The classic phone mount has become our most popular way to display our simple installation (including in libraries and the Humanities Truck), both for portability and the small footprint on-site. How did we get here? The initial box was long and unlabeled: The first prototype was more rectangular than future versions because. In part, this was accidental (it […]
Spanish Hotline and Dual Phones (“not an accident”)
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we created a Spanish version of our hotline and installed a direct line at the Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library (on 9/17/2019). This library is a focus for Latino events and activities in the DC area, and was eager to refine their installation for the A Right to the City exhibition. […]
6+ Nodes for a Special Event (Adams Morgan Day, 2019)
Up until now, the most storytelling nodes we’ve launched for a live event was two for a cafe at night. But earlier this month we headed to a neighborhood music festival to test a multi-node approach. Our goal was to see how breadth might add up to more than the sum of the parts. We successfully featured four […]
Making the “Desk Payphone” (for the Storytelling System)
Our first proof of concept (left) and the finished product at PorchFest 2019 (right). If the payphone is to be a serious actor in our storytelling system, we must ensure a proper stage! The first step was developing the proof of concept using pieces of poster board cut to scale. This helped in thinking about how to […]
Front desk at the library: “classic 1970s” telephone prototype
Beginning this week, you can find a new prototype at the front desk of the Woodridge Neighborhood Library. We call it the “classic 1970s” telephone. Picking up the handset immediately connects listeners to the same storytelling hotline that is in the museum. Listeners can hear excerpts from oral histories from the Right to the City exhibit, or […]
Press release on AR as opportunity for cities, and how to remix Pokémon GO
# # # Press Release # # # June 29, 2018 Augmented reality games provide new opportunity for cities to strengthen communities and civic engagement, finds American University report New research provides case studies and best practices for cities to leverage games like Pokémon GO to achieve local goals New York City, NY — A […]
Presenting at Games for Change (update: photos)
We will launch the report at the Games for Change festival with two panels on June 29, 2018. Hear what cities did in partnership with the Knight Foundation and Niantic, Inc. at these sessions: Friday panel #1: Knight Foundation VP Sam Gill and Niantic VP Gabriel Stricker on “How Technology Is Changing Our Relationship to the Places […]
Additional Charlotte Reflections
Additional Observations and Provocations (These are not included in the official report.) Distinctive City Feature: PokéWalk What the Organizers Did: Charlotte officials and Niantic staff created a “PokéWalk,” by linking together 16 PokéStops and two gyms along a three-mile route between two parks with access to 11 neighborhoods. Blue Pokéball stencils were sprayed onto the […]
One organizer in New Bedford
The story of Pokémon GO in New Bedford could not be told without Michelle Keith, who has become an unofficial spokesperson for the game locally. Keith’s introduction to Pokémon came through the inquiry: how can this game be used to motivate people to vote? Inspired by the crowds of people playing while she and her […]
Additional Chester Reflections
Additional Observations and provocations (These are not included in the official report.) Distinctive City Feature: PastPort In partnership with Big Heritage, the city of Chester, England included two days of Pokémon GO social enterprise that engages museums, schools and communities with the past, approached the event through a historical lens. They offered antique-looking Pokémon GO […]