BRIEF : Design a way to materialise the blockchain.
WEEK 2
After last week’s initial research and familiarisation with the brief, we decided to dedicate week 2 to exploratory analysis.
Key Findings
My team member InesYin and I went to Brixton to find out more about the place and the values over the weekend. We found many useful key findings in Brixton, which included infrastructure design with diverse people. In addition, the lively feeling of Brixton was clearly visible.
While strolling in brixton’s market area we talked to people if they recognise Brixton pounds now. But many few had an idea about it, but at the same time, they were curious to know. We found out few insights on the internet and also talked about it with Charlie and Clive.
Understanding the disappearance of Brixton pounds gave us more profound thoughts on how local currency aimed to reduce carbon emissions from long-distance transportation of goods, maintain the diversity of Brixton’s shops, and build a resilient economy that protects local livelihoods. It can be brought again to lives through incorporating an updated system.
As we started our mind storming for ideas from the direction of mutual aids, funds, charity.
Our main agenda was to how to turn a piece of Money into a valuable, physical thing? Why? What are the cons of existed Money?
Make it a social benefit financial exchange rather than a profit monetary exchange.
Care, time, understanding, culture, eco-friendly
If we are going to design a blockchain, what should be contained? for instance: bitcoin (sender, receiver, amount of coins)
…
While finding out case studies and mind storming on the ideation, I started understanding Money through metaphors. To give my thinking another way round.
Money as a 'connector of value.'Money does not measure because it is quantitative; money measures because humans need a measure, and any measure is a qualified quantitative relation (Seitz, 2017). It is the connector of exchange. Except for Money, what can connect value?
We had varied initial ideas like using doing a BRPG (board role-playing game) suggested by InesYin or doing. An exhibition in Brixton to educate people about blockchain technology. Materialisation was where we were trying to end, but our pain points remained there through our discussion of how we should create value that would bring trust for exchange. In the end, money is trust.
Below are few imageries for the explorations
Exploring Ideas
Explaining Blockchain to MA: UX peers
While discussing within the group calls, we thought to make blockchain visible in our classroom through an example of Blockchain charity in a hypothetical scenario. Furthermore, we aimed to show the characteristics of blockchain through essential experimentation in the classroom.
Through giving receipts to individuals for both type of charity, we showed them how blockchain helped them get to know where their money has gone.
How did it help to clear mindset of everyone off what is blockchain?
Visible and traceable transaction
Authentication of their Donation
This experimentation showed the users of what exactly is the difference between both the approach, and how is blockchain technology. can be new. form of technology for such concepts like charity or mutual aids.
Feedback
Our presentation went quite well in terms of explaining our process. Our professor, Dr John Fass, pointed out that taking a subject like charity in Brixton isn't the best paradigm for Brixton. It's not precisely as caring and as loving because charity tends to run in a particular direction. He left. Switch a question of why do charity exist? Because the state does not provide sufficient support, and that is the reason you need other civil society types of organisations, and that's excellent space to be in this project. We realised that we need to bring our thoughts to what's unique about Brixton? What needs celebration? What do people value about their community? How does? Brixton belongs to them.
Our next week’s agenda is to fit into some of the unique values about the local area of Brixton and give the feeling of togetherness and community aspect.
References
Seitz, E., 2017. What Is Money?. Social Analysis, 61(4).
PixelPlex. 2021. Blockchain in Charity & Philanthropy: Benefits and Future. [online] Available at: <https://pixelplex.io/blog/blockchain-charity-projects-and-their-philanthropic-benefits/>
Cointext.io. 2021. CoinText – Send cryptocurrency to phone numbers or wallets using SMS text messages. [online] Available at: <https://cointext.io/en/>