BACKGROUND INFO
Overview
This project was the culmination of my Human-Centered Design class, completed in collaboration with the City of Davis. On Final Presentation day, my team had the opportunity to present our proposal to members of the City Council at Davis City Hall.
Problem Statement
The city of Davis has been considering revitalizing G-Street, a downtown corridor closed to car traffic, designed for pedestrian use. The vision includes adding arches at both ends of the street to create a more inviting and cohesive space. While many restaurants in the area offer outdoor seating, other businesses lack similar amenities, leaving the street feeling disjointed and underutilized.
Our task was to explore the possibility of installing an arch on the G-Street corridor using the human-centered design process. The goal was to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the area, encourage foot traffic, and support local businesses. By designing a solution that aligned with these objectives, we aimed to help transform G-Street into a vibrant, dynamic space for the Davis community.
USER RESEARCH
📝 G-Street Observations
We visited G-Street to conduct on-site observations, documenting both quantitative and qualitative data. To capture a comprehensive view, we observed the street on different days of the week and at various times of the day. Our focus was on how people interact with the space, the activities taking place, and the overall atmosphere of the street.
📑 User Surveys
We gathered over 150 responses from students, community members, and UC Davis faculty and alumni. Participants answered questions about their experiences with G-Street, including what draws them to the area, their feelings about it, what they would like to see added, and aspects of the street that they find dissatisfying.
💬 User Interviews
To gain deeper insights into G-Street, we conducted interviews with five individuals affiliated with UC Davis, including faculty members, students, alumni, and G-Street employees to gather their detailed thoughts and perspectives. We explored their perspectives on the UC Davis community, G-Street, and their experiences there. Questions focused on why they visit G-Street, who they go with, their best memories, and how they feel when walking along the street.
To gather insights on our proposed idea, we presented the concept of a historic arch for downtown Davis. Before discussing the specific idea, we asked participants about their general perceptions of arches, what they symbolize, and their potential meaning.
- If there were an arch in Davis, what should it represent?
- What functions could the arch add to G-Street?
- How would you feel about constructing a historic arch downtown?
- How feasible and functional do you think it would be?
- What are the pros and cons of having an arch downtown?
- What concerns might you have about the project?
👩💼 User Persona
From the five people we interviewed, we chose Catherine as our focus because she represents a majority of our user's concerns.
"As it gets darker, my concern of safety rises." - Catherine
What we learned from Catherine was:
- G-street is not cohesive, some places are darker than others.
- Storefronts should have their own identity while still adhering to Davis’s style.
- Has a desire to feel more connected to the community.
- Wanting to feel safe on the street at night.
SYNTHESIS
From out extensive research, we concluded that lighting should be the primary focus of our design rather than the arch itself. Effective lighting would not only enhance the street's ambiance but also create a more inviting and cohesive atmosphere for visitors.
With this insight, we explored various ways to incorporate lighting into our prototype, such as string lights and candlelit features, to add warmth and charm to the area. Additionally, we aimed to foster a sense of community by integrating interactive elements that encourage people to engage with one another and the space, ultimately transforming G-Street into a vibrant and inclusive gathering spot.
IDEATION
🎨 Initial Sketches
In our sketches, we explored various ways to incorporate lighting and interactive elements into the design of the arch.
🧩 Initial Prototype Sketch
Based on our initial sketches, we combined our ideas to create our first real-life prototype for testing on G-Street. The goal of the prototype was to incorporate lighting and foster a sense of community on the street. With this in mind, we decided on an easy-up tent featuring string lights to enhance both cohesiveness and illumination in the area.
USABILITY TESTING #1
For our prototype, instead of using candles, we strung fairy lights across an easy-up tent to simulate the proposed lighting. For the interactive element, we designed a playful feature where participants could jump on a square placed on the ground, triggering the fairy lights to twinkle with each jump.
Our primary goal was to evaluate the impact of lighting on the street environment. Specifically, we wanted to determine whether it improved the atmosphere, enhanced the sense of safety, encouraged interaction, and fostered a stronger sense of community.
We tested our prototype with over 35 users, including college students, families with children, elderly couples, and regular visitors to G-Street and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Participants reported feeling safer on the street with the added lighting, noted that it boosted street cohesion, and saw it as a potential photo-worthy destination for capturing memories. Additionally, the lighting fostered intergenerational community engagement and most importantly, brought immediate joy and smiles to those who experienced it.
🔍 WHAT WE LEARNED
Increases Safety
- Promotes personal feelings of safety
- Lights up the darker areas
“After 8:30pm, this dark street can feel scary with all of the drunk people leaving the bars.” - G-Street Employee
Boosts Street Unity
- Creates a cohesive look among storefronts
- Fills the dark spaces
“It feels very different as you walk down the street.” - Catherine, Interviewee
Precedents
“This would be great, like the lighting on Winter’s main street!” -Prototype Tester
Photo Destination
- Creates opportunity for visitors to take memorable pictures
- People took photos of their loved ones during testing
"This could be a great to take graduation photos.” - Prototype Tester
Fosters Community
Welcomes conversations & people to gather
Serves all ages & demographics
“Great excuse for social interaction!” - Prototype Tester
“I'd bring my family here!” - Prototype Tester
“I would be stuck here all day!” - Prototype Tester
Instant Smiles
Instant reward from the interactive element
Prompts immediate laughter and smiles
“You guys made our day. This made us all laugh together.” - Prototype Tester
“It made feel feel special. If I was down the street, I would be attracted to it.” - Prototype Tester
“It’s so pretty and it feels magical! I thought that the lights were twinkling for me!” - Prototype Tester
Final Design
City of Stars
An exploration of arches on G-street
Our key takeaways from this project highlighted the importance of integrating lighting and an interactive element into the arch design to foster community engagement, attract visitors, and create a sense of novelty. We concluded that lighting serves as the foundational step in transforming G-Street into a vibrant and welcoming community space.
REFLECTION
I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my professor, Tom Maiorana, for his invaluable feedback and unwavering support, as well as to my amazing teammates. I’m also deeply grateful to everyone who participated in the usability testing and interviews, sharing their insights and opinions about G-Street.
This was my first human-centered design project, and going through the entire process of research, building, and testing was an incredible learning experience. It was especially rewarding to see the physical prototype come to life and witness its impact on real people. I’m extremely proud of this project and have gained so much valuable knowledge from it. Also, presenting our prototype to the City of Davis was a fantastic experience, and we greatly appreciated their feedback and support for our idea.
@Jessica Chu 2024
made with love 
and lots of sunsets 