Research Process

 

How might we activate transportation innovation in local communities? 

Openbox partnered with Transit Alliance leading Denver-based community organization to understand the human, economic and political factors behind recent urban transportation innovation and advocacy in key U.S. cities. The result was a report exploring the role of citizen-led advocacy, the private sector and governance in shaping and driving the growth of regional transit systems. Key insights from our analysis and research, which included 70 stakeholder interviews and 500+ surveys, were developed into a client report and an online toolkit. 

The toolkit, which is currently in development, is a civic engagement resource that walks participants through citizen-led advocacy and development processes by supporting them in activities such as identifying community challenges, conducting field research, ideating solutions and raising funds.

 

Client: Transit Alliance
Role: Project Lead, Research, Service Designer

 

Research Process

 

From boardrooms to city sidewalks, Civic Seed explored the human factors behind transportation innovation in American cities. Key questions anchored our research: How do communities work together to advocate for civic change? What topics motivate people to act? What resources are needed for successful implementation?

To answer these questions, we used a mixed methods approach to drive toward insights:

  • User interviews

  • Surveys

  • Stakeholder and partner interviews

  • Participatory workshop

 

Deliverables

 

Research artifacts included

  • Personas

  • Audience engagement strategy

  • Membership model and touchpoint recommendations