After our Zeitgeist presentation, we were given another group project. This time, we were given the same design challenge but focused on the year 2050. The main takeaway was to understand what products/experiences could be assisted in that period. We were asked to think about the problems, plausibilities and possibilities that can be scientifically feasible when creating a pathway to get there.

In our group, we had many ideas floating around and many that we were interested in, however, one topic that stood out the most was Hypertunnels.

Hypertunnels are underground tunnels created to be safer, faster, more economical and environmentally friendly. The benefits of them are cheaper to expand and it is equipped with a fully autonomous system by using robots to build the tunnels. They can also take passengers from one place to another within minutes rather than over a long period.

Idea Generation

We then thought about the positives and negatives of hyper tunnels in general. The positives of hyper tunnels include; making the world environmentally friendly, which helps tackle traffic congestion. City planning reduces the amount of land being lost and it requires less time to build. As for citizens and emergency services, people can travel to different places more quickly and receive instant help.

Focusing on the negatives, tunnels can take a long time to build and require a lot of programming to form the structure. Employees would also have to keep an eye close to make sure, everything is working smoothly. For example; no delays or breakdowns in the system. This can also affect jobs and people being made redundant, such as road maintenance drivers. Natural landscapes can also be ruined, which gives people a lack of scenery and causes them to miss out on the travel experience.

We then created user personas of two people - a businessman and a student. John (first user persona) is a businessman that travels a lot; he is a family man which means he likes to spend time with his family, however, due to his role, he is always out of the country and does not have enough free time. Another problem is that he has mobility issues and cannot visit a physiotherapist since his schedule is packed, it can also prevent him from having a positive travel experience. His wants are to focus on his family and his health, and have a more efficient and consistent travel timetable so he can manage his free time and travel places quickly.

As for Alice; she is a student graduating soon and enjoys spending with friends. Her hobby is skiing but she doesn't ski often and would like to visit more ski resorts, however, she is on a budget and needs to manage her finances. Due to this, she cannot always travel because it’s expensive, she also thinks travelling clashes with her uni schedule - time-consuming. Although, she wants to go on a graduate trip with friends, and explore more of her hobby.

Both persons have different needs, likes and frustrations, but one thing in common with them is that they want to travel freely and in a faster way. They have the same gains as they want to explore places that don't take much of their time and of their financial status. The purpose of these personas is to understand how we can benefit each person, but also know ways we can limit the restriction of wasted time and provide a reliable resource they can conveniently use throughout their travel experience.

From our research, we figured that our solution should be developing a travel capsule with a hologram wristband where users can travel from one place to another without the need for paper documents. The wristband on the right image showcases how is would work; it is gesture-motioned, which means it doesn't need the use of touch and users can quickly skim through different sections showcasing clear and consistent content. The wristband will act like a passport, providing information about the person, such as basic information and medical details. As for security, users cannot enter the capsule without the wristband and the use of Face ID. It provides a secure transaction that an unauthorised person take advantage of. The wristband will also include a GPS and timetable of departures and arrivals, this means they can check on their time schedule anytime and anywhere. This also includes emergency services being able to reach and track the person in need through GPS and fast and detailed location recognition

I think this was a fun experience that we all enjoyed in the group. I personally thought it was interesting to research hyper tunnels because they still are yet to be built (including impending capsules) and the wristband would serve an entirely different purpose other than an Apple Watch. It is something that can be foreseen in the future.