meaningful connections that provides a deeper understanding of local culture. Their definition of the Responsible Traveler is that they not only look for real personal experiences but they strive to be part of the destination. The value authentic, deep travel experience through local traditions, cul-tures, and rituals rather than those created for tourism. I found this source to be particularly helpful in trying to find solutions to Vancou-vers isolation problem.

reSponSible touriSm

A book that particularly inspired me to explore the different perspectives on ex-ploring the city of Vancouver was Douglas Couplands book, City of Glass. This book features short essays and photographs taken by Coupland that illustrate his hometown of Vancouver. Each essay and the images that accompany them display a different aspect of the city. Some titles Coupland highlights include the more tourist attractions such as Grouse Mountain, Stanley Park, and Whistler, as well as the more obscure as-pects of Vancouver such as Dim Sum, Trees, Grow-Ops, and The Big One. Through his descriptions of these particular areas, Coup-land articulates, people want to know what Vancouver feels like to somebody who lives here from the inside out. The book was designed to mimic an underground Japanese magazine, which also supports Couplands at-tempt to illustrate his own personal take and love for the city.

local inSight

A more visual approach to exploring Vancou-ver can be found in Mike Chadwicks Van-couver in Focus: The Citys Build Form. This book is an artistic collection of contemporary black and white photography of Vancouvers architecture and landmarks by author Mike Chadwick. It not only celebrates the ongo-ing growth of architectural development but also the citys ability to grow within a natural scenic setting. Chadwicks approach to the content of the book was to avoid the stereo-typical photos of the city skyline, mountains, and so on but rather individual scenes that people fail to recognize and the details within them. Chadwick reflects on his experience in publishing his book and states, assembling this collection was a learning experience and a personal journey, one which Im happy to be able to share.

32 33

gantt chart

aPPENd I x F SEPTEMBER

2012FALL SEMESTER

2013SPRING SEMESTER

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL

SECONDARY RESEARCH

PRIMARY RESEARCH

THESIS PROPOSAL

ITERATION PHASE

DESIGN BRIEF

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

TESTABLE PROTOTYPE

PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS

USER TESTING

REFINE PROTOTYPE

USER TESTING

FINAL DESIGN ITERATIONS

EXHIBIT DESIGN

PHASE ONE

PHASE TWO

PHASE THREE

PHASE FOUR

PHASE FIVE

PHASE SIX

PHASE SEVEN

PHASE EIGHT

34 35

PROCESS

36 37

m INd

maPP I Ng

With the initial brainstorm session in the beginning of this project, I realized that I wanted to focus on culture per-spectives within the city of Vancouver. As a relatively new resident to the city, one aspect that interested me the most was the act of storytelling and sharing different experiences of living in Van-couver.

38 39

vaNCOuvER

mOOdBOaRd

40 41

PROTOTyPEMOBILE APP, IPAD APP, OR WEBSITE?

INTERACTIVE BOOK

IPHONE APP

KATE POCRASS

A guided travel journal encourages users to

explore the easily overlooked and wonderful

everyday details encountered while traveling,

whether near or far away

KERI SMITH

Smith proposes to docu-

ment and observe the

world around you as if

youve never seen it before

FOURSQUARE Enables users

to check-in at locations and events using mo-

bile devices

GEOCACHE

a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game us-ing GPS-enabled devices.

IPAD APP

WEBSITE

VISIT VANCOUVER

Take a digital Tour of the city

Learn how to get to and from Vancouver

Find Accommodation

Choose a Restaurant

Use the Calendar and Magazine to get an insiders perspective

JONATHAN HARRIS

Developed 10 x 10, We Feel Fine,

Cowbird

Goal: to build a public library of hu-

man experience

Knowledge & wisdom accumulated

may live on as a part of the com-

mons, available for present and

future generations

Community of storytellers

Automatically find connections

between your life and others

42 43

ONl I N E

SuRvEy

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What do you like about Vancouver?

Is there anything that you dont like?

How often do you try new things?

List 5 of your favorite places in Vancouver.

What type of places do you usually attend to?

How do you search for new places or events?

What words best describe what Vancouver means to you?

Describe a significant memory or experience.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

93 RESPONDENTS

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S9SJ5Z7

agE

lIKES

TRy SOmEThINg NEw

TOP PlaCES TO vISIT hEaRd ThROugh dESCRIPTIvE wORdS

dISlIKES

18-24 25-34 55-64 65-74

NATURE

FOOD

PARKS

BEACHES

EVENTS

SUSHI

mUSIC SHOwS

mUlTICUlTURAlISm

lOw wAgES

HIgH lIVINg COST

ARCHITECTURE

1

2

3

4

5

OTHER

wEST COASTlAID BACK

FRIENDly

HIPSTER

TRENDy

FOOD

}

OTHER

1 FRIENDS

2 SOCIAl mEDIA

3 wEBSITES

1

2

3

4

5

1

2

3

4

5

wEATHER

TRANSIT

POlITICS

NIgHTlIFE

PEOPlE

RESTAURANTS

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

mUSIC VENUES

PUBS

BARS

32% 68%

gENdER

57% 38%2%

1%

RAREly

AlwAyS

SOmETImES

SuRvEy

R E Su lTS

44 45

aPP

mOOdBOaRd

46 47

LOADING PAGE

LOGIN REGISTER

FILTER

HOME

EXPLORE

CAMERA

CHOOSEEXISTING

FINDFRIENDS

SETTINGS

RECOMMENDED

ITINERARY

RECENT VISITS

FAVORITES

MAP

ACTIVITIES

CAMERA POSTPROFILE

PHOTO

VIDEO

STORY

Name Create User ID Create Password ConfirmPassword Email Address Register VIA Facebook, Twitter,

Email Address LOCAL OR TOURIST?

Popular Everything Animals Architecture Art Cars Design Education Film Music Food & Drink Beauty Health History Holidays & Events Home Humor Fashion Outdoor Photography Products Science Nature Sports Technology Travel

ProfilePicture Stories/Photos Followers Following

Username Language Facebook, Twitter

Settings Terms & Privacy Logout Cancel

KEYWORD PHOTO VIDEO DATE LOCATION

aPP S I T EmaP

48 49

wIREFRamE

HOME SCREENVIEWING OPTIONS: SALON + MOSAIC + SCROLL

MAIN ICONS: EXPLORE + CAMERA + PROFILE + MORE

LabelLabel Home

TITLE

TITLE

TITLE

LabelLabel Home

TITLE TITLE

TITLE

TITLETITLE

TITLE

LabelLabel Home

TITLE

TITLE

TITLE

TITLE

TITLE

TITLE

TITLE

TITLE

TITLE

LOADING PAGE

DRAW A RANDOM SHAPE

NOW FOLLOW IT

ACTIVITIESABSTRACT ACTIVITIES THAT INTERACT WITH USER

APPLIED TO GOOGLE MAPS (SPECIFICALLY VANCOU-

VER)

50 51

PROTOTyPE

u S ER T E ST I NgMy initial prototype was for an iPad app and was developed as an interactive PDF. I tested the prototype on 10 different people. What I got from the user testing is that the app may work better as a phone app rather than an iPad. I also realized that I didnt want the app as the main feature for my project due to technical con-straints and skill, however the user feedback definitely gave me some insight on further development for other components of the project including colour palette, branding, and featured locations based on user suggestions.

Interactive PDFScreenshots of Activities

52 53

lOgO

I N S P I RaT ION

54 55

( T h E NamE )

wONdERluST

An obsession with traveling. Not neces-sarily long distances.

someone who travels without ceasing, usually from town to town in order to find adventure and excitement.

waonderlust stems from a desire to escape routine and responsibility.

However, during the user testing phase I realized that the name wasnt appro-priate for the concept of the project.

56 57

( T h E NamE )

lOST & FOuNd

typography exploration

A repository in a public place, as in a school or theater, where found items are kept for reclaiming by their owners.

Lost and found are things which some-one has lost and which someone else has found.

logo exploration

58 59

ThE

BRaNdmaRK

sample:

sample:

brandmark:

BASE NINENORMAL ONE

KNOCKOUTJUNIOR BANTAMWT

brandmark:

FACETS NFKNOCKOUTJUNIOR BANTAMWT

TyPE

Pa l E T T E

seCOndarY paleTTe:

TUNGSTENMEDIUM

GOTHAMBOOK

CAECILLIA55 ROMAN

WELCOMETO THE CITY OF VANCOUVER

Bordered by the Coast Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver is recognized as one of the worlds most livable cities with one of the smallest carbon footprints of any major city in North America.

60 61

COlOuR gu I d E

PRIMARY SECONDARY

C: 92M: 51Y: 52K: 29

C: 0M: 0Y: 0K: 100

C: 57M: 6Y: 31K: 0

C: 1M: 25Y: 34K: 0

C: 29M: 26Y: 25K: 0

C: 41M: 42Y: 100K: 14

R: 1G: 84B: 92

R: 0G: 0B: 0

R: 108G: 187B: 181

R: 247G:197B: 164

R: 183G: 177B: 177

R: 144G: 122B: 0

I created a colour palette that was inspired by user feedback. I asked participants what colours they felt best described the city of Vancouver. A majority of the responses described Vancouver as a very young, lush, and earthy environment.

EXPLORATION

FINAL PALETTE

PRIMARY SECONDARY

C: 21M: 78Y: 73K: 8

C: 26M: 7Y: 64K: 0

C: 51M: 61Y: 67K: 42

C: 56M: 6Y: 4K: 0

C: 55M: 86Y: 6K: 0

C: 12M: 25Y: 55K: 0

C: 8M: 17Y: 20K: 0

C: 23M: 63Y: 79K: 8

R: 185G: 88B: 71

R: 185G: 88B: 71

R: 91G: 71B: 60

R: 109G: 187B: 181

R: 124G:182B: 125

R: 223G: 188B: 130

R: 230G: 207B: 193

R: 183G: 108B: 69

62 63

maP

mOOdBOaRd

64 65

vaNCOuvER

NE I ghBOuRhOOdS

66 67

maP

PR I N T v ER S IONILLUSTRATED MAP (FIRST ITERATION) ILLUSTRATED MAP (SECOND ITERATION)

L f

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LOCALS OF THE

VISIT WWW.LOSTANDFOUNDVAN.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

( YOURE WELCOME )

Lost and Found is a guide to finding the local, hidden gems of the city of Vancouver. To promote the significance of localism, the guide highlights a compilation of indepen-dent businesses and noteworthy locations inspired and generated by local insight.

VOLUME ONE - SPRING 2013 ISSUEEAT DNR

DRINK ART & CULTURE

MUSIC SHOP

68 69

PAPER PROTOTYPESInspired by Chinese Fortune Tellers

This prototype encourages the user to interact with the map in a more playful way. It also allows them to choose

the places they would like to visit based on certain preferences such as budget, weather, energy level, etc.

DIGITAL PROTOTYPES

The paper prototypes definitely helped with figuring out not only the dimensions

but also how the content would be laid out. I tried different colour palettes as well

as photographs that corresponded with the locations featured on the map.

70 71

FINAL ITERATION

This iteration is based on the 8 different

neighbourhoods of Vancouver and the

unique locations that reside in them. The

user can choose places to visit based

on the location. These locations are also

marked on the illustrated map and are

colour coordinated based on categories

such as food, drink, art and culture, and

DNR (Diamonds in the Rough), which

are more underground places rather than

businesses.

72 73

maP

ONl I N E v ER S ION

Generated through MapBox (application)

FIRST ITERATIONS

I wanted to try different approach to the colour palette for the online map.

FINAL ITERATION

This map will serve as a feature on the promotional website that highlights

the places featured on the printed map. I went with a more neutral colour

palette so that the markers wouldnt blend in with the map.

LINK: http://tiles.mapbox.com/fsamson87/map/map-fa1hnaz6

74 75

PROmOT IONal

BaNNERSPROmOT IONal

POSTCaRdS

76 77

wEBS I T E

mOOdBOaRd

78 79

wEBS I T EThe website will serve as a platform

for the campaign and will contain

basic information on what the

project stands for. I wanted the site

to be visually stimulating rather

than text heavy. The map would

be the main feature of the site

where the user is able to filter the

specified locations either as images

or locations on the map. Like the

printed fortune teller map, filtering

options are primarily based on

neighbourhoods and then narrowed

down by specific categories. Due

to time constraints and lack of

coding skills, this site will remain a

prototype rather than a live site.

First Iterations

Second Iterations

80 81

PROmOT IONal

v I d EOFor the promotional website I plan on showcasing for the grad show, I wanted to create a short promotional

video that will show clips of the different neighbourhoods within Vancouver. I also wanted to provide clues as

to how the neighbourhoods differ from each other and the different aspects that make them so exclusive.

(ROUGH CUT VERSION 1 - CLICK TO PLAY)

STORYBOARD

82 83

CONCluS ION

Overall, this project has given me the opportunity to explore the city

through the eyes of different perspectives and in turn I have gained a new

appreciation for the city. Although the platform of this project is fictional at

this stage, I hope that the content of the project will encourage both locals

and visitors to share their opinions and experiences within the city and in

turn encourage them to seek and support independent businesses and

remote places that make Vancouver the young, exciting city that it is today.

In the future, I would like to carry on with this project as a blog with my

own reviews that will focus more on art, culture, and music within the city.

84

ThE ShOw 2013

EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART + DESIGN

more 4: my profile 6: home 6: more 6: friends 6: map 6: logout 5: info_map 5: my profile 4: home 4: friends 4: map 4: logout 3: info_map 3: my profile 5: home 5: more 5: friends 5: map 5: logout 4: info_map 4: more 7: more 8: my profile 7: my profile 8: home 7: home 8: friends 7: friends 8: map 7: map 8: info_map 6: info_map 7: map 9: info_map 8: