PROBLEM

General Design Problem

“Visitation to the Docklands has fallen short of predicted estimates.”

“How can we increase visitation to Docklands in the 20-34 demographic?”

Criteria for Success

“Increasing visitation within the demographic by x% over x amount of time”

RESEARCH METHODS

Online survey

Interviews

Observation

Cultural probe
ONLINE SURVEY

12 Questions

Over a period of 10 days

75 Responses

Participants from 51 suburbs around Melbourne

2 from interstate (NSW and ACT)

ONLINE SURVEY

AGE GENDER
30-34
5.33%
43

25-29 32
24%

70.67%

20-24
Male Female
ONLINE SURVEY

TOP 5 RECREATIONAL DESTINATIONS TOP 5 MOST POPULAR TYPES OF EVENTS

RANK location rank
RANK event
1 Royal Botanic Gardens 1 Music Festivals / Festivals
2 Brunswick St Fitzroy 2 Sports / recreational sports
Melbourne CBD 3 Gardens / Lakes / Beaches
3 St Kilda Beach Outdoor cinemas
4 St Kilda (suburb) 4 Markets
5 Federation Square Pubs / Bars
Richmond (suburb) 5 Horse Racing
ONLINE SURVEY

DOCKLANDS VISITS IN THE PAST YEAR PERCEPTIONS OF DOCKLANDS

>10 Visits Positive Negative
5-10 Visits 6.7%
4%
Shopping Ghost town/empty
0 Visits Eating and drinking Unappealing aesthetics
22.7% Sports Lacks life/soul
Functions Expensive
37.3%
29.3%
Views Doesn’t offer anything new
Close to the City Corporate/yuppie
2-5 Visits 1 Visit Boring/plain
Targeted at the wrong demographic
No entertainment/activities that
appeal to me
Lack of information
Not interested/don’t care
ONLINE SURVEY

AGREEING/DISAGREEING WITH STATEMENTS

1 2 3 44 5 1 = Strongly disagree 2= Disagree 3= Neither agree/disagree

4= Agree 5= Strongly agree

1.3% 6.7% 1.3% 4% 10.7%

8% 9.3% 8% 9.3%
12%
17.3%
26.7% 26.7% 20%
33.3% 23.3% 28% 22.7%
30.7%
54.7% 38.7%
30.7% 33.3% 37.3%

Docklands is Docklands offers Docklands has a range Docklands appeals to It is easy to find information
easily accessible affordable activities of activities that appeal a variety of age groups about the Docklands
to me
ONLINE SURVEY

HAVE YOU VISITED THE DOCKLANDS WEBSITE?

67

Yes No
ONLINE SURVEY

SUMMARY
All favourite recreational locations had outdoor events
spaces or seating

Strong arts and culture scenes

Most popular type of event was music festivals / festivals

Respondents seemed generally confused or unaware of current events

available at Docklands.

Need for events to be tailored to the demographic

Most respondents replied to survey via Facebook, showing strong

online presence.
INTERVIEWS

17 Questions

One on one interviews

10 Responses

Participants from 7 suburbs around Melbourne

None reside in Docklands

INTERVIEWS

FAVOURITE EVENTS

rank event
RANK
1 Music Events
2 Festivals (music, comedy, cultural)
3 Markets
4 Theatre
5 Sporting Events
INTERVIEWS

LEISURE LOCATIONS MAIN ATTRACTIVE ATTRIBUTES OF A LOCATION

highest ranked
Good food / drink 7
St Kilda 5
Access 6
Fed Square 4
Atmosphere 4

Port Melbourne 3
Scenery 4
Arts centre 0
Diversity 3
Docklands 0
Affordability 3
INTERVIEWS

VISITS TO DOCKLANDS IN THE PAST YEAR OPINIONS OF DOCKLANDS

“ It’s
5-10
uninteresting and too far away, I
“
visits
think of it solely as a shipping port.
10% 0
visits
2-5 30%
20%
“ It’s
visits “
expensive and dull, the area is
quite boring
40% “
1
“ There is not enough nightlife.
visits
INTERVIEWS

WHAT DEMOGRAPHIC DO YOU BELIEVE DOCKLANDS ATTRACTS?

“ Itexpensive
currently caters to a very
demographic. Seems to
“ “ Athink
middle class hide out. I don’t
“
it’s a place that attracts
attract people who are older than young people
34 and are rich.
“ Families (to the Ice Rink) and
“
“
Tourists and business people who
“
maybe older people (to the
work there restaurants too).
INTERVIEWS

HAVE YOUR FRIENDS SUGGESTED VISITING DOCKLANDS? WHAT WOULD ENTICE YOU TO VISIT DOCKLANDS?

10
100% Suggested some sort
of music event

SOCIAL NETWORKING AND SMARTPHONES

1

100%
No Yes
Own smart phones and of these
all use them to access social
networking sites on a daily basis.
INTERVIEWS

SUMMARY
High ownership of smartphones

Strong online presence and use of social networking

100% of participants desired a greater arts/music scene

at the Docklands

Docklands does not appeal to our demographic: ranking the least

favourite Melbourne location

Respondents perceive the Docklands as a corporate location.

Most appealing leisure locations include those with strong music and
arts scenes such as St Kilda.
OBSERVATION

5 ‘Favourite Locations’ visited

Comparisons made between Docklands and favourite locations

Royal Botanic Gardens, Brunswick St, Melbourne CBD, St Kilda and Federation Square
OBSERVATION
OBSERVATION
OBSERVATION
OBSERVATION
OBSERVATION
OBSERVATION
OBSERVATION
OBSERVATION
OBSERVATION

SUMMARY
People enjoyed areas with art and a multitude of events

High foot traffic

All of the observed locations featured outdoor events/spaces

and seating areas.

Street Buskers

Sculptures and street art

Dock 183 and 187 as poorly utilized public spaces: during observation this
area remained largely unpopulated with minimal activity
CULTURAL PROBE

Collage task

2 Questions

8 Responses

How do you view the current personality of Docklands?

What are your aspirations for the area over the next five years?

Include 10 words to describe each of your collages

CULTURAL PROBE

COMMON THEMES

Docklands Now Docklands in the future

Corporate 67% Music 67%

Waterfront
scenes
89% Night scenes 67%

High-rise
Buildings
78% Crowds 78%
CULTURAL PROBE

DEMOGRAPHIC PRESENTED

Docklands now Docklands in the future

Middle aged Young - 20’s

Business people Engaging in activities
Shown alone working in office environments (music, dining, shopping, on rides)
or in family groups Shown in friendship groups
CULTURAL PROBE

COLOURS REFLECTED

Docklands Now Docklands in the future

CULTURAL PROBE
DESCRIPTIVE WORDS
Docklands now
CULTURAL PROBE
Docklands in the future
CULTURAL PROBE

SUMMARY
Docklands Now

Perceived Demographic: middle aged, affluent, corporate and families.

Dull tones and words suggests Docklands is unappealing.

Docklands in the future

Respondents would like Docklands to act as a positive social hub or

meeting place

Greater Nightlife/music scene.

More activities such as rides and events

PROPOSED SOLUTION

The Solution:
The Hive - an entertainment hub
A screening/stage installation to mark the events area which utilises
existing outdoor public space

An on-going program of events

Buskers at Iocation

Live music at existing venues

Pre and post events display for larger events

PROPOSED SOLUTION

Promotion:
Launch website in conjunction with social networking

Printed flyers and online banners

Launch event

Research identified high internet use amongst our demographic:

- 100% of interviewed participants surf the internet daily.

- 6 out of 7 cultural probes utilised images from the internet
PROPOSED SOLUTION

Key Stakeholders
Our demographic (those who will use the space)

VicUrban

Local businesses

Residents

Melbourne City council

Artists (Bands, Buskers and Creative Artists)

PROPOSED SOLUTION
PROPOSED SOLUTION
PROPOSED SOLUTION
PROPOSED SOLUTION

TAG
THE YO
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REFERENCES

Flemming, C, Bowden, M, 2007, Web-based surveys as an alternative to

traditional mail methods.

Gaver, W, Boucher, a, Pennington, S, and Walker, B 2004 cultural probes

and the value of certainty.

Mears, C, 2009, Interviewing for education and social science research,

the gateway approach.