At Plastarc I used both my design research as well as tech skills to analyze workplace environments and recommend architectural or real estate strategies for the future. My role as a Spatial Interaction Designer allowed me to do both User Research as well as develop technical tools and workflows for data parsing, analysis, and visualization.
Plastarc
workplace strategy, user research, data viz
Challenge:
How can you collect qualitative and quantitative user experience research on physical workplaces?
Solution: Use workspace anthropology and data visualization to find insights in survey and observation data.
Skills Contributed
- User Research
- Data Processing and Analysis
- Data Visualization
- Qualitative Research
- Interviewing
Timeline
- 2013-2016
I loved working alongside architects and workplace anthropologists to explore and answer questions about how to may workplaces more human and more performative. The range of work also ran the gamut from single large offices, to corporate campuses, to global corporations with many offices and remote workers.
Some of my favorite tools for this work are Python, D3,js, Processing, and After Effects. I often use Rhino and Grasshopper for the 3D as well.
Heatmaps
Heatmaps are a popular tool to show spacio-temporal data. We use these to show everything from occupancy over the course of the day, to Likert survey results about sentiment. Some of the questions from the 5 floor plates below:
- Does your workspace provide the ability to insulate yourself from distractions at your desk?
- Do you have the space for making and receiving confidential phone calls?
- Is the coffee machine close enough to your workspace?
Sentiment Analysis
This graphic accompanied an article in Architect magazine around a project using sentiment analysis to inform workplace strategy. Data came from a free response survey of occupants as well as Twitter hashtags from a research campaign also launched with the survey.
Mapping
Maps of commute times, remote workers, and local workers help inform policies on remote working and office hours. I used a variety of tools from CartoDB to Python and GIS tools to visualize.
Research
Most of the client work was NDA, but we also published peer-reviewed research. This example comes from a large international governmental organization and was published at EDRA (Environmental Design Research Association) 2015.
Citation:
2015 Working without Borders: Flexible Workplace in an International Peacekeeping Organization, EDRA CORE 2015 Recipient – PLASTARC. Melissa Marsh, Ingrid Erickson, Cassie Hackel, Scott Leinweber
