Master Thesis project
2018
London// Central Saint Martins
Tutors: Matt Malpass, Ralph Ball
Mentor: Luke Forsythe
Individual project.
SERVICE DESIGN/ UX
PACKAGE DESIGN
gamification, digital nomads, ux, service design, active travelling, global network
Exploded 3D model// Unpacking © Stella Taousiani
Dérive brings together local businesses, NGOS, local community stakeholders and Digital Nomads to celebrate the uncertainty of the nomadic lifestyle. After an online registration a customised package is sent to it’s users which slowly reveals their next destination and interactive activities in it. All the information is revealed on the user's smartphone after the QR code is scanned from the objects included in the package.
Dérive envisions a community of digital nomads and re-establishes a new concept of experiencing a city. It is the idea of a community where all the digital nomads are active parts of a big family/community called Dérive. The members of this community interact as units but their actions collectively create the community of derive . Dérive is a hybrid between the digital and physical world. In this place, whether it is digital or physical, the members own an identity that does not have any geographical or social limitations(because of their place of birth or religion), and support each other. The creation of this active community is mainly built around the ideas of uncertainty, wandering, discovering and the meaning of exchange( skills, information, objects or memories)
The diagram explains the relationship between the different stakeholders involved in the derive community as well as the different roles and benefits of being involved in the derive community.
e.g In the case of the local business that joins the network:
The local business can benefit from the fact that the derive service will be recommending the business to the global network of digital nomads/travellers all year round. The business will also have the opportunity to hire skilled professionals/digital nomads during their stay in that specific location. After registration, the local business joins the derive map and receives the derive sticker which defines that it is a member of the global network.
The digital nomads will be able to receive discounts from the derive business as easier access to local businesses faster. They can also work temporarily in the derive business for an extra income.
The community consists of 4 main users : The DIGITAL NOMADS, LOCALS, LOCAL BUSINESSES and NGOS/LOCAL ORGANISATIONS
DIGITAL NOMADS/
Create a full profile and join the community. They have the opportunity to subscribe to different derive packs.
LOCAL BUSINESS/
Can subscribe to promote their business to the global network of travellers. They offer discounts and working positions to the members of the community.
NGO/
LOCAL ORGANISATION/
Join the network in a similar way and give the derive members the opportunity to engage actively and volunteer for subjects that are related and important to local communities.
LOCALS/
Non-digital nomads can still join the family. Locals can give their recommendations, take parts in meetups and festivals, exchange skills, get prizes and help the family grow bigger.
Entering the Dérive website © Stella Taousiani
13/07/2018
"My name is Nina, I'm 27 years old and I grew up in Spain. I've been working as a web designer/freelancer for the last 3 years.
After my graduation I worked in local studios for 2 years. I really felt like something was missing. The classic 8-hour working model didn't feel right for me. Everyone was telling me that I just have to accept it.
I decided to start my own online business, become a freelancer and work on my own basis. Soon I realised that working online gave me the freedom to work from any place in the world. All I needed was a good internet connection, a laptop and my own skills.
So I decided to become a digital nomad. Ever since I've lived in more than 15 countries.
I am currently based in London, I have been living here the last 2 months. I have no idea which my next destination is going to be or when i am going to leave. I don't usually make long term plans. I usually ask the other digital nomads for recommendations for my next destination, if my budget is enough i just do it.
The lifestyle of a digital nomad is not always a bed of roses, I face a lot of challenges in my everyday life. I often feel very lonely, especially when I have a lot of work to do and I have no time to socialise; it is always very hard to say goodbye to your new friends too, knowing that you might never see them again. Being the boss of your own self also means that your income is unstable as well as your working hours. I sometimes try to teach something from my own skills to the locals for as long as I stay in a new city. An other big struggle of this lifestyle is gathering all the information for the new country every time and creating a daily routine. Each country/city has their own rules, norms, timetables, schedules and it takes a lot of time to gather all this information every time I visit a new place. The same happens with any kind of service, when you live in a specific location you use some specific services like doctors, hairdressers, gym etc, but when you are a digital nomad you have to reorganise you life every time you go to a new country.
STEP 1: GETTING TO KNOW THE NETWORK
Nina is currently in London. She enters a cafeteria a local friend recommended to her to work. The cafeteria belongs to the derive community (the sticker on the door identifies that). When Nina tries to connect to the wi-fi, the derive website appears on her screen. She visits the derive website and decides to become a member of the community.
Persona// Digital Nomad// © Stella Taousiani
Stakeholders map//Service Diagram © Stella Taousiani
STEP 2: REGISTRATION
Nina can choose between different types of membership as a Digital Nomad from no risk to maximumm risk. The word "risk" defines in what level her next experience will be decided by her, the serice & members of the community or a random generator
Nina chooses the MAX RISK subscription. This means that she will receive the full derive pack ( including the survival pack) and a lot of the decision making for her next destination,activities and objects she will receive in the derive pack will be up to the community and the derive service. She goes through the full step registration in order to help derive know as much as possible about her.
Nina's profile is now completed and can be accessed by other members of the community.
Her information is being processed,her derive pack and experiences are being designed.
STEP 3: VOTING & PROCESSING
After Nina's registration, derivce processes her information and contacts other members of the community to vote for Nina's next destination and experiences/
1, George checks Nina's profile
George, Digital Nomad
Graphic Designer
Countries lived the
last 12 months: 7
Country of origin: Greece
Current location: London
George and Nina appear to have 32 common interests. George also currently lives in London and he is a Digital Nomad. The derive app sends him a notification to vote for Nina's next destination. Nina and George match and they can view each other's profile,exchange information and meet.
2. He votes her next destination
depending on his personal experience.
3. Receives a notification that his membership has been updated to intermediate user.
4. Unlocks a free coffee from a local business in London that belongs to the derive network.
Stephanie, 29
Digital Nomad
Photographer, Blogger
Countries lived the
last 12 months: 5
Country of origin:Athens/Greece
(Nina's chosen destination)
Current location: Barcelona
Stephanie and Nina appear to have 17 common interests. The derive members have vote The derive app sends him a notification to vote for Nina's next destination. Nina and George match and they can view each other's profile,exchange information and meet.
1, Stephanie checks Nina's profile
2. Recommends 5 activities that Nina could do in Athens
3. She unlocks a free beer from a bar-member of the Derive community business in Barcelona.
object no4: THE DERIVE MAP
by placing the exterior part of the pack on the map the destination is revealed.
survival pack
FEATURES UNLOCKED
object no3: VOLUNTEER PASS
activity: volunteer in a refugee camp in Athens.
DESTINATION REVEALED
DESIGN PRINCIPLE
The derive pack is designed in a way that the objects will be revealed to the user in a specific order. The user has to scan the objects in that specific order to reveal the destination and unlock al the digital and physical prices.
B. THE INTERIOR PACK
Includes objects related to the user's next destination and activities in it.
By scanning the objects in the pack through the app, the relationship between the objects and the activities is revealed on the user's smartphone.
E. THE DESTINATION
The map included in the interior part of the pack can be placed under the pattern of the exterior pack, scanned and finally reveal the destination of the user.
C. THE MEMORY CAPSULES
The memory capsules are customized souvenirs/memory containers, that can be used to store small objects from different locations(sucha as sand, spices, aromas).
The user can store the memory on the Derive app and access the information for each capsule by scanning the QR code on the top.
D. THE SURVIVAL PACK
Includes travel tickets, recommendations of local businesses, co-working spaces and customised guides that can be used in order to make the user's everyday orutine easier, receive discounts and prizes.
A. THE EXTERIOR PACK
the exterior pack comes with a unique pattern that is the unique ID for each Derive user. It has the possibility to be unfolded and taken to the user's next destination
Nina opens the pack and scans the QR code from the objects she finds.
object no2: skirt
activity: swing classes
object no1: basil seeds
activity: planting in a community park
travel tickets
matches
