Roles: User research / Design thinking and strategy / Information architecture / Design system creation / Interaction design / Visual design / Signage and way finding design
Me and a couple of my classmates had the opportunity to collaborate with the Dublin City Council on a project focused on encouraging community and engagement in Dublin's parks. For over a year, the council trialled a public cooktop amenity at one of its' parks in the city.
Outdoor Cook Club is a community initiative by Dublin City Council that brings people together through shared cooking experiences in public parks. With free-to-use electric cooktops, visitors can bring their own ingredients, prepare a meal in the fresh air, and enjoy it in a welcoming, social space. The initiative encourages outdoor dining, sustainability, and community connection while promoting care and respect for shared public spaces.
Field research at the park where the electric cooktop is currently situated, we tested it out ourselves as well
Our Process
We designed signage, way finding, and a distinct visual identity for public cooktops in parks, an amenity that creates a space for community and conviviality. Our process began with on-site research, observing different audiences, understanding their interactions and even using the cooktop ourselves. We thought about how design could play a role in making the space more inviting and intuitive while fostering a sense of shared experience. Based on our research, testing and some interviews, we asked a HMW question which would help us frame a relevant solution through design.
How might we make the public cooktop more visible and accessible to people?
Our Solution
What we created was a playful and powerful visual language that would enhance accessibility, encourage spontaneous social connections and be expanded into a range of touch points to resonate with people across communities.
Visual Language
Our design principles
Inclusive, warm, inviting, friendly, user-friendly, scalable, integration of communities
The initial iteration of posters created for awareness and to direct park goers to the public cooktop. These were then revised and refined based on feedback which included needing a more simplified look, the illustration of the cooktop was not recognisable and needed to be more similar to the actual device itself for recall.
Clear, legible typeface that would instantly grab attention of the viewers and park-goers
To ensure inclusivity and integration, we translated the posters into multiple languages, allowing diverse communities to feel welcomed, informed, and to encourage them to make use of the council's offering.
Strategic positioning of awareness collateral at points of interaction for potential users, this was ideated to ensure that the city would become aware of the initiative and be encouraged to make use of it
Thank you! Hope you enjoyed going through the project :)
