The first project for our studio is based on the wicked problem exercise. Wicked problems are problems of importance, ones that are loosely formulated that keep persisting in our everyday lives. These types of problems are difficult to solve because of changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize.

In this project, I had the chance to work with Genesis Solano and Jenn Briley. The wicked problem we had to ‘solve’ was reviving our planet’s ecosystem.

To begin the project, we first researched the “action, environment, interaction, objects, and users” analysis to help us understand the context of our wicked problem. We learned that many of the environmental problem the world faces today,including climate change, air pollution, oil spills, and acid-rain, result from our dependence on fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels produces heat-trapping gases that are the main cause of the ongoing rise in global atmospheric temperatures.The majority of air pollution comes from densely populated areas, and densely populated areas have a lot cars or other forms of transportation that releases carbon dioxide in the air.

Through storyboarding, we developed different processes and concepts in solving this issue. We then came up with the ride sharing app SHAIR. SHAIR addresses the wicked problem by encouraging drivers to carpool with each other on a weekly basis.

In preparation for our video we created a storyboard. Genesis and Jenn created the graphics while I composed them into a video.

The first project not only challenged us in solving impossible problems but it also introduced us to user experience and user interface design, things that we will be delving more in the second and third projects.