10.12 Second Investigation

To take a closer look at the site, I decided to focus on the flow of people within the site. People often preferred certain doors to enter from and exit to. The pace of people’s footsteps also reflect the action they are undertaking. Certain parts of the space are less crowded compared to others. Additionally, I recorded the attire, age, group, movements in the space.

Questions I raised: How many decisions does one need to make while walking through the space? What is guiding their decisions?

As a response, I pieced together some footages I took while walking in the Food Hall; the video is chopped roughly which mirrors the chaos one would experience in the space. On the other hand, I created two versions of line flow graph. I looked at how people would move and turn in the site, one is simplified and the other is more complex. This result is very systematic and mechanical that creates a contrast with the former study. It thinks about the amount of options one makes while travelling through the Food Hall.

Research Notes
Line Flow Graph 1
Line Flow Graph 2

10.05 Harrods Food Hall Investigation

The site I picked for Unit 1: Method of Investigation is the Food Hall located in Harrods. This space is very intriguing to me because it has transformed grocery shopping, something so basic, to a luxurious experience. It is a space that prioritizes aesthetic over functionality. Each arrangement and color of the deli is curated purposefully to carry out the maximized visual satisfaction.

I would also question how much food is wasted to provid this experience? How many people are actually purchasing these overpriced items?

I began my research by studying the color scheme of each sections of the food hall. Are the colors coordinated to complement each other? Does each section have a unique color scheme? Just by looking at the color scheme, can you tell what food the section is offering?

I also looked at the patterns that appeared in food hall. The stacked and layered food are creating interesting shapes and unified look.

Finally, I created a map sketch of the space and layed out the images I took according to where each section is located. I also thought of using the color scheme as a visual language to communicated/ represent each section.

10.16 Tutorial Reflection

The feedbacks I recieved during my tutorials are constructive and encourage me to go further with my investigation. When I presented my first stage of investigation, where I looked at the color study, pattern study, and mapping of my site, the feedbacks I recieved were generally wanting to see more of how the people interacts with the space and look deeper, not just on the visual surface. My tutorial group suggested me to study the consumer behavior and suggested that I could take more notes in addition to my photographs.

At my second stage presentation, I was able to showcase more information through animation sketches and edited videos. During this conversation, it was interesting for me to see that my coursemates are relating back to my initial visual research (color study) and how the studies could be incorporated together for a more extensive study. Some of the common comments raised were 1) How accurate is the animation? 2) Room for more details 3) Loosen up and bring in the chaos of the space.