Short answer
When designing smart city applications, consider the ethical and social implications of data use alongside economic benefits, and design for user engagement and community well-being.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers (2020)
- Method
- Qualitative analysis of app design and data flows
- Sample
- 8 smartphone applications
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
The design of smartphone applications in smart cities should consider a spectrum of data values, including normative and interactive benefits, not solely financial profit. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. Using Qualitative analysis of app design and data flows with 8 smartphone applications, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing smart city applications, consider the ethical and social implications of data use alongside economic benefits, and design for user engagement and community well-being.
Smart City Apps Design for Multiple Data Values Beyond Profit
The design of smartphone applications in smart cities should consider a spectrum of data values, including normative and interactive benefits, not solely financial profit.
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers · 2020
Key Findings
- 01Smartphone apps in smart cities are interfaces between data flows and embodied users.
- 02App designers anticipate multiple forms of value from data, including financial, normative, and interactive values.
- 03The design of these apps enacts specific versions of these values, shaping user experiences and urban environments.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing smart city applications, consider the ethical and social implications of data use alongside economic benefits, and design for user engagement and community well-being.
How to apply
When developing a smart city application, map out all potential values (financial, social, ethical, interactive) that the data can generate and ensure the design actively supports these diverse values.
Project actions
- 01When analyzing existing apps, look for features that promote community interaction or adherence to ethical guidelines.
- 02Consider how your own design choices might influence users' perceptions of fairness or their ability to engage with their environment.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Identifies and defines novel categories of data value (normative, interactive).
- +Connects abstract concepts of platform urbanism to concrete app design.
Limitations
It can be challenging to objectively measure 'normative' or 'interactive' values without extensive user studies.
Reliability & validity
The study's validity is strengthened by its focus on real-world applications, but its generalizability might be limited by the specific context. Reliability could be enhanced through triangulation with user interviews.
Think critically
How might the pursuit of 'normative' values in app design conflict with or complement the pursuit of 'interactive' values?
Design Principles
"Design for data value plurality: acknowledge and design for financial, normative, and interactive values derived from data."
Understanding how data is perceived and utilized by different stakeholders is crucial for effective smart city design. Designers must move beyond purely economic metrics to incorporate social, ethical, and user-engagement values into their data strategies.
What This Means for Your Design
When you make an app for a smart city, think about more than just making money from the data. Consider how the data can make things fairer for people (normative value) and how it can help people interact with the city and each other better (interactive value).
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify exploring non-monetary design goals for your product, such as promoting community engagement or ethical data practices.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The design of smart city applications necessitates a consideration of diverse data values beyond mere financial commodification. Research indicates that 'normative' values (related to societal norms and ethics) and 'interactive' values (enhancing user engagement and interaction) are significant, influencing user experience and urban environments. Therefore, design strategies should actively incorporate and promote these multifaceted values.
Source
Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers
Platform urbanism, smartphone applications and valuing data in a smart city
journal · 2020
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about smart city apps design for multiple data values beyond profit?
- When designing smart city applications, consider the ethical and social implications of data use alongside economic benefits, and design for user engagement and community well-being. Evidence: Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers (2020).
- Why does "Smart City Apps Design for Multiple Data Values Beyond Profit" matter for design?
- Understanding how data is perceived and utilized by different stakeholders is crucial for effective smart city design. Designers must move beyond purely economic metrics to incorporate social, ethical, and user-engagement values into their data strategies.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing smart city applications, consider the ethical and social implications of data use alongside economic benefits, and design for user engagement and community well-being.
- What were the main findings?
- Smartphone apps in smart cities are interfaces between data flows and embodied users.. App designers anticipate multiple forms of value from data, including financial, normative, and interactive values.. The design of these apps enacts specific versions of these values, shaping user experiences and urban environments.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative analysis of app design and data flows with 8 smartphone applications.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2020 journal from Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When developing a smart city application, map out all potential values (financial, social, ethical, interactive) that the data can generate and ensure the design actively supports these diverse values.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on a specific city (Milton Keynes) and a limited number of applications, which may limit generalizability.